The closer job for the Brewers is Corey Knebel’s for now. Photo by Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire

Milwaukee Brewers: Neftali Feliz is out as the closer for Milwaukee. This really wasn’t a shock. Sure, he had blown only one save but his ERA was north of six and he had given up at least one run in his last three outings. Corey Knebel will take over the job and he deserves it, as he has been the team’s best relief pitcher with an ERA of 0.90 and a WHIP of 1.00. The only question will be how many games will there be to save. Yes, Milwaukee has played better than expected but that can come crashing down at any moment, especially if the team starts selling off assets.

The Padres have let it be known that Brad Hand is available to any team willing to pay their asking price. Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire

Baltimore Orioles: Zach Britton has taken the next step in his recovery, increasing the distance at which he tosses a baseball. It’s slow progress but progress nonetheless. Assuming everything goes well in his rehab we are still looking at approximately three or four weeks before he will return to action. Brad Brach should be safe to own and start in June.

This past week has been the second straight one during which all has been pretty quiet on the closer front. You can knock on wood but there have been no changes at the closer position this past week. Is this the calm before the storm? The storm I’m referring to would be next month’s trade deadline. However, we do have some news. A few closers who are currently on the disabled list could be returning within the next 7-10 days. That’s good news for some but bad for others.

I play in an expert league that for the first time is using a save/hold category. Now, I like “Holds” as a category. It opens up the player pool to a completely different type of player and for me, that’s a good thing. However, I don’t like saves and holds combined into one category. All this does is allow the Fantasy player to wait forever to draft their relievers. With saves and holds combined into one, you can wait until late in your draft to select a closer or reliever, as there will be more than enough to go around. They become like kickers and DSTs in football, just wait until the last two rounds to grab one of each. Remember this next spring.

Baltimore Orioles: Zach Britton’s recovery from a forearm strain has taken another step, as he is ready to throw in games. He is scheduled to pitch in a simulated game Thursday before embarking on a rehabilitation assignment. The Orioles haven’t stated how many rehab appearances they will require him to make before promoting him back to Baltimore, but a guess would be three or four, which should put him back with the team in late June or early July. Brad Brach’s days as a closer are quickly coming to an end.

Felipe Rivero is the pitcher you want for saves from the Pirates. Photo by Justin Berl/Icon Sportswire

Although only one closer lost his job this week, and that was a curious decision at best, there was still quite a bit of news coming out of the closer position. We have some top notch closers either returning or on their way to returning. We also still have managers trying to feel their way around the closer situation. It’s only June, would it kill managers not to determine their closers on a whim? Maybe so.

Baltimore Orioles: You may have heard that Zach Britton had a delay in his rehab assignment and concern about a potential setback. Well, don’t be concerned. The delay was because of weather. Britton is still set to begin his assignment Tuesday, and is still expected to return to Baltimore in late June or early July. The days of Brad Brach closing games for Baltimore are about to come to an end.

Neris has six saves this season along with a 3.62 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. Kahnle doesn’t have a save this season but his ERA is 1.47 and his WHIP is 0.82. Kahnle is also widely speculated to be the closer in waiting for the White Sox once David Robertson is traded. Neris has been shaky of late and has blown two of his last three save opportunities; plus, he only has six saves right now. Exactly how many more could anyone think he’s going to gather for the rest of the season? When I first saw this trade, my reaction was “who cares?” It’s a blah trade and certainly not one that is likely to determine the outcome of a league. I was shocked to learn that this caused quite the stir in that league.

Zach Britton is on track to return in about a week. Photo Credit: Gerry Angus, Icon Sportswire

Arizona Diamondbacks: There is no denying that the ratios for Fernando Rodney are ugly. No one likes to see a 5.58 ERA and 1.34 WHIP but Fantasy owners do like to see 22 saves out of 27 chances. Is Rodney pretty? No, but he gets the job done more often than not, and more importantly, there is no one currently on the team who is ready to close. Rodney is safe.

Atlanta Braves: Jim Johnson looks to be running out of fuel, as he has blown two of his last three save chances to see his ERA rise to 4.23. It’s likely that the Braves will trade Johnson to a contender before the deadline on 7/31, and that contender won’t use him as a closer but more likely as a setup man. If you want to extract some value from Johnson in a deal, that time is now; but the time has probably passed already. With Arodys Vizcaino on the disabled list, Mauricio Cabrera could be in line for a few saves in August and September.

The past week has been a quiet one as far as closers are concerned and that was to be expected, as the non-waiver trade deadline has finally come and gone. That’s not to say that more trades can’t happen but now those players will have to pass through waivers to be dealt. Some will fly through ,so it shouldn’t shock anyone if Jim Johnson (Atlanta), Bud Norris (Angels), Brad Ziegler (Miami), Santiago Casilla (Oakland), Sam Dyson (San Francisco), or another reliever is dealt.

Matt Belisle has taken over for the departed Brandon Kintzler. AP Photo/Jim Mone

Los Angeles Angels: It was no secret that the Angels tried to trade Norris by the deadline but when there were no takers, he remained with the team and continues to be the closer, but he has struggled of late. In his last six appearances, he has allowed 10 earned runs to see his ERA balloon to 4.09. Still, there have been no talks about removing Norris and putting Cam Bedrosian back in the role. Perhaps the reason for that is to once again try and trade Norris during August, but the Angels are still in the hunt for a playoff berth, as they sit only three games out of the last wildcard spot in the American League.

Minnesota Twins: When the Twins dealt Brandon Kintzler to the Nationals on deadline day there was some confusion as to who would close. That person looks to be Matt Belisle, as he had picked up saves Sunday and Monday. I wouldn’t write his name in pen but if you need saves, he’s the reliever to get in Minnesota.

New York Mets: Jeurys Familia is getting closer and closer to a return to action. He has thrown bullpen sessions and should head out on a rehab stint shortly. Assuming there are no setbacks he could be ready to return to the Mets bullpen as soon as next week. The question will be whether he automatically becomes the closer again or if the Mets will want him to prove his health in less stressful situations, and continue to have A.J. Ramos close until they feel comfortable.

Oakland Athletics: In somewhat of a surprise, the Athletics have installed Blake Treinen as their closer instead of Santiago Casilla. The Athletics traded Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson and received Treinen as part of the return. He failed as the Nat’s closer earlier this season but has pitched solid of late, only allowing two earned runs in his last 15 appearances. He is yet another closer that could be available on your waiver wire should you need saves.

San Francisco Giants: Mark Melancon will need at least one more rehab appearance before being called back up by the team. He has pitched three times during his rehab stint and if not for a bit of a struggle in his last appearance (4 runs in .2 IP) he might already be with the team. Sam Dyson’s days are numbered as I expect Melancon to be back and closing for SF by the time I write this column next week.

As always feel free to follow me on Twitter and ask any questions you like, @georgekurtz.

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It’s mid-August, your Fantasy deadline may have passed, and perhaps your Fantasy Baseball season is over, as well. If you’re in a keeper or dynasty league, that doesn’t mean you should stop paying attention to your Fantasy Baseball team to focus on Fantasy Football. One thing I like to do in such leagues is look at the waiver wire and see if I can acquire a top setup man who may close next season for a low price. This assumes you don’t have better keepers. Someone like Archie Bradley (Diamondbacks) or Keynan Middleton (Angels) can be a cheap pickup that will prove valuable next March. Fantasy just never ends. Bradley, has been lights out this season. He hasn’t allowed a HR since May 29 and his ERA since then is 2.08. He could be the Diamondbacks’ closer in 2018.

Archie Bradley and his epic beard have thrived in the D’Backs’ bullpen. AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Chicago White Sox: Who is left in the White Sox bullpen? David Robertson was traded to the Yankees. Tommy Kahnle was also moved to the Bronx. Anthony Swarzak was sent to Milwaukee and then Monday night, the Sox moved Tyler Clippard (acquired from the Yankees in the Robertson/Kahnle deal) to Houston. So that leaves Chicago with Juan Minaya as their closer. Who, you ask? He’s not a top prospect or someone who is a must-add but since July 1, he does have a 3.14 ERA and is striking out close to 12 batters per nine innings. So, he just may be the best of what Chicago has left. The team may also give Jake Petricka a look.

Houston Astros: Although Clippard was closing for the White Sox, he won’t be doing the same for Houston. Ken Giles is the closer, and he’s safe. Clippard will perform a setup role in either the eighth or ninth inning with Luke Gregerson. Clippard has little to no value now in Fantasy leagues. He has pitched better since the trade to Chicago, but he’s not a strikeout pitcher and is still prone to blowups.

Los Angeles Angels: Cam Bedrosian is closing again for the Angels. Bud Norris just had too many implosions and was removed from the role. He had been a ticking time bomb for a few weeks, especially when it came out at the trade deadline that the team was looking to move him. Bedrosian is the team’s best reliever, but he’s also one that hasn’t proved he can stay healthy for any length of time. The Angels, however, are staying in the wildcard hunt and could produce their fair share of save opportunities. Therefore, he is a pickup if you need saves, or if you want to block your opponent from getting them.

New York Mets: Jeurys Familia (shoulder) is currently on a rehab assignment and could be ready to return to the Mets at the end of August or in early September. Even when he returns, though, he may not automatically return to being a closer and with the Mets out of contention, maybe he doesn’t return to close until next season. Either way, the worst-case scenario for A.J. Ramos owners is that you only have him closing for three more weeks.

San Francisco Giants: Mark Melancon has returned for the Giants, but he will have to prove he is healthy and can be effective in lower-leverage situations before being returned to close out games. He has already had one such outing, and may need two-three more before manager Bruce Bochy inserts him back into save situations and removes Sam Dyson.

As always, feel free to follow me on Twitter and ask any questions you like, @georgekurtz.

Listen to the only FREE 24/7 Fantasy Sports Radio channel on the go! Get the FNTSY Sports Radio Network app now in the iTunes store or on Google Play. Listen to Fantasy Football Frenzy, the RotoExperts in the Morning, Fantasy Best Friends Forever and the award-winning On Target. Plus a whole lot more from all of your Fantasy favorites for FREE!

Los Angeles Angels: Good luck trying to figure out who will garner the next save for the Angels. Maybe it will be Bud Norris, maybe Cam Bedrosian, or possibly even Kenyan Middleton. Manager Mike Scioscia seems to be playing the ninth inning by ear and going with whomever he thinks will get the job done in that game during that specific situation. This is not necessarily the wrong thing to do, it’s just extremely frustrating for Fantasy owners. If I had to hedge my bets, I would still want Norris but I say that with little to no confidence. One person who we know it won’t be, however, is Andrew Bailey who was put back on the disabled list with a shoulder injury.

Miami Marlins: Since returning from the DL on August 15, Kyle Barraclough has made three appearances spanning 2.7 innings and given up one run, two hits, and has struck out four batters. He hasn’t been installed as the close, however, as Miami continues to use the veteran, Brad Ziegler. It would seem prudent for Miami to find out if Barraclough can be the closer of the future as they have very little to play for this season, and Ziegler is not someone you want to go into a season as your team’s answer to finish games.

Minnesota Twins: Glen Perkins returned from the DL on Thursday and although I wouldn’t put it out of the realm of possibilities that he could close at some point this season, that may have to wait until if/when the Twins fall out of the playoff hunt. Matt Belisle is still safe for now.

Seung Hwan Oh is closing games again…for now. AP Photo/Gary Landers

New York Mets: Jeurys Familia is getting closer and closer to a return for the Mets. His last hurdle is to pitch on back to back days, something he is scheduled to do Tuesday and Wednesday in Brooklyn. Assuming all goes well during those outings, Familia could be back in Flushing as early as Friday. He is unlikely, however, to resume his closing role, at least not immediately. He may need to prove to the Mets that he is back to being the dominant closer he was before manager Terry Collins puts him back in the ninth inning.

New York Yankees: Aroldis Chapman hasn’t pitched well all season. There is nothing wrong with his arm as he still can pump the fastball up there at 100-plus MPH, but teams are now readily aware that he doesn’t trust his breaking stuff and gear up to hit that fastball. Chapman is likely to resume closing for the Yankees before the season concludes but not until he re-gains the trust of manager Joe Girardi, and that will likely take a couple of clean outings. Until that happens, Dellin Betances and David Robertson will close out games. Whichever reliever can pitch multiple innings that night likely won’t close, however, and if both are fresh, Betances would have a slight edge as he once again looks back to being his dominant self.

St. Louis Cardinals: The elbow injury suffered by Trevor Rosenthal has once again put the Cardinals’ closer situation in a state of flux. Rosenthal had replaced the ineffective Seung Hwan Oh. The Cardinals don’t have great options so they will likely go back to Oh who has pitched better of late, but that was in a setup role. We shall see what happens if/when he struggles again to close out games.

San Francisco Giants: Mark Melancon has been used mainly in the seventh inning since his return from the DL with Sam Dyson closing out games. He hasn’t given up a run since his return and it may only be a matter of time until he closes for the Giants once again. There are some rumors, however, that he could elect to have surgery to clean up his elbow but with him pitching well, it seems that he may wait until after the season to have that procedure.

Toronto Blue Jays: While it’s unlikely that Toronto would make a change, it’s still worth noting that Roberto Osuna has blown four of his last 10 save opportunities. If the Jays had someone else worthy of closing, this may be enough to worry about a change forthcoming but with the bullpen far from the team’s greatest strength, it’s likely that Osuna is in little danger of losing his job.

As always feel free to follow me on Twitter and ask any questions you like, @georgekurtz.

Listen to the only FREE 24/7 Fantasy Sports Radio channel on the go! Get the FNTSY Sports Radio Network app now in the iTunes store or on Google Play. Listen to Fantasy Football Frenzy, the RotoExperts in the Morning, Fantasy Best Friends Forever and the award-winning On Target. Plus a whole lot more from all of your Fantasy favorites for FREE!

Baltimore Orioles: Any concern about Zach Britton and his knee seem to have been eliminated as he has now gone four straight appearances without allowing a run. You might worry a little bit about the Orioles shutting him down if/when they are eliminated from playoff contention but that isn’t likely to happen until the end of September at the earliest.

Blake Parker saved three games before blowing a save Monday. AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter

Cleveland Indians: Andrew Miller is still on target to return to the bullpen within 10 days. He won’t take over the closer role from Cody Allen but could once again be a good source of Ks and ratio protection for a Cleveland team that doesn’t seem to want to lose right now.

Colorado Rockies: After struggling for most of August, Greg Holland has also seemed to right the ship with three straight scoreless outings. There were some whispers that Jake McGee could take over the closer role from Holland if he continues to struggle but for now, that talk has been quieted. With the Rockies struggling to hold onto the final wildcard spot in the National League, the team may not give Holland all that much rope to hang himself with.

Los Angeles Angels: As we play spin the closer with the Angels, it’s now Blake Parker’s turn to see what he can do in the role. Well, after converting four straight save opportunities, he blew the save Monday in Oakland. The Angels did eventually win the game but with Bud Norris likely to return from the disabled list Tuesday, it’s really anyone’s guess as to who will lead the team in saves from this point on. It could be Parker or maybe Cam Bedrosian; I mean, at this point it wouldn’t surprise me if Kenyan Middleton got a shot.

New York Mets: Jeurys Familia has been struggling since his return from the DL and doesn’t seem to be any closer to taking over the ninth inning role from A.J. Ramos. With the Mets out of contention, there really isn’t much of a need to take a chance with him or any pitcher on the roster. Then again, nothing would surprise me with this team as they have decided to start Matt Harvey on short rest Wednesday after a terrible outing Saturday in Houston. How does this make any sense? Didn’t he just come back from a long DL stint?  Now you want to start him on only three days’ rest? Familia could still end up as a Top 10 closer next year but I wouldn’t trust him now, even if the Mets did put him back as closer.

New York Yankees: Aroldis Chapman is also no closer to returning as closer. The Yankees are in quite the battle for a playoff spot and don’t have the time to let Chapman work through his problems. Dellin Betances is the closer with David Robertson next in line. As for Chapman, he is the seventh inning guy and even that is iffy, as manager Joe Girardi seems very hesitant to bring Chapman in the game if it’s close. The next save Chapman gets for the Yankees is likely to be next season.

San Francisco Giants: Mark Melancon will eventually need surgery for chronic exertional compartment syndrome that could sideline him for a couple of months. Melancon is hoping to postpone this surgery until the end of the season and still pitch for the Giants in September. Even if he is able to pull that off, he is unlikely to pick up any more saves. Sam Dyson has done quite the job since taking over for Melancon and the ninth inning should be his at least until spring training.

As always feel free to follow me on Twitter and ask any questions you like, @georgekurtz.

Listen to the only FREE 24/7 Fantasy Sports Radio channel on the go! Get the FNTSY Sports Radio Network app now in the iTunes store or on Google Play. Listen to Fantasy Football Frenzy, the RotoExperts in the Morning, Fantasy Best Friends Forever and the award-winning On Target. Plus a whole lot more from all of your Fantasy favorites for FREE!

Colorado Rockies: Greg Holland had recorded five straight saves before taking the loss Monday versus San Diego. He was struggling mightily in August with a 13.50 ERA, but his outing Sunday was probably more of a blip on the radar rather than a sign of things to come. I would still roll him out there with confidence, as the Rockies aren’t going to make a change this late in the season unless Holland implodes in multiple outings.

Greg Holland had a rough August but has improved of late. AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Kansas City Royals: Although the Royals have never officially announced anything, Scott Alexander has been chosen to close out games if the need arises. Kelvin Herrera received another chance to pick up a save last Thursday but that didn’t go well, and it’s unlikely that he will get another chance to do so this season. The Royals have never announced an injury to Herrera but his pitching has gone south over the past month, as his 4.56 ERA and 1.43 WHIP will attest to. Perhaps the long season just got to him. Alexander is the guy you want is he’s available and you need saves or just if you want to block your competition.  

Miami Marlins: Brad Ziegler has returned to the Marlins bullpen after missing several games due to a back injury. The Marlins have eased him back, however, and he hasn’t been used in the ninth inning yet. The team could elect to keep Kyle Barraclough as the closer just to find out what they have for the future. Ziegler has pitched well but is not an elite closer and the Marlins know what they have in him. It would seem the smart thing to do would be to find out what they have in Barraclough and find out if he can be their closer of the future.

New York Yankees: Aroldis Chapman is once again pitching well and has even earned a couple of multi-inning saves over the past week. On Monday, the final pitch was clocked at just less than 104 MPH. Yeah, good luck with that. The problem now for the NYY is what to do with Dellin Betances? He looks awful of late as he can’t find the strike zone. He’s not in my starting lineup right now and shouldn’t be in yours either. You have to wonder if manager Joe Girardi will start putting him in low pressure situations until he gets over his control issues. I can’t see how you can put him in your lineup right now.

Toronto Blue Jays: Roberto Osuna is back at closer for the Jays after missing a few games due to a neck injury and to witness the birth of his child. Osuna has had a few bumps in the road this season but has still compiled 36 saves and should add a few more to that total before the end of the season.

As always feel free to follow me on Twitter and ask any questions you like, @georgekurtz.

Listen to the only FREE 24/7 Fantasy Sports Radio channel on the go! Get the FNTSY Sports Radio Network app now in the iTunes store or on Google Play. Listen to Fantasy Football Frenzy, the RotoExperts in the Morning, Fantasy Best Friends Forever and the award-winning On Target. Plus a whole lot more from all of your Fantasy favorites for FREE!

With the 2017 MLB regular season just days away from ending, this will be the last Closer Report until next year. It’s been another crazy season for closers and, hopefully, we have learned that spending a high draft pick or a significant amount of your auction budget on a closer just isn’t worth it. It didn’t matter if it was a top end closer or one with minimal job security, their job wasn’t safe. Once again, more than half the closers with the job on Opening Day lost their jobs for one reason or another by the All-Star break. This is a continual theme season after season. One thing is for sure; it’s never boring in the ninth inning. It’s been a fun ride and we will be back in February for the start of the 2018 MLB season. Good luck to all of those who are competing to win their league’s title this week and congratulations to all that have already won.

Brad Brach is back as the Orioles closer since the injury to Zach Britton. AP Photo/Nick Wass

Baltimore Orioles: Zach Britton and Aroldis Chapman may be the poster children for why you should be very careful when it comes to drafting closers. They both entered the season as Top 5 closers but neither has performed up to expectations, thanks to injuries and subpar performances. Chapman has his job back and looks back to normal, but Britton has been shut down for the remainder of the season due to a sprained knee. Brad Brach could notch another save or two this week.

Kansas City Royals: Joakim Soria has returned from his oblique injury but it doesn’t look like he will garner any save chances even though the Royals have gone with a committee approach to the ninth inning. Kelvin Herrera struggled mightily in September. Perhaps the long season caught up with him. Scott Alexander seems to be heading that committee but at this point that matters very little.

New York Mets: Although there haven’t been any announcements, it looks like Jeurys Familia has taken back his closer job from A.J. Ramos. It’s not that Ramos has done anything wrong, it’s just that Familia is expected to close for the Mets next season. They seem to feel he is throwing the ball well and wanted to return him to the role as soon as possible, even if it is the last week of the regular season. Hey, it’s the Mets. This is an organization that thought it was imperative that Noah Syndergaard start a game in the majors before the season concluded as well.

As always feel free to follow me on Twitter and ask any questions you like, @georgekurtz.

Listen to the only FREE 24/7 Fantasy Sports Radio channel on the go! Get the FNTSY Sports Radio Network app now in the iTunes store or on Google Play. Listen to Fantasy Football Frenzy, the RotoExperts in the Morning, Fantasy Best Friends Forever and the award-winning On Target. Plus a whole lot more from all of your Fantasy favorites for FREE!

In this column, you will see who the current closer is for all 30 MLB teams. You will need to take this list with a grain of salt, however. If past years are any indication, by the time the All-Star break rolls around in mid-July at least half of these closers won’t have the job. It’s an extremely hard position to nail down in Fantasy.

You can’t ignore the position in your draft, but you really have two ways of attacking it. First, you can spend a Top 50 pick and select Kenley Jansen or Craig Kimbrel and then back him up with the next best closer left on your board in 2-3 rounds. Second, you can make sure to select a Top 10 closer, knowing that this should help you at the very least to finish in the middle of the pack in saves and then select a few riskier closers later on in your draft.

Atlanta Braves: There is nothing wrong with Arodys Vizcaino as he will begin the 2018 MLB season as the Atlanta closer but a player to keep an eye on in deeper leagues is A.J. Minter. He may be the closer of the future and that future may come sooner than you think if Vizcaino’s performance slips or if he is dealt at some point this season. Minter has value even if he’s not closing as he can be a ratio protector who will add some strikeouts, even in a relief role.

That #OpeningDay feeling. pic.twitter.com/iSd5TPx7oe

— MLB (@MLB) March 29, 2018

Chicago White Sox: The Sox have decided to split the closer role between Joakim Soria and Nate Jones. This is terrible news for Fantasy owners as it decreases the value of both pitchers. With Soria being right-handed and Jones a southpaw it’s logical that the White Sox would play matchups and choose a closer based on who is batting in the ninth inning. Of course, this assumes that neither reliever is used earlier in the game. Jones was the better pitcher in spring training but he missed time early in the spring and his injury history could be the reason Chicago is holding off on naming a single closer. If I had to choose between the two, Jones would be my guy, but this is probably a situation to avoid if possible.

Miami Marlins: If there is one current closer that almost has no chance to keep the job all season, it’s Brad Ziegler. He will pick up saves for Miami in the early going but let’s face it; if he’s pitching well, he will be traded at some point, and if he’s not pitching well, Kyle Barraclough and Drew Steckenrider will be there to push him aside. How many saves do we expect Miami to gather this season anyway?

New York Mets: Yes, new manager Mickey Callaway has stated that he won’t be afraid to use Jeurys Familia or A.J. Ramos earlier than the ninth inning if the situation calls for it. This should not deter you from using Familia. If Ramos was left-handed, this would be more worrisome, but both are right-handers, so there isn’t much difference in using Familia earlier than Ramos. Plus, with the control problems that Ramos can have at times, it’s probably beneficial not to have him pitch the 9^th inning on a permanent basis.

Philadelphia Phillies: While Hector Neris is expected to be the Philadelphia closer come Opening Day, Gabe Kapler has also let it be known that he isn’t against playing the matchup game in the ninth inning. In all honesty, this is the smart thing to do. Every game isn’t necessarily “saved” in the ninth inning. Sometimes the most important outs are gathered in the seventh or eighth inning. Still, not having one closer rarely works. Neris is still the reliever you want.

St. Louis Cardinals: With Luke Gregerson expected to open the season on the disabled list due to a hamstring injury, Dominic Leone is expected to be the team’s primary closer for at least the first half of April. What happens when Gregerson returns will likely depend upon how well Leone pitches. Gregerson is far from a lock to regain the closer role if Leone is pitching well. It’s also safe to wonder if this is the team that will eventually make a run at free agent Greg Holland. He is likely better than either Gregerson or Leone.

As always feel free to follow me on Twitter and ask any questions you like, @georgekurtz.

Brad Boxberger Photo Credit: AP Photo/Carlos Osorio

Play Fantasy Football, CFL Style! Visit the Canadian Football League’s Fantasy page for info on how to get in the game for 2018! RotoExperts.com provides winning tips and insights for the 2018 season. . 

Chicago White Sox: The first save for the White Sox this season went to Joakim Soria. This is not a surprise as Soria was expected to get the first shot at the job. This doesn’t mean that you should release Nate Jones. The worst-case scenario is that Jones will protect your ratios (WHIP and ERA), but he is still expected to get his share of saves this season. At this point in their careers, Jones is the better reliever and via trade or poor performance, he should get his shot at the job before long.

So more or less 3 closer changes on Opening Day (TEX, STL, SF). Going to be a long season of turnover in closers.

— Peter Schoenke (@PeterSchoenke) March 30, 2018

Detroit Tigers: If you own Shane Greene, don’t panic about his less than stellar start. Sure, he has given up three runs (two earned) and five hits in 1.7 IP so far this season, but the truth is that the Tigers just don’t have anyone else to take over the job. It’s Greene or bust.

Los Angeles Angels: Who is the closer for the Angels right now? It’s not Cam Bedrosian, as he was used in the seventh inning in his most recent appearance. Technically, it’s Blake Parker but he has been nothing short of awful in the early going this season, and he may be holding onto the job by a string. He had to be replaced by Kenyan Middleton in his most recent appearance Sunday. This is a mess. Manager Mike Scioscia doesn’t trust Bedrosian in the role, Parker doesn’t seem suited for it, and Middleton may have the stuff to close, but his habit of giving up the long ball surely scares Scioscia. This is a situation worth avoiding if at all possible.

Los Angeles Dodgers: What is wrong with Kenley Jansen? In his first outing of the season, he didn’t hit 90 MPH on the radar gun. Last night, the velocity was better, 91-92, but he was also observed rubbing his shoulder in the dugout and blew the save versus Arizona. This could all be nothing; perhaps he is going through a dead arm period. Fantasy owners may want to cover themselves and claim Josh Fields just in case this “dead arm” is actually an injury.

Philadelphia Phillies: Hector Neris is another one of those closers with low job security who struggled out of the gate. It concerns some Fantasy owners, and rightfully so, that manager Gabe Kapler doesn’t seem to have much confidence in Neris, or really any of his relievers at this point. The problem is that half of the closers in MLB are in the same boat.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Felipe Rivero rebounded nicely during Sunday’s doubleheader after bombing Opening Day. He picked up saves in both games and should be just fine going forward. There was a reason he was a Top 10 closer at draft time.

St. Louis Cardinals: The Cardinals made the move that some would say they had to make. They signed Greg Holland to be their closer. Dominic Leone will close out for the remainder of this week but if all goes as planned, Holland will take over the role Monday. Congratulations to all of those Fantasy owners who selected him in their draft, as he could end up being one of the better closers in the game this season.

As always feel free to follow me on Twitter and ask any questions you like, @georgekurtz.

Joakim Soria Photo Credit: AP Photo/Orlin Wagner

Play Fantasy Football, CFL Style! Visit the Canadian Football League’s Fantasy page for info on how to get in the game for 2018! RotoExperts.com provides winning tips and insights for the 2018 season. .