As promised, I took more frequent looks at bullpens that certainly seem to be spending more time in flux. Inconsistency is certainly one factor, but I think an even bigger consideration is a tendency to use the reliever with the expected best matchup against a specific spot in the batting order even if it happens before the ninth inning. In other words, if the middle of the opponent's batting order comes around in the eighth inning, that's when the team's best reliever gets the call. We'll worry about closing out the game when the ninth inning gets here. Unfortunately, there is virtually nothing a fantasy team owner can do to predict that happening, but we try.

Bullpens are constantly evolving

Okay, on with the subject at hand. The trading deadline has come and gone. We're in late-August, so only about five weeks to go in the 2023 regular season. And, pitching is getting thin. Winning and losing could hinge on which teams can cobble together an effective bullpen and make it to the finish line more-or-less intact.

For fantasy teams, there could be points to pursue in the saves category. Closer roles used to be generally set for the best MLB teams, but there are more and more teams that either don't have a reliable closer, or might have traded their closer away as we approached the trade deadline (August 1), leaving a void in their bullpens. Ideally, teams still prefer (I think) to have fairly specific roles with regard to their daily bullpen assignments. In a perfect world, the starting pitcher would provide six, or better yet, seven strong innings, whereupon the set-up guys would pitch the seventh and/or eighth inning before turning the game over to the closer to finish things. It just doesn't happen like that these days. That's why a typical bullpen has six or seven available pitchers, and from a fantasy perspective the roles of the bullpen pitchers can be almost endlessly adapting and evolving. Today's closer can be tomorrow's fourth-inning mop up guy, while last week's unheralded arm could be working in a key set-up role next week. With relief pitching, it's almost always a, "what have you done for me lately" game.

That's our goal. Let's see if we can sort out some possibly unsettled bullpens.

Here are some bullpen scenarios to keep an eye on:

• Dodgers – It seems very strange to be heading into September with at least a couple major playoff contenders still shuffling bullpen pieces. That's the Dodgers. For most of the season, Evan Phillips was their primary ninth-inning guy, and he was doing an admirable job. Then, towards the end of July, he suffered a string of shaky outings. Veteran Daniel Hudson took the reins and kept the boat afloat, and they added lefty Anthony Banda and fireballer Michael Kopech at the trade deadline, although he has served primarily as a key set-up man until logging a couple saves recently. They have the luxury of depth so they may opt to just ride the hot hand, but Phillips has settled back in (just one run allowed in 11 August appearances), and he has the best closer tools. I'm guessing he is closing again fairly soon. I look for the team to ease him back into the primary closer role before the playoffs roll around.
• Phillies – The Phillies went the first half of the season with a couple set-up guys, Jeff Hoffman and Jose Alvarado, sharing the closing gig. They did a fairly respectable job, but the Phillies relied heavily on their rotation arms, and their sticks, to win games. That formula had obvious weaknesses, so they went out and acquired Carlos Estevez from the Angels at the trade deadline. As you would expect, that resulted in a trickle-down benefit. Hoffman and Alvarado slip back into more comfortable roles, and everybody wins. Estevez has been a little more vulnerable lately, but I think he'll get everything back in sync. With their overall pitching staff, they look like serious playoff contenders.
• Rays – For a moment in time Pete Fairbanks was looking like a genuine closer, an arm the Rays could routinely turn to in the ninth inning. He did an excellent job closing (he's the real deal), but another injury reared its ugly head, opening the door for their normal cast of thousands. The problem is, from a fantasy perspective, inconsistent deployment in the ninth inning can be frustrating. Edwin Uceta and Colin Poche are probably first in line, and if I was desperate, Uceta is the best bet in my book. Manuel Rodriguez might also be a sleeper if things get too convoluted, but he's probably behind the other two on the food chain. The best news is Fairbanks' lat strain is apparently considered rather minor, and they hope he'll be back very early in September.
• White Sox – This one is a "who cares" discussion since the White Sox don't generally win enough games to worry about who finishes them. I'm not even sure who is most likely right now. If I had to guess, I suppose it would be Chad Kuhl (they just DFA'd John Brebbia) but he's not even close to a true closer – anyone close to that description has long since been dealt away. Actually, my guy for the gig is more or less in the starting rotation, albeit with a strict per outing innings limit. Lefty, Garrett Crochet, has closer stuff … and a bum shoulder. If he could avoid the trainer's room, he is easily the best closing candidate.
•  Pirates – I'm not sure there is much I can say about the Pirates deployment of their bullpen that I haven't already said. They are different. Way different. They stick with an on again off again David Bednar even though they have a 36-year-old veteran who has 325 career saves, and still hits 105 mph. Yes, future Hall-of-Famer Aroldis Chapman still loses the strike zone on occasion, but he's been pretty reliable lately. There is no other go to "closer" in their bullpen. Today I would probably name Chapman as my "primary" closer, and worry about tomorrow when tomorrow rolls around. He was once one of the best in the game, and that should be enough to get him in the saves game.
• Cubs – This just in, set-up guy and pseudo-closer Hector Neris has been identified as a genuine non-closer by the Cubs (and a long list of other MLB teams), and he has been traded away. So, the Cubs may participate in a late-inning game of musical chairs for the rest of this year. Their current "closers" are Porter Hodge and Jorge Lopez (ho hum), but the guy with the best closer stuff might be lurking in the shadows. Once a very hot commodity, Nate Pearson has been shifted to the pen, and I'm giving him the closer-in-waiting tag. He can be very erratic, but his stuff is electric, so keep an eye on him.
•  Orioles – Also a late addition to this list, the Orioles had a standout bullpen anchored by one of the best in the game: Felix Bautista, but he's on the shelf with a UCL injury that required Tommy John surgery. See you in 2025, Felix. The most likely interim closer was Craig Kimbrel. However, he unceremoniously got old on us and lost his effectiveness. Yennier Cano and Gregory Soto took turns, but they weren't the answer either. Enter Seranthony Dominguez. For a long time he was an excellent option for the Phillies, but it never really happened. Now he's in Baltimore, and he's getting a true chance. He has been more effective as he settles in after a couple brief stumbles, and I feel pretty confident he is the answer as they head for the playoffs.

Some Notable Rotation Ramblings:

• I enjoy watching Oakland's Joe Boyle on the mound, but at least part of that is the fact that I don't own him in any leagues. The big dude (6'6") is an impressive sight, and he misses plenty of bats, but he misses the strike zone with regularity, too (walking seven per nine innings). If they ever get him locked in, look out.
• One of the pleasant surprises this year has been San Diego's Michael King, however, recently he has struggled to throw strikes. He has experienced elevated pitch counts while walking three in each of his last two starts. I'm not too concerned, at least not yet, but keep an eye on his next couple outings.
• I continue to be stumped by the overwhelming inconsistencies among starting pitchers this season. Earlier this week Minnesota's Bailey Ober got crushed for nine runs in two innings. He had given up nine runs in his previous six starts. I understand regression to the mean, but this was like a totally different pitcher.
• Let's peak across the pond a minute. The hottest commodity in Japanese baseball is Chiba Lotte Marines Roki Sasaki. He has a triple digit fastball and an even more impressive splitter, but his team is under no real obligation to allow him to leave (they denied his request last year). He's a genuine ace already at age 23, so keep an eye on his availability status this offseason.

Endgame Odyssey:

I nearly included the Marlins in the above breakdown of the closing assignments, but following a rash of injuries, it appears Calvin Faucher is the last man standing. He should be closing at least until they get healthy. I was afraid I might need to add Arizona to the bullpen breakdowns when manager Torey Lovullo said he wanted Paul Sewald back in the closer's role, but I don't see any impending change unless Justin Martinez struggles. He's been a closer in waiting for a long time, but Ben Joyce has emerged as the Angels' primary guy. An occasional command problem is likely to be a part of his resume going forward, but he has the right stuff. Just after locking himself in as the Rockies' closer, Victor Vodnik found himself on the injured list with biceps inflammation. Former No. 1, Tyler Kinley, will likely fill in until Vodnik returns, which is probably not the best news. Oakland's star, Mason Miller, got touched up against the Reds earlier this week (two runs on four hits over one inning) but still came away with his 12th consecutive save. I still think my favorite part of his game is 84 strikeouts in 51 innings.