ITP 176 - 2026 Reliever Awards

0:00Hello and welcome to the in the Penn Podcast, a podcast about relievers part of the Pitcher List podcast network. My name is Jake Crumpler and as always I'm joined by Pitcher List, both an expert Rick Graham. Rick, we're back two weeks off from our last episode. I was in Harris last year and in the French country side as well. It was very exciting to all of the big touristy places. You got to hit that the first time but we got to spend a day in the country side as well in Amboise, which is near tour and that was nice. I mean it was still like, it's still like every city out there is a little bit touristy where we go to a cafe in the morning and there's 10 Americans there. At least we're not totally out of our wits here but it was cool, a lot of castles there and did a wine tour. I haven't drank in years but I was like, well, and when in Rome, but not really Rome. And I was reminded once again about why I don't drink that

1:06wine was disgusting but my girlfriend said it wasn't very special wine either so I don't think it was just my own taste buds. There's a lot of cheap bad wine. Yeah, I mean especially like they'll sell you can get a bottle of like $2 like it's yeah, but yeah, yeah, like they sell that at Trader Joe's but this was still I think it was like $35 to $40 to $40 euro bottle. I mean, I don't think I don't even think a really good one was going to satisfy my taste buds. I'm more of a Coca-Cola type of guy and mantle. The coaks in France were incredible. They make it with their water and their water system is very they got they got they put a lot of effort into making the water really good. They have a lot of minerals in it so the water alone is really good so they're making the coke with better water and then they use real sugar as opposed to corn syrup and oh my gosh every single one of the coaks I had hit. I love the Mexican coke. Yeah, that's like, yeah, I have the same sugar. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I mean Paris is one of the only places in Europe I've

2:10actually been to so that's did you so I'm guessing you did the Eiffel Tower. Did you do the Louvre? Did you we did not actually do the Eiffel Tower we saw from from far away. That's pretty much how you got up. Yeah, yeah, we were not going up to the top of the tower anything. We went to Ruudaloo University Tay which is like the the best place to see it. We did do the Louvre though and we did it later in the day attempting to avoid crowds not knowing that they start shutting down sections of the museum about an hour and a half before the museum actually closes. So there was a bunch of stuff we wanted to see and after seeing the Mona Lisa we couldn't get to some of the other things and it was really crowded and even in September where you're supposed to have less crowds it's supposed to be less hot. It was still so hot and so crowded even low 80s I think it's just the humidity there was incredible and they don't have AC in most of the rooms so oh my gosh it was brutal but it was it was definitely fun. I think our favorite museum was Musee de Laurenti which has the water lilies the Mona Lisa. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. That was really nice very digestible

3:15museum and we went to Musee dorset we went to Versailles so we hit all the good spots. Nice nice yeah. Glad you had fun and hopefully you know we can talk about me some on government because I'm sure Mason Montgomery no one knows who that is in France so now we get to we get to you know talk relievers again it's been two weeks. A lot of news that really you know how much of this news is important but yeah yeah yeah it's good to be back. Interestingly enough when we were on top of Lakda triumphant which their elevators were broken so we had to climb a spiral staircase up like 40 floors or whatever it was one of the most intense staircases I've ever had to climb up the top there was this American couple that started a conversation with us and you know they they mentioned going to the Louisville slugger factory in St. Louis when they visited a few weeks ago and I was like oh do you like baseball and he was like yeah he's he's a brave fan there from Georgia and I thought

4:16found that very interesting he says he likes Freddie Freeman despite him being on the Dodgers now and I was like well it's probably not my first choice but regardless you know even in Paris I was still able to strike up a conversation about baseball yeah all right but let's get into it as always we'll talk about the news and notes and we'll have two weeks worth of transactions to discuss and then we'll do some reliever awards we'll give out some awards for the 2026 campaign we've got some nominees and we'll select three guys for each category but let's start with those news and notes beginning with the transactions from the past couple of weeks starting with Clinton Beater who was option to the miners surprisingly and Richard Love Lady was activated from the 60 day IL and a corresponding move after missing almost three months with a triceps strain but Clinton Beater has been the nationals closer all year why would they option him to the miners. It probably has something to do a little bit with guessing workload and his command has been as I mean it's command has been bad all year but it's been really it was

5:20really bad leading up to this emotion but yeah still a little bit of a surprise kind of a little bit of a shock that we use optioned yeah I don't know you know they need to upgrade that the closed roll or their bullpen in general next year so I don't think I don't think I hope we're not talking about Clinton Beater as potential closer there in February you know but yeah for now looks like Eric Tolman's gonna be the guy from here on out you got a save tonight he's up to three or four now and he looks fine I mean it's not it's not super exciting I like him a little bit better than Clinton Beater if that means anything but it's not he's not someone you two if you're still playing in leagues at this this point of the year you use nothing you know if you desperately need saves Tolman's an option but nothing you know not knowing you know nothing special from Eric Tolman especially on that game all right sticking in the NL East tenor banks was activated

6:22from the 60 day IL after missing more than two months with a forearm strain that gives the Philly's a plethora of South Poss Grant Holman was optioned to the miners in a corresponding move and the Philly's also optioned Orion Kirkering to the miners with Max Lazar being recalled from the miners in a corresponding move and it's both surprising and unsurprising that Kirkering is headed back to Triple A as he has struggled massively over the past couple of months his era is well over ten during that time but he has been an incredible integral part of the Philly's bullpen throughout the season so with him gone and another lefty now in this bullpen it looks like we've got four lefty's and very few varieties the trust here in Philly obviously you want to ran in the closer role but behind him Jonathan Bowlin and Alex McFarlane appear to be the top options I mean how do you see this Philly's bullpen working out for the playoffs and you think we'll see Orion Kirkering back I know he had that sort of infamous moment in the playoffs last year too. No he's I don't

7:23it's probably mostly a mental thing with him could be health related to he's been dealing with something but I feel like it's like it's a mental thing sequencing for him has been an issue the stuff still looks good I think you know just being able to trust this fastball a little bit more could would help but yeah I don't expect to see Kirkering back in the postseason despite you know they do have needs there because yeah I mean I feel okay if as long as Jonathan Bowlin's healthy I know he's dealing with a was a growing injury it's day-to-day if Bowlin's healthy and I mean I believe in McFarlane I he's been inconsistent but like you know that's one of those guys who could surprise you maybe in the postseason oh yeah just you know stuff wise it's it's incredible as long as he's you know commanding it just even like a little bit of command in there like he can you know be a weapon for them I'm concerned from the left side even with banks it's banks Alvarado Rayleigh who's been pretty badly lately I mean Alvarado hasn't just not gotten it going this whole

8:28season and banks has not been good and Mesa maybe I saw a show I don't know it's that they have four lefties I just don't know if I like any one of them particularly well I'm sure they'll figure it out and there is a little bit to be said you know some some guys like Alvarado where they have great stuff but they struggle to control it you get that sort of reset in the playoffs and maybe a little more gentlemen can sort of help you figure things out but that's what the Phillies are going to be banking on if they want this bullpen to be as dominant as it can be I'm also curious to see if like Andrew painter ends up being like what his role is he could be right believer for them you know just seeing him let it loose for one or two and things at a time could be interesting sure yeah they definitely have a few solid starters so they don't really have to rely on especially in that first series yeah yeah yeah I mean you go Sanchez Wheeler and and Luzardo you don't need to be painter at all and even Aronola could be coming out of the bullpen as well because you don't usually need more than three starters in a series until you get into the championship series

9:31or the world series yeah Nola just coming out and spamming his curve ball and yeah good work yeah yeah all right let's go to the Orioles who activated Felix Batista from the 60 day IEL he's missed all season after undergoing shoulder surgery last year Kate Povitch was option to the minors in a corresponding move and in other Orioles news Ryan Hellsley is not expected to return in the 20-26 campaign we've only got a few days left anyway so wouldn't really make sense with the Orioles out of the playoff race but they did bring Felix Batista back last week so Hellsley out for the year however we do get Felix Batista back he's made one appearance thus far how did he look in that appearance and do you see him working into that sort of closer committee situation that they got going on in Baltimore probably not this year I mean at this point I mean maybe like over the weekend if especially if they end up being out of the you know playoff race maybe for old time's sake they try to you know I like they give Felix the ninth inning but Rico Garcia is pitching good enough in that role right now

10:33and you know this isn't Felix Batista I don't know if you'd like fall he looks he looks he looks okay I mean the command is a mess it's kind of always a mess with him so you know that's not terrible like to be shocking but I think the the issue is the velocity being down like three to four miles per hour with that command just not sure the stuff still looks pretty pretty good I mean for as far as like what I was expecting to see after two major surgeries in the past three years I mean it doesn't look as bad as I thought it might be so I'm just hoping Batista gets healthy just gets through this week healthy maybe one or two more outings give him some momentum going into the offseason and then fresh I have a full off season get him ready for next year which even if even if hell'sly returns I feel I don't know I still would lean towards Batista being the closer there but yeah that's another discussion for later in the offseason right elsewhere in the AL East Tyron

11:33Guerrero was activated from the 15 day IL after missing three weeks with shoulder inflammation why it holds was option to the miners in a corresponding move but good to see Guerrero back in Boston he was in a sort of revelation there in Boston so excited for Guerrero to be back I mean do you think he's back in the holds conversation I mean they seem to be pretty set with Chapman Whitlock and Miller but outside of that how do you see the Red Sox Bolton lining up for the playoffs yeah I mean it was looking so good and then you know did they lost Guerrero look good in his first game back he's still he's throwing 102 but nice I still would like to see a splitter or a slider more often than he throws like 95% sinkers so it's a good really good sinker I get it but um you know between that they're I guess they have Whitlock and Chapman Celine on Eric Miller I'm afraid might have reverted back to his old self and that's terrible so yeah the September has been

12:37terrible for Eric Miller and he did not look particularly good tonight either when I was planting over here so yeah I mean it was looking really good with a potentially healthy slate and Guerrero but now I think they're really gonna have to lean on Whitlock and Chapman who Chapman's dealing with a lat issue himself so yeah not the best way to be going into the postseason but yeah Guerrero at least you know that power sinker is something that's nice to have in the post season if they use it use them right you know if you need a double play yeah he's your guy you know right yeah definitely could get you out of some jams with that sinker some double play ground balls on the hard sinker all right let's talk about some injuries from the past couple of weeks we have plenty to talk about but obviously at this point in the season most of these guys are done for the year unless you like sort of made it and skirted in right before the two week deadline or and even still

13:38there's no reason for many of these relievers to come back for the final week and obviously a lot of these are sort of those phantom IELs since where it's pretty much the team unofficially shutting a player down for the rest of the year where they just aren't gonna overuse some of these guys so let's start in Pittsburgh who placed Isaac Mattson on the 15 day IEL with a hip impingement brand in Icer was recalled from the minors in a corresponding move they also activated Kirby Yates from the 15 day IEL after he missed a couple weeks with a shoulder impingement and I think even more surprisingly Camilo Doval was designated for assignment in a corresponding move definitely a tumultuous past couple of years for Camilo Doval he should latch on with some other team but man the the fall has been dramatic from Deval remember when we were still recording with um um no I just forgot his name who was the host before I joined the podcast oh camp calon that's right I had to see yeah yeah so uh I remember we did a podcast where we were trying

14:42to predict sort of the next generation of of top closers like who what young guy right now is going to be a hall of famer in the future and Doval was one of the most obvious guys I mean there was like a manual class a obviously that's gone a certain direction yeah and Doval was one of those guys where oh he's been so good at the giant first couple of years exactly and it's just been so far downhill ever since then so I don't know how do you see uh Doval's career turning out maybe not his whole career but I think he's got the chance of recovering I don't think anyone claims him really 6.1 million I don't know how I mean oh whatever's owed but I don't know what's left on that mathematically but um I would imagine like even if you do claim him you're probably whatever that arbitration figure is next year you're you're probably gonna nontender him you're not gonna pay him 7 to 8 million uh sure or whatever so he's probably gonna be a free agent I mean

15:42a team a team's gonna a smart team's gonna try to try to figure things out with him um he's still throwing hard you still has a pretty good slider if you can command it it's um yeah I I could like I could see a renaissance from him like working as a middle reliever for like a really good team where he doesn't have to focus on late leverage innings um but yeah it's it's gonna be interesting to see what happens with Doval I thought yeah Pittsburgh I thought might have been a good landing spot but yeah that just didn't really work out for him yeah I think uh that clip of John Boy from the trade-down way yeah a couple years ago it's always going to uh travel with him as well which is so crazy to see him jump in on a chair about Camilo DeVal who is now unlikely to be on a roster in the final week of the season too funny yeah I know exactly yeah uh all right let's go to Pete Fairbanks who was activated from the 15 day IL after missing

16:45a couple weeks with medial nerve irritation and then immediately placed on the 15 day IL as he set to undergo TOS surgery which will eat into some of his 2027 season which hurts his free agency dramatically so Pete Fairbanks was set to be one of the top free agent closers this off season despite having such a tumultuous season 6.31 ERA on the season but experience in the night thinning he's still got a 30% strike outrate this is the guy that I was pretty excited about to latch on with the team that could get the most out of him in 2027 now he will have the start to his season delay as he's undergoes TOS surgery man yeah I know I trying to find the tweet or the little blurb I think it's so hard to search on Twitter now I don't know it's like a whole nother thing but yeah because it's going back to like you know stuff from 2024 but yeah there's um I think they said it was like an exploratory it's the

17:47thoracic out it's surgery but it's like a different type it's kind of a they're not like they haven't put a timetable on him for next year which I think is a good thing because the typical like thoracic outlet that usually keeps guys out for almost a year I mean almost a year right it's like it can be you know so either way yeah it's he's probably not going to be ready for the frothing day and it's gonna definitely you know they can't I mean he's probably gonna get a one he might be a candidate for one of those one year with a club option deals from a from a team but hopefully that I mean if this fixes the underlying nerve issues and everything then like I mean he's so I want to completely give up on I know like that's a scary surgery that that that like you know some guys don't come back from that but I think this might be this might be a case where he could come back better after it so I will see I mean I'm hoping hoping the best for him

18:50and hopefully he gets to you know latch on with the team for the second half of next year someone to not completely give up on or forget about yet because yeah yeah he like he the numbers were bad this year but there were there was an instance especially in August he was throwing the ball really well so I think it was August so yeah I'm not completely out on him yet yeah and for a guy that has the ceiling that Fairbanks has it's not only the question that he comes back after the first couple of months and is a very valuable fantasy asset through the end of the season obviously probably not going to be on the same level as somebody like Josh Hader but Josh Hader's about to reach 30 saves on the season I mean that's just been an incredible draft pick to to take the chance on him and have him produce such great numbers I don't expect that from Fairbanks but the fact that he could still come in and produce 15 to 20 saves with a solid ERA and a lot of strikeouts will definitely probably be worth drafting depending on where he lands if he lands on a

19:50team like I don't know the Giants or something there's an opportunity in the ninth inning next we got Trent Thornton who landed on the 15 day I'll with a sprained ankle Edward Cabrero was activated from the 15 day I'll have a corresponding move that one is not super impactful but Thornton has been somebody that the Cubs have relied on heavily but that bullpen continues to just be injured like crazy and I sort of glossed over Cabrero but it looks like the Cubs are ready to use him in relief in some location yeah yeah I don't know what his exact role is going to be but um he looks yeah he's had two I think two relief appearances now he's throwing like two miles per hour harder as you would expect um yeah I mean that's a guy who if if you're gonna take somebody that struggles in the rotation and put him in the bullpen that's a guy that could explode change up still looks good obviously out of the bullpen and the curveball even looks pretty it looks pretty good too from so yeah there's that plus the velocity added to the the fastball and

20:50make some interesting I don't I mean definitely in the postseason he's gonna it's we're gonna see a lot of though I think there's a lot of teams right now we're gonna see guys who started most of the year or we mostly know and no as starters are gonna have big bullpen roles in in October seems like a theme this year so he's he's definitely one of them you know Ryan Weathers whatever's going on in Milwaukee I don't know if Kyle Harrison ends up in the bullpen but yeah there's there's a few few names sure and that's probably gonna be the case in LA as the Dodgers have starting options but with Edgardo Henrique is landing on the 15 day IL due to lower back discomfort that puts even more pressure on the rest of that bullpen I'm sure he's going to be back in time to contribute to the Dodgers postseason run later down the line probably not in the wild card series but they did get reinforcements in a corresponding move as Chris Boobitch was activated from the 60 day IL he's missed four months after landing on the IL with elbow soreness and Paul Jervais was option to the

21:52minor center corresponding move but Boobitch has already made a few appearances since returning from the IL how did he look in those appearances and is it good because I know he was a couple years ago he was a very solid reliever yeah I think you know and they're trying to do the same thing with Daniel Lynch now I don't know if that's gonna work as well but I guess I didn't forget but I kind of forgot how good Chris Boobitch was as a reliever yeah his last especially his last time out he looked really good for the Dodgers I you know it's very that that in that bullpen is very interesting especially if they get Henrikas back healthy and like trying to figure out some some names some big names gonna get left off and off the roster in their bullpen because I just I feel like Dave Roberts loves Blake trying so much he's gonna have trying it on the roster so that's gonna kick somebody off who deserves you know whether it's it could be Ed Windy as could be a guarder Henrikas maybe Boobitch or Obleski or Jack Dryer but yeah they're they have so many options there so

22:58yeah I don't think the bullpen is gonna be it and I was thinking about this because like remember I mean last year like they you know they you know snuck out like they barely hang on hung on to win the World Series they still won the World Series but like you know they had to go to they shouldn't have to go to Yamamoto in you know in relief too much this this off season like they they were stuck they had no they had no one in that bullpen last year and the way it's shaping up right now it's so much so much better for them yeah especially Ed Windyas looks pretty good the last two times out like it kind of looks like his old self again yeah I was I was gonna say if there's anybody based on results that should be surprisingly kicked off the roster for the playoffs it's Ed Windyas I mean he struggled this year and he was just activated from the 15-day IL after missing a month with Nick neck inflammation but man his ERA is still 10.34 on the season but I mean it's Ed Windyas so you got to have them on the ground just throwing the ball yeah I mean the velocity is back the the slider looks better the stuff looks better the last couple of times

24:01out I feel like you have to if if he's his normal self like it looks like he is right now I can't keep him off the roster for Blake Trinon man come on I mean they might but I just yeah I mean especially if they get him if they get Henry kesba I mean I don't know what everyone was obsessed with Roki Sasaki as a reliever and I I I'm not even sure he is a place on this roster when everyone's healthy so right yeah because Evan Phillips right now looks incredible I mean I don't like he's looks great Brock Stewart looks awesome right now to those two guys are locks Henrikas should be a lock if he's healthy then you have Ed Windyas is your fourth righty probably or Blake Trinon and then from the left side you have Tanner Scott Alex Vesia Vesia's all of a sudden locked in he looks great the last couple couple of weeks yeah and then Jack Dreyer Chris Boobitch for blessed he is two of those three you probably can fit all of them that's it's it's incredible that had to open so much better than last year because last year they

25:03they didn't have Scott in in our in the world series and Vesia missed the world series too because yeah tragedy so they had Roki Sasaki and like Blake Trinon kind of and like that was that was all they had yeah I mean Reblesky stepped up yeah big question dryer were like yeah we're good enough but yeah yeah it's crazy how many guys they have and how they were able to time having all of them most of them healthy here for the playoffs but yeah well we'll see how that goes I mean I I don't envy facing the Dodgers but they're definitely cracks but they have so many guys here that I'm sure they'll figure it out it's really just gonna be up to Dave Roberts pulling the right strings and press in the right button you just see five five five innings from glass now five innings from snow and the bullpen's got it from there yeah that's right and they could have Otani at some point maybe pitching out of the bullpen as well it is a just too many riches there good thing Kyle Tucker hasn't been that great this year all right let's move forward with the injuries

26:06we've got a few more to talk about before we head into our main topic and talk about the 2026 relief pitcher awards but first we're gonna take a quick break here on the in the pen podcast and we're back Jake Crumpler here with Rick Graham on the in the pen podcast talking about relief pitchers recovering the injuries from the past couple of weeks resuming with the rays who placed Tyler Wells on the 15 day I with forearm tightness terrible timing for that as he's set to be their top set up man heading into the postseason but they did get a an interesting and exciting reinforcement as Brodie Hawkins had his contract selected from the minors in a corresponding move not only is he the raised number seven prospect according to MLB pipeline but he's had some impressive outings I saw that he had like the best single game stuff plus according to some some outlets so incredible I think all of it any stuff less metric I mean he's like elite elite fastball

27:08anchor ball and I know they probably still have some hopes for him being a starter but like I think you got to shut that down and like realize that you may have you might have like the next mason Miller on your hands so just like go with round two yeah don't trade this one away but so I bro I mean honestly like did I say last I mean like I think you could like the rays being the rays is like you just you can trade at sell high and Brian Baker and not even just Brodie Hawkins but like Alex Cook and Ty Johnson look really good too I mean there's then you have you also have Wells coming back you've Kevin Kelly coming back you have other guys so I mean they're they're who said that's a fun yeah yeah yeah I mean you said it should be healthy next year hopefully but yeah that's a fun fun trio of Hopkins Johnson and Cook and I they just kept on I don't know if it's in here but then they gave up on Hunter Biggie which you know we I thought Biggie had a pretty good you know how to it was a pretty good release

28:11prospect and I'm still not totally out on him but yeah he's on the A's now yeah so I'm but Hopkins man who yeah the fastball curveball from him that's screams reliever and I wouldn't even I think that's just open to the year next year in the bullpen and some roll and go go from there yeah I would report suggest that Wells will be ready for that first postseason series for the new designer yeah I think he he should be fine but hopefully they keep Hopkins on the roster I mean he's one of those guys like as your last reliever just because like a you know wildcard like if you need like three shutdown innings maybe maybe he can just think give you that like always gonna be like if you're if you're down a couple runs he either gives you three shutdown or he gets blown up and walks a bunch of guys but like at least you have the option of you know seeing what's what's in there give him a give him a sniff of the postseason too because yeah the stuff is incredible yeah and if people aren't familiar with Hopkins stuff the four seamer sits 100 miles per

29:11hour with 6.7 feet of extension and at a 30 degree arm angle he's got an 18 inches of IVB on the pitch with 2.5 yeah which is just yeah yeah yeah and that's ridiculous comes with an 87 mile hour curveball that he commands well downstairs and a cutter that definitely helps a lot versus left handed batters and gives him another pitch with which to throw strikes that he sits 95 with on the cutter so some incredible stuff from Brody Hopkins that curveball has looked just ridiculous thus far so I'm excited to see what he can do and given the fact that he's on the raise as well that's just even more more like oh my gosh he's gonna be so good so the the raise always seem to be sending guys away and and running out of options and then all of a sudden you just get a guy and have this guy yeah yeah I'm trying Johnson yeah it's they just keep running they yeah they run through they they're a factory so I mean oh yeah yeah we'll we'll I'm sure I'm just excited to see

30:13what's what's the sore for him next year and yeah maybe in the postseason too that could be that'd be a fun story Hopkins makes the postseason roster yeah it seems like there's a few guys that have a chance to make a name for themselves in the playoffs you know we talked about Alex McFarland but that's that's another guy let's go to the Metz who placed Daniel Duarte on the 15-day I.L. with a hamstring strain Jeffrey Jeffrey was recalled from the miners in a corresponding move the Metz also activated Siano Perez from the 15-day I.L. after he missed almost two months with a forearm strain Cameron Weston was option to the miners in a corresponding move and lastly Devon Williams was activated from the 15-day I.L. after missing over a month with a shoulder strain that's a lot of moves I know Duarte was one of the top set-up men but I think the eyes our eyes at least are going to be very focused on how the ninth inning works out with Devon Williams back do you think the Metz continue to let Kodai Senga sort of evolve and grow and there's always it's just gonna be Devon Williams plugged right back in I don't know if it's Devon Williams but

31:14I'm pretty sure Senga's time is over in the night they might try to get like kind of like with a buttista they might want to get Williams like one save chance here for I don't know whatever reason well actually the Metz are up by two right now in the six inning so we might see something tonight but I think even if it's not Devon Williams I feel I don't know maybe I'm wrong but I feel like Denna Unias is probably worked his way into the closed role or at least he got the last save and he just looks so much better than anyone else in this bullpen and he's probably gonna look better than Devon Williams so I mean I'm pretty surprised at how quickly like Justin Martinez and Denna Unias coming back like just the way that they've looked it's been two of the various surprises for me but yeah Nunez is very excites me for next year I mean the Metz bullpen from I mean even Duarte and Jan I mean they have like something Seattle Perez look pretty good before he went down I mean they have like a decent setup for their bullpen next year probably don't have to

32:17spend a ton on the on the bullpen they have other deeds you know the rotation for sure so I think they're bullpened they're bullpen's pretty set up you know they're paying they're paying Williams they got they got Nunez lavender looks good oh yeah Duarte could be another piece so yeah I think bullpen and they got out see like a re re-gair is that I'm thinking oh yeah yeah gair coming back next year so though though the bullpen might not be too bad as is which is surprising considering they traded away half of the bullpen at the deadline yeah yeah and they can that means they can focus elsewhere in the offseason I'm sure they're gonna be big spenders again but I don't know what they're gonna do because it did not work this year after all the moves they made over the offseason I think Stern's this job is gonna be on the line if they can't figure it out next year let's go to the angels who placed Sammy and Attera Jr. on the 15 day IEL with forearm inflammation he was only healthy for a week or two but they will get a reinforcement back a Sam Bachman was

33:19activated from the 15 day IEL and a corresponding move after missing over a month with forearm inflammation so Natera is gone and that sort of puts the end to a pretty exciting break out season hopefully he can return to health and that the velocity with which he throws is finished next season but Sam Bachman is back and he was very integral to this bullpen earlier a year before Neteris call up and Joyce's return from the injured list so he should be in the conversation at the very least four holds yeah I mean those two guys Neterra and Bachman should be a big part of their future and they all do they those two plus Joyce they're all very different they do different things you know Neterra being a lefty Bachman being more of a sinker guy then you know Joyce just coming with you know 102 mile per hour of force Emors so I it sounds like yeah Neterra injuries more cautionary than anything he's not gonna you know he's gonna have a mostly normal offseason and should be the same with Bachman coming back and the loss is down a little

34:25bit it's as first time back but I mean as long as he's healthy he feels good I'm yeah excited about that trio and potentially you know Jose Firmin there too I know like Ryan Watson's there he's been pitching in the eighth inning a lot he's Ryan Watson has a grid is a pair of good breakers and the fastball is really bad but maybe he can make it work with those those breakers so we'll say the Tigers placed Kyle Finnegan on the 15-day IEL with groin inflammation and recalled Ty Madden from the miners and a corresponding move Finnegan has been the top set up man in this bullpen for most of the year and not because of the way he's pitched but just with his usage with Finnegan out who are the top options in this Tigers bullpen behind Kenley Jansen. Drew Somers Tyler Holton Jacob Wow you got to pronounce his last name.

35:25Waggis Pack. Waggis Pack that's pretty much I'm I'm think I'm missing someone. Yeah Tyler Kenley sure why not but yeah it's pretty even with Finnegan there it's pretty pretty unexciting bullpen it's a better word for that but yeah just disappointing season we I was looking you know this was for our topic next week we're gonna go over our predictions from earlier in the year which I finally looked at today and we both had we both were high we were both like you know Finnegan's probably gonna have like take over the clothes rule at some point here and yeah he just went the other way and this is the worst season of his career so I yeah it's we finally put our faith in him after two good long years yeah after years and years of being like this is not the guy yeah ridiculous like I owe maybe I we felt like we owed him a little something I don't know right it was not a good year for him no no the reds place did you have

36:29another thing I said I think we've thought Bob risky's a guy we've also talked highly oh yeah and he looks the last couple of out and he's looked a lot better for him so hopefully he can finally maybe he's the guy there but it's yeah two years ago that was the guy who I expected to be the closer after that postseason really Tiger sort of had a whole host of guys in a closer committee and the following year Will Vest was the one to emerge as the closer but I had my money I'm graski and that did not end up working out so I would love to see him figure things out because he does have good stuff the reds placed Julian Garcia on the 15 day IL with loose bodies in his elbow they recalled a different Julian from the miners Julian Aguilar in a corresponding move then they subsequently option him to the miners so that they could bring up Zach McCambley and then they placed Tony Santillon on the 15 day IL with a hip laboral terror Connor Phillips was recalled from the miners in a corresponding move that seems like a pretty substantial injury to Santillon that doesn't sound very good so hopefully his 2027 campaign isn't too impacted by that but he

37:37is set to undergo surgery this week well there's definitely going to be a recovery process for Santillon this offseason yeah that's a tough one he had not looked good since he came back from his original injury which was not related to his hip I don't think but yeah it's interesting Connor Phil I was just a couple days ago like wondering like what happened to Connor Phillips how is he doing in AAA and yeah the command's been as bad as it ever was it hasn't gotten better so I wish I could be excited about Connor Phillips coming back to the majors but it's the command is still a huge issue with them maybe one day maybe maybe one day you'll figure it out yeah that's how I feel about most of that Reds bullpen they just have they're really much potential and nobody works out Maxwell may I mean come on one of you you need one of you even Ashcraft yeah yeah the Rangers placed Michelle O'Tania's on the 15 day IL

38:37with a viral in illness they recalled Adam Mako from the miners in a corresponding move then they optioned him to activate Peyton Gray from the 15 day IL after he missed a few weeks with elbow inflammation pretty low impact moves there in the Rangers bullpen so yeah I was I was excited I saw O'Tania's got called up I'm like yes let's go I forgot about him excited to see what he has and he didn't even make an appearance before he got say I hope he's I don't know what's this viral in this is hopefully it's not too too too too bad but yeah we're not going to see him this year unfortunately so it's triple in numbers weren't terrible so maybe next year we'll he'll be part of this bullpen maybe let's go to the giants who placed Reaver San Martine on the 15 day IL with an oblique strain Sam Hentges was activated from the 15 day IL in a corresponding move after missing a few weeks with a forearm strain the giants have dealt with so many injuries right

39:38now they have 24 guys on the injured list is nearly a complete roster on the injured list and they return one guy but they place another guy on it I mean Sam Martina's you know the low leverage for a lever but at least they got Hentges back that keeps at least one lefty in this bullpen they have I something just popped into my head completely but thinking about they've had so many they've had a lot of injuries like you said a lot of pitching injuries and now I'm thinking about how you know the conspiracy with the 49ers and the substation and all those injuries is that going on with the giant is the substation here with the giant the the Niners stadium is actually not in San Francisco it's in Santa Clara yeah so it's actually pretty far away from there but yeah I like that joke I make that one sometimes because I mean yeah like I saw Tidwell went on the IL with a significant UCL sprain like what I mean I don't know if it seems that as many especially arm injuries from from their guys it's and it's not even just pictures too their whole line and

40:43they're line up yeah I mean they're so bad right now I mean it's it's like Drew Gilbert Jonah Cox Victor Barricotto that's a one two three Marcelo Meyer batting clean up Bo Davidson who has now like to be referred by his given name Chantillon which is something Pokemon it does sound like it it is I mean he just called up yesterday it was Bo Davidson I went back on fan graphs and now he's on Chantillon and I have to look it up really on the ref yeah yeah yeah C-H-A-N-T-E-Y-O-N Davidson yeah very very interesting he has some incredible minor league numbers too he was batting 290 with 29 homers and 20 steel so a lot of potential they're undrafted free agent too so cool story there but yeah then after that Shay Wittcombe Scott Bander a Drew Kavanaugh Christian Cautious a whole who's who of guys you've never heard of before just ridiculous but hey at least they're they're trying some guys out giving some guys some opportunity to establish themselves for next year but yeah the the amount of injuries in San Francisco is ridiculous so somehow Sam

41:46Hentchus made it out of the the jail that all those guys are in recovering yeah it's just the the amount of forearm and elbow injuries has been like what is what it's is it the guys that they're you know I don't know if it's what it is training staff we're just the players that they bring in it's just a very interesting trend with their all the elbow and forearm right it's almost like they're trying to pull off the the Dodgers strategy of let me get a bunch of injured guys and ultimately able to work out but the thing that they forgot yeah the thing that they forgot is that you have to have a lot of depth to pull that off when the guys get under your budget exactly that too yeah giants are not looking very good but there are some guys that they've called up that have some potential I don't understand Hentchus is going to be one of those guys but hey Trent Harris yeah sort of figuring things out could be I don't think he's a closer but could definitely be a solid reliever in some capacity so I'm still Dylan Smith should be too I mean I'm not totally out on him or

42:50but that's kind of it so they need to really attack that that bullpen this off season our last injury is Eniel De Los Santos landing on the 15 day IO with knee-10 to Nidus Logan van way was recalled the miners in a corresponding move uh yeah this Ashow's bullpen is not looking too great and the Astros chances to make the posties and continue to dwindle I know I I can't believe the rain I mean like both I mean I thought for sure if you asked me like a month ago we could go two weeks ago like I'll be like the Astros are going to win the West and the Rangers are going to fall apart they're not gonna and the Astros just keep like keeping the door open for the Rangers to kind of sneak their way in here I don't love the um I don't I don't love the way those bullpen's trying at least at least Brian abray looks better and you have hater but like outside of those two guys it's it's it's the ochre it's not going to be back it sounds like either so even if they get into the postseason I just I don't know how much I don't know what this team can

43:55really do uh right in the playoffs uh I guess they would face yeah I don't know that now I don't have my hopes up for the Astros and if they do make it no that ALS has just been terrible this year we might get a sub 500 team in the postseason for the first time ever um all right the only bit of news we have to discuss is Robert Suarez who's expected to be activated from the 60 day IL tomorrow after missing more than three months with elbow inflammation he should slot right back in as one of the top setup options for the braves and that brings their bullpen back to full health just in time at four the playoffs yeah um and the sound like I think he they they said he was throwing like 98 in his bullpen sessions right so that's good to hear um we'll see yet Dylan Lee has really you know been struggling the past week so um yeah well they they really could use some sort of help out in that bullpen that whole ALR the whole and L right now especially with the fillies and the NL

44:58least I mean those those teams I thought the fillies and braves were set up for to have like you know their bullpen's were in pretty good shape uh but the past month or so has been you know it's changing my idea on that all right well that will wrap up the news and notes from the past couple of weeks now we can get into our main topic and discuss the award winners for 2026 relievers but first we're going to take another break here on the in the pen podcast and we're back Jay Crumpler here with Rick Graham on in the pen discussing relief pictures let's hand out some rewards for some of the best and most surprising pictures for the 2027 campaign we'll also talk about some of the more disappointing guys as well but hey here's your award for being disappointing the razzis that's right yeah let's start with our first category and this is our three-up category these are guys that exceeded our winter slash ADP expectations or were just incredible

45:59in their own rights the nominees are Cade Smith, Josh Hader, Trevor McGill, Mason Miller, Emilio Pagan and David Bednar let's start with Cade Smith and this is a guy who I think had high expectations for and not only did he reach them but I think he you can rightfully say that he exceeded them 2.02 ERA 39 saves and a 36% strikeout rate on the season for Cade Smith that is absolutely elite I mean there there's a weak left but we're pretty I mean I think we can comfortably you know say that there's there's Mason Miller at the top that's he's kind of in his own league and then I think Cade Smith is kind of at this point in his own category at the second spot he just got his 40 of save tonight it's incredible that he's continued to just the way his workload he no one's pitched more in it no reliever's pitched more innings than him in the past three years are appeared the only reliever that's appeared in more games is Tyler

47:01Rogers who like that's does doesn't even count because you know you know so at this Cade Smith coming in throw in 98 you know every time out it's it's crazy that he's just continued to do this and doesn't look to be slowing and his velocity's gotten better over the his his second half has been insane I mean he's been the best reliever in baseball with the second half better than Miller so I yeah I think there's a definite argument I think Smith's because ADP wise I feel like he was he was not really in the top two or three maybe four or five he was kind of in that spot so finishing second I feel like you know Smith definitely exceeded expectations yeah for sure I I think before the season started I was comparing him to the rise of Andres Munoz at the previous year where he hadn't really had the big save total yet he had 16 saves in 2025 but with the role all to himself with the manual class say MIA I figured this was be the guy who jumps into the upper echelon of

48:03closures and that's exactly what we've had with Cade Smith next we got Josh Hader who was drafted widely but he opened the season on the injured list and there was definitely some concern that maybe he returns too late to actually have an impact but boy has Josh Hader been incredible since returning from the IL 0.83 euro 26 saves any 35 percent strike out right from Josh Hader yeah I think so I think this is a tough one because I do think I think Hader is kind of a lock here because even with the late start he's still finished he's still the you know 48 ranked player and Yahoo leagues right now reliever wise that puts him I think that puts him in the top five or six where he was getting drafted you know after the injury news yeah I think he's easily exceeded expectations so I think Hader's a lock I mean yeah it's you know when he's healthy he's there he's easily a top five closer top three closer in baseball it's not there's not much discussion about it

49:09all right let's go to Trevor McGill of the Brewers he definitely was not a top 10 closer before the season started I think we had him right on that fringe not because of his talents but because of the competition he had from Abner Rebay but he has taken that closer roll and has gotten the majority of the save opportunities this year for the Brewers with a 272 year A 29 saves in a 29 percent strike out right from Trevor McGill yeah and I mean again like we uh two things here like he was getting drafted late because of the Rebay you know potential committee or Rebay could be this closer then he gets off to a slow start loses the role for a little it's kind of like what David Bednar did last year um with McGill this year and you know he gets the roll back and he's been lights out since you know right now he's right behind Duran as the 66th overall player in Yahu leagues I think that's seven eight nine eighth reliever on the board so where he was drafted

50:13in being you know the eighth with the best reliever right now that's pretty pretty good um yeah he's a tough one to say no to also in this category so I mean I hate Smith's been awesome but I just I mean Hader and McGill I've been I've exceeded expectations I guess that's what this category is so I might have Hader and McGill uh as my top two options right now hmm next we've got Mason Miller who was the consensus number one closer but he's had a historic season this year which hard to exceed expectations when they were as high as Mason Miller he's been maybe you know possibly one of the most valuable pictures if not the most valuable picture uh in fantasy baseball I know he was a guy that in our home league we were talking about how he doesn't take starts away from you in points leagues where your starts are limited and he still gives you an ace amount of points and just an incredible season from Mason Miller 1.21 ERA 37

51:14saves and a 48 percent strikeout rate from Mason Miller ninth overall player ninth overall player batter or hitter or batter or predictors ninth top 10 value from Mason Miller um so that's yeah I think I like Hader and McGill between Smith and Miller I mean Miller just needs his own category I think that I probably should have given him his own category uh because Kade Smith deserves this this award too yeah but Miller Miller is in just another league of his own and even I mean he's run until you know a couple he gave up another home run the other like the numbers are still crazy even after that so um yeah I'm hoping to see yeah I'm excited the podraisers in the playoffs just be able to see that we'll pen a little bit more um because that's that could be a huge strength for them you know getting the ball gradually and then more hone and Miller that's gonna be fun to watch so like yeah Miller is in our in our staff league someone has Kade Smith and Mason Miller who is this and Jacob Lats you know that's somebody's listening to the podcast

52:22oh Redler yeah yeah well he won the league yeah well there you go bullpen's when when these things you know they do it's a little bit sick next we've got Emilio Pagan who was a guy that we were not a fan of entering the season and he opened the season pitching terribly but since returning from the IEL he's locked it in and he's looked very good for the reds 354 ERA on the season 24 saves and a 26% strikeout rate not the same caliber of pitchers that we've talked about this far but the way that he's exceeded our expectations not only in the preseason but also when he initially hit the IEL we thought he would be losing his close-of-world the Grand Mashcraft before the end of the year and that has not been the case he's returned and he's been very reliable yeah he's not really a contender in this group I think I think I was looking for a six name you know if a gonzman better than I expected sure and it's like you said especially lately I think at this point the way he's pitching in September he's probably gonna opt out right I mean he's got

53:23he can I think I would at least 10 million or more and maybe another year he's pitched his way into that at least and get out of Cincinnati if possible for at least give you options yeah so yeah I think sneaky guy who if you have IEL spots especially and you're able to you know hang on through his IEL stint and through the rough times early in the season he's he's definitely paid off in the second half and for the postseason especially and that's you know especially in these head-to-head you know Yahoo leagues like the September is where it matters and like Louis Varlin has one save in the past three weeks you know it's like the guy that got you to the postseason but then he just disappears you know that's what it's so tough of relievers in these formats but Hogan still been he's been churning out saves lately so yeah definitely a postseason you know helper and put on but I don't think he's a real contender for this group all right the last nominee we have is

54:24David Bednar who has been a rock for the Yankees and for fantasy teams all year he was the guy who at the very end of our our first tier of closers in the preseason and it seemed like that was a consensus but he's just been very rock solid all year two five eight year a 34 saves and a 28 percent strikeout rate from David Bednar yeah um I mean I surprise I mean I was not thinking he was gonna have this type of year go off to a rock you start again Velo as was down it's kind of been down all year but he's made he's he's made it work with um he keeps changing his pitch max and he in a wrestle glaciace are interesting in that way where they might not have the best stuff for you know best command every given day but they get creative and like you know Bednar all the suns become like a very splitter heavy guy um so yeah he's making it work good timing for him as he's gonna be a free agent and should get paid probably by the Yankees that imagine he stays there but yeah I he's had a good season but I don't know if I could pick him

55:29over Kate Smith or Mason Miller for that final spot all right so I think the consensus is that we'll go for the three guys that exceeded their winter expectations guys who are widely drafted are Kate Smith Mason Miller and Josh Hader is that yeah I mean my expectations from my expectations for Miller were more or less what he's done I right you know it's yeah but he's his own he's the best picture in the best reliever baseball I think our expectations have changed a little bit too now that we've seen him pitch this way true I think we knew that he was great and that he was the the consensus number one but not in like his own tier where he's like you know almost god like in that ninth inning so yeah that that's uh it's pretty incredible that he's been able to exceed the expectations with how high they were in the first place on the flip side of that we have guys were bus guys who were over drafted guys who uh under exceeded expectations so we'll do the three down section we'll choose three guys from these six nominees and the nominees are Edwin Diaz

56:29Devon Williams, Andres Munoz, Daniel Plencia, Jeff Hoffman and Ryan Helsley let's start with Edwin Diaz who I mean if if there is a lock for this category it is Edwin Diaz just uh rough season injuries performance etc 10.34 ERA 7 saves and a 26% strikeout rate from Edwin Diaz yeah I mean he's obviously number one uh he was going number two two through four pretty much in every draft off the board as far as relievers go gave you nothing gave you negative actually if you did you know roster him or pitch him or put him in your lineup at any point so yeah it's an easy easy one right there with Ed and Diaz unfortunately yeah and Devon Williams sort of right there as well he was somebody who was coming off a rough season and I think we all expected him to bounce back but he just did not the bad luck continues I mean he's got some diminished stuff as well the separation between his fastball and changeup isn't as substantial as it was in the past 4.66 ERA 16 saves

57:33and a 29% strikeout rate from Devon Williams that's not what we expected and we had him as a top five closer entering the year yeah and even when he's been healthy it's still it's more of like the same from last year it's not it hasn't been as bad but it's the complete you know bounce back we were hoping for hasn't been there and I yeah you got to have concerns now that it's been two years of this like all right something's not working with the changeup fastball the change it all kind of looked different this year too I um he's gonna be and he's gonna be someone who this spring I was excited to see and I thought he looked pretty good this spring but yeah next year it's gonna be a real big maker break season for him and you know even if the match like we talked about the match bullpen if they don't bring anyone in they still have like Danielle Nunez behind them they have other other guys who could probably move into that role if needed. Andres Munoz is somebody who had very high expectations entering this year after how good he was in 2025 and he definitely did not reach those expectations but the level to which Diaz and Williams

58:39underperformed I think uh blows Munoz out of the water Munoz. Yeah not a bad year but not a great year 4.24 ERA 28 saves any 37% strikeout rate and it was a lot worse in the first half and it's been in the second half and I feel pretty confident for him next year but yeah not the consensus top five closer that he was in the preseason. Yeah I think it was just disappointing because yeah he was going 3-4 off the board probably could have you know Pete Fairbanks probably could have been in this in this category over Munoz but Fairbanks wasn't as hyped up as some of these other guys I feel like he was one later and Munoz just yeah disappointing like you said better second half and I still expect you know big things from him in 2027 so tough year for Munoz not in the top three of the worst of the biggest bosta for sure Daniel Polensia is had a weird year he was obviously injured for a while and he hasn't pitched awfully this year he just doesn't get any save opportunities

59:41it was even when he was healthy before his injury just the save opportunities never came and everybody on Twitter was always asking Rick why are you preventing a Polensia from getting save opportunities but 3.95 year a on the year three saves and a 25% strike out rate I mean that is underwhelming especially for a guy that we had as I think he was like consensus top 12. Yeah 12 to 15 the lowest yeah and yeah the injury hurts but even yeah like you said he's these up to 27.1 innings now of only three saves on the year so 400 and 11th overall so yeah that's that's a good contender for that third spot here yeah I have to tear the cases for Hoffman and Helsley but I think Polensia right now is in the third spot yeah Hoffman I mean what a season he's out of it's just another unlucky year and he ultimately lost the closer role got traded to the twins at the deadline and did not take 100 to one strike out yeah the strikeouts are there

1:00:43and the ERA is actually come down quite a lot since the beginning of the year 3.46 ERA for Hoffman with five saves any 35% strike out rates so if we're looking at you know the complete picture he's not that awful and it is disappointing though especially the expectations I had for him entering this year yeah and I kind of still even expect him to finish the year maybe has the closer Minnesota I don't know I don't know what they're gonna do this week but yeah I mean that's it's not it's not what we expected but it's not I guess if you just had him in your lineup for the whole year is these 211th player overall I mean that's that's worse than where you're drafting him but it's not good to do with you could do worse you could have been Edwin Diaz or Devon Williams or Polensia even so yeah I think I think Hoffman is safe for now I think he's he's disappointing yes but 101 strikeouts I did not realize that wow yeah just a lot of volume there yeah lastly Ryan Helsley just a season destroyed by injuries just 17 games for Helsley 411 ERA 8 saves

1:01:50and a 31% strike out rate I mean the fact that he had half as many saves as Williams I think alone I suggest that he was much better than Williams and Helsley just just wasn't healthy and that's disappointing but it's also like you can't look at that and say wow that's that's so disappointing you can't say that he sort of under underperformed because he just wasn't performing period he was not healed but you can say the same about Edwin Diaz with the expectations for Diaz were a lot higher than Helsley as Helsley was in that 12 to 15 range was coming off that really disappointing second half with the Mets in 2025 as well so we already had diminished expectations for him and he just it didn't work out this year but I don't think it's over yet I feel like yeah I'm I know Helsley injury I feel like he was getting drafted earlier than Palencia am I wrong I think I think they're in the same boat yeah probably close um it's tough I think you know Diaz

1:02:52Williams and I'll give the third one I'll give it to I'll give it to I'll give it to Palencia because he has actually pitched and it's just two saves on our three saves in the year in 29 and at least today yeah so I think that's that's the bigger issue and even though Palencia is and you look Palencia has been looking better lately I'm still not like out on him for next year anything but I think the world baseball classic hyped him up a little too much I think we all knew that was the case as he was so dominant there and then just yeah it gets into the regular season gets hard and loses the splitter I just a whole mess of things so yeah Palencia toughs tough season but she's still still young not not out on him yet the fastball still still pretty good all right the three busts for 2026 or Edwin Diaz Devon Williams and Daniel Palencia let's move to our three waiver kings as these were guys who were undrafted in the majority of leagues definitely in most standard

1:03:54leagues but they came out to be league winners in the majority of leagues so these are our three waiver kings the nominees are Louis Farland Brian Baker Jacob Latz Tanner Scott Mason Montgomery and Grant Taylor I think Louis Farland is a lot that's pretty obvious to me he came out I mean he was great in the put in the playoffs in in 2025 but he came out of nowhere and emerged as one of the best closers in baseball and then held it the entire year for 70 games 77 innings pitched 1-2-9 ERA 34 saves an A31 percent strikeout rate from Louis Farland I think this whole this is kind of what we're going to be going on this whole idea is because I'm like I need something for Varlin Brian Baker and Jacob Latz because yeah I think it's pretty I think there are the obvious three year yeah Varlin's the third overall reliever right now Baker is the fourth overall reliever and Latz is the fifth overall reliever in standard leagues and those guys were all not

1:04:57draft I mean maybe Varlin or Baker were drafted in really deep leagues but I had dived out it in 12 team had to add your y'all leagues so those three but you know Tanner Scott gave you a lot in certain spots throughout the year as well Mason Montgomery is kind of creeping I was going to put him in the tier below but Montgomery is it's made he's got himself up to the 71st for overall player for the year that's crazy considering the first like month or two from him and he didn't really get saves until like the end of July so I just think you know for post season as far as post season goes if you're in these these playoffs leagues like Montgomery has been a stud the past couple weeks so he's winning you these guys Varlin might have gotten you there but Montgomery's the one winning you you know you're for your titles here so and I guess you know in the way Grant Taylor has been just like steady throughout the whole year he's there right now

1:06:00he's right below right behind Mason Montgomery seven wins 10 saves 103 strikeouts and pretty good ratios so like you know he's he's not to be forgotten as well right yeah yeah I think the the category sort of wins itself I mean Varlin's been incredible Brian Baker leads baseball with 40 saves and he's got a 1.490 or 8 to go with that Jacob Blatz I think is probably the the most unknown guy that we had entering this season that emerged as one of the top closers on the year 2.08 DRA 30 saves and a 30% strikeout rate from Jacob Blatz that's crazy especially in a Rangers Bulpin that really just looked uncertain he's been the rock there that has driven the whole thing but you're right about Tanner Scott I mean if not for the Edwin Diaz injury he probably wouldn't have been somebody that we talked about at all but he's been very reliable this year 277 ERA 23 saves and a 32% strikeout rate and Mason Montgomery finally has done what we've hyped him up for at least

1:07:03two two years now it's two 590 ERA 16 saves 37% strikeout rate and Grant Taylor yeah you mentioned him he's been very reliable in that White Sox Bulpin and got a couple saves this past week sort of you know doing some last minute things here to earn him some more recognition but yeah it's hard to argue against Louis Varlin, Brian Baker and Jacob Blatz as those undrafted league winner closers let's go to our three 2027 breakouts these were closers who have recorded not that many saves yeah hopefully you're gonna get 20 saves oh oh for 2027 okay yeah I was like there's none of these guys of 20 saves what are we looking at these are guys who could break out in 2027 so these are sort of awards for the future but we're excited about these guys the nominees are Brian Abrayou, Adrian Morahone, Didier Fuentes, Ryan Zepherjohn, Drew Summers and Josh Ecknes let's start with Abrayou who has long been that guy who you look at and you're like dang if he

1:08:06was on any other team he would be the closer but Josh Haters been ahead of him for so many years and now the year before free agency he falls apart for a few months until he finally figured figures things out I mean that April was just disgusting I mean he was walking more than a second strike and how yeah it was terrible but he's figured things out as the season scott on and if you look at the full-season picture yeah 388 year a 31 percent strikeout right and now he heads into free agency and I think many teams will be looking at Brian Abrayou as a closer yeah I think I is still I mean his command has never been good and it's that's the one issue with him is you're gonna you're gonna have like a 10 to 12 percent walk rate just have to deal with it um but at least he's look you know in the second half especially he's like like his old self again um and yeah I mean going to free agency he should get a chance to close somewhere I would imagine I'm sure he's gonna get all sorts of offers but he should get should get some offers to close I

1:09:06would I would hope so that's where he ends up I don't know but I mean I like the odds of of Abrayou um if he gets a chance to close I feel like he's this pretty safe pretty safe bet as far as this group goes yeah yeah Adrian Moore hone is in that same boat where he's gonna be a free agent but this is a guy who's more versatile not only is he lefty but he was a starter for a lot longer than it Brayou was so there's potential all teams could be looking at him in the rotation I also think he's a guy who could be a set up man on a team that already has an established closer in the way that he's pitched the past few years but I mean I think he's a two-time all-star now 2.83 ERA on the season 31 percent strikeout rate Moore hone has looked better this year too with increased velocity this is the guy who if he becomes a closer he could be one of those emerging guys that that looks like you know one of the best closers in baseball if he does get that opportunity I would take I would take Mara Hone a little bit over Abrayou because of a little bit more consistency for

1:10:07Moore hone left handed and the potential to start is like the is the caveat I guess but if he I mean I'm sure he'll have his option or have his chance his take of either you know clears up here's this money to close or here's those this money to start and like he's gonna have his he's gonna be able to make a choice here if he does want to stand the bullpen I would love to see him closing somewhere but yeah like you said you know it's the same thing with Abrayou like a you know a good team of a good established closer could spend could just overpay or not overpay pay for pay closer money for a guy to come be or they're eighth inning guy I think the situations they're in right now I'll bring you in Houston or Moore hone in San Diego I don't think they're gonna return they're they're gonna get priced out there so they should get a chance again they'll have their chance somewhere else to kind of make their own path here but I overall Moore hone's been the safer more consistent option for me the past couple years so I'll take I'll take him over

1:11:13Abrayou but they're both you know very very you know dependent on where they land really right what the role is yeah I think regardless I think those are the two front runners in this category did he did he a fountess definitely has the stuff to be a front runner in this category but he's got the same issue that Moore hone has where I don't think his career as a starter is quite done yet and the Braves obviously will have Robert Suarez still around for 2027 and there's not it's not only the question that Ryze LaGlesias returns to the Braves once again so he'll have a lot of competition in Atlanta and I don't think they're done with him as a starter but if he does get the opportunity to close did he a fountess could emerge as one of the best closers in baseball 2.27 ERA 32% strike out right this year yeah I think there's there's the path where EGlesias doesn't return I mean at this point he could retire for all we know and you never know um sure he still got a little bit left in him I think but um and then baby Suarez doesn't bounce back from this injury as

1:12:15well as they had hoped for as well as we had hoped for and now you're either you're you're spending again on a reliever if you're the Braves or you turn to Fuentes who I mean he deserves a chance at the role I mean he would be a closer for 16 teams in the league I'm you know spitball on but like there's a lot of teams where he would be closing out games for so I know you mean like I I do think they're done aren't done with him as a as a starter but he's I don't know he maybe this is um I guess we just depends on how his how a third pitch comes along for him um he really has and he's really been just like two pitch guy in the bullpen for them so far so this is um they should still stretch him out I would imagine in the spring I'm guessing that'll be the plan but I still think he's gonna be better off in the bullpen he's still he's only 21 so you know who knows yeah next we got Ryan Zephyr-John who has always had a lot of strikeout potential as a guy who

1:13:17just doesn't have a great control but now he's on the cubs different pitching philosophy there outside of LA I think I have more confidence in Ryan Zephyr-John and with the closer role sort of undecided after the performance of Daniel Pilencio this year it's not out of the question that Zephyr-John could be the favorite there 397-EA-Ray and a 31% strikeout rate on the year 4 Ryan Zephyr-John yeah I think the cubs are gonna have they're gonna have Pilencio and Webb back in Zephyr-John and I don't know I think that might be good enough where they don't feel like they have to go spend money on a guy also so is Pilencio like if Pilencio is healthy as he locked in is it as that closer role his the like when he's healthy and we get a fresh start next year is that close-er will go to him or do they you know they they traded a lot for Zephyr-John they're kind of using him as like the closer A1A1B right now I don't know him and Ryan Rolls said I've been getting the ninth inning kind of based on matchups so the way things are trending I feel like Zephyr-John might be the

1:14:23favorite there but it's such a roller coaster with him you see so volatile that I it's hard to trust right now he looks really good but like two weeks ago he looked terrible it's it's um you know it's gonna be hard I feel like the cubs aren't gonna lose patience with him eventually but it's very interesting arm um who I don't maybe something you could you know figure something out in the offseason and then he's less he's more consistent so the upside is certainly there for Zephyr-John he could be in a lead closer it's the stuff's there right right next we got Drew Summers who has emerged as already one of the breakout relievers this year a 3.69 ERA and 36% strikeout rate from the Southpaw and I think his potential as a closer really just depends on what the Tigers end up doing with Kenley Janssen I'm pretty sure they have an option on him or he has an option this year yet 2027 Club option for Kenley Janssen if he comes back I think he's

1:15:23going to be the closer they don't know I think it's also possible he just comes back and records like three saves or two saves whatever he needs to get three away yeah whatever he needs to to call it to call it a career right after he gets to to 500 saves he might just do that so who knows what Kenley Janssen will do yeah what's the bio on it yeah I'm thinking two million so it's really like 10 million yeah that's gonna be an interesting one I would imagine they they don't bring him back but they if they don't yeah that bullpen has no I mean no nothing I mean will this is coming back I guess but yeah and and Summers has had a little bit of a breakout here but I don't really love him as a closer but if this bullpen doesn't add anyone I mean Kyle Finnegan's not the answer we know that and yeah that best has some medical concern so I mean Summers could just be the guy by

1:16:26default and I I think you can be okay in the role but I don't think that's the ideal I think ideally he's a left hand it's set up guy for you but yeah it's an it's a name I think to keep in mind was because that bullpen could be wide open next year the Marlins bullpen is also one that should be wide open in 2027 and Josh Echness maybe the face of a Marlins bullpen that could just break out as a whole in 2027 we've talked about it all year they've already lost a couple of guys for 2027 due to Tommy John surgery like William Kempner and Andrew Nardi but they're set to return Anthony Bender from the I.L. and Ronnie and Rieke is even with Pete Fairbanks undergoing surgery and hitting free agency there's still so many guys there they got Tyler Zuber was fine for a while micro Pete Michael Peterson has sort of broken out Calvin Foshay is steady as always but Josh Echness is sort of the most exciting one there 367 ERA and just 17% strikeout right on the season but the control has been spectacular his stuff is is dope though and there's definitely

1:17:28potential for him to emerge as the top option in the Marlins bullpen I mean Yuri Perez had a nice relief outing tonight open inning pitched in three strikeouts all right they had Sandy Gc Sandy Alcantara get a Dave so I mean all sorts of weird things going on and that Marlins bullpen this year and I wonder if they go back to it next year and I mean I'm not like those starters I don't think we're going to see that you know too much but you know last year they had mostly a committee approach like you know most of the year I mean really all year long it was it feels like Clayton McCullough was comfortable with that and they you know usually I hate that but you know they have the talent at least the you know to be able to pull that off potentially next year without adding anyone and but if they do I mean Echness just screams he has a very closeery he's closer stuff again I always bring these Craig Kim really to me like you know early stages Craig Kim

1:18:31Role I the command obviously needs to be better needs to be better for all these relievers but Echness is a if they're not going to trust like if they don't want Peterson in the ninth inning or Enrique's in the ninth inning because they like those guys is you know firemen earlier in the game then maybe maybe they could settle on Echness being the ninth inning guy and see how that works but you know definitely a name to keep an eye on and deeper leagues but I feel like a brave and a brave moron and I want to say is Effor John I'm our three for this for this kind of yeah I'll argue with that I think yeah Fwentis's role is too uncertain and I think Echness hasn't done enough this year to be like a front runner for that category next year but yeah those are great three 2027 breakout our winners are Brian and Breaud Adrian Morahone and Ryan Sephora John in the opposite category we got three guys that were going to be avoiding for 2027 guys that are likely going to be drafted too high our six nominees are Riley O'Brien Ryselle Glesias Yoendry Scomas Aralis Chapman Kenley Jansen and Jordan Romano let's start with

1:19:37Riley O'Brien who I think is the clear front runner in this category I mean tons of saves this year incredible first half of the season but it's been downhill ever since May 4.08 ERA but 38 saves and just a 23% strike outrate for Riley O'Brien is that typical guy who you draft based on the saves he got last year and those don't carry over into the following season so Riley O'Brien definitely going to be somebody that we're avoiding because I could see him being drafted as a top 10 closer but he definitely probably should be more closer to the back half of the top 20. Yeah and I mean yeah that might even be generous I mean he is like we talked the comparisons are easy to Carlos Estevas I think yeah he's a little bit better than Estevas I could still see then the carnels should bring in some like a legit closer I mean they have a pretty fun lineup right now they have a couple interesting starters I mean things could get interesting there for them if they take the bullpen definitely needs help so yeah either way I think O'Brien I think this

1:20:38whole category is pretty easy with O'Brien I would say we're not even Romano obviously I put him there because let's just remember that it's Jordan Romano and he's just he's not looking good right now you on his Gomez too Gomez is either not going to close or he's going to be in the full or he's going to be a starter or either way I don't think he's closing but then yeah Eglisee is Chapman and Jansen is just an age thing where sure one of the wheels going to fall off for them but yeah I think I think it's easy to go if we'll Brian Gomez and Romano yeah those guys just yeah yeah I agree Gomez is somebody who I've been wary of ever since he started closing I mean he was a guy who was de-affayed by the race earlier in the season and he was a guy who was a starter and just latched on in this twins bullpen that didn't have anybody to latch onto and he was solid enough but the 448 ERA 22 saves and 22% strike our rate are not very inspiring and Jeff Hoffman's going to be around next year so I don't really expect him to close Eglisee

1:21:42is going to be a free agent as we've talked about and he is not at his peak anymore but he's still got great numbers but it's hard for it's hard to have faith that that's going to happen again just 648 ERA 34 saves and a 26% strike out right from right so Gillespie and we don't know what his role will be in 2027 you even mentioned the possibility of him retiring and you never know with anybody they could they could always retire we've had guys retire much earlier than right Eglisee has Chapman and I think is in that same boat I mean he should be see if he's agent this year no he's going to be back with the red socks and he'll open the air as the closer but he was dropped it yeah those stuff's kind of come down and yeah I'm sure he's still having a good year he'll be a top 10 reliever off the board exactly so yeah that's at this point I'm starting to get I was fine with him this year but next year it might be might be a fade from me but just not as hard as these other guys yeah 1.95 ERA 34 saves and a 32% strike out right from from from from all the Chapman this year I think deserves to be drafted as a top 10

1:22:45closer but definitely he's going to be more risky than the rest of guys there Kenley Jansen obviously at the back end of his career but he's still solid and he's still going to get saves how many and in what role and in what capacity and for how long 335 ERA on the season 21 saves and a 28 percent strike out rate but he's just three saves shy of 500 he might just call it gets so he could get them hypothetically sure they lost tonight that doesn't help so now he's down to like four games to get three saves is probably not going to happen so he yeah he probably has to come back next year to get one or two more saves right so yeah I hope probably be back for that I don't blame I would yeah absolutely yeah that that makes me think that they'll probably decline that club option and then he'll I don't know latch on with the dodgers or something for a few games so you can close it out yeah yeah that would be fun that's a good story I'm fine yeah yeah and Jordan Romano is definitely the obvious one I've seen a lot of bro Jordan Romano talk on social media recently which is really I mean yeah like people defending him which is interesting

1:23:51maybe not recently but like a couple weeks ago people were like I can't believe you know people talking crap about Jordan Romano I'm like I can five one two year eight 15 saves 25 percent strike out rate on the season but I mean yeah he got you some saves which is which is valuable but the rest of it has not been great and if he's drafted it all next year I think that's that's too high even if he's your last pick I just it's just not not worth it even if he sticks with the rock he's yeah he's just plummeting at this point I mean he's it's it's it's bad it's getting bad yeah all right our last category is the 3 2027 comeback relievers of the year guys who are returning from injury and we're hoping for them to return to the their previous dominant form in 2027 the nominees are Felix Batista Justin Martinez Ronnie Henriquez Randy Rodriguez Ben Joyce and AJ puck we've already seen a few of these guys return this year and some of them look already amazing I'm just a Martinez has been incredible we talked about Felix Batista not looking too great Ben

1:24:54Joyce though still throwing a hundred four miles per hour and sometimes yeah I'm excited for what we get from Henriquez Rodriguez and AJ Puck what's your case for Felix Batista in this category? um I think I think he can be I think he's okay with being a 97 mile per hour reliever um even um it's the command just can't be terrible I mean it's gonna be rusty it's rusty now it's gonna it's gonna take some time but if you can just get that to like average or even below average I'd be think would be even would be fine just like not terrible not worst like not the worst command just give us a little command Felix um he's you know the splitter and sliders still there and this I don't know if it it called us some some places called a sink or some places called it's a sinker with 21 inches of IVB so I mean whatever that is um it's so what that's a four-seater yeah I know

1:25:56I don't know it the our model our some models call it a sinker probably because of his huge size and the arm angle um that is weird yeah definitely a four-seater um not not a great one yeah so he yeah he's been getting I mean this he's been getting hit around a little bit the command hasn't good but I have some hope there with a full offseason you know we get the velocity back to like 97 and I'll I'll be interested at least be watching closely if that's where he's sitting this this offseason so yeah just Martin yeah Martin is definitely better yeah yeah he seems to be the frontrunner in this category zero e array and 12 appearances this year 33% strikeout ready throwing a 100 miles per hour I think the diamondbacks have handled him with kid gloves this year as he's just returned from Tommy John surgery but I think if the rains are off next year there's very little competition here

1:26:56I mean Mario and Brandon Garcia are great but just Martin as is that closer of the future and I think Martina is I think my my frontrunner for this category yeah Sam in the they're paying and they're not I guess they're not paying him to be the closer but he does have a contract he's a one guy and that bullpen was returning that has like money locked in for the next you know a couple years so and I think you know the diamond it looks like the dimebacks aren't gonna make the postseason maybe that gets Tori LeBulo out of there um which I don't want to say this but like hopefully because I just really frustrated with his bullpen management from from fantasy's perspective because yeah like Martina is just you know not being we're just wasting 102 mile per hour bullets for you know no reason really at this point and I know other guys have pitched well morel and me I'm like even Jonathan Eliza has been really great for them lately yeah but Martina's definitely deserves he should be the closer next year I like Garcia and Morello back like you know setting up things for Martina's that's

1:27:59pretty nasty that's a really fun bullpen that that that that I think it's kind of like um yeah that that kind of puts them on par almost like the brewers where you have that like those three guys you can lock into the seventh eighth and ninth where like the brewers have Ashby or Reba and McGill I feel like this is pretty comparable so yeah Martina should be the closer uh and like you said of this group we've actually seen him like they have some success this year and we're good so right it gives them the like off yeah and it makes it hard to discuss guys like Henriquez and Rodriguez and Puck because we don't know what they're gonna look like but if I'm gonna choose one of those three it's gonna be Henriquez we were so hyped about him coming into 2026 I mean I was even with fair banks around there I was ready to have him as like a top 15 closer a top 15 will lever entering this season just because of how good he was in 2025 and just to remind people of the peak that he was at 2.22 year a 32 percent strikeout rate incredible season from Roni Henriquez and the stuff is great and I

1:29:02I think he could once again be great this year I just hope he comes back at full strength and given that he's gotten the whole year off he'll get a whole off season to get into the normal swing of things that is the type of Roni Henriquez who's the internal brace too I think so it's like he should have a normal off season I believe yeah that's correct but yeah so it's not like he's just getting back in you know in the spring he should should have a pretty normal off season so yeah and the only concern there is how what is how is he gonna be used and I just can see that the usage being the same as it was in 2025 for Henriquez which still provided a pretty good still a fantasy asset especially I'm sure he's not gonna cost much if anything this this year so if he does come back to that same role where he's gonna get you wins saves a bunch of strikeouts and good ratios similar to a grand tailor from this year like yeah I'm all in on that that's that's fine as a third reliever but I think if we're going with the guys who haven't pitched I

1:30:07would say Randy Rodriguez because there's opportunity there there as well right the role is as much clear he could be a closer and I just read that he is going to be pitching in the air we're gonna see hopefully hopefully yeah hopefully it doesn't get shut you gotta brush up on your Spanish yeah it's been a minute hopefully doesn't but sometimes they these teams will sund out guys like major league experience so pitch a little bit and then like they come you know they they come home early yeah hopefully hopefully he's still there because that's the last week of the fall league I think or yeah so hopefully he's still there in pitching because that would be fun to see see how it was so good in 25178 year a and a 34% strikeout rate with a sub six percent walk rate I mean yeah Randy Rodriguez has a yeah high high ceiling there too because he could just close the whole year for the giants and if he's the only way to pitching in games then he's like Ben it's almost

1:31:12almost Ben Joyce level and level where the injuries and the the workload are just the biggest concern the only thing that they're going to shut like slow him down are it I'm sure they're going to cap his innings next year it's some to some degree I don't know but even if you give it's 50 to 60 innings like that's been we can we've seen that 50 to 60 innings is good enough I mean so there's a quality innings getting saves like that that's fine I'll take that from him for sure sure and I sort of feel more confident about Ben Joyce than I do about Felix Batista for talking about guys that have pitched this year not just because he's pitched more but he's looked pretty solid I mean the control isn't spectacular but there's less competition I know Neterra is great but I don't know I don't see him really factoring too much into that night thinning as much just because the angels are I don't know they feel more traditional like they're just going to lock Joyce in and let him be the closer whereas Batista has compete with Ryan Helsley next year. Potentially Helsley I don't know we'll see I do I had Joyce has been so like there's been three

1:32:18Ben Joyce's this year there's there's the Ben Joyce who's throwing 103 and commanding it and mixing in like a secondary pitch and he just looks like he looks like Mason Miller 2.0 and then there's Ben Joyce who's walking everyone and just looks like the worst reliever in baseball like this guy is is terrible what are we doing here and there's like a middle there's even the middle Ben Joyce which is like kind of where he was been at his career where he throws hard but he doesn't get like there's no swing and mess there's there's some command issues there it's just like yeah so I I don't know if we're getting all three Ben Joyce's it's going to be such a headache next year I sure I worry about him if the angels don't bring him on real close there I feel like his ADP is going to be way higher than it probably should be because there's just there's a lot of risk I mean that's the injury risk it's the is he going to be effective risk it's the angels risk it's yeah there's just I'm not too excited about him but from I mean Martinez is an easy one here

1:33:21I I might even go I know Martinez but he's the Rodriguez I don't know it's tough I mean I could see the case for Henriqueca's and Joyce to puck probably yeah puck if Ben's in where puck lands well that that's good to determine everything with him he'll be a free agent and it's been so long since he was good but remember when he was the best reliever in baseball it was like one e-array across 43 innings with a 44% strikeout rate in yeah it's very large sample in 2024 for easy yeah just nuts yeah so that that's happened that's there it could come back who knows yeah so Batista Martinez Rodriguez for this group that's what I'm that's what I'm leaning but I mean Henriqueca's I can see and Joyce but yeah I just think Batista has I don't know the track record and if if healthy I feel like he's the front running to close there I don't feel great about it though I'm yeah I don't feel great about it well we do have an honorable

1:34:25mention a guy who deserves an award but doesn't really fit any of the categories and that's Yoan Doran who is getting the steady Eddie achievement award for 2026 I mean he's just been so great throughout his career every single year he is just solid and this year he has been incredible once again 176 e-array a 35% strikeout rate and 32 saves the best season of Yoan Doran's career and there's just so many great guys in baseball and Doran is just always consistently I think going into next year he's got to be the consensus number two closer maybe number three and you I feel like it's so hard to like I think he's developed himself into being that just like all right I know I'm not going to get he's not going to be the number one closer but he's not going to be he's going to he's going to give me 60th overall 60th overall player right now which is probably where about where his ADP was so it's like he's going to give you that he's going to return ADP value for you yeah I wouldn't expect more I wouldn't expect less I mean he's just yeah steady steady Eddie

1:35:30Yoan you want to ran yeah well that was actually a strikeout on two which is huge yeah I mean the only I guess the only knocked why he's that low is the web being over one but yeah everything else I mean everything else checks out yeah that's not even his fall he's got a 351 bad it yeah so I mean that could that could come down next year I know he has got I've seen that's another I mean he does kind of he has more of a pitched a contact approach it the last couple years but the strike as I said strikeouts have come back up after a couple of years of them you know going the other direction so yeah that is promising to see but yeah it's the walks went down to 31% strikeout minus walk rate so maybe we even get we could even see more from him next year I mean I I would have him I think I have him like three right now behind Hader Kate Smith three or four probably with that Kate Smith Hader grouping yeah but yeah he feels pretty pretty safe to me and Haydor's got Hader if he's healthy

1:36:38he's good but you know there's there's question marks there and Kate Smith is Kate Smith's working his way into being that steady group I just I mean at some point does that work load yeah I'm just close to Anna like leading the league and innings pit and relief innings so with the past three years it's just for guy through 98 just like yeah we'll see maybe it's maybe it's he's just built different uh hey as long as he doesn't bet on games I'm sure he'll be okay yeah it's not something that you can say about every guardians picture all right but that will do it for our 2026 relief picture awards and that will do it for the independent podcast for the regular season we made it through all 20 whatever some weeks there are in the season uh bringing you content every single week so thanks for listening all year along we really appreciate everyone's support Rick why don't you go ahead and plug your socials and let everybody know what you're working on this offseason um yeah you can find me on socials that I am Rick Graham

1:37:41um working on this offseason I'm hoping to have a top whatever reliever rankings for next year out by um let's say two weeks from now um so sometime in early sometime in early October um then we'll be yeah um you know presenting me and my card are gonna be doing another presentation at uh it was our first picture is ona we have to start working on that uh yeah it'll be reliever centric um could I say you're just gotta save thank a dig at the save for the match boo I guess he's they haven't given up on him despite I have whatever it's this makes sense because he's not been pitching well and he's not even in the ninth inning lately so that's interesting weird yeah all right you can follow the pod on socials at in the pen pod you can follow me at Jake crumpler you can find all of my work at crumpler baseball dot com uh this offseason is

1:38:45probably gonna consist of a lot of starting pitching stuff so stay tuned to pitcher list dot com for all that I'll also be joining Rick over at first pitch arrows on it not sure if I'm going to be uh on a panel or anything yet but we will see when the time comes but that's gonna do it for this episode 176 of the independent podcast we'll talk to you all in a couple of weeks so um