Mound Musings: Hold on There!

All during the season I will contribute observations on bullpen developments in the Endgame Odyssey section of the Musings, but there are a few relievers who deserve attention right out of the gate, even if they aren't closing as the season begins.

Will the best bullpen options sign in, please?

You may be in a league that counts holds as a category, making noncloser relievers valuable, or you might be in a very deep league (or an AL only or NL only format) where saves are difficult to find, especially if you own a closer currently on shaky ground, or the available starting pitchers are so bad they can do more harm than good making a strong relief pitcher a very appealing option.

There are a small handful of noncloser relievers like Andrew Miller in Cleveland, and the Yankees' Dellin Betances who are well-established producers and likely already rostered in your league, even if holds aren't a scoring category. However, I'd like to have a look at some other considerations. In most cases these will be pitchers I believe could step into the closer's gig at some point, but in the meantime, they should be provide saves and/or solid peripherals, strikeouts and perhaps an occasional vultured win.

Here are some noncloser relief pitchers to keep an eye on:

• Daniel Hudson (Pirates) – Nearing Opening Day, the Pirates still say they are "comfortable" with Tony Watson serving as their closer. This, despite pretty ugly numbers this spring, and worse, some inconsistent performance last year. His BABIP was at an unsustainable level, his walk rate crept higher, and he was more susceptible to the long ball. That is not the formula for long term success. At worst I think Hudson will be the primary set-up guy providing consistent holds, but I really expect to see him closing fairly soon if Watson continues to struggle. I think this could be one of the shakiest closer situations heading into the season.

• Joe Kelly (Red Sox) – I have always liked Kelly's stuff, but I like it even more coming out of the pen (fulltime now). This is an interesting scenario. Theoretically he is no better than third in line for save chances. Craig Kimbrel is entrenched as the closer, but he scares me – too often – with his inconsistent command and vulnerability that shouldn't be a concern for him. Add to that, the expected top set-up guy, Tyler Thornburg, is hurt, albeit maybe or maybe not very seriously. It is possible Kelly could move quickly up the food chain. He has to stay focused and throw strikes, but I think he's catching on to his new role.
  
• Drew Storen (Reds) – This one is admittedly a leap of faith (that means it will require considerably steady nerves). I loved Storen a couple of years ago, and I scratched my head when the Nats let him go. Then, last year, he struggled, and his velocity dropped a couple of ticks. Hmmm. This spring, his velocity has reportedly dropped a bit more. The Reds have to know that the best use of current closer Raisel Iglesias is as a multiple innings, multiple days reliever. If Storen can get it back, he stands out as a strong closing option. Yes, that might be a very big "if" right now, but he warrants close scrutiny early on.

• Matt Bush (Rangers) – Let me start by saying I think Bush could end up being something resembling Betances-lite. I also think he could end up closing, but all the pieces would have to fall in place for that to happen. Sam Dyson, although possibly a bit miscast, is the closer, and probably will be if he doesn't stumble badly during the season. Jeremy Jeffress is also on board so even if there is a role change, Bush would need to get past him. That said, Bush is going to pitch in critical situations for a very good team, and that could lead to a lot of holds, perhaps a handful of vultured wins, and a windfall of strikeouts. That's not so bad, and if he does find himself with the closer's gig, all the better.

• Koda Glover (Nationals) – If the Nationals weren't so concerned about the durability of Shawn Kelley, he would probably fit comfortably into the closer's role, but they would prefer he pitch in a set-up scenario. With the release of veteran Joe Nathan, that leaves a couple of relatively young and inexperienced options for the end game. The least experienced, Glover, could also be the best fit. Blake Treinen is also in the mix, and the Nats are clearly pointing towards a post-season berth so there will be a lot of pressure. I do anticipate an actual committee approach early on as they test the waters, but I also think Glover would be their first choice to emerge as the eventual full time closer.

• Sean Doolittle (A's) – The Oakland bullpen could be one of the most intriguing around. Doolittle is back, but his health is always going to be a question mark, and the A's are moderately comfortable using Ryan Madson to close. I'm just not totally sold on Madson. At his best, he was better suited to a set-up role, and he's no longer at his best. With a deep pen, they do have Santiago Casilla, and John Axford, both of whom have some closing experience, but I think I'll pass there, and I really like Liam Hendriks, but he is very valuable as a reliever who can give them multiple innings. This looks like it sets up for a return to closing regularly for Doolittle, but he needs to show he can handle that workload.

• Carl Edwards Jr. (Cubs) – This one probably qualifies as a longshot to close games this year with Wade Davis in town, but I just LOVE this guy's stuff. He has closer written all over him (just in case the Cubs decide Davis could be even more valuable pitching earlier in games) and if Davis does maintain the closer's gig, Edwards is likely to see a significant bump in high-leverage innings. Last year, between Chicago and Triple-A Iowa he struck out 87 in 61 innings. It was no fluke. His stuff is filthy. Edwards still gets a bit wild at times, but you can see there is likely improvement in that area on the way. He'll give you holds, and in deeper leagues he could be a very viable alternative to a poor starter.

• Dan Altavilla (Mariners) – With Edwin Diaz set to close in Seattle, barring an injury, Altavilla is probably not going to see a lot of save chances. However, with injuries to other key bullpen arms thinning the ranks, he should get to show off his electric stuff (a lively fastball that touches triple digits and a wicked slider) in high-leverage situations. I don't think he ever looks back, and probably claims the primary set-up role (and lots of holds) for this season and beyond.
  

• It's always fun when a couple of pitchers I want to check in on face off early. I see James Paxton (Mariners) and Charlie Morton (Astros) are expected to meet in the third game of the season. Both are high on my watch list, and with a couple of upcoming drafts on the horizon, maybe I'll be watching one of my own.

• The Padres say that Jhoulys Chacin, Clayton Richard, Trevor Cahill, and Jered Weaver will take the mound in their first series of the year (against the Dodgers no less). Yikes! They could go a long way in proving that pitching half your games in a pitcher's paradise does not a fantasy dividend make.

• It appears the White Sox may have dodged a bullet with their young southpaw, Carlos Rodon. Tests revealed no structural damage but rather biceps bursitis. It's unclear when he'll return, but surgery is off the table. The rebuilding Sox have no reason to hurry him back, so his owners will need to be patient.

• As expected, Julio Urias won't be with the Dodgers in Los Angeles when they open the regular season. He's healthy, but the pitching-deep Dodgers have the luxury of being able to curtail his workload early on so he'll be fresh, and ready to help later in the regular season, and hopefully, into the playoffs.

• Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd will begin the season in the Tigers' rotation, leaving Anibal Sanchez (and probably Mike Pelfrey) in the bullpen looking in. It's good to see Detroit going with the upside, as both Norris and Boyd (especially Norris if healthy) could be fantasy relevant in deeper leagues.

• I was a little bit surprised to see that the Reds are going to use Amir Garrett in the rotation to start the season. I'm still a big Garrett fan, but I have to wonder if he is ready. If you can roster him and stash him on your bench for a bit to see how he settles in, that would be the ideal fantasy scenario.
  

We are just a couple of days from the start of the season, and there are a few bullpens where roles are yet to clearly be defined. The first to come to mind is in Washington where Kelley, Glover, and perhaps Treinen could serve as a committee for a while. It will be interesting to see how the Padres handle the end game out of the chute. Now that Carter Capps has seen actual game time, they may start easing him into closing situations as his stamina allows. Brandon Maurer figures to see most save chances in the immediate future, but monitor Capps' usage. The Rockies appear poised to see if Greg Holland is all the way back, but they will probably be cautious with his workload early on. Adam Ottavino will probably get a few chances if the opportunities come in bunches. With Huston Street likely out for the foreseeable future, the Angels will rely on Cam Bedrosian, backed up by Andrew Bailey to start the year. The Twins are another team in between closers. Glen Perkins isn't ready, so the incumbent Brandon Kintzler will probably get the first shot while Ryan Pressly waits in the wings. When he's healthy, expect Perkins to step in, but when/if that might be is anybody's guess. The league just announced that Mets' closer Jeurys Familia will serve a 15 game suspension which will give Addison Reed short term value as his fill-in.