Closer Report: American League

 Owners continue to hope that Joel Zumaya will ultimately get this job, and the fact that he has avoided the DL is adding to that.  He’s walked at least one batter in each of his last six appearances, however, and that’s not going to get it done.  Rodney has struggled of late, giving up six earned runs in his last four outings, though he hasn’t been credited with a blown save. His job appears safe for the time being.

Kansas City Royals - Joakim Soria - Injuries have hindered his performance, but don’t forget he's among the best closers in the game. He’s been limited to just 12.2 innings, picking up seven saves to go along with a 2.13 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. Now that he’s back in the lineup, look for the saves to slowly accumulate.

Los Angeles Angels - Brian Fuentes - How much do you think they regret allowing Francisco Rodriguez to bolt to New York? Granted, Fuentes does have 17 saves, but he’s done so with a 4.64 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. He’s also blown three saves and picked up two losses. He has been far from the elite, but there is no reason to worry about his job.

Minnesota Twins - Joe Nathan - He’s one of those closers that you just stick in your lineup and don’t think twice about it. He’s carrying a 1.78 ERA and 0.91 WHIP along with 15 saves and 29 K over 25.1 innings. How much more can you ask?

New York Yankees - Mariano Rivera - Talk about his age all you want, when push comes to shove, how many other closers would you like to own in fantasy formats? He’s blown just one save and has done so with an ERA of 3.38 and WHIP of 1.12. If for some reason the Yankees did need a replacement, their best option is likely Joba Chamberlain, but that’s a different issue all together.

Oakland Athletics - Andrew Bailey -

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