Penpals: Fantasy Baseball Sleeper Relief Pitchers in 2012
There’s a popular notion among fantasy baseball owners that goes, “Don’t pay for saves.” In other words, it can be a bit risky to use early-round draft picks to select closers. The position is notoriously volatile with closers often coming and going during any given season. If you subscribe to this theory, it may be in your interest to consider some sleepers among the relievers heading into your fantasy draft. Once the best reliable pitching is off the board, there are some relief pitching that can provide good value relative to where you should be able to get them in your draft.
Brett Myers (HOU) –
In a somewhat surprising move, the Astros named Myers their closer for 2012. He makes a move from the starting rotation to the ninth-inning role, one he filled briefly for the Phillies in 2007. Sure, Houston won’t win many games this year, but the ones that do win will probably be close games, and that means Myers should have his fair share of save opportunities. His fastball has seen a drop in velocity in recent seasons, but the switch to the bullpen could actually help. With no prospect of pitching 200 innings, he can go out there and give him a little more gas this year.
Kenley Jansen (LAD) –
Manager Don Mattingly has said he goes to camp expecting Javy Guerra to be his team’s closer. However, Jansen has the stuff to keep the role, as his flashy 16.10 K/9 attests. Sure, he’s a little wild, but he ended the year on a good note with a stellar September. He should wrestle with the role of Guerra’s ninth inning at some point. When he does, he could be fantasy gold.
Brandon League (MAR) –
With David Aardsma recovering from Tommy John surgery (and gone to the Yankees), the closer’s role is League’s. He seemed to solve his command issues with his nasty slider last season and helped make him a much more effective shooter. Seattle also has decent midfield defense and any game the club wins should be close. The league could be a good option.
Vinnie Pestano (CLE) –
With closer Chris Perez out for 4-6 weeks with an oblique injury, Pestano could get a chance as Cleveland’s closer sooner rather than later. Moving Pestano into the ninth-inning role appears to be inevitable at some point in the future, as Perez has seen a marked drop in his K/9 in recent seasons and was particularly ineffective in the second half of 2011. Pestano outperforms Perez in most peripherals, including a nifty 12.19 K/9 and a stranglehold on right-handed hitters.
David Robertson (New York) –
Robertson is one of the rare relief pitchers who doesn’t need saves to give him fantasy value. However, one of these years, Mariano Rivera is going to start to slow down, isn’t he? Okay, maybe not, but if something happens to Rivera injury-wise, Robertson will be ready to step into the closer’s role. At the very least, he’ll have one of the best bullpen arms on his fantasy roster ready to take on the role of the ninth inning on one of baseball’s best teams. That definitely has fantasy value.
If you don’t go with one of the best fantasy baseball relief pitchers in 2012 in your draft, you can always fall back on sleeping picks. You may be in for a surprise or two.
