Name recognition and marginal statistics are often times all that separates elite closers from the ‘middle class.’ There’s a steep price to be paid for both items, most of the time for fantasy owners who want to lock down their bullpens, then shift their focuses elsewhere for the rest of the season.

That’s one form of bullpen shopping. But the other, more popular, way to obtain help involves a season-long dedication to bargain hunting and scavenging for saves. Like a housemom fixated on clipping coupons, a hustling fantasy owner is rewarded for his hard work with freebies and cost-effective substitutes. Read more »

We’re all about closers this week. We’ll rank ‘em 1-30 and let fantasy owners know who may or may not be on the chopping block.

As closers get injured or lose their managers’ confidence, doors open for setup men to win jobs and for fantasy owners to score on the waiver wire. Closer is the only position where playing time translates directly into fantasy value, so all it takes is one chance for a no-name player to be worth a roster spot.

Take Oakland A’s new closer Andrew Bailey, for example. No baseball fan or fantasy owner outside of the Bay Area could have told you who this guy was until this season. But, lo and behold, he starts pitching lights-out as a setup man, and suddenly finds himself as the team’s go-to reliever in the ninth inning. Read more »

1. Jonathan Broxton, LAD: Overtakes Papelbon as top closer with video game numbers (1.33 ERA, 0.67 WHIP) and bonus 5 wins
2. Jonathan Papelbon, BOS: Starting to figure things out, but already has more walks this season (11) than he did all of ‘08 (8)
3. Mariano Rivera, NYY: On pace for second-highest opponents’ batting average of career (.244), but using pristine control (28:1 K-to-BB ratio) to lock down saves
4. Francisco Rodriguez, NYM: Had 10 saves and a 0.00 ERA in 15 May appearances; is tied for 2nd in MLB with 14 saves
5. Joe Nathan, MIN: Better days are ahead for the Twins, which means more save chances for one of the game’s most reliable closers
6. Heath Bell, SD: Big-time surprise as MLB saves leader; if Padres keep overachieving, he blows past 40 saves
7. Trevor Hoffman, MIL: A dynamo since coming off the disabled list; has yet to allow an earned run in 16 appearances, already has 14 saves
8. Joakim Soria, KC: When healthy (shoulder), is baseball’s best young closer; returned from the DL in non-save situation Wednesday
9. Frank Francisco, TEX: A draft day gem; allowed his first run of the season Sunday, but still has 0.46 ERA and 12 straight save conversions
10. Francisco Cordero, CIN: Improved command has been a pleasant surprise; on pace for career-best efficiency (16.0 P/IP) and just 21 walks Read more »

Another look at the state of bullpens across Major League Baseball. About a third of teams in the league are dealing with some sort of upheaval in the late innings, which, of course, opens plenty of doors in fantasy.

The St. Louis Cardinals were quickly scrambling for a ninth-inning solution when rookie Jason Motte blew his first save opportunity. They appear to have found their man, at least for now, with veteran Ryan Franklin. The Toronto Blue Jays enter a two-week stretch with B.J. Ryan on the 15-day disabled list, and Colorado’s Huston Street has been relegated to middle relief in favor of Manny Corpas.

All of those details and more in our Week 3 closer rankings. Previous ranking is in brackets at the end of each player note. Read more »

So, we just missed the start of the season, but our first player rankings of the year still carry the same value, which is, uh, not much. That’s no knock on our opinions, just our own stance on rankings, in general. They’re fun to scan, but the at the end of the day, how exactly can they be applied to real life?

Well, we can answer that question. Scan these rankings, see who’s where, but pay closer attention to the one-line notes next to each player. They are much more telling than the rankings themselves because they do offer some kind of insight into a player’s past, present and/or future. They also serve as explanation to why players are listed where they are. Read more »

Rankings are arbitrary and subject to all kinds of different perspective and opinions. At the end of the day, they don’t serve much purpose, except to stir up some controversy and serve as an entertaining read. If we’re lucky, readers will find what they’re about to read controversial, entertaining, informative and/or useful.

These kinds of lists are a little different in fantasy, especially in a publication’s ability to express a thought that’s a little outside the norm. Also, in the case of closer rankings, fantasy owners are able to check out the bottom of our list and see which stoppers may get into early trouble. Read more »

By this point of the season, most fans, GMs, and members of these organizations are willing to “forgive and forget” with their closers. All they have to do is finish games and help the team inch towards the postseason.

If you’re a fantasy owner, then you’ve already had to live and die with whoever your relievers are, as most fantasy league trade deadlines have come and gone. It is still always a good idea to check the news and fish around the waiver wire, as bullpen situations are changing and new closers are emerging.

Ryan Franklin is a newcomer to the list, re-claiming ninth-inning duties after the Cardinals had seen enough of rookie Chris Perez. Other closers have ascended the ranks after their veteran counterparts either struggled or lacked opportunities to close in the past week. Chad Qualls is a great example, as he has seen his fantasy stock jump since being named the D-Backs new closer. He has not disappointed his owners, either. Read more »

As the Major League Baseball season draws to a close, fantasy owners are starting to separate themselves into two categories: “pushing for a championship” or “looking ahead to 2009.” The final three weeks are among the trickiest, as rookies invade team clubhouses, players run out of gas, and playoff clinchers like the Angels begin exercising caution with their veterans.

Here at Imaginary Diamond, we re-emerge from the doldrums to piece together some overall player rankings, a list we believe to be the largest and most comprehensive on the Web. Three of us contribue to the rankings - myself, Stan Whyte and Ryan Staloff - which leaves them up for fragmented opinions, but allows us to better provide news and notes for 101 different players. Read more »

Baseball is a wonderful thing in the month of September. Just ask any fantasy baseball manager who still has his bullpen intact, complete with a lights-out closer who can guarantee 2-3 saves per week. Other managers have been less fortunate as injuries and trades have impacted many MLB bullpens and forced fantasy owners to make patchwork adjustments.

The usual suspects continue to lead the way like Francisco Rodriguez, Brad Lidge, and Joe Nathan. Other players like Chris Perez, Matt Lindstrom and Jonathan Broxton have snuck their way onto the closer scene because of injuries and/or demotions. Read more »

What have you done for me lately? — the theme of the year forclosers of all kinds. Brief slumps by even the best relievers in baseball result in implosions that can torch a fantasy team’s ERA and WHIP numbers. And with only half the closers in baseball possessing any true sense of job security, a constant revolving door is making for tricky lineup decisions for the stretch run.

The 2008 crop of closers has been anchored at the top by a dominant group that has managed to stay healthy and effective. Joakim Soria has emerged as an elite option, while Philadelphia’s Brad Lidge has bounced back from a troublesome ‘07 season to put up dominant numbers for the pennant-chasing Phillies. Surprises Kerry Wood, Kevin Gregg and Salomon Torres have held steady in rounding out the top 10. Read more »