It was a nice run while it lasted, Manny...

After wresting the closer’s job from three-time All-Star closer Brian Fuentes last season following a series of spectacular implosions, Manny Corpas experienced the same experience in reverse this past week. Mirroring Fuentes struggles from last season, Corpas was demoted in favor of Fuentes, who reclaims the closer’s role for the Rockies. Fuentes spent 2005-2006 as above average closer who flew under the radar with most of the Rockies prior to their run to the National League championship in 2007. As one of the few lefty closers in baseball, Fuentes managed to provide strikeouts above 10 K per 9 IP in both of the season’s he spent as full-time closer. Everything was copasetic for Mr. Fuentes until a five appearance stretch from June 22^nd to July 1^st during which he gave up 13 runs (10 earned) in 3^1/3 innings pitched, ballooning his ERA from a season-low 1.89 to a season-high 4.17 and losing the closer’s role in the process. The rest is history as Corpas wrested the closer’s job and was a key figure in the Rockies second-half surge.

Needless to say, Fuentes is a must-add in all leagues and there is many a Corpas owner who is kicking themselves for failing to handcuff him with Fuentes today. There is little reason to believe that Fuentes, who besides his late June meltdown last season, had been a dependable closer for the Rockies, will be removed from this role if he displays consistency. While Corpas should be held onto in deeper leagues, it is entirely possible that his fantasy relevance for this season has evaporated.

To the delight of the Mariners and their faithful, J.J. Putz was activated from the disabled list and recorded a save in his return performance. The DL stint of Putz showcased the vastly inferior bullpen that the M’s have been trotting out thus far in 2008 when compared to last season. Granted, they did lose a lefty reliever who is now the closer for the Orioles in George Sherrill but it is the remaining candidates who showcased little to no ability to close down tight games. Mark Lowe, Ryan Rowland-Smith and company did nothing but lead to a few wasted innings for fantasy owners in search of the save. There is little to suggest that Putz is any real danger of a reoccurrence of his injury.

A situation that has stabilized (which is in all honesty was never truly unstable) is the closer spot for the Diamondbacks. Many fantasy owners speculatively drafted Tony Pena under the assumption that Brandon Lyon would not be long for the closers job. It appears in the early going that assumption may have been a tad optimistic. After blowing his first two save opportunities of the season, Lyon has converted six straight opportunities while Tony Pena has allowed a run in four of his last six appearances and is arguably behind Chad Qualls in the reliever hierarchy as it pertains to being next in line for saves.

The final bullpen situation we will touch on today is the intriguing bullpen of the Milwaukee Brewers. With four blown saves (which ties him for the major league lead with now deposed Rockies pitcher Manny Corpas), Éric Gagné is the next potential spot being eyed by those on the lookout for the next closer change. Problem is it appears, via Ned Yost’s repeated votes of confidence, that Gagne is much safer than you’d reasonably think. In a bullpen chock of full of former nominal closers (Salomon Torres, Guillermo Mota, David Riske, Derrick Turnbow) it is difficult to nominate any as a clear upgrade and a “safer” bet than Gagné. Coupled with the Brewers $10 million commitment it makes a closer change a tough sell. Of the potential replacements in the pen, it has been Guillermo Mota who has performed the best but he has had a multitude of above average stretches in between his meltdowns. The save opportunity given to Derrick Turnbow last week (a game in which Gagné was unavailable) was not indicative of his place on the hierarchy as his numbers have been even worse than Gagné’s. Gagné remains the classic closer who breaks your heart if you have but never drop because he will receive the saves regardless. He is not someone that can be recommended as a trade target unless he is being offered at a steep discount.

Tier One: The Elite Closers

Jonathan Papelbon – Boston Red Sox

J.J. Putz – Seattle Mariners

Joe Nathan – Minnesota Twins

Mariano Rivera – New York Yankees

Billy Wagner – New York Mets

Francisco Rodriguez – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Tier Two: Your Average Joes

Takashi Saito – LA Dodgers

Bobby Jenks – Chicago White Sox

Joakim Soria – Kansas City Royals

Francisco Cordero – Cincinnati Reds

Matt Capps – Pittsburgh Pirates

Brad Lidge – Philadelphia Phillies

Jason Isringhausen – St. Louis Cardinals

George Sherrill – Baltimore Orioles

Huston Street – Oakland Athletics

Kerry Wood – Chicago Cubs

B.J. Ryan – Toronto Blue Jays

Brandon Lyon – Arizona Diamondbacks

Tier Three: Looking Over Their Shoulders

Brian Fuentes – Colorado Rockies

Brian Wilson – San Francisco Giants

Trevor Hoffman – San Diego Padres

Todd Jones – Detroit Tigers

Kevin Gregg – Florida Marlins

C.J. Wilson – Texas Rangers

Jose Valverde – Houston Astros

Manny Acosta – Atlanta Braves

Jon Rauch – Washington Nationals

Disabled

Rafael Soriano – Atlanta Braves

Top Five Middle Relievers

Carlos Marmol – Chicago Cubs

Santiago Casilla – Oakland Athletics

Hideki Okajima – Boston Red Sox

Jonathan Broxton – LA Dodgers

Joba Chamberlain – NY Yankees