LEAVE K-ROD ALONE?

Tom DiPace

Put ... the closer ... down.

Never. Pay. For. Saves.

If you're a regular reader of mine, you know I've been screaming this since 1999. Why? Well, assuming you play in a league with people who know what they're doing, you're not going to walk away from the draft table boasting the ideal team, which means you'll have some holes to fill during the season. But while homers and RBIs might be scarce come June, you'll have no trouble finding saves.

Mind you, not paying big money for saves doesn't mean you don't pay for them at all. You know your league best, and if it's one with deep rosters and an active waiver wire, you might not be able to grab the Kevin Greggs of the world. But that doesn't mean you have to break the bank on a guy like Mariano Rivera (30 saves, same as Jeremy Accardo) or Joe Nathan (37 saves, one fewer than Todd Jones). There are plenty of cheap but established closers every draft.

The argument against my spiel is that if you spend money on a "sure thing," you don't constantly have to scrape. Fine, I say. Just tell me who the sure things are. Because the people who spent big $$ on B.J. Ryan and Huston Street last year would like to speak with you.

My cheap saves list this year includes Joe Borowski, Todd Jones, Joakim Soria, Brad Lidge, Rafael Soriano, C.J. Wilson and Brandon Lyon. My speculative saves candidates include George Sherrill, Jamie Walker, Troy Percival, Al Reyes, Dan Wheeler, Alan Embree, Joey Devine, Santiago Casilla, Eddie Guardado, Kerry Wood, Carlos Mármol, Tony Peña, Jonathan Broxton and Brian Wilson. (For a complete rundown of every team's Plans A, B and C, turn the page.)
As for K-Rod and J.J. Putz and Bobby Jenks? Fool's gold, I say. Save your wad for an elite starter or a bunch of offense. Anything but saves, my friend. Anything.

Look at this list of guys who weren't their teams' closers entering last season but who finished with eight-plus saves:
Kevin Gregg FLA – 32
Jeremy Accardo TOR – 30
Brett Myers PHI – 21
Brad Hennessy SF – 19
Manny Corpas COL – 19
Matt Capps PIT – 18
Joakim Soria KC – 17
Alan Embree OAK – 17
C.J. Wilson TEX – 12

Look at this list of closers who went cheap on draft day last season:
José Valverde ARI – 47
Joe Borowski CLE – 45
Todd Jones DET – 38
David Weathers CIN – 33
Ryan Dempster CHC – 28
Al Reyes TB – 26
Bob Wickman ATL – 20
Brad Lidge HOU – 19

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