Fantasy baseball Relief pitchers to add and drop

Jose Leclerc was one of the heroes for the Texas Rangers as they made a surprising run to last season's World Series championship. Leclerc saved only four games during the regular season, but come October, he saved four more, and he retired 10 of 11 hitters in the World Series. All signs pointed to Leclerc, after years of teasing fantasy managers with saves in six consecutive seasons, becoming a legitimate, reliable closer in 2024.

Things could change, but it doesn't look like Leclerc is going to be a legitimate, reliable closer anytime soon, and fantasy managers are wisely pivoting. Leclerc permitted runs in four of his first five appearances, earning one save, and then assumed a non-leverage role behind fellow RHPs Kirby Yates and David Robertson. Yates earned three saves last week, including a four-out door-shutting on Sunday night against the mighty Atlanta Braves.

Yates, 37, saver of 41 games with a 1.19 ERA for the 2019 San Diego Padres and then mostly absent for three seasons working his way back from Tommy John surgery, resurfaced to handle a key role in Atlanta's bullpen last season, striking out 80 hitters over 60⅓ innings, earning seven wins and five saves. He permitted a .124 batting average to left-handed hitters, and his reward was a one-year contract with the champs in December.

Today, Yates is among the most-added relief pitchers in ESPN leagues, as he should be. The Rangers are contenders, and Leclerc, with nine walks in as many innings, hardly seems a closing threat anymore. Robertson saved 18 games for the Miami Marlins/New York Mets last season, but he appears comfortable in a setup role. Yates, his split-fingered fastball again flummoxing hitters, has thrown 10 scoreless innings over nine appearances, retiring four hitters in three consecutive outings, and permitting two base hits and two walks with 11 strikeouts.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy gave Leclerc a chance and then quickly looked elsewhere when it wasn't working out. Might he change his mind again if Yates struggles? Of course that may happen. Leclerc and Robertson may be in play for ninth-inning work, and RHP Josh Sborz (shoulder) emerged last season as well, and he earned the last out of the World Series win. Bochy has depth, and he saw plenty of Yates when he managed the San Francisco Giants. If Yates stays healthy, this may be another memorable season for him.

Craig Kimbrel, Baltimore Orioles: Fantasy's surprising points leader among relief pitchers is off to a wonderful start, with 16 strikeouts over 10 innings and only one walk, which came Monday night to Angels IF Luis Rengifo. Anyone apprehensive about drafting Kimbrel probably feels different today, though we have been here before. In fact, Kimbrel has been quite inconsistent in recent seasons. He had an 0.69 ERA last June and it was 1.50 in September. He permitted eight runs in nine May innings, and his August ERA was 5.73. Ride the roller coaster if you dare, and now may be a wise time to attempt a trade, but Kimbrel should save 20-plus game for the fourth consecutive season.

Clay Holmes, New York Yankees: Holmes has thrived since the Yankees stole this then-nondescript, ground ball-oriented middle reliever in a trade with the Pirates in 2021. He has saved eight games this season and is second to Kimbrel in fantasy points among pure relievers, despite permitting more hits than innings and with a below-average strikeout rate. What should we believe moving forward? Holmes just seems generally underrated, probably because he saved fewer than 25 wins each of his first two full seasons with the Yankees. Holmes is top 10 in ground ball percentage, as always, and that tends to translate nicely. Look for 30 saves this year.

Tanner Scott, Marlins: Scott boasts three scoreless saves over the past week, dropping his ERA to 3.38, though his WHIP remains unsightly at 1.69. Walks are the problem, with two or more of them in four of his 10 games. The overpowering lefty is already halfway to last season's walk total. Still, Scott was also one of only five relievers to strike out 100 hitters. There is upside. For now, he appears to be back on track, though trading for him is perilous. Scott could be a contender's seventh-inning fellow by the trade deadline.

Reed Garrett, Mets: Who? Garrett, 31, tossed 19⅔ mostly forgettable innings for the Orioles/Mets last season, a fringe big leaguer with a career 7.11 ERA entering this season. It's better now. Garrett has tossed 10⅔ scoreless innings, striking out 51.2% of hitters, the highest rate in the league. The right-hander is thriving unconventionally, throwing a wicked slider 54% of the time and his base fastball only 23.4% of the time. Whatever. It's working. Garrett saved a weekend win over the Dodgers when Edwin Diaz was summoned for the big hitters in the eighth inning. That may not continue, but if the run prevention does, fantasy managers must take notice.

Adbert Alzolay, Chicago Cubs: This feels a little like the Rangers' situation. Alzolay saved 22 wins for the Cubs last season, but he pitched considerably better against right-handed hitters, and this season his struggles against lefties have helped him blow four saves. Cubs manager Craig Counsell turned to RHP Hector Neris for a weekend save, but RHP Mark Leiter Jr. is off to the best start in this bullpen, with 10 2/3 scoreless innings. This situation may go in several directions, but Alzolay, like Leclerc, may not be that direction.

Andres Munoz, Seattle Mariners: Munoz last saved a win on April 6, though until his most recent outing, he wasn't pitching poorly. Manager Scott Servais has utilized him earlier in games with the lead, giving RHP Ryne Stanek several save chances. It annoys fantasy managers, but it is wise baseball. Then Munoz blew his first save this past weekend in Denver, retiring nary a Rockie in an ugly 10th inning. Things should work out here, even though Munoz boasts more holds than saves. He is good, and the 1.68 WHIP a bit misleading. Stanek isn't saving 20 games. Munoz still should, but it may be tough to make the case to trade for him.

Aroldis Chapman, Pittsburgh Pirates: A popular fantasy add last week as RHP closer David Bednar continued to struggle, Chapman's situation may be worse. The lefty with 322 career saves walked three more hitters on Monday, giving him nine free passes over his past five appearances, covering 3⅔ innings. His WHIP is 1.71. Meanwhile, Bednar saved Monday's win sans incident and appears back on track. Bednar is neither walking hitters nor permitting home runs. His issue has been luck and a high BABIP. Move on from Chapman, and if you can still trade for Bednar, do so.