Fantasy Baseball 2017: March 20 Relief Pitchers Notes
By Bill Pivetz
With just two weeks left until Opening Day, there is a lot of news surrounding multiple relief pitchers. Here are the updated reports about their injuries.
In fantasy baseball, drafting relief pitchers goes deeper than selecting a team’s closer. There were plenty of viable set-up options or middle relievers that had more value in some closers. My colleague Brad Kelly wrote two pieces so far listing relievers to draft if you play in a holds league. However, some relievers are heading into Opening Day with injuries.
Tyler Thornburg, Boston Red Sox
The Boston front office traded away a lot of pieces to bolster their bullpen with Thornburg. However, this hasn’t been a good spring for the new Red Sox pitcher. He first misinterpreted the Red Sox offseason training program, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Manager John Farrell doesn’t have a clear timetable for Thornburg to join the Boston bullpen.
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Manager John Farrell doesn’t have a clear timetable for Thornburg to join the Boston bullpen.
"“He felt much improved [Saturday],” Farrell said. “After he goes through his throwing today we’ll decide what’s next for him. It could be a minor league game or it could be another bullpen. I don’t have a deadline."
If that’s the case, the Red Sox will go into Opening Day with Joe Kelly, Carson Smith and Roenis Elias as the backups to Craig Kimbrel. I wouldn’t draft any of those relievers in place of Thornburg.
I liked Thornburg a lot in Milwaukee and thought highly of him even with the move to the AL East. Now, it’s going to be a tough decision to draft him or not. If you have a DL spot, I would stash him there until he’s healthy. He’s my No. 39 relief pitcher.
Brad Boxberger, Tampa Bay Rays
Boxberger has been dealing with a lat strain. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweeted out that he isn’t progressing as hoped. Manager Kevin Cash does not feel optimistic about Boxberger being ready for Opening Day.
Boxberger struggled last season before being shut down. In just 24.1 innings, he posted a 4.81 ERA, 1.730 WHIP, 8.1 K/9 and 7.0 BB/9. Alex Colome is locked in as the closer. If Boxberger does not get a clear bill of health, Topkin believes Jumbo Diaz will have a more important role with the team.
Boxberger wasn’t in my top 300 because of the injury concerns, but would have had a lot of value in AL-only leagues.
Jeurys Familia, New York Mets
While this one isn’t an injury report, it’s still important. There have been rumors and speculation surrounding Familia’s expected suspension. I’m not digging into the legal or ethical aspect of his actions, that’s not my forte. What I’m here to talk about is how a suspension will affect the Mets bullpen and fantasy baseball.
After his four appearances in the World Baseball Classic, Familia rejoined the Mets camp. According to MetsBlog, an announcement is expected from the MLB about a suspension. Many thought he would receive a 30-game suspension, similar to Aroldis Chapman, but FanRag’s Jon Heyman said that he may receive a brief punishment because of the lack of evidence.
I think he will be suspended for the first 15 games of the season. If that is the case, Addison Reed will take over the role. He had a great season with a 1.97 ERA, 0.940 WHIP and 91 strikeouts. He may rack up a few saves, but I don’t think his value changes that much.
Familia was my No. 16 relief pitcher, but falls to No. 21. Not only for the looming suspension, but I don’t think he’ll reach 50 saves again.
Next: Fantasy Baseball 2017: Deep Hitting Prospects
Middle relief pitchers and set-up men are just as important as closers. If a closer goes down with injury (or suspension), then it’s “next pitcher up” for the ninth inning job. An injury to a reliever creates an opening for someone else to make a name for themselves. These three relief pitchers play important roles for their respective teams and their absences will have a ripple effect in fantasy baseball.