Mound Musings: The Endgame Odyssey Continues – American League

Last week I promised to look at some shaky American League bullpens. Just like in the senior circuit, there are plenty of bullpens in the American League with evolving roles including decisions on who will get the call in the ninth inning.

Delving into unsettled bullpens has become one the most popular topics in the Musings because, quite frankly, it is one the most challenging scoring categories in fantasy baseball, and a timely addition to your roster can propel you to new heights in your league standings. The trick is in identifying an upcoming change in roles before the competition catches on to the upcoming changes.

Let's review some AL bullpens, many with question marks still remaining:

Athletics – The A's are not a good team, but their closer was. Mason Miller, is pure nasty – we're talking mumble to yourself on your way back to the dugout nasty, but they dealt him away. Their set-up crew wasn't bad, led by Elvis Alvarado, along with Michael Kelly and Sean Newcomb. The question is, who will step up and try closing – those three have a total of two career MLB saves. My guess – and it's just that – is Alvarado. He has a live arm, so we might find out if he is comfortable finishing games.

Guardians – Let's make it two in a row. Like Miller, Emmanuel Clase is at the top of the closer food chain. He and his capable support crew including Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis consistently finished off games begun by their starting pitchers. Then in the category of weird, Clase was suspended – with pay??? – over some kind of gambling and he is not expected to pitch again in 2025. Smith is good enough to step in as their closer as long as he has his head in it.

Orioles – We've lost one to a trade, one to a suspension and now we'll add one to injury. Yes, Felix Bautista has closer stuff and has successfully finished quite a few games over the past few years, but he underwent Tommy John surgery and just came back this season. Now he's out for an extended period with a bad shoulder. The O's went out and brought in Corbin Burnes to fill in, but he's not a true closer. Don't be surprised if Yennier Cano sneaks in an occasional save, and I think both Keegan Akin and Yaramil Hiraldo are well positioned in their setup roles. They need Bautista back.

Rangers – Here's a different twist on things. The Rangers have a pitcher they are using as their primary closer – Robert Garcia. The twist? IMHO they are using the wrong guy. Garcia is a competent left-handed set-p guy, but the guy who should be closing is Phil Maton. They can partially be excused because he was just acquired from the Cardinals a couple weeks ago. He does have one save for Texas, but I'm fairly sure he will gradually step into the role full time. Go get him.

Twins – The Twins at one time had one of the better bullpens in the game, led by closer Jhoan Duran. Those days are just memories now. In a major rebuild effort, they dealt away practically everyone. My best bet to close games, albeit possibly in some form of a committee, is 32-year-old Justin Topa. He had a great season in 2023 but has lost much time to injuries. Cole Sands, who features an electric arm, could also see some ninth inning work while relievers like Michael Tonkin and newcomer Thomas Hatch serve as the bridge builders. After the trade deadline fire sale, this is a wide open bullpen, and just about anyone could emerge pitching meaningful innings.

White Sox – The Sox bullpen has been a story of inconsistency made worse when they hit "flush" on practically their entire roster. Jordan Leasure and Grant Taylor look like the most likely options to close. I like the youngster Taylor the best of that pair, but Leasure has more experience so he might see more chances initially. That leaves guys like Dan Altavilla (when healthy) and Mike Vasil as the primary set-up guys. I think the team wants to see Tyler Alexander starting or he might be a sleeper here.

Yankees – We normally don't think of the Yankees as a team that needs to routinely shuffle roles, but that's where they might be. Devin Williams, was a very good setup man, then a closer, and has been expected to step into the closer's role in New York. It hasn't really worked out that way, so the Yanks are shopping. They have brought in David Bednar and Camilo Doval plus they still have Luke Weaver as an option. They want Williams to close. We'll see. Personally, I like Doval's stuff, but he's a longshot in this group. Unless Williams settles in, this could be an ongoing fluid situation.

Some Notable Rotation Ramblings:

• I have been keeping an eye on Washington's Brad Lord as they get him stretched out. His last couple outings have produced pitch counts in the upper 80s so he's getting there and showing improvement along the way. He's not going to be a big strikeout guy, but he's a decent back-of-the-rotation option.
• With so many pitchers hurt, it's nice to welcome one back to the mound, especially if the return is successful. Luis Gil took the hill for Yankees a week ago and looked really shaky. In his second start he went five innings allowing two runs, with a walk and seven strikeouts. The team needs to see more of that.
• One of the most pleasant surprises for Milwaukee this season has been the emergence of Quinn Priester. He was roughed up a bit in his last start, but that followed five consecutive winning performances, all but one a quality start. He's just a fair strikeout guy but he keeps the ball on the ground and in the park.
• The Blue Jays quietly brought Shane Bieber on board at the trade deadline. He hasn't pitched since undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2024, but his rehab work has been impressive. I usually like to give pitchers a couple starts after a long layoff, but if I was looking for lightning in a bottle, he might be it.
• It seems a bit strange saying I am waiting for an ace pitcher to take the next step, but that's where I am with the Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He was squeezed with a tight strike-zone last time out, but he just keeps cranking out the innings. Weak contact and missing bats are both part of his game.
• The Astros finally got back Cristian Javier from a 1.5-year absence. He initially looked shaky, allowing a two-run homer to the second batter he faced, but he immediately settled down and pitched five innings without allowing any more damage. His addition to the rotation could be huge.

These aren't all the questions by any means, but they are some situations to watch. As always, we'll keep tabs on possible bullpen adjustments throughout the season in the Endgame Odyssey section of the Musings, but for now, there are some thoughts on the American League and those ever-changing bullpens.

Find out which projected starters are going and when with RotoWire's Probable Pitchers page!