So it turns out the demise of the traditional closer was greatly exaggerated. Over the last few years, it seemed like the league was moving toward committees, spreading saves out among a team’s bullpen. Every year, the few true closers that remained would move further up draft boards, turning this single but essential resource into an extravagance.
And then, suddenly, managers started moving back toward traditional closers, and there are far more settled jobs this spring than a year ago. So where does that put us in 2024? Let’s dig in.
Top tier
Devin Williams, Milwaukee Brewers
Edwin Diaz, New York Mets
Josh Hader, Houston Astros
Jhoan Duran, Minnesota Twins
Emmanuel Clase, Cleveland Guardians
Andres Munoz, Seattle Mariners
Not only are all six of these guys locked into the ninth, but they all have major strikeout stuff and an ERA that starts with a 1 or a 2. There are hardly nits to pick among them, especially if Baldelli again commits to sticking Duran in the ninth on a regular basis — and provided Diaz’s knee holds up.
Middle class
Camilo Doval, San Francisco Giants
Raisel Iglesias, Atlanta Braves
Jordan Romano, Toronto Blue Jays
David Bednar, Pittsburgh Pirates
Pete Fairbanks, Tampa Bay Rays
Ryan Helsley, St. Louis Cardinals
Clay Holmes, New York Yankees
Evan Phillips, Los Angeles Dodgers
Tanner Scott, Miami Marlins
Paul Sewald, Arizona Diamondbacks
Alexis Diaz, Cincinnati Reds
Craig Kimbrel, Baltimore Orioles
Kenley Jansen, Boston Red Sox
Right away, the question marks begin. Iglesias is in a great situation, but he’s also starting to show his age and it’s possible that 2024 is when the bottom falls out. Fairbanks and Helsley come with major health question marks, while Phillips has Roberts’ usage to worry about and Tanner Scott pairs massive upside with command so bad it could cost him the closer’s job by May. And at the back end, I don’t trust Diaz’s extreme fly ball tendencies in that ballpark, and Kimbrel and Jansen are both fighting against Father Time. It’s hard to justify paying the price for one of the guys in the top tier, but you might have to, because outside of Doval, Romano and Bednar — and maybe Holmes, a sneaky value here — it’s hard to feel great about these guys as your first closer.
Lower-middle class
Adbert Alzolay, Chicago Cubs
Jose Alvarado, Philadelphia Phillies
Jose Leclerc, Texas Rangers
Alex Lange, Detroit Tigers
Kyle Finnegan, Washington Nationals
Carlos Estevez, Los Angeles Angels
Will Smith, Kansas City Royals
Justin Lawrence, Colorado Rockies
All of these guys are currently projected to have the job, but that could change quickly for all of them. The only one here I’d be aggressive with in drafts is Alvarado, who was on his way to putting the ninth in a chokehold until an elbow injury opened the door for Kimbrel last season. There’s always a chance that Rob Thomson decides to move his best lefty around a bit, but I think he’s an exciting sleeper at his current cost. The rest of these guys, though, could well be out of the closer’s role in a month or two, if not sooner — my preference would be to target this final tier toward the end of drafts.
Sleepers
Robert Stephenson, Los Angeles Angels
Yennier Cano, Baltimore Orioles
Robert Suarez, San Diego Padres
Yuki Matsui, San Diego Padres
Mason Miller, Oakland Athletics
Jason Adam, Tampa Bay Rays
Hector Neris, Chicago Cubs
Hunter Harvey, Washington Nationals
Josh Sborz, Texas Rangers
John Brebbia, Chicago White Sox
Jeff Hoffman, Philadelphia Phillies
Shelby Miller, Detroit Tigers
Now we’re talking. Stephenson seems all but assured to wrest control over the Angels role sooner rather than later. At his current (very cheap) cost, I’m comfortable betting on a bounce-back season from Suarez and his massive stuff. Miller isn’t starting the year as the closer, but give it time. Adam is a great handcuff considering Fairbanks’ myriad health issues, while Harvey, Sborz, Hoffman and Miller are all worthy fliers — and my bets to eventually emerge as the closers for their respective teams.
