Minnesota Twins closer Joe Nathan technically hasn’t decided to have surgery to repair a torn tendon in his pitching elbow, according to the St. Paul Pioneer-Press, and the 35-year-old closer is still planning to rest and rehab with the hopes of pitching this season.

Fantasy owners are being a little more realistic. They’re looking beyond the longshot return of Nathan in the face of a gloomy prognosis, and instead, taking a look at which players on the roster could serve as adequate replacements. Read more »

Closers are the most painfully necessary players in fantasy baseball. Every season, only 30 of them exist, which creates a market dynamic unlike any other position in the game. The chase begins on draft day and doesn’t end until the season comes to a close.

Injuries, ineffectiveness and committee situations are among the headaches that come with relievers, but there is an upside. Because closer positions are the most volatile in fantasy, there are constantly opportunities to improve throughout the season. Drafting well is important, sure, but hawking saves all season long might be even more crucial.

We’ve put together our preliminary closer rankings, which are, of course, prone to change at any time throughout the spring. As the regular season nears, we’ll shuffle the rankings and go a little deeper to include the ‘insurance policy’ for each closer on the list. Read more »

We will be rolling out plenty of 2010 fantasy baseball coverage in the coming days, weeks and months, but let’s start right here with player-by-player profiles of our rough top 100 preseason rankings. Stay tuned to the site for more player profiles, draft kit information, rankings, sleepers, busts, etc. as Spring Training approaches.

Joe Nathan, RP, Minnesota Twins
Overview: One of the most consistent and dominant closers in baseball since joining Minnesota in 2004 … has posted at least 36 saves in every season with the Twins … has three seasons with a sub-2.00 ERA … is coming off October elbow surgery
2009 numbers: 2-2, 47 saves, 2.10 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 89/22 K/BB
Key splits and trends: Converted 20 straight save opportunities from late May to early July and didn’t give up a run during that stretch of 24 appearances … was on pace for fourth straight sub-2.00 ERA season before allowing four runs in a blown save to the White Sox on Sept. 2 … ERA was more than a run higher away from the Metrodome.
Strengths: Consistent high-strikeout, low-walk pitcher, essential for a closer … keeps runners off the base paths, as a result, all seven HRs allowed were solo shots … held batters to a .103 AVG with RISP.
Weaknesses: Underwent surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow, possibly the cause for the dip in velocity during the second half of the season … questions surround his big-game effectiveness following implosion in playoffs.
Bold prediction for 2010: The only prediction considered bold would be if we believed Nathan’s sub-par playoff performance was a sign of things to come. They aren’t, and we fully expect another 40-save, sub-2.00 ERA season from one of the majors’ best relievers.

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 »

In a typical rotisserie baseball league, there are 10 statistical categories to consider. Most players make big contributions in a handful of categories, which gives them a great deal of value. But, the way fantasy baseball works, one-dimensional, less productive players — relievers and closers — require far more work and maintenance.

Plots thicken, closers get demoted or injured, and managers often make bullpen situations hard to predict. So, while it’s all in pursuit of saves – and to a far lesser extent strikeouts, ERA and WHIP — keeping a stable full of closers requires a great deal of time, anticipation and a little luck. 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 »

Francisco Rodriguez tops the list of best closers so far this season. He’s had at least 40 saves the last three seasons and looks to be well on his way to another. Jonathon Papelbon, Joe Nathan and Jason Isringhausen aren’t far behind.

Trevor Hoffman and Brian Fuentes find themselves surprisingly at the bottom of this list, while Brandon Lyon and Brian Wilson inch closer towards the top. Read more »