Drafting a quality closer is about as important as any position in fantasy baseball.
Owners shouldn’t reach for that position in the first few rounds, but a couple of dominant closers can become a success in that category on a weekly basis.
When a closer doesn’t pan out or an injury occurs, what should fantasy owners do? Here are two options that may be on your league’s waiver wire that could provide a decent amount of saves for the rest of the year.
John Axford
Colorado Rockets relief pitcher John Axford’s not going to give fantasy owners the numbers he produced in Milwaukee.
During his stint with the Brewers, Axford notched 24, 35 and 46 saves respectively in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Since 2012, he’s tallied 23 saves, with three of those coming this year.
Axford hasn’t been used in the closer role exclusively since his time with the Brewers. With Adam Ottavino’s injury, Axford will now be the sole closer out of the bullpen for the Colorado Rockies.
However, Axford has to be trusted. He pitched in 62 games last year and registered a 3.95 ERA with 63 strikeouts compared to 36 walks. This year, though, he’s allowed one earned run in five innings.
He also plays in Colorado, which hasn’t been exactly friendly to pitchers in the past. A less-than-stellar ERA combined with pitching in a hitter’s ballpark, make Axford look less desirable.
But, the waiver wire is slim with closers. And Axford is going to give fantasy owners an opportunity at grabbing an every-day closer for cheap.
Tyler Clippard
The closer role may not be Tyler Clippard’s job for the entire season for the Oakland A’s.
It’s his now, though, providing fantasy owners an opportunity at picking up a closer for a team that will compete for a playoff spot.
The A’s haven’t given Clippard many opportunities (he has three saves in four chances), but that number will likely rise in the coming months. When Sean Doolittle returns from injury, Clippard may get bumped out of the closer role, but while Clippard is there, he’s worth a look.
With the Washington Nationals, Clippard was a two-time All-Star and consistently threw sub-3.00 in ERA. He also has closer experience, totaling 32 saves in 2012 with the Nationals. He generally strikes out more than 10 batters per nine innings and limits his walks to below four per nine innings.
If the A’s give Clippard a chance, he could be a diamond in the rough for fantasy owners.
