Kuzul

Okay, call me crazy, but I know I’m right…  

San Diego Padres closer Huston Street will be the late-round fantasy draft closer of the year.

Well, that is if he can stay healthy for a full season.

Street landed on the disabled list two separate times last season—once at the beginning of the year with a right shoulder strain and again on August 10 when he suffered a strained left calf while fielding the final out of a game.  

However, when Street is healthy, the guy is lights out.  

At the time of his August injury, Street hadn’t allowed a run since June 17.  He compiled a 2-1 record with a 1.85 ERA, 23 saves with 47 strikeouts in 39 innings and was also selected as the lone representative for the Padres in the 2012 All-Star Game.  

Okay, so the sample size of Street isn’t enough to dictate a full season of stats.

Before he came to the Padres, Street had a 9-9 record with a 3.50 ERA, 84 saves and 170 strikeouts in 167.1 innings for the Rockies while pitching in hitter-friendly Mile High Stadium.

And before that, he had a 21-12 record with a 2.88 ERA, 94 saves and 271 strikeouts in 269 innings pitching for the Oakland Athletics.

Now in San Diego—though the fences were just recently pulled in—the veteran righty has the advantage of closing in pitcher-friendly Petco Park—an environment historic for favoring pitchers—while under the careful supervision of ex-pitcher and Padres manager, Bud Black.  

It’s safe to say that if Street can remain consistently healthy in 2013, he will add plenty of saves to your fantasy team and will be a great late-round pick in most drafts.   

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When Brian Wilson got hurt in April, Bruce Bochy had a big decision to make.

Would he choose Sergio Romo, the star reliever whom righties can’t hit? Would he choose Javier Lopez, the left-handed submariner whom lefties can’t hit? Or would he choose Santiago Casilla, the hard-throwing righty who can be very erratic.

Surprisingly, Bochy chose Casilla. It seemed to be the right move, as Casilla converted 20 of his first 21 save opportunities.

Then, the wheels came off.

In just eight short appearances, Casilla blew five saves, as his ERA went from 1.32 to 3.34. In four of those eight outings, Casilla allowed two or more runs, and he cost the Giants a win in two of those games. Bochy even said recently that the Giants will rethink the closer situation (h/t Will Brinson of NBCBayArea.com).

However, San Francisco doesn’t have that many other options. Romo has balky knees and elbow problems, and he can’t close on a day-to-day basis. Javier Lopez and Jeremy Affeldt are usually used to face lefties in the seventh or eighth inning, although both could close if needed.

George Kontos and Brad Penny have done a nice job in San Francisco, and both should see some save opportunities coming soon. However, Penny has allowed some home runs and struggled recently, and Kontos is young and inexperienced.

So, what could the Giants do about it?

Trade for a closer.

Huston Street, Jonathan Broxton, Brett Myers and Francisco Rodriguez are all available, and, according to a report from SBNation, the Giants are interested in Broxton. The Royals closer is 22-for-26 on save opportunities, has a 2.34 ERA this year and hasn’t allowed a home run in his last 20.2 IP.

However, Broxton is inconsistent. He strikes out tons of batters, but he also gives up a lot of hits. Last year, Broxton had a 5.68 ERA, and the year before he had a 4.01 ERA.

Broxton could end up being just like Casilla in the second half, and that’s a chance the Giants don’t want to take.

According to Andy Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com, the Giants scouted the Cubs and Royals farm systems. The Giants don’t want to give away top-notch prospects, since they already parted with star pitching prospect Zach Wheeler last year.

However, if the price is right, they could go after Street.

Street is 15-for-15 on save opportunities with a 1.03 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 26.1 innings. Just like Broxton, he has the ability to miss bats. However, Street has also been lights-out this year, and if the Giants traded for him, they would have arguably the best closer and the best setup man in baseball.

They would have to part with some prospects, but one solution is trading a catcher. The Padres have a young catching prospect in Yasmani Grandal, and he is hitting .288 with five home runs (in the majors). However, they could use Giants catcher Tommy Joseph in a trade if the Giants were willing to trade him.

If the Padres won’t take Joseph, San Francisco could find some other prospects. They have a lot of outfielders, and they have Gary Brown. Even though San Francisco probably won’t trade him, he could be used as bait.

No matter whom the Giants trade, they will have to get a closer. Casilla can’t pitch in high-pressure situations, Romo can’t close every day, and no one else seems to be ready to take over at closer yet.

It’s very hard to win in the playoffs without a closer who can handle the pressure, and Street can handle it.

Street can close when the pressure is on, and he has pitched in the playoffs. Broxton has pitched in the playoffs, too, but he has a 4.40 career ERA in the postseason.

And, even though it seems that the Giants have a good bullpen, closing out games is different. No one on the team (except for Romo) has what it takes to close.

Broxton and Street do, and they could really help the Giants.

Or they could hurt the Giants on other teams.

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Last night against the Miami Marlins the Cardinals came back to win a game in which they trailed in the eighth inning for the first time this season. They were 0-26 in those situations until Monday night.

However, the Redbirds’ bullpen tried their best to punt the game to the Marlins in the seventh as Fernando Salas got just one out while allowing runners to reach second and third. Scatter-armed Eduardo Sanchez followed and walked three men in a row—the first intentionally with the other two coming Rick Ankiel-style.

The Cardinal relievers walked eight batters on the night in 10 innings.

Fortunately for St. Louis, Heath Bell and the Marlins’ bullpen have had continuing struggles of their own and blew a four-run lead in the ninth (but at least they forced the Cards to, you know—hit the ball).

Jason Motte was fortunate that Jose Reyes’ scorching liner to center was right at outfielder Shane Robinson to end a strange night of baseball.

While we give manager Mike Matheny and GM John Mozeliak a moment to wipe their brows, let’s look at five trades that would immediately help the Cardinals’ stressed bullpen.

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This weekend, the Oakland Athletics will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the organization’s 1972 World Series championship, as part of their three-game series hosting the Cleveland Indians. The highlight of the weekend will be the fan giveaway for Saturday’s matinee—a Rollie Fingers bobblehead doll, featuring his awesome signature handlebar moustache.

Renowned for his famous facial hair, Fingers also happened to have a Hall-of-Fame career as one of the first premier relievers in baseball history and clearly the most successful in the redefined role of the modern closer. His excellence on the field not only revolutionized the role of the closer in modern baseball, but it also paved the way for a long line of great closers in Oakland Athletics team history.

In honor of Fingers’ illustrious career and all the wonderful closers over the past 40 years of A’s baseball, let’s take a look at eight of the greatest closers in Oakland team history.

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Now that the drama involving a new manager has been solved for the Red Sox, General Manager Ben Cherington still has a lot of work to do.

While busy interviewing managerial candidates, the Red Sox witnessed their star closer, Jonathan Papelbon, skip town and sign with the Philadelphia Phillies.

It seemed as though during the press conference announcing Bobby Valentine as their new manager, another closing candidate was swept out from under them as Heath Bell signed a three year deal with the Miami Marlins.

To this point the Sox remain a fragmented team. They are only a few minor moves away from being ready to take the field in 2012. Here are five realistic offseason moves they should consider.

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View From the Rockpile: Musings From a Mile High Along the Journey to Rocktober

There’s no bigger stage for a middle-market club than the sparkling new sandlot just a skip, hop and a seven-train jump from Broadway.  Do it here, and media, critics and fans will take notice. 

America, meet the 2011 Colorado Rockies.

The Rockies entered this season demanding better from themselves away from the friendly confines of Coors Field.  Road warriors, they need not be; but 31-50 on the road (as they were in 2010), they cannot be, not if they aim to make their NL West championship dreams come true.

After taking three of four from the Pirates in PNC Park, the Rockies looked to continue to exorcise their road demons at Citi Field against a struggling New York Mets squad. 

Yet, having lost eight straight series in the Big Apple and 22 out of their last 27 in old New York, New York, the Rockies still had their work cut out for them.

Consider those dragons tamed, at least for the moment.  With the Herculean efforts of team leader Troy Tulowitzki, the Rockies fought their way through wind, rain, daily deficits and a doubleheader to an amazin’ four-game series sweep against the Mets.

Just how did the Rockies manage to turn the Mets into the Mess?  Take a look inside to find out…

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Colorado Rockies (2010 record: 83-79)

Notable additions: RHP Matt Lindstrom, INF Jose Lopez, C Jose Morales, INF/OF Ty Wiggington

Notable subtractions: 2B Clint Barmes, RHP Octavio Dotel, SP Jeff Francis, 3B Melvin Mora, C Miguel Olivo

The offense:

Catcher: Chris Iannetta
Infield: Todd Helton (1B), Eric Young Jr (2B), Troy Tulowitzki (SS) and Ian Stewart (3B)
Outfield: Carlos Gonzalez (LF), Dexter Fowler (CF) and Seth Smith (RF)

The Rox finished in third place in the NL West last year, but they could challenge for the division title this year. The key to the Rockies’ fate in 2011 is whether they learn to bring their bats to the ballpark when they are on the road, where they were a dismal 31-50 last year (largely because they hit 72 points less in road games).

Gonzalez and Tulowitzki are the heart of the Rockies offensive attack. This will be a big year for both players in terms of solidifying themselves among the elite offensive players in the game. Gonzalez had a breakout campaign in 2010, but needs to prove he isn’t a one-year wonder. Tulowitzki was relatively pedestrian throughout the majority of the year, but then had an extraordinary month (.303, 15 HR and 40 rbi over his last thirty games) to salvage the season.

The team needs Chris Iannetta, Todd Helton and Dexter Fowler to improve markedly if it is to make a run at the division title. I could throw Smith and Stewart on the list as well, but at least they provided a little bit of power last season, whereas the others provided little in the way of anything.

Iannetta was brutal last year no matter where he played. Helton performed well below expectations whether at home or on the road. Fowler was okay at home but was a non-factor in road games (he hit just .211 and compiled a .297 OBP away from Coors).

The organization is hoping that new hitting coach Carney Lansford will be able to make a significant impact on the offense in his first year in Denver.

On the bench, I like the acquisition of Wiggington, as he will provide some right-handed pop at the corners and enable Helton to rest periodically. I don’t believe Jose Lopez will contribute much to the team and expect he will eventually just serve as a backup for EY, though even that role could fall to Wiggington if Lopez struggles.

The pitching staff:

Rotation: Ubaldo Jimenez, Jorge de la Rose, Aaron Cook, Jhoulys Chacin and Jason Hammel

Bullpen: Huston Street, Matt Belisle, Rafael Betancourt, Matt Lindstrom, Matt Reynolds and Franklin Morales

Back in the day, you could count on Rockies pitchers to struggle at home while posting a pretty solid set of numbers on the road. Those days are in the past. Last season the club posted a better ERA at home (3.86) than on the road (4.04).

Jimenez had a brilliant start to the 2010 season, going 15-1 with a 2.20 ERA in the first half. He came back to earth in the second half, but still finished the year at 19-8, with a 2.88 ERA and 1.155 WHIP. De la Rosa likewise got off to a nice start, but injuries derailed him and he was largely ineffective when he returned.

The club must hope Aaron Cook’s performance last year was nothing more than a blip in his career progression, as his 5.08 ERA was more than a run higher than his average for the previous five years.

If the club is to improve away from home, better efforts from Cook and Hammel would go a long way towards achieving that goal: they posted 5.85 and 5.71 ERAs, respectively, in road games last year.

Felipe Paulino, acquired from Houston in the deal that sent infielder Clint Barmes to the Astros, is a dark horse to join the rotation this spring if any of the other starters should struggle or get injured.

The back end of the bullpen is very strong. Huston Street enters the season as the closer after posting 20 saves in 25 opportunities last year. The bullpen in front of him is deep and includes a solid veteran trio in Belisle, Betancourt and Lindstrom, who would be a tremendous addition if he can harness his stuff and remain healthy. The Rox potentially have one of the top bullpens in the league if everyone can stay healthy.

Prediction for 2011: 2nd place (87-75)

The Rockies spent a lot of money this winter, but it wasn’t in free agency. They opted to lock up Tulowitzki (6 years, $119 M) and Carlos Gonzalez (7 years, $80 M) to long-term deals. Those two guys, along with SP Ubaldo Jimenez, provide the core for a team that could compete for a division title this season.

As stated in the body of the article, the club’s ability to compete for a title will be predicated on its ability to compete tougher and win ballgames on the road. I expect some improvement in that regard in 2011, but not to the point where they will be able to overtake the defending world champions.

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Top Five Prospects:

1. Tyler Matzek, LHP
2. Wilin Rosario, C
3. Christian Freidrich, LHP
4. Kyle Parker, OF
5. Rex Brothers, LHP

Matzek was the Rockies’ first-round pick (11th overall) in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, when he was the top high school pitcher in the country. Some pundits believe he fell out of the top ten in the draft due to his pre-draft declaration that he was “looking for unprecedented money” to forego college. The Rockies opened up the vault and gave Matzek $3.9 million late in the signing period to join the organization.

He pitched for Asheville (South Atlantic League) last year and posted a 5-1 record with a 2.92 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. He was named the league’s No. 3 prospect (No. 1 pitching prospect) at the end of the year despite having suffered with a bout of biceps tendinitis.

He has four good pitches, but his low-90s fastball is clearly the strongest pitch in his repertoire (rating a “70″ on the scout’s 20-80 scale). His fastball sometimes hit 96 during his rookie campaign, but it would often touch the upper-90s when he was in high school. Scouts believe he has the potential to increase his velocity as he matures.

His secondary pitches are still a work in progress, with the slider being the most well-developed among them (rating a “60″ on the scouting scale). His curve ball is pretty good but needs some work. His changeup is furthest away, as the scouts say he slows his arm speed noticeably when throwing it.

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Baseball fans rejoice; Spring Training started yesterday and the regular season is just a month and a half away.

With the season rapidly approaching, the closer situation of each team is becoming clearer. As one of the most important roles on a baseball team, a closer can be the difference between a good team and a championship one.

Interested to see which teams have shaky and stable closer situations? Read on.

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This is a very close debate between to guys who should have big years. The question that will be answered is, who do I take first? Let’s establish that Street’s and Putz’s ADPs are very close to each other. Putz is going around the 145th pick or the 13th round. Street is going around the 151st pick or the 13th round. 

Looking at both these closers, it’s easy to see why they are going so close to each other.  Both have good K/9 rates and both can consistently close. It’s also worth noting that both Street and Putz have their perspective jobs with no other real competition for the role. 

Closer Report 2011 Projections (from The Closer Report 2011 Draft Kit)

Huston Street: Ranked No. 12 – Projections: 36 saves, 5 wins, 3.01 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 65 K
Colorado Rockies team SAVE PROJECTIONS: 46

J.J. Putz: Ranked No. 22 – Projections: 30 saves, 2.79 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 70 K
Arizona Diamondbacks team SAVE PROJECTIONS: 34

Huston Street has a clear advantage over Putz and for several reasons. First, he’s on a team poised for a run at the playoffs and the Rockies should present him with plenty of save opportunities. I project 46 save opportunities for the Rockies, with only 34 from the Diamondbacks. 

Arizona is in a rebuilding year and though they have a strong core of players, they will not win nearly as many games as the Rockies will leaving Putz at a disadvantage in the number of chances he has.

At 27, Street is in his prime. While he has been injury prone at time, he has always been consistent. I expect a better season than he had in 2009, where he saved 35 games. Putz, on the other hand, is 34 years old and while still extremely effective is also injury prone and no longer in his prime. 

When the 12th or 13th round comes around and both these guys are the board, there is no reason why you should consider taking Putz over Street. Granted, Putz will likely strike out more batters and even carry slightly better numbers, but Street is a 40-save candidate and there aren’t many of those out there in 2011. 

J.J. Putz ad Huston Street should eace have great seasons. However, when it comes to fantasy baseball, I want the 27-year-old closer with the winning team over the 34-year-old with the rebuilding team. 

By Todd Farino, The Closer Report

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It’s time to continue our journey around the league, looking at each team’s closer situation. The National League West is home to one of, if not the, worst bullpens in the league, but also a few of the elite closers.  Let’s take a look at all the updated situations:

Arizona Diamondbacks
Closer: Juan Gutierrez
Waiting in the Wings: Aaron Heilman
Closer of the Future: ?
This situation has been such a debacle all year, there really aren’t many positive things to say about the bullpen as a whole. While Gutierrez may not currently be the hands down closer, there is just no one option that you can say is a good one.  Gutierrez is sporting a 6.09 ERA.  Heilman, who is the star of the group, has a 3.73 ERA, but six blown saves. Outside of Heilman and D.J. Carrasco (though he spent the majority of his season in Pittsburgh), no Diamondback relief pitcher has an ERA below 4.00.  It’s just ugly and a situation that fantasy owners should try to avoid at all costs.  Is there a long-term solution in the minor leagues?  If there is, he probably isn’t close (or is currently working as a starting pitcher), because with how bad as the current relievers have been he’d be up by now.  Time will tell.

Colorado Rockies
Closer: Huston Street
Waiting in the Wings: Matt Belisle
Closer of the Future: Franklin Morales
Street has battled injuries this year, but don’t let his 4.32 ERA deceive you.  He has a horrifically unlucky strand rate of 59.2%, leading to his inflated ERA.  He also doesn’t have the strikeout numbers we’ve become accustomed to, with a 7.3 K/9 vs. a 9.1 mark for his career. I wouldn’t be concerned about his long-term ability, as he should continue to be one of the better closers in baseball.  Should he struggle in 2011, Morales, who got a brief opportunity to close early in the year, could get the opportunity.  Of course, if he struggles with his control (as he has this season), he won’t be long for the role.  Manny Corpas would’ve been regarded as the closer of the future, but Tommy John surgery will keep him out for most, if not all, of the 2011 season and who knows how long it will take for him to regain his stuff.

Los Angeles Dodgers
Closer: Hong-Chih Kuo
Waiting in the Wings: Jonathan Broxton
Closer of the Future: Jonathan Broxton
For as impressive as Kuo has been this season, does anyone really believe that Broxton is not only the best closer they have on the roster, but the best they’ve got for the foreseeable future?  He’s still striking players out at a tremendous rate (11.3 K/9), and has actually just suffered from some poor luck (.367 BABIP).  He’s not giving up home runs (0.33 HR/9) and has solid control (3.1 BB/9).  In other words, if he had not had the poor luck, he’d still look like an elite closer.  There really is nothing to be concerned about at this point.

San Diego Padres
Closer: Heath Bell
Waiting in the Wings: Luke Gregerson
Closer of the Future: Luke Gregerson
I’m sure the rumors will surface once again this offseason of the Padres shopping Bell.  Given the number of impressive arms they have in their bullpen, there really is no reason for them not to, is there?  He is currently sporting a 1.78 ERA and 1.20 WHIP, with five wins and 37 saves.  There certainly will be someone out there willing to pay a premium in order to acquire him.  There are actually a few options for who could take over, but I’m going with Gregerson for now.  He’s been nearly unhittable, with a 2.55 ERA and 0.75 WHIP, striking out 74 over 63.2 innings.  He’s had great control (1.8 BB/9) and keeps the ball in the ballpark (0.7 HR/9).  In Petco Park, that’s really all you can ask for.  He could be worth stashing if you are looking to stash a closer for 2011.

San Francisco Giants
Closer: Brian Wilson
Waiting in the Wings: Jeremy Affeldt
Closer of the Future: Brian Wilson
Wilson has emerged as one of the best closers in the game and, at 28-years old, is in no danger of losing his job any time soon.  This year he has already saved 37 games, giving him 116 since 2008.  The funny thing is, he’s had poor luck with a .365 BABIP and good luck with an 84.9% strand rate.  Those things cancel each other out, more or less, meaning that there is no reason to think that Wilson is going to slow down any time soon.  With his ability to pile up the strikeouts (on pace to set a career high, currently at 11.7 K/9), he’s not going anywhere.

What are your thoughts on these situations?

Make sure to check out our look at the other divisions in baseball:

• NL East
• AL East
• AL Central
• AL West

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