Saves are always fickle in fantasy baseball, and that's become the even more of an issue in recent years with several teams resorting to closer committees. From draft day until September, finding consistent closers can be a constant headache for fantasy managers. Finding great values for saves on draft day or in-season can make all the difference, and these six relievers are certainly worthy of keeping on your radar as you approach draft day.
Jake McGee, LHP, Giants
McGee signed a two-year, $5 million contract with the Giants recently, putting him in the team's closer conversation immediately. A former closer with the Rays and Rockies, McGee lost considerably velocity during his time in Colorado, but he seemed to fix his issues with the Dodgers last season. Showing a fastball that was up nearly two mph, McGee was incredible in 24 appearances with a 2.66 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and 33/3 K/BB in 20.1 innings. If he can maintain his health, McGee looks like the favorite to open the season at the head of San Francisco's closer committee in front of of Reyes Moronta and Tyler Rogers.
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Andres Munoz, RHP, Mariners
Munoz was a much-hyped prospect when he was promoted by the Padres in 2019, posting a 3.91 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 23 innings. Since then, he's suffered a torn elbow ligament that required Tommy John surgery, but the hard-throwing right-hander has a chance to return to MLB games by midseason. Munoz has an absolutely electric arm, and could soon be a fallback option for Rafael Montero, who has had trouble keeping his arm healthy in recent seasons. Munoz's status on the injured list means that he can be stashed on IR without taking up a bench spot in many fantasy leagues.
Adam Ottavino, RHP, Red Sox
We saw a rare trade between the Yankees and Red Sox in the offseason when Ottavino was shipped to Boston, now in the third year of a three-year, $27 million contract. After an outstanding first year of the contract, the results were very rough for Ottavino last year with a 5.89 ERA in 24 appearances. That doesn't tell the whole story, as Ottavino still had an excellent 12.3 K/9 and 2.78 K/BB ratio, resulting in better ERA metrics than the end result. Despite losing some velocity, Ottavino can still clearly miss bats, and should be an excellent fallback for the erratic Matt Barnes for the Red Sox.
Tanner Rainey, RHP, Nationals
It sounded like Rainey would get a legitimate look as the Nats closer this spring before the team signed Brad Hand to handle the role. Rainey has an electric arm and showed improvement with his control last season after throwing his slider more often (39%), helping him produce a 2.66 ERA and 4.57 K/BB ratio. Hand enters the year as the clear closer after handling the role in Cleveland, though it's worth noting the lefty's significant velocity loss over the last two years. Rainey is a good backup plan for Hand.
Jordan Romano, RHP, Blue Jays
There was some excitement that Romano could get a full-time shot to close in 2021 before the Jays signed Kirby Yates. Romano's improvement last year was terrific, gaining two mph on his fastball and developing a nasty slider that helped him post a 1.23 ERA and 12.9 K/9 in 14.2 innings. Yates was one of the elite closers in fantasy baseball as recently as 2019, but he had surgery last year for bone chips in his elbow and turns 34 this month. His one-year, $5.5 million contract doesn't exactly say that Yates had a lot of believers in a full rebound this season, which could add to the risk equation and make fantasy managers more eager to stash Romano as his backup.
Josh Staumont, RHP, Royals
Even in an era of high velocity, Staumont's velocity is elite. The 27-year-old right-hander averaged 98 mph on his fastball last season, helping him produce a 13.0 K/9 and 2.45 ERA in 25.2 innings. It should be noted that he still failed to record a save despite his team's issues with the closer role, as the more experienced Trevor Rosenthal and Greg Holland were on hand when Ian Kennedy faltered. Holland is the favorite for the closer role to open the season given his experience, but his track record has been extremely inconsistent over the last six seasons. Holland's control this spring and the early season could be telling for how reliable we should expect him to be in 2021, but Staumont is a worthy stash for fantasy managers in any case.
-Seth Trachtman