Whereas my colleague Jeff Erickson recently ranked closers, I'd like to take a step further and look over relievers who could end up factoring in your league's save category this season. Closers-in-waiting have become increasingly overpriced in recent years, which is a mistake, given how volatile relief pitching is year-to-year. Nevertheless, 20 to 30 percent of a typical fantasy league's saves during the season come off the waiver wire, so this aspect can't be ignored. Just let your own league dictate which middle relievers to grab. I'm not ranking the following for a reason - all are similar, so you might as well take those who come cheapest.
Jon Rauch: With Frank Francisco nursing an injury, Rauch is likely to open the season as Toronto's closer. The situation is expected to last only a week or two, but Francisco has a history of arm trouble, and Rauch was relatively effective as Minnesota's fill-in closer last season.
Kevin Jepsen: Here's a deep name unlikely to be drafted in many mixed leagues. Jepsen, of the Angels, is a former second-round pick who throws hard, as his average fastball velocity was 95.7 miles per hour last year, but his appearance on this list is more an indictment of the current closer, Fernando Rodney, than anything else. Over the last three seasons, Rodney has posted WHIPs of 1.59, 1.47 and 1.54. In 2010, his strikeout-to-walk ratio was an ugly 1.5 to 1. Rodney is highly unlikely to last the season as the Angels' ninth-inning guy.
Koji Uehara: Uehara carries a big injury risk, but he has been an elite reliever since coming over from Japan. Kevin Gregg and Mike Gonzalez are Baltimore's other options to close, but a healthy Uehara is without question the superior choice. Last season he posted a remarkable 55 strikeouts against 5 walks in 44 innings. Baltimore is an improving club, so there may even be more save opportunities in 2011.
Sergio Romo: As Brian Wilson is likely to open the season on the disabled list with an oblique strain, Romo enters as the favorite to take over closing duties in San Francisco. Featuring one of the best sliders in all of baseball, Romo has posted an 0.96 WHIP over his career and would most likely succeed in a ninth-inning role.
Mike Adams: Adams would be a terrific reliever anywhere; with Petco Park as his home field, video-game numbers have followed. His earned run average was 0.73 in 2009 and 1.76 last season. Heath Bell is locked in as San Diego's closer, but he's in a contract year, and the Padres are likely to take a step back this season, so if they are out of playoff contention near the trade deadline, Bell could easily be dealt. Adams would have to fight off the impressive Luke Gregerson for the role, but either would become an elite fantasy option if given the closer job.
Takashi Saito: Saito is something of a health risk, but he remains an elite reliever even at age 41. John Axford is clearly Milwaukee's closer, but he has been shaky this spring, allowing five runs over five and a third innings with six strikeouts and six walks. It's only spring training and a small sample, but the six walks are worrisome, as Axford had spotty control throughout the minors. Saito is a name to remember.
Kyle Farnsworth: Farnsworth quietly pitched well last season, thanks partly to a new cutter. With Rafael Soriano gone, the closer role is open in Tampa Bay. Rookie Jake McGee looks like the favorite, but he?ll also cost far more at fantasy drafts. If the veteran Farnsworth gets a chance, he could prove quite profitable, as the Rays should produce ample save opportunities, and Tropicana Field played as the best pitcher's park in baseball last season.
Aroldis Chapman: Francisco Cordero hasn't posted a WHIP better than 1.32 since 2007 and is in the final year of his ridiculous contract, so the Reds shouldn't hesitate to remove him from closing should he falter. Chapman is still rather raw, but it sounds as if Cincinnati envisions him as a reliever more than a starter, at least in the short term. A southpaw, he averaged a remarkable 99.6 m.p.h. with his fastball last season, and his slider is borderline unhittable. Even with shaky control, Chapman is so difficult to hit that he would probably succeed if given the chance to close.
Hong-Chih Kuo: Jonathan Broxton is going to get a chance to re-establish himself as the Dodgers' closer, but his numbers dropped sharply last season, his strikeout rate falling from 13.5 in 9 innings in 2009 to 10.5 in 9 innings last year. That figure is still elite, but after the All-Star break last sesason, Broxton posted a 7.13 E.R.A. and a 2.13 WHIP with 18 strikeouts and 21 walks in 24 innings. Kuo, meanwhile, is simply one of the best pitchers in the majors. He had a 1.20 E.R.A. and an 0.78 WHIP last year, holding opponents to an almost unbelievable .139 batting average. Kuo is always a major health risk, but he's the type of reliever who can really help your ratios even if he's not closing.
Others of note include Ryan Madson, Rafael Soriano, Chris Sale, Clay Hensley, Evan Meek, Jason Motte, Mitchell Boggs, Rafael Betancourt, Daniel Bard, Bobby Parnell, Joaquin Benoit, Grant Balfour, Sam Demel, Brian Fuentes and Kenley Jansen.