Fantasy Baseball Top 15 Closers for 2011: Keeper League

Closer is a unique position in general, but it is especially so in keeper leagues.  With the uncertainty surrounding it from year-to-year, it is rarely worth locking them up (unless you are in a league that keeps a significant number of players).  If you have a young closer who has proven that they can do it year in and year out, then maybe, but otherwise you are generally picking with just the here and now in mind.  Remember that as you view these rankings:

1. Joakim Soria—Kansas City Royals
2. Neftali Feliz—Texas Rangers
3. Heath Bell—San Diego Padres
4. Brian Wilson—San Francisco Giants
5. Andrew Bailey—Oakland Athletics
6. Carlos Marmol—Chicago Cubs
7. Mariano Rivera—New York Yankees
8. Jonathan Papelbon—Boston Red Sox
9. Jonathan Broxton—Los Angeles Dodgers
10. Francisco Rodriguez—New York Mets
11. Huston Street—Colorado Rockies
12. Jose Valverde—Detroit Tigers
13. J.J. Putz—Arizona Diamondbacks
14. Chris Perez—Cleveland Indians
15. Craig Kimbrel/Jonny Venters—Atlanta Braves

Thoughts:

• Will Neftali Feliz return to the starting rotation or will he stay in the closer’s role?  That’s really the big question and at this point it is impossible to answer.  If he’s closing he is going to be among the elite options long-term, so I’m leaving him on here for now.  Should something change, it will have a huge ripple effect on the rankings.
• Poor team or not, at 25-years old it is impossible to place anyone aside from Joakim Soria atop these rankings.  He’s just too good already, has proven it for multiple years and, as I’ve said before, a lot of times bad teams yield the best closers.  How often are they going to be blowing anyone out?
• Mariano Rivera is amazing.  We all know it.  Still, at 40-years old his time is going to come to an end, sooner or later.  Considering that closers are generally not kept, he stays relatively high on these rankings.
• I am nervous when it comes to Carlos Marmol, as I’ve stated before (click here to view).  Still, at his age and with his strikeout potential, he has to be considered one of the better options in keeper leagues.
• With Joe Nathan’s future uncertain as he returns from Tommy John surgery, he falls of these rankings for now.  When we know what the Twins plan for him and the closers role, he will probably jump back in.

What are your thoughts on the rankings?  Who’s too high?  Who’s too low?

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Make sure to check out our 2011 keeper league rankings:

• Top 15 Catchers
• Top 15 First Basemen
• Top 15 Second Basemen
• Top 15 Shortstops
• Top 15 Third Basemen

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