Bullpen Banter - Don't Say A Word

I truly enjoy creating baseball content. The hope is that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it, and that it provides true value. Navigating a fantasy baseball season isn’t easy, and working through the saves landscape is even more difficult. In a perfect world, that wouldn’t be the case, and you’d be able to draft your closers, put them in your lineup, and then sit back and relax.

However, we know that it’s carnage out there when managing saves. This week, I really don’t even want to write these words; there is minimal movement. Of course, some of the usual suspects have situations in flux, but there’s not much actionable news we need to react to. And that’s a good thing.

Bullpen Banter - Prospects LiveProspects LiveRay Kuhn

Houston Astros

Josh Hader (Photo Credit: mlb.com)

Yes, it was Enyel De Los Santos who picked up the save for the Astros on Thursday. But fear not, all is in order with Josh Hader. In fact, things couldn’t be going better for both the Astros and Hader since his return. Perhaps too good in this situation, as Hader had pitched in back-to-back days, and three days out of four, while picking up two saves. At this point, there’s no reason to push Hader harder than necessary. In 10 games, Hader has six saves and a 0.90 ERA. Quite simply, it doesn’t get better than that.

Chicago Cubs

Jacob Webb (Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire)

After a brief return from the Injured List, Daniel Palencia is now back on the sidelines. This time, it’s a flexor strain in his right arm that sent him to the Injured List, and while it’s considered minor, his absence will likely have some length. That creates an opportunity for Jacob Webb and Caleb Thielbar to pick up the slack in Chicago’s bullpen. While Thielbar does have two saves on the season, there are also two factors that could limit his opportunities. The fact that he’s a southpaw means that the Cubs will call on him in high-leverage situations. Additionally, Thielbar has a 4.71 ERA and 12.2% walk rate. Webb also has two saves, and he did blow a save opportunity on Saturday, but he has a 3.78 ERA with a more appealing walk rate. Neither option is ideal, but Webb might just be a little better.

Los Angeles Angels

Sam Bachman (Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez)

We thought we were set with Kirby Yates, but his performance simply wasn’t good enough. In what’s been a lost year for the Angels, especially in the bullpen, they have looked everywhere to find a closer. Currently, it appears we have landed on Sam Bachman. Earlier this week, Bachman picked up his first save of what’s been a strong season. Despite struggling with walks (11.3%), Bachman has a 3.44 ERA, with hitters batting just .191 against him. Bachman also has a 48.4% groundball rate and 24.7% strikeout rate, and he has a real chance to stick in the role for the rest of the year.

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