Fantasy Baseball: Closer Rankings

So we've come to the final portion of our positional rankings. If drafting starting pitchers is a gamble, putting together a relief corps is all-out Russian roulette. With the ninth inning so important in terms of locking down a win, failure is not tolerated. 

That in mind, closers seem to change with the temperament of the manager. Only a select few are locked down in their role for the full season, and there are almost no clubs without a contingency plan. We covered how to draft relievers in an article here. 

Let me cover one point from that write-up here one more time. There could be as many as eight teams that will be in a split closer situation heading into the season. Oakland, the Cubs, Detroit, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, Colorado, and Baltimore all certainly fit that description. 

With 30 teams in baseball, more than a quarter are already going to cause a few problems in determining saves. Moreover, closers will lose their jobs or get hurt. It's a fact that we need to come to terms with each season.  

For certain players, that already has started. Takashi Saito won't be closing in Boston with Jonathan Papelbon around, and J.J. Putz isn't going to get the ball in many ninth inning situations at the outset with Francisco Rodriguez sitting in the bullpen next to him. 

To many people, saves is a category you can punt on. I actually don't mind that philosophy. Would you rather bolster your depth in the outfield with some more power or speed or grab a guy who may or may not end up saving three games a week?  

That said, there are owners that like to build their teams grabbing the top players at each position. I just think here it doesn't benefit over the course of an entire season. 

Like the way we approached pitching yesterday, I wouldn't go out of my way to grab the top-five closers simply because I don't feel the value is there. Again, go back and read our post on relievers and see the type of impact they may or may not have on a game. It's just not as material over the course of a week.  

If you're looking to ensure saves, you can do well later in drafts and can certainly find them on waivers if you pay attention to team transactions and watch the box scores to see who is effective. 

Unfortunately, spring training can teach us less about closers than any other position. If these guys work the ninth inning, they face hitters that will be bagging groceries in April. If they work the fifth, the mentality isn't the same. 

Here's how we break down the ranks.

1. Jonathan Papelbon

2. Joe Nathan

3. Mariano Rivera

4. Joakim Soria

5. Bobby Jenks

6. Carlos Marmol

7. Brad Lidge

8. B.J. Ryan

9. Kerry Wood

10. Francisco Rodriguez

11. Jose Valverde

12. Francisco Cordero

13. Brian Fuentes

14. Jonathan Broxton

15. Matt Capps

16. Brian Wilson

17. Trevor Hoffman

18. Heath Bell

19. Frank Francisco

20. Huston Street

21. Chad Qualls

22. Joey Devine

23. George Sherrill

24. Joel Hanrahan

25. Brandon Lyon

26. Matt Lindstrom

27. Troy Percival

28. Chris Perez

29. Mike Gonzalez

30. Brad Ziegler

Notes

* From an overall standpoint, I would only rank the top two closers inside my top 50 overall, and one of them would be sitting right at 50. In general, you don't win by taking these guys too early in drafts. It's best to wait until the middle rounds.

* My rankings reflect stability in job as much as they do anything else. I don't feel that K-Rod is as stable in his job as many others might simply because of Putz sitting behind him. So, I dropped him down a couple spots in the list.

* Sticking with K-Rod, too many of his saves were of the three-out-or-less variety, and he had very few close games to head into. Just making the point.

* Kerry Wood is checking into the top 10 on this list, but if his injury is serious, we obviously have to push him down. Wood is a risk, but he proved last season that he can be an effective closer. He's certainly going to be given more than ample opportunity based on how poorly Cleveland's other options performed last season.

* Even if he doesn't have the job at the outset, Brandon Lyon will be the closer in Detroit before too long. He has the stuff to do it, and I feel that's why Jim Leyland brought him into the bullpen. Look for him in the late rounds.

* The early indications are that Carlos Marmol will be the closer in Chicago over Kevin Gregg. Marmol did the job when the Cubs attempted to control Wood's innings last season and can fill the role in nicely. Gregg should be handcuffed or watched very closely early on. He could provide some vulture saves for owners.

* Everything I've seen is leading me to believe that Joey Devine has the inside track for the Oakland job over Brad Ziegler. Don't be surprised if this is another situation that flips several times over the early portion of 2009.

* Mariano Rivera is back and throwing. The Yankees believe he should be ready for opening day. When it comes to Rivera, owners shouldn't doubt him until he finally stops performing. That hasn't happened yet, so he continues to be a top option for closers.

* George Sherrill held down the fort admirably for Baltimore last year, but his inconsistencies could open the door for Chris Ray to take the job back. Don't bet the house on it, but know that Sherrill is on shaky ground.

* Huston Street is going to be fighting against Manny Corpas in Colorado. Street, I feel, is the better pitcher and certainly the more consistent. Ride him later in the draft.