Despite being taken first among Toronto’s three options at closer in mock dtrafts, Tim Dierkes of Roto Authority doesn’t believe Scott Downs will be shutting games down for the Blue Jays this year.

We can’t blame the Jays for possibly going with Kevin Gregg or Jason Frasor in the ninth inning of games this year. The left-handed Downs converted just nine of 13 save opportunities, and the Jays just signed Gregg to a 1-year deal Feb. 5. Gregg saved 23 games last year for the Chicago Cubs and has 84 saves over the past three seasons. We still think Frasor gets the first shot at closing this year, though. Read more »

A constant storyline in fantasy, closers must be monitored as such to determine who’s on the verge of save opportunities and who’s losing the grip on their jobs. The season is just a week old, enough data still exists to make educated guesses at who will pleasantly surprise and who will disappoint.

Of course, there have been numerous surprises and disappointments, but we’ll set our sights on just three of each for now. As the season wears on, there will be plenty of future articles on who’s winning and losing jobs. The direct purpose of this story isn’t on long-term prospects as much as it is establishing a baseline expectation and saying who’s exceeded it or fallen short. Read more »

Kevin Gregg is not a perfect replacement for Kerry Wood, but he will prove a whole lot cheaper and less injury prone. When the Cubs traded pitching prospect Jose Ceda to the Marlins for the 30-year-old Gregg Thursday, they effectively ended their longstanding relationship with Wood and altered the look of their bullpen. Gregg will fit in nicely, pitching either in front of or behind electric set-up man Carlos Marmol.

While Gregg falls well short of Marmol in terms of pure stuff, he is a much tougher, more experienced competitor. This looks like Marmol’s year to emerge as a top-flight closer, but just in case he doesn’t, the veteran Gregg will be there to close games. 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 »