Top 10 non-closing RP beasts

[Teenwolf]

I've been loving the recent pitching trend, in which teams are turning their SP's into middle-inning high leverage guys capable of 1-3 IP. I love this profile, as it allows for a higher IP total while maintaining killer ratios, and a possibility for collecting 5-10 vulture wins. If you can land 80-100 IP, sub-3 era, sub-1 whip, 130 K's, 8 W, 3 SV... that's the profile that I'm looking for, the potential "super-reliever".

Josh Hader is a super-reliever. I paid $13 in an NL league. So far: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 7 K.
Chad Green is another. So far: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 7 K.
Chris Devenski qualifies, with 80.1 IP over 62 appearances in 2017. So far: 1 IP, 2 K

If you drafted these 3 in a mixed league, you'd have 7.1 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 16 K through the first few days.... I know Hader would cost a mid-rounder or equivalent auction dollars, but I feel like Devenski and Green would be end-gamers in mixed, and they're perfect ratio boosters, especially for streaming SP's and soaking up some blowouts.

Not sure who else is at the level of these 3. Suggestions? It's a very specific profile, but I think it's becoming more popular to try and turn failed SP's into multi-inning MR's. With SP's workloads continuing to shrink, more teams are looking for a shut-down guy for the 5th/6th/7th, rather than just filling that role with a bum, ready to soak up a beating whenever necessary. The question is, who will these guys be?

This is what the Phillies should do with V. Velasquez. But they wanna see him fail out of starting first.

[revo]

Brad Peacock
Yusmeiro Petit
Dellin Betances
David Robertson
Tommy Kahnle (jeez, three Yanks + Green??)
Carl Edwards

[rhd]

How about BearClaw?

[virgonomic]

Andrew Miller 62.2 IP in 57 GP.

[Moonlight J]

keep an eye on JT Chargois in deeper NL leagues

[madducks]

A.J. Minter.

[joncarlos]

A.J. Minter.

0.2 innings so far. I think he's more closer in waiting than useful 75 IP guy.

I am also out on Betances and a bit lower on Kahnle, but love Robertson and Green from the Yankees.

[Pauly]

Steckenrider has looked really good.

[joncarlos]

I hope Archie Bradley fits into this role. 3 games, 4.2 innings, 5 Ks, 0 walks. I have both him and Boxberger in my NFBC and I'd be very happy with 85 really good Bradley innings and 30ish saves and middling ratios from Box.

[Sour Masher]

I hope Archie Bradley fits into this role. 3 games, 4.2 innings, 5 Ks, 0 walks. I have both him and Boxberger in my NFBC and I'd be very happy with 85 really good Bradley innings and 30ish saves and middling ratios from Box.

I think that is about what you will get, although I think 80 Bradley innings is more realistic.

[chancellor]

I think that is about what you will get, although I think 80 Bradley innings is more realistic.

Good point. It's pretty rare for any RP to get 85 innings without being in a starting role for some time.

[senorsheep]

Adam Ottavino is looking beastly again - he's struck 8 out the 10 batters he's faced (actually 9, but an ump missed a third strike call). He's obviously made an adjustment since last year's lost season - the sliding is biting sharply, rather than sweeping unpredictably out of the zone.

Jordan Hicks is looking pretty darned beastly, too.

[southcoast]

IMO Jordan Hicks will be closing in ST L in 2019. Unbelievable stuff...

[joncarlos]

IMO Jordan Hicks will be closing in ST L in 2019. Unbelievable stuff...

mmmmmm... that sounds like music to my ears as I FAAB'd him for 9 bucks.

[The Dane]

I can really speak with any authority about the NL. Here were my middle relief targets for this season:

ARI
Obvious: ABradley
Less obvious: AChafin
Future: JSherfy

ATL:
Obvious: AMinter
Less obvious: DWinkler. He's a Rule 5, so he'll be active all season. He was sterling before he was injured.
Future: Maybe one of the starters languishing in the minors, like Fried, Wisler, Sims or Blair. Look elsewhere.

CHI:
Obvious: CEdwards, SCishek
Less obvious: None. Is there any obscure player on this team?
Future: None.

CIN:
Obvious: MLorenzen, JHughes
Less obvious: AGarrett
Future: RStephenson. I feel strongly that his stuff will play up in the pen and when they abandon all hope of his starting, he'll be great in the pen. Of course, along with Amir Garrett, they have a ton of starters with this profile.

COL:
Obvious: JMcGee
Less obvious: AOttavino. Don't sleep on him. If he's healthy, he's non-pareil.
Future: JDiaz. Coming off injury, but for those of us in deeper leagues, he's one to watch from afar.

LA:
Obvious: SAlexander
Less obvious: TCingrani, JChagois
Future: WFont. Keep an eye on this guy.
LA is so deep with pitchers. They have several arms (starters mostly) in the high minors that could contribute to a dynamite pen immediately.

MIA
Obvious: KBarraclough, DSteckenrider. I think the latter is the better arm and the better bet to get more career saves, but I still think they give Barraclough first crack upon Ziegler's descent.
Less obvious: At least one of their current young SPs will fall to the pen and be good there. Watch DPeters, TRichards, CSmith. They have little value as starters, but they don't have anything really to replace them with.
Future: SAlcantara. I am having doubts he ever gets consistent enough to start, but in small bursts, he could be electric.

MIL:
Obvious: JJeffress, JBarnes
Less obvious: BWoodruff, MAlbers
Future: None.
This is a pretty interesting pen with a lot of moving parts. I wouldn't get too comfortable with any one pitcher outside of maybe Knebel.

NY:
Obvious: ARamos, ASwarzak
Less obvious: None. It's a weak pen.
Future: None. It's a weak system for pitchers. It's possible that Wheeler comes back as a reliever with a smattering of upside, but don't hold your breath.

PHI:
Obvious: ERamos, LGarcia
Less obvious: AMorgan. If you can't tell already, I like speculating on converted starters.
Future: VArano
Lots of guys to speculate on here because Kapler insists he's going with no set closer, so the value could be well spread out. A good place to mine cheaply.

PIT:
Obvious: MFeliz
Less obvious: DNeverauskas
Future: KCrick

SD:
Obvious: KYates
Less obvious: None. It's a crapshoot after Yates.
Future: PMaton. This is a good name to know. Similar to Sherfy in ARI, I think his is an elite relief arm that could step into lots of value the minute he's back in the majors.

SF:
Obvious: SDyson, TWatson
Less obvious: RMoronta. I wouldn't buy on him just yet, but he's certainly one to watch.
Future: DLaw. I'm sour on Law, but I don't think the team is. I bet he gets another chance.

StL:
Obvious: DLeone, TLyons
Less obvious: STuivailala, JBrebbia
Future: JHicks. I'm not convinced they're done thinking of him as a starter, so even while he's up now, I could easily see them send him back down to get/keep him stretched out. This kid hasn't shown he can put it all together as starter, and so there are tons of ways this can play out: 1) He's a #1, flat-out balls-nasty ace that terrifies hitters and leaves the women and children of visiting teams weeping for their manfolk. 2) He never quite harnesses his stuff and ends up a volatile #4 or #5 that always teases for more and always disappoints. 3) He's a reliever in the ranks of Jansen, Kimbrel, and Chapman. He's interesting, if nothing else.
I really love St. Louis pitching. It's nearly impossible to predict where saves will be from one year to the next because they have so many viable in-house options.

WAS:
Obvious: RMadson
Less obvious: SKelley. He was the hot ticket a year and then fell on hard times. If he's back, he could be a beast.
Future: None.