I hope you picked up Rajai Davis last week. While he failed to steal first base, the speedster was able to swipe two other bags and post a .375 batting average due to matchups. This week let’s see if we can identify a couple of relievers that might provide some help to NFBC teams looking at bullpen arms.
Tayron Guerrero – Remember our discussion on height impacting perceived velocity? The Marlins 6’ 7” flamethrower has hit 101.8 mph on the radar gun and strikes out nearly two batters every inning. Any questions? OK there’s a little bit more to the story. Walks have been an issue throughout his career and into this season as well. The command is improving but he remains a little erratic and is high risk. Nevertheless if Guerrero could trim the free passes a little more he could work himself into higher leverage situations and become a fantasy asset. His fastball sits between 97-100, touching 101, with late life and the slider is a plus pitch around 86-87. The Marlins would prefer the struggling Brad Zeigler to return to resembling a major league pitcher again so that they can build trade value in their ‘closer’ and unload him at the trade deadline. At the same time they aren’t going to keep suffering through blown saves. Kyle Barraclough will probably take the reigns at some point, though the Marlins have been allergic to giving him that opportunity in the past. Drew Steckenrider is possibly next in line, so don’t expect to get saves out of the rookie, though stranger things have happened.
Cam Bedrosian, Blake Parker, Jim Johnson – Just say no to this trio. Kenyan Middleton supposedly will be back soon. Even if that doesn’t come to pass, you’ll want to fade this unpredictable and unreliable committee in Anaheim. If there’s a sleeper in the Angels pen I have interest in, it would be Justin Anderson. Middleton’s stuff plays and it sounds like he’ll be fine, but if something keeps Los Angeles’ closer on the disabled list for an extended period, Anderson is a lotto ticket I might take a chance on. When I saw him pitch, he made his living with just two pitches: a fastball that ranged from 95-99 MPH and sat between 97-98, coupled with a wicked slider coming in at 84-86. Hitters have trouble laying off the slider, which almost has too much movement, making commanding the nasty offering a challenge.
Josh Fields – Pedro Baez may have better raw stuff, but Fields is more polished and is likely next in line. If you’re just watching the box scores you may think that Kenley Jansen is back. The velocity returned, then dipped again. The old movement on the cutter returned, then left. It’s been a mixed bag. Kenleyfornia may be on the way to Wellville, but he’s not out of the woods yet. After touching 97mph recently, Jansen’s fastball ranged between 90-94, and while it was a ‘clean’ inning, the Diamondbacks didn’t strike out, hitting three fly balls, including one to the back portion of the warning track that just missed leaving the park. Fields is close to being a must handcuff for those that own the Dodgers closer, as well as those trolling for the few setup men on the wire that could get some saves down the line.
Alex Colome isn’t good right now. The Rays want him to right the ship so as to build up trade value. The problem is that a 2.00 WHIP doesn’t yield much of a return, whether it’s from a closer or a mop up artist. In any event, the days of Colome being the closer are numbered. I don’t think Sergio Romo is next in line. The smart money on who gets the next shot is either Chaz Roe or Jose Alvarado. The former is a righty with decent stuff, the latter is a southpaw with the moxy and velocity you want from a traditional closer. Roe may get the first run simply because managers love keeping lefties in their hip pocket to show the world how smart they are ‘exploiting’ the lefty on lefty advantage before the ninth inning. I’m casting my lot with Jose and the triple digit fastball in his arsenal.
Follow Greg @Liquidhippo.
