2K21 Closer thread

[chancellor]

I always wonder with Hader if this is the year they redeploy him. And this year especially with Williams lurking.

I'd be surprised if they do redeploy Hader - but not surprised if he's traded to the Dodgers at some point, possibly before the season starts.

[Teenwolf]

I really don't mind spending on the elite ones, if I don't have cheap keepers. I really dislike spending on the middle tier options who might burn you. If I'm spending in the middle I'd rather spend on high talent and questionable role, rather than solid role and questionable talent. That's a change to previous years where I was happy to spend on the unchallenged, mediocre guy.

This is my general philosophy. I hate investing heavily in mkd tier options. I also hate starting a season with zero closers in a saves league, but 4 of 5 for me moved to SV+HLD to avoid the increasingly frustrating volatility.

If I need to get lucky with RP's and FAAB FA's, its tough to thread that needle. But with a closer attrition rate as high as it is, any investment other than the elite closers are fraught with risk. Even the elites sometimes implode or get hurt, and I'll tell you... rolling with a $36 Kenley Jansen in 2019 in a league with a tight salary cap was not something I enjoyed.

I paid $30+ for Mariano Rivera many times through his career, but I've found closers much less reliable since that era. Imagine that!

[Gregg]

All things Closer related are welcome.

I play in two 5x5 only leagues (1 AL and 1 NL). I do not believe in punting saves as I have not seen this very effective in winning the championships. How about you?

If you do buy or keep a closer what is the max you are comfortable with?

Last year's AL Champion just traded for Chapman 26B.

[TranaGreg]

... I hate investing heavily in mid tier options. ...

I felt really good going into last season with Roberto Osuna & Jose LeClerc, tho I had to get them at cost ... that worked out well ...

[nullnor]

in a regular 5X5 H2H snake draft I draft the best closers I can. my philosophy is the best closers really contribute to good ratios while bad one's really hurt them. it makes no sense to chase one category at the expense of 2 categories.

also since it's H2H, you may have situations where your opponent has stud pitchers playing bad teams on a 2 week start and you conclude you can't win K's and wins so you try to just sneak in SV's, ERA and Whip depending on the minimum IP requirement.

I know it's not how you guys play or draft. the hardest part is drafting the right closers. I've been pretty good at it lately. I also value having roster spot flexibility and not have 2 players doing the work 1 player can do.

[nullnor]

it also helps in these weak leagues if you pickup a decent closer on the WW, you can trade some studs. like 2 years ago when I traded Yates and Hand for Merrifield, which was an exciting get even if it didn't really work out. about halfway thru the season, managers start getting frustrated about saves and the best closers seem easiest to trade away to get a deal done.

the best closers 1) pitch great 2) solid job security 3) not injury prone. there's always at least like 5 closers like that.

I suppose the reason I play in leagues like this is I love starting over. hence no keepers and H2H. I might play/start a video game 100 times and never actually finish it just because I keep looking for the perfect beginning/game.

[joncarlos]

in a regular 5X5 H2H snake draft I draft the best closers I can. my philosophy is the best closers really contribute to good ratios while bad one's really hurt them. it makes no sense to chase one category at the expense of 2 categories.

also since it's H2H, you may have situations where your opponent has stud pitchers playing bad teams on a 2 week start and you conclude you can't win K's and wins so you try to just sneak in SV's, ERA and Whip depending on the minimum IP requirement.

I know it's not how you guys play or draft. the hardest part is drafting the right closers. I've been pretty good at it lately. I also value having roster spot flexibility and not have 2 players doing the work 1 player can do.

I mean, I know Hendriks will go up in price now that he's signed. But I'm looking at the group of players who WERE around him in ADP, and a lot of them, I'm underwhelmed and I'd just as soon take the dominant closer.

52 Grisham, Trent
53 Hader, Josh
54 Biggio, Cavan
55 Guerrero Jr., Vladimir
56 Springer, George
57 Burnes, Corbin
58 Alonso, Pete
59 Lynn, Lance
60 Arozarena, Randy
61 Gray, Sonny
62 Judge, Aaron
63 Fried, Max
64 Hendriks, Liam
65 Carrasco, Carlos
66 Lowe, Brandon
67 Baez, Javier
68 Lamet, Dinelson
69 Voit, Luke
70 Marte, Ketel
71 Torres, Gleyber

[Ken]

I mean, I know Hendriks will go up in price now that he's signed. But I'm looking at the group of players who WERE around him in ADP, and a lot of them, I'm underwhelmed and I'd just as soon take the dominant closer.

52 Grisham, Trent
53 Hader, Josh
54 Biggio, Cavan
55 Guerrero Jr., Vladimir
56 Springer, George
57 Burnes, Corbin
58 Alonso, Pete
59 Lynn, Lance
60 Arozarena, Randy
61 Gray, Sonny
62 Judge, Aaron
63 Fried, Max
64 Hendriks, Liam
65 Carrasco, Carlos
66 Lowe, Brandon
67 Baez, Javier
68 Lamet, Dinelson
69 Voit, Luke
70 Marte, Ketel
71 Torres, Gleyber

Weird, I have the complete opposite reaction - I can have one of THOSE players instead of just a closer. There are several names here I'd love to have, sign me up!

[chancellor]

Weird, I have the complete opposite reaction - I can have one of THOSE players instead of just a closer. There are several names here I'd love to have, sign me up!

Same here. I can get George Springer in the 4th round of a 15-team mixed league draft? Oooh, yeah, I'm on that. A quality SP like Gray, Carrasco, or Lamet in the 5th? Yup. Closers will wait.

[Gregg]

I mean, I know Hendriks will go up in price now that he's signed. But I'm looking at the group of players who WERE around him in ADP, and a lot of them, I'm underwhelmed and I'd just as soon take the dominant closer.

52 Grisham, Trent
53 Hader, Josh
54 Biggio, Cavan
55 Guerrero Jr., Vladimir
56 Springer, George
57 Burnes, Corbin
58 Alonso, Pete
59 Lynn, Lance
60 Arozarena, Randy
61 Gray, Sonny
62 Judge, Aaron
63 Fried, Max
64 Hendriks, Liam
65 Carrasco, Carlos
66 Lowe, Brandon
67 Baez, Javier
68 Lamet, Dinelson
69 Voit, Luke
70 Marte, Ketel
71 Torres, Gleyber

There are only 4 players on this list that I would take ahead of Hendriks. Lamet is the only one below him on the list.

[Sour Masher]

Jonathan Hernandez has a decent chance of closer for the Rangers.

[Teenwolf]

Jonathan Hernandez has a decent chance of closer for the Rangers.

This one is much less likely to happen due to salaries. LeClerc is going to get every chance to be the closer given his long-term contract. Why artificially inflate the future earnings for Hernandez when you can use someone who's salary is set for 4 more years?

Hernandez would need a few things to happen. LeClerc fails as closer. Hernandez performs the best in the bullpen. Then if the above 2 questions are satisfied, its still not a guarantee they go with him. What if Texas signs a veteran MR like Sergio Romo? You would assume he takes over as closer if LeClerc fails.

I just never trust a rookie to be given a clear path to the role.

[Ken]

This one is much less likely to happen due to salaries. LeClerc is going to get every chance to be the closer given his long-term contract. Why artificially inflate the future earnings for Hernandez when you can use someone who's salary is set for 4 more years?

Hernandez would need a few things to happen. LeClerc fails as closer. Hernandez performs the best in the bullpen. Then if the above 2 questions are satisfied, its still not a guarantee they go with him. What if Texas signs a veteran MR like Sergio Romo? You would assume he takes over as closer if LeClerc fails.

I just never trust a rookie to be given a clear path to the role.

I agree with you, LeClerc will be given the first shot.

One small point of clarification, Hernandez isn’t a rookie.

[Teenwolf]

I agree with you, LeClerc will be given the first shot.

One small point of clarification, Hernandez isn’t a rookie.

I should have said "I never trust a pitcher in their pre-arbitration years to be given a clear path to the role" to be more precise.

[virgonomic]

Closers have become so volatile - recently my strategy has been to spend auction dollars wisely - cheap or speculative guys, come out of the auction with 1 solid closer, and trade/FAAB saves after that.

In 2020 I overspent to get Rogers, grabbed Bass as a speculative guy, FAABed Dolis.