Izzy has been a model of consistency.

San Francisco Giants
Rank: 21
Closer: Brian Wilson
Second in Line: Brad Hennessey
Confidence Level in Closer: 15%

Brad Hennessey started the season as the closer, but he simply did not have the typical stuff of a closer, leading to Brian Wilson finishing out the year in the role. Wilson should open the season in the role after converting 6-of-7 save opportunities, and he finished the season with a 2.28 ERA and 18:7 K/BB in 23 2/3 innings.

Hennessey meanwhile moves over to setup after converting 19-of-24 save opportunities with a 3.42 ERA. His control numbers were weak, though, as he struck out 40 and walked 23 in 68 1/3 innings. If Wilson were to falter, the job would go back to Hennessey, but his numbers do not scream closer material.

Texas Rangers
Rank: 20
Closer: C.J. Wilson or Eddie Guardado
Second in Line: C.J. Wilson or Joaquin Benoit
Confidence Level in Closer: 15%

California born C.J. Wilson enters spring training with the closer’s job as his to lose. Last season after stepping to the role after Eric Gagné’s departure, Wilson had 12 saves in 14 opportunities.

After not showing much his first two years in the majors, Wilson proved he was a legitimate late-inning option with a 3.03 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. The Rangers are an average team in a tough division so he will not have too many opportunities, but he looks likely to improve on last year’s numbers and end 2008 with around 30 saves. That is, if he holds off the formerly everyday Eddie Guardado. Once able to pitch whenever, wherever, Guardado has broken down and lost significant time over the last three years due to injuries. Guardado could factor into the situation if healthy.

Joaquin Benoit should end up as the setup man, and he has shown that not only can he pitch in that role but that he can step up and close too when needed. Benoit was 7-4 with a 2.85 ERA and 6 saves in 70 appearances. Over 82 innings, Benoit struck out 87 and walked 28.

St. Louis Cardinals
Rank: 19
Closer: Jason Isringhausen
Second in Line: Ryan Franklin
Confidence Level in Closer: 45%

Despite being 35 years old, Jason Isringhausen remains one of the game’s most-reliable ninth-inning options. His record of consistent success is nearly unmatched this millennium. Over the past eight seasons, he has averaged 34 saves per year.

Last season was a particularly strong one for Isringhausen. He had a 2.48 ERA and his 1.071 WHIP was the lowest of his 12-year career. Count on him to deliver at least his career averages in saves, ERA (3.51) and WHIP (1.31).

40-year-old Russ Springer, who like Isringhausen had the lowest WHIP of his extended career in 2007 (.909) and Ryan Franklin, who has closed before, will take the innings leading up to Mr. Consistency.

Chicago White Sox
Rank: 18
Closer: Bobby Jenks
Second in Line: Scott Linebrink
Confidence Level in Closer: 40%

Bobby Jenks may be the size of an NFL offensive lineman, and not intelligent enough to get through high school, but Big Bad Bobby can pitch. Last season he had an outstanding 0.89 WHIP and a 2.72 ERA on his way to 40 saves. Along the way, he even tied the major league record for consecutively retired batters at 41, with former San Francisco Giants pitcher Jim Barr. Although relievers are notoriously inconsistent, at 26, Jenks looks to be entering his prime and looks to be one of baseball’s top closers once again.

Bad Bobby’s fellow bullpen mates last season were bad, literally though, last season. The best was Matt Thornton, who had 17 holds and a 4.79 ERA. Thornton is solid, although his ERA rose from his 2006 mark of 3.33, but to bolster the pen, general manager Kenny Williams signed Scott Linebrink and Octavio Dotel.

The wisdom of giving a 31-year-old journeyman a four-year, $19 million contract aside, Linebrink should be a nice addition. Playing for Milwaukee and San Diego last season, he got 21 holds, with a solid 1.32 WHIP and a 3.71 ERA.

Dotel was once a young flamethrower for the Astros, posting a 1.85 ERA, with nearly 11 K/9 in 97.1 innings. A couple of years later, he had 36 saves, closing for two different teams in different leagues. Since his 2005 Tommy John surgery, however, Dotel has not quite been able to return to his old form. In 2007, he had a 4.11 ERA, but was back up to 12 strikeouts per nine innings. 2007 will be his third year returned from the surgery and if he is ever going to be good again in his career, it will be now.

Spring Training will decide which of the free agents handle the seventh and eighth innings.