Mound Musings: The Endgame Odyssey Continues – National League

Last week I promised to look at some bullpens. These are National League, but they don't have a monopoly on questions by any means. We'll look at the American League next week. There are plenty of bullpens in the National League with evolving roles including decisions that need to be made on who will get the call in the ninth inning.

Delving into unsettled bullpens has become one the most popular topics in the Musings because, quite frankly, it is one the most challenging scoring categories in fantasy baseball, and a timely addition to your roster can propel you to new heights in your league standings. The trick is in identifying an upcoming change in roles.

Let's review some NL bullpens, many with question marks still remaining:

Braves – This one looks pretty easy to predict. If regular closer Raisel Iglesias is healthy and hasn't been overworked, he'll get the call even though he has been beat up at times. Lefty set-up guy Dylan Lee or righty Pierce Johnson would likely end up stepping in if a need arises. They are competent set-up guys.

Brewers – To move on with our evaluations, we'll look at a team that appears relatively set. The Brewers traded Josh Hader, which opened the door for Devin Williams, but he's gone, too. Trevor Megill has been very reliable and he's the guy now, backed up by Abner Uribe (love his stuff) and Jared Koenig.  This is a deep and talented bullpen.

Cardinals – This bullpen seems to be fairly settled. Ryan Helsley was touted as the ultimate end-gamer, and with his arm it's easy to see why (he averages nearly triple digits with his fastball). Set-up duties are also in capable hands with JoJo Romero and Phil Maton serving as effective bridges. They should be considered the primary caddies, and would likely get the call if Helsley needs a day off.

Cubs – The Cubs have a pretty prolific offense so there should be leads to protect. Who gets the call is the question. No one really stands out, and the probable first choice Porter Hodge, is hurt. That might equate to a committee that includes Daniel Palencia, Ryan Pressly and even Caleb Thielbar. It's hard to ignore this pen because there will be save chances, but the Cubs need to acquire a real closer.

Diamondbacks – The Diamondbacks appeared to have found their closer in southpaw A.J. Puk, but he went down with an elbow injury, and they will have to make do for a while. They have given Shelby Miller the majority of the interim chances with Justin Martinez also in the mix. The results have not been bad with those guys, but the team hopes to have Puk back in about a month and he will be their primary closer.

Dodgers – Recent years saw big changes for the Dodgers. They added many quality players, creating unparalleled depth. They have needed it. In the pen they have tried various options, but Tanner Scott keeps floating to the top of the list. Almost everyone is, or has been, hurt including veterans Michael Kopech, Kirby Yates, Evan Phillips. And the list doesn't end there. They have others worthy of consideration like Alex Vesia, Anthony Banda, Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol. Currently, five of those seven are on the IL, so set-up duties could be in flux for the foreseeable future.

Giants – Here's another one that appeared to be a done deal. Ryan Walker took the reins last year, and appeared to have a firm hold on them. Camilo Doval also has closer stuff and has successfully finished a lot of games the past couple years, despite having an Achilles issue. In maybe a bit of a surprise, the Giants just named Doval their closer...again. Southpaw Erik Miller and righty Tyler Rogers provide adequate set-up innings, while former starter Jordan Hicks is a sleeper with electric stuff.

Marlins – Tanner Scott was a reliable closer, but the key word here is was. With Scott gone, the closer's gig is up for grabs. Jesus Tinoco looked like he was getting the attention but a major meltdown probably has the fish shopping for help. They have tried Calvin Faucher, but he's not the answer. Ronny Henriquez looked good recently. Maybe? And, righty Anthony Bender could pop up if the auditions continue.

Mets – After missing 2023 with a knee injury Edwin Diaz struggled to protect leads, and the Mets were getting nervous. However, good news, he has been more reliable lately. I am much more comfortable with Reed Garrett, Ryne Stanek and Huascar Brazoban working in set-up roles. One thing missing is a lefty or two, as A.J. Minter just had surgery to repair a torn lat and has been declared out for the year.

Nationals – Right now, past closer Kyle Finnegan is easily getting the most ninth-inning work, even though he doesn't really have overwhelming closer stuff. He just gets it done. He has some shoulder issues, but so far the Nats have avoided putting him on the IL. If Finnegan stumbles, one option is Jose Ferrer. He has the best stuff in the pen, but he is a bit fragile and the Nats carefully control his workload. That leaves the door just slightly ajar for a couple bullpen sleepers, Jorge Lopez and Brad Lord.

Padres – Assuming good health and adequate rest, you can pretty much write this one down. Robert Suarez, other than an occasional hiccup (we all have them) is one of the premier closers in the game. Waiting patiently in the wings is a deep pen headed by Jason Adam, but he needs Suarez to provide him an opportunity. He is joined by right-hander Jeremiah Estrada, and southpaws Adrian Morejon and Yuki Matsui.

Phillies – The Phillies pretty much annually attempt to rebuild their bullpen. The big addition recently was Jordan Romano, and it got much bigger when Jose Alvarado was slapped with an 80-game PED suspension. He is joined by more than adequate set-up guys Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering in another deep bullpen. Going forward, assuming good health him, I expect to see Romano as often as they can use him with Strahm his primary caddy. This is a good one.

Pirates – The trade rumors will probably be prominent again as we approach the deadline, but closer David Bednar has generally been his erratic self while the Pirates shop him around. Dennis Santana and/or Colin Holderman has done a pretty good job getting the game to Bednar. If he gets dealt, look for one of them – Santana is my guess, at least initially – to inherit the ninth-inning duties, while my sleeper is southpaw Ryan Borucki.  

Reds – The Reds bullpen has been a story of inconsistency and injury, but things hopefully may be sorting out even though I have doubts. Emilio Pagan showed us he can handle the ninth, albeit I still see him as a set-up guy. And, guys like Scott Barlow, despite some inconsistency, can set him up as long as he stays out of the trainer's room. Together with Pagan, what you'll get is a collection of so-so relievers including sleeper Tony Santillan and Graham Ashcraft along with Luis Mey. Other options include lefty Taylor Rogers or Brent Suter, but they have limited fantasy value at best.

Rockies – We always need at least one pen completely up for grabs, and the Rockies are the NL version of that right now. Their closer choices include Seth Halvorsen (my lukewarm choice when he's healthy) and Zach Agnos. Hell, amazingly, they have even used Tyler Kinley and Jimmy Herget in the ninth. And, even though he's hurt right now, Victor Vodnik should be back soon, and could get back into the mix.

Some Notable Rotation Ramblings:

• The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani faced live batters earlier this week as he progresses toward his highly anticipated return to the mound. It is assumed he is pretty much on schedule with a goal of pitching around the All-Star break. The plan is for Ohtani to take the mound once a week during the second half.
• I watch the Royals lefty Kris Bubic every now and then. In general, he looks okay – decent stuff, decent command, nice assortment of pitches. Then I take a look at his final stats, and it's something like seven innings, two hits, two walks, no runs and nine strikeouts. He sneaks up on you. He's about won me over.
• The Padres (and fantasy owners) are still waiting for the return of Yu Darvish. He was expected back about now, but he has made just one rehab start and he didn't bounce back as hoped. He has more or less been shut down, hopefully briefly, but best-case scenario he is probably still a couple weeks away.
• The Mariners released journeyman Adrian Houser, and the White Sox – famous collectors of refuse – signed him. In his first two starts for them, against the Mariners and Mets, he tossed zeroes for 12 innings. He allowed just five hits with four walks in the outings. Ummm, don't hold your breath it continues.
• Monitoring Spencer Strider's return to the Atlanta rotation. His second start was better, as he allowed just one run in four and two-thirds innings. Command is still coming, as he walked four, but his velocity was up a bit and he did strike out seven. He's not there yet, but I am encouraged by his progress.
• Texas right-hander Nathan Eovaldi has been on a roll lately, allowing one or fewer runs in his last seven starts. Unfortunately, his most recent start lasted just two innings. He left his last outing against Toronto with "triceps fatigue." The removal was deemed precautionary, and he is expected to make his next start.

Next week we will visit the American League bullpens.

Find out which projected starters are going and when with RotoWire's Probable Pitchers page!