MLB Closer Carousel: 10 Relievers Who Will Be Saving Games by Season's End

It may be early in the season, but MLB bullpens have already experienced a surprising amount of turnover.

Through the first two months, 51 relief pitchers have recorded multiple saves, while just 17 have saved at least 10 games. What this shows is a league with few certainties at the back end of bullpens, with teams likely looking to make a change at closer as the trade deadline nears.

The playoff race becomes just a little bit clearer every day. Some teams will look to shore up their bullpens as they charge towards October play, and others will trade away closers for prospects as they fall out of the hunt.

With the market for relievers facing a busy July, here are 10 pitchers who will find themselves closing out games by the end of the year.

Brandon Lyon

The Houston Astros have been in a rut for the past few years, but while they sit 7.5 games back in the NL Central at 23-31, their bullpen is not the issue.

Brett Myers has been one of the brightest spots in Houston's disappointing season thus far. As the Astros look to retool for their move to the American League next season, Myers looks to be an attractive trade piece with his 1.86 ERA and experience pitching in pressure situations.

Should Myers get shipped out by the end of July, Brandon Lyon would be the logical choice to take over in the ninth inning. He has allowed just six earned runs and struck out 21 batters in 21.1 innings of relief this year.

With 78 career saves under his belt, Lyon's ninth inning experience would allow Houston to get future pieces for Myers without sacrificing too much present production.

Glen Perkins

The Minnesota Twins had the luxury of closer stability for years with Joe Nathan. But with Nathan now a member of the Texas Rangers, and the Twins in last place in the American League, Minnesota might be in the market for a trade.

Like Myers in Houston, Matt Capps would make a serviceable reliever on a contender. Capps has been coveted in a midseason trade before, as he was dealt to Minnesota from the Washington Nationals before the 2010 trade deadline. With just one year left on his contract, Capps will likely find himself on the trading block once again this summer.

While no established closer waits in the wings behind Capps, Glen Perkins has arguably been just as productive as the current Twins closer. The left-hander has not allowed a run since May 11th and has struck out an impressive 10.96 batters per nine innings.

Perkins is under contract with Minnesota through the 2015 season. Should he have the opportunity to close this season, the Twins will get to see what Perkins is capable of in the years to come.

Dale Thayer

It isn't too much of a stretch to say the San Diego Padres are in trouble. At 18-37, they have the league's worst record, and some upheaval in their roster is inevitable.

On the other hand, it remains to be seen if there is a market for Huston Street. The former A's phenom has an extensive history of injuries and has just completed a stint on the 15-day DL with a strained right lat. Street has talent out of the bullpen, but even as a midseason flier, his proneness to injury must be taken into account in any trade.

As a prospective replacement for Street, Dale Thayer is not going to set the world on fire. He had notched five saves in as many appearances without allowing a run this season, but he let in seven earned over 1.2 innings to send his ERA skyward to 4.97.

Thayer may not be the ideal closer for the Padres. But for the time being, the Padres can't focus on the ideal present and look towards trading for prospects for the future.

Brad Ziegler

After the Arizona Diamondbacks went from worst to first in 2011, their young squad entered this season with high hopes. But with the team four games under .500, clearly they are in need of a change.

Enter: Brad Ziegler.

The submariner who once replaced a struggling Huston Street as the A's closer in 2008, Ziegler has experience at the back end of the bullpen.

Current closer J.J. Putz is no stranger to the closer's job, however. But in comparison to Putz and his dismal 6.00 ERA, Ziegler has posted a 2.08 ERA in 21.2 innings and appears to be the better man for the job.

The Diamondbacks may have acquired Putz to pitch the ninth inning, but soon they will realize that if they have to give the ball to Ziegler to give the team the best chance to win.

James Russell

Though the Chicago Cubs are poised to be sellers on the trade market, their bullpen issue comes from the fact that they have not stuck with one pitcher to close out games.

The team as a whole has a total of seven saves on the season, with Rafael Dolis leading the pack with four to go along with his 5.68 ERA.

But if the Cubs look at the corps of relievers they have, they will see a true bullpen ace in James Russell. The lefty leads the bullpen in innings pitched with 25.0, in which time he has posted an ERA of 1.80 and fanned 21 batters.

Things look grim on the North Side of Chicago right now, but the Cubs ought to give one of the more productive young relievers in baseball a shot to shine.

Bobby Parnell

Not only is it a surprise that the New York Mets are in playoff contention, but that Frank Francisco has been allowed to keep his job as closer.

Though he has settled down recently, Francisco's stretch of seven straight appearances without allowing a run has lowered his ERA to a still-lofty 5.82 mark. Manager Terry Collins' confidence in him could collapse should Francisco slip up yet again.

Fortunately for Collins, he has a hard-throwing righty in Bobby Parnell who could justify shifting Francisco back to middle relief. Parnell has allowed just eight earned runs in 24.0 innings in relief, with his ERA of 3.00 leading all Mets relievers.

The Mets will have to play mistake-free baseball to stay competitive in the tough NL East. Should Francisco prove to be a liability, don't be surprised to see Parnell saving games later in the year.

Steve Cishek

Fortunately for New York, the division-rival Miami Marlins have some bullpen woes of their own in the form of former Met Heath Bell.

Miami signed Bell after he was one of the most reliable closers in the game for the Padres, only to watch him implode to the tune of 16 earned runs allowed in 21.2 innings.

Much like Francisco for the Mets, Bell has righted himself in recent games. Regardless, the Marlins can rest easier knowing they have Steve Cishek when they need him.

Another young side-armer, Cishek's sinker has led to strikeouts as well as ground outs. He has fanned 25 batters in 23.1 innings while only allowing three earned runs on the season.

Perhaps Cishek will lose some effectiveness once teams scout him some more, though he is in his second season in the majors and has 72 career appearances under his belt.

But if the Marlins need to shake up their bullpen to stay in the playoff hunt, they have one of the best relievers in the league this year ready to step in to pitch the ninth.

Sean Burnett

Closer issues seems to be a trend atop the NL East, as the Washington Nationals have not quite settled on their man to nail down the ninth.

Early on, the success of the Nationals starters overshadowed the mediocrity of Henry Rodriguez, who blew three saves and had an ERA over 4.00 at the time he was removed from the closer role.

Since then, Tyler Clippard has been able to step in and pick up four saves for Washington, but it would be surprising not to see this turn into a closer-by-committee situation given the dominance of lefty Sean Burnett.

The 29-year old has been nearly untouchable this season, holding lefties and righties alike to a .200 batting average against en route to allowing just one earned run in 16.2 innings.

Clippard has been strong against both lefties and righties as well, but Davey Johnson is an old-school manager who could choose to play the matchups and go with his lefty against lefties. Should he go that route, Burnett will be his guy.

Francisco Rodriguez

Once one of the premier closers in the game, Francisco Rodriguez is now working the eighth inning for the middling Milwaukee Brewers. Should they be sellers on the trade market, K-Rod could be one of the first to go.

With an ERA of 4.13, Rodriguez appears to be less of an ace reliever and more of an aging shell of the man who set the single-season saves record with 62. The idea of a setup man for a team under .500 closing meaningful games down the stretch seems far-fetched.

But don't be surprised if the reputation of K-Rod precedes him and a team low on relief options, like the Boston Red Sox, decides to eat some salary and take a flier on him.

There is nothing more for Rodriguez in Milwaukee, and should the Brewers look to focus on 2013, they would probably be better off moving forward without him.

David Robertson

For 18 seasons, the presence of Mariano Rivera precluded any Yankees from appearing in this type of article. One torn right ACL later, and speculation about the next Yankee closer was rampant.

David Robertson got the first crack at the job. He picked up a save in his first shot at the ninth inning and allowed four earned runs to blow his second before straining his oblique on May 11th.

In the interim, the Yankees have turned to veteran Rafael Soriano, and he has responded beautifully. With seven saves and just one run allowed since taking over for Robertson, it would not be a surprise if Soriano ended up holding the job when Rivera's heir apparent returns.

When it comes down to it, Robertson is a strikeout machine, generating 24 in just 14.1 innings. Given his overpowering stuff, it is likely that Robertson will reclaim the ninth as the Yankees gear up for a playoff push.