2007 Position Battles: Closer

Battles:

Florida Marlins

Candidates:
Taylor Tankersley
Ricky Nolasco
Matt Lindstrom
Henry Owens
Kevin Gregg

Edge: None--The Marlins don't have a savvy veteran , but they have a stable of young arms that includes Taylor Tankersley, Ricky Nolasco, Matt Lindstrom, and Henry Owens. Kevin Gregg is the other name in the mix. A couple early notes from MLB.com have caught our eye. One, Nolasco is currently being used as a starter. Two, the team does not want to use a committee. Tankersley appears to be the early favorite, but we have a long way to go until Opening Day.

Cincinnati Reds

Candidates:
David Weathers
Toddy Coffey
Mike Stanton
Bill Bray
Kerry Ligtenberg
Rheal Cormier

Edge: David Weathers--The Reds don't have a clear-cut closer and appear to be leaning towards using a committee. Weathers shared the duties with Kent Mercker to open the 2006 campaign, and the team eventually toyed with Todd Coffey and traded for Eddie Guardado. At the moment, Weathers has a slight edge on the job, but there are plenty of other options around. Coffey, Mike Stanton, Bill Bray, Kerry Ligtenberg, and Rheal Cormier have all been mentioned as options, and management seems to think Guardado will take over the role when he returns from shoulder surgery in July or August. Frankly, it's a mess right now, and this is arguably the last bullpen we want to touch on draft day.

Boston Red Sox

Candidates:
Joel Pineiro
Mike Timlin
Julian Tavarez
Brendan Donnelly

Edge: Joel Pineiro--Pineiro's spot as the top candidate may be more wishful thinking than actual positioning. We do know that the Red Sox will give him every chance to win the job, but he certainly isn't a lock to excel in a relief role. Mike Timlin, Julian Tavarez, and Brendan Donnelly are the other three candidates mentioned in the mix. Fantasy owners recalling last year's events and looking for a Jonathan Papelbon-like darkhorse might not find one. Craig Hansen and Manny Delcarmen are both promising youngsters with a bit of major league experience, but they enter camp simply fighting for roster spots and are not considered to be in the closer mix.

Set but shaky:

Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Seth McClung

Manager Joe Maddon has said a lot of nice things about McClung this spring, which leads everyone to believe the big redhead is basically a lock for the job. Our problem is that McClung has struggled as both a starter and a reliever at the major league level. For instance, in 24 relief appearances last season he posted a 4.43 ERA, 1.93 WHIP, and 21 walks over 22.1 innings. Thus, we're hoping someone will step up to push McClung for the job. Chad Orvella and Juan Salas look like the sexiest options, but neither right-hander has much positive experience in the majors.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Jose Valverde

Yep, we've been here before. Valverde has closed out games in each of the last four seasons for the Diamondbacks, and, at times, he looks like the second coming of Mariano Rivera. The problem is that Valverde has never been able to put together a full season of strong work, and his down stretches usually result in a trip to the minors. The Diamondbacks are handing him the job, but their bullpen is also stocked with other options like Jorge Julio, Tony Pena, Micah Owings, Brandon Lyon, and Brandon Medders.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Salomon Torres

When Mike Gonzalez succumbed to a shoulder issue late last season, Torres passed his one-month exam with flying colors. From September 1 through the end of the campaign, Torres posted 12 saves, 22 strikeouts, and a 1.17 WHIP over 15.1 innings. There's little doubt that he'll enter the season as the closer, but we do have some doubts about a soon-to-be 35-year-old who previously retired from baseball. Matt Capps appears to be the closer of the future, and the most interesting name amongst the other members of the bullpen.

Chicago Cubs

Ryan Dempster

Dempster won over the Cubs and fantasy owners when he successfully took over the role early in the 2005 season, and he opened 2006 with six saves and a 1.38 ERA in April. However, he posted a 5.42 ERA the rest of the way, lost his job, and finished with only 24 stops. The Cubs have handed the role back to Dempster this spring, and he has entered camp in good shape. Some fans and fantasy sites are ready to hand the job to Kerry Wood, but the Cubs will simply be happy if he pitches well and stays healthy for more than two weeks in a row. Bob Howry is the first man in line to get saves if Dempster fails this spring or early in the season.

Cleveland Indians

Joe Borowski

Keith Foulke's retirement ended the Indians' closer competition before it ever began, and Borowski is basically set as the stopper. However, we can't forget that Borowski appeared headed to Philadelphia this winter before the Phillies were scared off by shoulder exams. Joe-Bo is only signed on for one year, and he's the type of closer who always puts players on base before slamming the door. If his stuff slips a little bit, Borowski could work his way out of the job. Veterans like Rafael Betancourt and Roberto Hernandez are around to help out, but the future still seems to be with Fernando Cabrera. Heading into the season, fantasy owners should definitely view Borowski as the man to have here.

Injury Concerns:

Texas Rangers

Eric Gagne

Once the game's most dominant closer, Gagne has made only 16 appearances over the past two seasons due to arm and back issues. Early reports about his health are positive and the Rangers have already handed him the closer's role, but it's difficult not to have some reservations. Akinori Otsuka is currently slated to work the eighth inning, but we know he can handle the role if Gagne is not ready or if he simply doesn't have the same stuff that he did a few surgeries ago.

St. Louis Cardinals

Jason Isringhausen

As with Gagne, early reports about Izzy's health are promising. However, we have our doubts about both his short and long-term projections. Isringhausen did not make an appearance after September 6 due to a degenerative left hip condition that led to surgery and may eventually require a replacement. He is throwing off a mound, taking it slowly this spring, and plans to make his debut on March 15. The Cardinals plan on using both Adam Wainwright and Braden Looper in the starting rotation, but we have to believe their strategy will change if Izzy's hip acts up again. Wainwright seems like the best emergency option, but if he sticks in the rotation, the Cardinals don't have another obvious choice for the ninth inning.

San Francisco Giants

Armando Benitez

The veteran closer has missed large chunks of the last two seasons due to bad hamstring and bad knees, but he's currently throwing off the mound and claims to be near 100 percent. Benitez has seemingly been around forever, but he's only 34 and will be the closer if he looks fine this spring. Of course, a clean bill of health and good work could also get Armando dealt to another club before Opening Day. Brian Wilson is being groomed as the successor, and Wilson's former LSU teammate Billy Sadler could be a surprise candidate if Benitez is traded. The Papelbon-like darkhorse is last year's first-round pick Tim Lincecum, who is already raising eyebrows.
Source: Fanball.com