Fortunes rising
Scott Downs, Blue Jays: B.J. Ryan is back pitching and still there is not even the threat of a closer controversy, because Downs continues to excel. It also didn't hurt when manager Cito Gaston quelled confusion by stating Downs would keep the job. With a 1.86 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in 19 1/3 innings, I don't know how Downs would lose the job. He's walked only two hitters against 22 strikeouts, and the lefty is destroying right-handed hitters for a .132 batting average against. I moved Downs up a few spots because he's looking safe to me.
Ryan Franklin, Cardinals: Same thing in St. Louis, where we know Tony La Russa is bound to try anything to win a game, but there's little reason to think Franklin is about to start struggling. Past performance might be an indication his final ERA will rise, but I don't assume that would mean he'll lose the job. Franklin has pitched in 16 games and allowed a run in only one of them, a road game in Cincinnati in which he somehow allowed home runs to Jerry Hairston Jr. and pitcher/pinch hitter Micah Owings. And Franklin still won the game. Those who recall Franklin's foibles as a gopher-ball-allowing starting pitcher might never trust him, and there will be more home runs in his 2009 future, but why can't he pick up 30 saves? I've become a believer.
Huston Street, Rockies: We have to give him credit for figuring things out, as Street has really turned his season around, not allowing a run since April 24. That's 10 appearances and nine innings, and he permitted base hits in only three of those games and a walk in only two. Meanwhile, Manny Corpas continues to implode, strengthening Street's hold on the closer role. At this point, we should assume Street is back on pace to earn 25 saves, though fantasy owners should remember he's prime trade bait and the Rockies hardly look like contenders. Street could be helping Brian Bruney out for the Yankees by August.
Fortunes falling
Kerry Wood, Indians: Well, it might be time to worry now, eh? Wood entered Tuesday with a 5.84 ERA, but he had allowed only two home runs and his lack of saves since May 1 was more because of his team than anything else. Then the Royals teed off on Wood, as Mike Jacobs and Mark Teahen homered, David DeJesus tripled to tie the game and the Willie Bloomquist sacrifice fly was the icing on the cake in Wood's second loss of the season. I don't think Wood is hurt. I think he craves more work, and that could be part of the issue, but overall his poor season was a bit misleading. At least until Tuesday night. Unless there's an injury we don't know about, I'll still expect 25 saves from him -- less than originally thought because the Indians just can't get their act together.
Frank Francisco, Rangers: He had skyrocketed up my rankings, then biceps tendinitis got in the way and sent him to the DL. Francisco threw a bullpen session Monday and appears ready to return to the Rangers this weekend. I expect he'll go right back into the closer role. C.J. Wilson was his top set-up option and will continue to get saves when Francisco cannot. With the help of Jason Jennings, Darren O'Day and rookie Derek Holland, this bullpen isn't half bad.
Chris Ray, Orioles: So much for the announced committee. George Sherrill is still getting each save chance, and it's not like he's only out there because the opposing lineup is all left-handed. Sure looks like Sherrill never lost the job. He will, of course, because he's still not that good and can't retire right-handed hitters consistently, but Ray is giving little indication he's ready to assume a larger role. A few days before Tuesday's pounding at Yankee Stadium in which he was charged with four earned runs and didn't get an out, Ray walked four hitters in an inning and a third. He's still owned in more than 20 percent of ESPN leagues. Look elsewhere. It sure looks like Jim Johnson is next in line, though Danys Baez is pitching better. It's probably time to forget about Ray getting saves in 2009.
Comings, goings and random thoughts
• Look who's coming back into relevance, everyone's favorite Royal Kyle Farnsworth. Hey, in April we were like the hitters Farnsworth faced, hardly kind to the right-hander, but credit is due as he's gone 10 consecutive outings, covering 11 innings, without allowing a run. He's also walked only two hitters in that span, and he won Tuesday's game thanks to the Kerry Wood implosion. I think Joakim Soria will be out longer than the 15 days on his DL stint, and Juan Cruz will get the saves until he returns, but Farnsworth is back in the picture for relevance.
• The Red Sox will get Daisuke Matsuzaka back in the rotation soon, meaning Justin Masterson will be sent back to the bullpen. Masterson wasn't so great in his six starts anyway, with a 4.59 ERA and high hit rate, so he might help fantasy owners more picking up the occasional win and hold in relief. I'll be interested to see if recently promoted flamethrower Daniel Bard gets more high-leverage outings.
• We talk Sox, we must give equal time to the Yankees, right? Brian Bruney is back on the active roster and should move right back into the top set-up role for Mariano Rivera, but Phil Coke certainly didn't hurt his chances for late-inning appearances. Coke saved Monday's game against the Twins, and we should note the lefty isn't having troubles retiring right-handers. One final Yankees note: It's a broken record from me, but forget about Joba Chamberlain's moving to the bullpen. I just don't get why Phil Hughes is never discussed in this manner.
• The Padres finally promoted Triple-A closer Greg Burke, and with the release of Duaner Sanchez it's possible Burke vaults over Cla Meredith, Edwin Moreno and Edward Mujica into a high-leverage role soon. I have no concerns about Heath Bell, however, and the Padres won't win much, so the point is probably moot for fantasy purposes.
• Weekly Washington update: Beleaguered Nationals manager Manny Acta wants Joel Hanrahan to seize the closer role and run with it. Upon hearing the news Hanrahan went out Monday and gave up two hits, two walks, three runs and struck out two. Yep, he's going to finish with more than 20 saves. He will. It's pretty clear Joe Beimel will not.
• The Phillies phinally got tired of Chan Ho Park every fifth day, so now he'll head to the bullpen and probably do more good for fantasy owners. Consider Park had only one win in seven starts anyway, and wasn't accruing strikeouts. J.A. Happ was doing those things in long relief, and now he will start. And speaking of the defending World Champs, Brad Lidge stopped his streak of allowing a run or more in six consecutive outings and enters Wednesday with three saves in the past four days, all scoreless appearances.
• Don't look for Jose Valverde back in the Houston bullpen until June. I'm not worried about his saving games when he returns, though. Chris Sampson filled in for fill-in LaTroy Hawkins on Sunday and allowed one hard hit ball after another, but got the save. One could argue no NL team has a bigger drop-off from its closer to other relievers than the Astros.
Scott Downs, Blue Jays: B.J. Ryan is back pitching and still there is not even the threat of a closer controversy, because Downs continues to excel. It also didn't hurt when manager Cito Gaston quelled confusion by stating Downs would keep the job. With a 1.86 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in 19 1/3 innings, I don't know how Downs would lose the job. He's walked only two hitters against 22 strikeouts, and the lefty is destroying right-handed hitters for a .132 batting average against. I moved Downs up a few spots because he's looking safe to me.
Ryan Franklin, Cardinals: Same thing in St. Louis, where we know Tony La Russa is bound to try anything to win a game, but there's little reason to think Franklin is about to start struggling. Past performance might be an indication his final ERA will rise, but I don't assume that would mean he'll lose the job. Franklin has pitched in 16 games and allowed a run in only one of them, a road game in Cincinnati in which he somehow allowed home runs to Jerry Hairston Jr. and pitcher/pinch hitter Micah Owings. And Franklin still won the game. Those who recall Franklin's foibles as a gopher-ball-allowing starting pitcher might never trust him, and there will be more home runs in his 2009 future, but why can't he pick up 30 saves? I've become a believer.
Huston Street, Rockies: We have to give him credit for figuring things out, as Street has really turned his season around, not allowing a run since April 24. That's 10 appearances and nine innings, and he permitted base hits in only three of those games and a walk in only two. Meanwhile, Manny Corpas continues to implode, strengthening Street's hold on the closer role. At this point, we should assume Street is back on pace to earn 25 saves, though fantasy owners should remember he's prime trade bait and the Rockies hardly look like contenders. Street could be helping Brian Bruney out for the Yankees by August.
Fortunes falling
Kerry Wood, Indians: Well, it might be time to worry now, eh? Wood entered Tuesday with a 5.84 ERA, but he had allowed only two home runs and his lack of saves since May 1 was more because of his team than anything else. Then the Royals teed off on Wood, as Mike Jacobs and Mark Teahen homered, David DeJesus tripled to tie the game and the Willie Bloomquist sacrifice fly was the icing on the cake in Wood's second loss of the season. I don't think Wood is hurt. I think he craves more work, and that could be part of the issue, but overall his poor season was a bit misleading. At least until Tuesday night. Unless there's an injury we don't know about, I'll still expect 25 saves from him -- less than originally thought because the Indians just can't get their act together.
Frank Francisco, Rangers: He had skyrocketed up my rankings, then biceps tendinitis got in the way and sent him to the DL. Francisco threw a bullpen session Monday and appears ready to return to the Rangers this weekend. I expect he'll go right back into the closer role. C.J. Wilson was his top set-up option and will continue to get saves when Francisco cannot. With the help of Jason Jennings, Darren O'Day and rookie Derek Holland, this bullpen isn't half bad.
Chris Ray, Orioles: So much for the announced committee. George Sherrill is still getting each save chance, and it's not like he's only out there because the opposing lineup is all left-handed. Sure looks like Sherrill never lost the job. He will, of course, because he's still not that good and can't retire right-handed hitters consistently, but Ray is giving little indication he's ready to assume a larger role. A few days before Tuesday's pounding at Yankee Stadium in which he was charged with four earned runs and didn't get an out, Ray walked four hitters in an inning and a third. He's still owned in more than 20 percent of ESPN leagues. Look elsewhere. It sure looks like Jim Johnson is next in line, though Danys Baez is pitching better. It's probably time to forget about Ray getting saves in 2009.
Comings, goings and random thoughts
• Look who's coming back into relevance, everyone's favorite Royal Kyle Farnsworth. Hey, in April we were like the hitters Farnsworth faced, hardly kind to the right-hander, but credit is due as he's gone 10 consecutive outings, covering 11 innings, without allowing a run. He's also walked only two hitters in that span, and he won Tuesday's game thanks to the Kerry Wood implosion. I think Joakim Soria will be out longer than the 15 days on his DL stint, and Juan Cruz will get the saves until he returns, but Farnsworth is back in the picture for relevance.
• The Red Sox will get Daisuke Matsuzaka back in the rotation soon, meaning Justin Masterson will be sent back to the bullpen. Masterson wasn't so great in his six starts anyway, with a 4.59 ERA and high hit rate, so he might help fantasy owners more picking up the occasional win and hold in relief. I'll be interested to see if recently promoted flamethrower Daniel Bard gets more high-leverage outings.
• We talk Sox, we must give equal time to the Yankees, right? Brian Bruney is back on the active roster and should move right back into the top set-up role for Mariano Rivera, but Phil Coke certainly didn't hurt his chances for late-inning appearances. Coke saved Monday's game against the Twins, and we should note the lefty isn't having troubles retiring right-handers. One final Yankees note: It's a broken record from me, but forget about Joba Chamberlain's moving to the bullpen. I just don't get why Phil Hughes is never discussed in this manner.
• The Padres finally promoted Triple-A closer Greg Burke, and with the release of Duaner Sanchez it's possible Burke vaults over Cla Meredith, Edwin Moreno and Edward Mujica into a high-leverage role soon. I have no concerns about Heath Bell, however, and the Padres won't win much, so the point is probably moot for fantasy purposes.
• Weekly Washington update: Beleaguered Nationals manager Manny Acta wants Joel Hanrahan to seize the closer role and run with it. Upon hearing the news Hanrahan went out Monday and gave up two hits, two walks, three runs and struck out two. Yep, he's going to finish with more than 20 saves. He will. It's pretty clear Joe Beimel will not.
• The Phillies phinally got tired of Chan Ho Park every fifth day, so now he'll head to the bullpen and probably do more good for fantasy owners. Consider Park had only one win in seven starts anyway, and wasn't accruing strikeouts. J.A. Happ was doing those things in long relief, and now he will start. And speaking of the defending World Champs, Brad Lidge stopped his streak of allowing a run or more in six consecutive outings and enters Wednesday with three saves in the past four days, all scoreless appearances.
• Don't look for Jose Valverde back in the Houston bullpen until June. I'm not worried about his saving games when he returns, though. Chris Sampson filled in for fill-in LaTroy Hawkins on Sunday and allowed one hard hit ball after another, but got the save. One could argue no NL team has a bigger drop-off from its closer to other relievers than the Astros.
