Poor closers. Their roles are so magnified because of the nature of
their jobs, just like kickers in the NFL. Thus, one bad outing can cause
fans to grumble; two bad outings could mean his job is in jeopardy. That
also makes them easy fodder for bears, so much so that we felt bad and awarded
a bull spot to a questionable closer:
Bulls
Chris Young - OF - (Arizona Diamondbacks): Of late, Young has
been batting third a lot, which is huge news for his owners. Not only
does Young benefit from more RBI opportunities than at his customary leadoff
spot, but his runs scored should not be affected, as Conor Jackson and Justin
Upton will still be batting behind him. Upton is clearly a player on the
rise, and the Diamondbacks seem to think the future is now.
Jesse Litsch - SP - (Toronto Blue Jays): Litsch entered the
season as the fifth starter, but he has become more dependable than the
far-more-expensive A.J. Burnett. He is now 5-1 on the season with a 1.17
WHIP. While his ERA is a mediocre 4.11, he is on a run of four
consecutive good starts. The Jays don't score runs, so starting any of
their pitchers might mean you won't earn a win, but Litsch and the others at
least do well in the other categories.
Eric Gagne - RP - (Milwaukee Brewers): Yes, Gagne was a bear
last week. Yes, Gagne did actually lose the closer's job. Yes,
Gagne was shaky in his last outing. But if the Brewers handed the
position back to Gagne after only a few days and one shaky outing by the closer-by-committee,
then it is clear that they are committed to Gagne as their closer for the
considerable future. Even if his peripheral stats are not up to par, he
will get you some valuable saves.
Runners-up Bulls: Eddie Guardado - RP - (Texas Rangers);
Lance Berkman - 1B/OF - (Houston Astros).
Bears
Ryan Doumit - C - (Pittsburgh Pirates): Doumit was a nice find
for some savvy owners who scoured the waiver wire, but a broken thumb will
sideline him for the considerable future. In my opinion, finger injuries
are the worst for hitters because they often try to come back too early and the
bad finger affects their grip on the bat. For now, shelve him, and if you
have room on your DL, keep him there until he shows he is fully recovered.
C.J. Wilson - RP - (Texas Rangers): In what is starting to look
like a repeat of last year, Wilson started out strong as the closer, but has
faded lately. With Eddie Guardado's return, Wilson's hold on the position
would appear to be tenuous at best. Guardado has already notched a save,
so if Wilson has one more bad outing, it could be Every Day Eddie's turn again.
Troy Percival - RP - (Tampa Bay Rays): Percival was a
revelation in April, anchoring a suddenly good Rays bullpen with nine perfect
innings. May has been a different story, with Percival's racking up two
blown saves already in the early stages of the month, including two home runs
in six innings of work. Percival is still the Rays' closer for the
considerable future, but since he gets by more on guile than stuff lately, be
wary of good and bad weeks from him.
Runners-up Bears: Vernon Wells - OF - (Toronto Blue Jays); Brad
Penny - SP - (Los Angeles Dodgers)