Fantasy Baseball 2018: 3 Relief pitchers to add for saves

The trade deadline saw a shift in many bullpens. There are still saves to be had and three relief pitchers will see an increase in value.

The 2018 trade deadline saw the World Series contending teams stack up on relief pitchers. Some relievers lost value by joining a team with an already established closer. Guys like Alex Colome, Keone Kela and Jeurys Familia join successful teams but will not be earning as many saves in the final two months.

However, with those trades come new jobs for other relief pitchers to take over and earn saves. Teams like the Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox traded their current relievers in order to build for the future.

While those teams may not win many games, they can still record a couple of saves per week. And with the fantasy baseball season down to its final months, those saves could make a difference.

Mychal Givens, BAL

The Orioles traded three relief pitchers ahead of Givens on the depth chart. Zach Britton went to New York and Brad Brach and Darren O’Day (injured) are in Atlanta. This leaves Givens as the de facto closer for Baltimore.

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Givens season numbers don’t look that good. He has a 4.92 ERA, 1.509 WHIP and 4.4 BB/9. Over his last 11 appearances, he has a 5.40 ERA in 10.0 innings. Those numbers don’t make for a bright future, especially when pitching in the American League East.

If you are looking for a deeper sleeper pick, then Paul Fry is the next man up. If Givens blows a couple of saves early, then he could be the next ninth-inning guy.

Jace Fry, CWS

The White Sox sent Joakim Soria to the Milwaukee Brewers. Soria was having a good season and makes that bullpen even stronger. In his place, Fry will take over the closer duties.

Fry is pitching in his first full season. In 33.0 innings, he has a 4.36 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 11.5 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9. Outside of the Cleveland Indians, the American League Central features some pretty weak teams. The Twins finished in the top 10 in average at .265. The next closest was the Royals at .248, 22nd in the league.

In his first save chance, he gave up three runs on two hits against Toronto. Fry is owned in just 4.7 percent of ESPN leagues. Despite the bad first outing, he’s still worth adding.

Jose Leclerc, TEX

After trade Jake Diekman and Kela, Leclerc is slotted in as the Rangers closer. He has the best season-long numbers. Over 39.2 innings, he’s posted a 2.27 ERA, 1.008 WHIP, 12.7 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9. He’s allowed just one home run and 19 walks.

The Rangers are dead last in a very tough American League West. The team traded their best pitcher in Cole Hamels and the bottom-half of the lineup isn’t that great. Despite that, fantasy owners are looking for any saves possible.

With his high strikeout rate and low hard-hit rate, Leclerc will hold his own in the ninth inning. A deeper option is Alex Claudio who we’ve seen in the ninth inning before. However, as a lefty, I don’t see him being used in the ninth inning.

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These three relief pitchers may not rack up 20 saves in the final two months. But having an extra two or three saves per week in a head-to-head or Roto league can make the difference for your championship push. All three relievers are widely available.

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