Let’s wade through some of the messiest of ‘pens and discuss what’s what.

Los Angeles Angels

Every five games or so Brian Fuentes (6.23 ERA) has a complete meltdown. Fernando Rodney has been shaky too, but his ERA is half the size of Fuentes’. Kevin Jepsen is the closer of the future, dynasty league owners, but Rodney should be the closer of now and will be by the end of July.

Houston Astros

With a 1.66 WHIP and a .310 BAA, Matt Lindstrom‘s 3.18 ERA seems unsustainable. Brandon Lyon, who surprisingly walks as many batters as Lindstrom, has a 3.30 ERA and a WHIP (1.30) and BAA (.240) to support it. When Lindstrom starts paying for those runners and hits allowed, Lyon will step into the closer’s role.

Arizona Diamondbacks

It’s Aaron Heilman for now. He’s been the most effective reliever out of the ‘pen for Arizona. That said, he’s given up three earned runs and five hits in his last two outings (2.1 IP). Like the Astros’ mess, Chad Qualls and his ridiculous 8.87 ERA could be back in the saddle before long.

Seattle Mariners

Thank the Mariners for spawning this post by putting David Aardsma on the trading block. Aardsma’s ERA (5.32) hasn’t been Quallsesque, but it’s been pretty ridiculous on its own. Not sure what offers Seattle will get for that, bute Brandon League would take over as the closer if it happens. League has been effective this season, with a 3.41 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. He should be going in the ninth already. If you’re vulturing saves in you fantasy league, he’s probably the best/most available option on this list.

Baltimore Orioles

David Hernandez is more of a prospect than Alfredo Simon, but Simon has been the most effective closer Baltimore has run out there this season. He should be the guy at least until Mike Gonzalez returns in mid-July.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Octavio Dotel‘s 5.20 ERA is hardly closer stuff. He probably shouldn’t have had the job to begin with. Meanwhile Evan Meek has been dominant all season with a 0.68 ERA, a 0.83 WHIP and 36 Ks to 9 BB in 40 innings. Meek, 27, is a better long-term option than the 37-year-old Dotel. Why he hasn’t had the chance yet is a question akin to asking why the Pirates are awful every year.

Colorado Rockies

It will be a relief when Huston Street returns today. Although he won’t be thrust right into the closer role, his arrival means the days of waiting for Manny Corpas — the closer now, who gave up eight earned runs in his last two appearances (in0.2 IP) — and Franklin Morales — who lost the job to Corpas — to destroy your ERA for the week are finally over. Corpas will likely retain closer duties until Street is deemed ready.

Chicago White Sox

Usually we can count on the White Sox as an excellent source for closer prospecting thanks to the marginally-effective-when-he’s-at-his-best Bobby Jenks. However, Jenks has allowed just one earned run, one free pass and seven hits in his last 9.2 innings. He also has seven saves, no blown saves and no losses over that stretch. He’s probably still a disaster away from coughing up the gig. J.J. Putz or Matt Thornton, in that order, are the next in line when he falters.

Missed something completely, didn’t I? Put it in the comments.

Related posts

• Fantasy baseball: Every closer, and his competition, in 2010 (1)
• Ranking the top 20 closers in fantasy baseball for 2010 (0)
• Holds update 6.27.10: Brandon Lyon, Kameron Loe climbing (5)
• 19 setup men in fantasy baseball who will be closers before the end of 2010 (3)
• Your fantasy baseball guide to holds in the American League in 2010 (1)

I’ve been streaming in several leagues since DL went on the shelf on April 26.

How about you? I figured as much. That’s why you’re here. Luckily, there are always pitchers to be had on the waiver wire. But who’s a keeper and who’s a dumper?

Joe Saunders – The sixth-best player in all of 5×5-land last week is available in 86% of Yahoo leagues. He struck out 16 in 16.2 innings and notched two wins with a 0.64 ERA and a 0.50 WHIP. Despite those solid games, he’s too easy with the free passes (23 walks to 25 strikeouts). He has a career 1.38 WHIP and registered a 1.43 last season. Saunders already has five losses this season and is a risky spot starter.

Anibal Sanchez – He’s less likely than Saunders to saddle you with a 10-baserunner outing that would murder your WHIP, but Sanchez is still a shaky play. His batting average on balls in play is .322 and as we’ve discussed before that number should be around .300. So he has apparently been unlucky despite a 3.28 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. He does have a 1.43 career WHIP so he’s no stranger to baserunners. Last week he struck out 15 in 14 innings to earn a pair of wins. Sanchez is owned in 14% of Yahoo leagues. Stream him.

Mat Latos – The first downright own on the list. It’s surprising that Edwin Jackson (52%) is owned more than Latos (42%). Latos won one and struck out 11 in 15 innings last week as the 11th best player in fantasy baseball. Since a 7-runs-in-2.2-innings shellacking April 26, Latos has lowered his ERA from 6.20 to 3.28. Despite a string of shaky starts in April, the 22-year-old still has a 0.99 WHIP this season. I’m not saying he fits on every team, but there are worse pitchers on rosters.

Edwin Jackson – As mentioned above, Jackson is owned in 52% of Yahoo leagues, largely because of the 12 Ks and two walks last week. Maybe he’s warming up, but I’m steering clear. In his previous four starts, Jackson allowed five homers and 27 runs (almost 7 a game) in just 20 innings. That included a 10-run game and an 8-run game.

Jeremy Guthrie – Last week, Guthrie earned a win and struck out eight in 14 innings. He had a 1.29 ERA and a 0.71 WHIP. Last season was a horrible one for Guthrie — with an ERA over 5.00, 35 homers allowed and a .281 batting average against. So far this season, Guthrie has pitched more like the the 3.60-3.80, 5 K pitcher he was in 2008. He’s available in 97% of Yahoo leagues. Don’t expect a lot of strikeouts, but if you need some innings to meet your weekly requirement, Guthrie could help.

Clay Buchholz – In 14 innings last week, Buchholz won two games and struck out 10. Any pitcher with an unfavorable K/BB rate is questionable in my book, and Buchholz is allowing free passes at a much higher rate than usual. He’s got 23 walks to only 35 Ks. His 1.43 WHIP isn’t jiving with his seems-too-low 3.26 ERA. one of those numbers has to change, I say it’s his ERA. Buchholz is available in 46% of Yahoo leagues.

Sean Marshall – Our first reliever is owned in only 10% of Yahoo leagues. Read a report earlier this week — that was confirmed in our holds update comments by ninja CJones — that Marshall was the teams setup man. Marshall might get a save today because Z is getting ready to move back into the rotation and Carlos Marmol is unavailable. Marshall’s on this list because he vultured a pair of wins and struck out six in 4.2 scoreless innings. Depending on how deep your league is and whether you score holds — he has three this season and the recent setup change will lead to more — Marshall is ownable. But don’t pick him up expecting any more 2-win weeks. He’s available in 90% of Yahoo leagues.

Joel Pineiro – Available in 66% of Yahoo leagues, Pineiro struck out five in a complete game shutout this week. A pair of shutout outings has lowered Pineiro’s ERA from abominable to 3.71. He’s already allowed almost half as many homers (5) and walks (10) as he did last season (11 and 27 respectively) in arguably his career-best season. I wouldn’t call him a must-own because of those numbers, but use him for spot starts, especially in good matchups.

Frank Francisco – The former Rangers closer earned a win and struck out eight in 4.1 shutout innings last week. His WHIP was a miniscule 0.23. He hasn’t allowed a run in his last five outings, but any reliever with a 5.09 ERA, a 1.58 WHIP and a .288 batting average against is a shaky play. He’s available in 61% of Yahoo leagues and his career ERA is south of 4.00.

Octavio Dotel – Earned three saves in four shutout innings. Since a 4-run bombing on April 26, Dotel has allowed two earned runs in nine outings (10 innings), halving his ERA from 12.27 to 6.23. He has a 24/9 K-to-BB rate and he has a career 3.78 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. Dotel is available in 48% of Yahoo leagues.

Manny Corpas – A pair of saves in three innings with one strikeout this week for Corpas. With Huston Street on the shelf into June, Corpas will likely hold closer duties. After 19 holds and 16 saves in a great 2007, he suffered through a pair of disastrous seasons with the Rockies, featuring 1.51 and 1.46 WHIPs. He’s pitching more like the 2007 Corpas right now and if you need saves cheap, he’s available in 74% of Yahoo leagues. Own Corpas before Dotel, Marshall or Francisco

Related posts

• Waiver report for 6.2.10: Carlos Silva, Max Scherzer, Octavio Dotel (0)
• Ranking the Top 80 starting pitchers in fantasy baseball for 2010 (3)
• Pitchers waiver report for 6.10.10: Felipe Paulino and the setup men brigade (2)
• Fantasy baseball: These pitchers on waivers, they can help you (8)
• Fantasy baseball: Every closer, and his competition, in 2010 (1)

Rivera walked in a run and surrendered a grand slam to Kubel to take the loss Sunday. Only two of the runs were his responsibility — blame the other three on Joba Chamberlain — but the Yankees were in the lead when Mo’ took the mound.

There is a lot of stuff — sorry, but it’s the only word that can encompass the depth of happenings around baseball on Sunday/early Monday — going on in fantasy baseball. Let’s talk about some of them:

Drew Storen — Will report to the big league club on May 17. We’ve told you several times that he is the closer in waiting. He’s probably not available in your dynasty league, but you could check anyway. We’ll be here when you get back.

Scott Sizemore — Demoted. The Tigers will play Carlos Guillen at 2B when he gets back from the DL. For now, Danny Worth made his Major League debut on Sunday. He went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Don’t get too excited.

Max Scherzer — Demoted. He was sent down to make room for Armando Galarraga who was his typical unimpressive self as the starter Sunday. You don’t want Galarraga, unless you’re in a deep AL-only.

Andre Ethier — A broken knuckle in his pinkie finger will keep him out for an undetermined amount of time. Some reports are saying it will be a few weeks. Etheir is the top player in all of fantasy, so this is a huge loss for fantasy teams.

Starlin Castro — Went 0-for-4 on Sunday. Since his expectations-boosting debut on May 7, Castro has no extra base hits, no steals and no RBI. Yep, that’s what we said.

Manny Corpas — Notched his second save in as many days. Looks like he’s the dude in Colorado for now, especially since Huston Street’s back under repairs after a setback during his rehab assignment. Street likely won’t be ready to roll until June.

Matt Daley – Demoted to make room for Jeff Francis. Daley, you might remember, made our first holds update. He got beat up in his last outing on May 14, allowing four baserunners and three runs in a third of an inning.

Jeff Francis – The aforementioned Francis started Sunday and was better than usual — 6 Ks, 9 baserunners in 7 IP. But the bottom line is he’ll get 4-6 Ks per game and have an ERA above 4.00. A streaming starter? Yes. He should also be owned in NL-onlys.

Wade LeBlanc – Allowed 5 baserunners (3 walks), 1 earned run and struck out four. He walks a few more than we’d like, but he’s kept his season ERA at 1.54, his WHIP at 1.31 and is 2-1. Stream him.

Jake Westbrook – Struck out eight and allowed one run in a complete game win. He lopped nearly 80 points off his ERA down to 4.27. He’s got a 1.51 WHIP.

Curtis Granderson – Hit and ran without pain before the Yankees game on Sunday, but he’s still weeks away from helping your fantasy team.

Kurt Suzuki – Came back from the DL on Sunday and was inserted into the Athletics cleanup spot. He responded in true A’s fashion, by going a powerless 0-for-4.

Jack Cust — Called back to the bigs on Saturday. He had an 0-fer, but went 2-for-3 on Sunday. Cust missed 34 games but will be leading the Athletics in homers (Suzuki and Eric Patterson each have four) within two weeks.

Related posts

• Trade deadline causes massive upheaval in fantasy baseball bullpens (1)
• Quick hits: Ethier splinted, Strasburg slated? (6)
• Fantasy baseball quick hits: Cueto excellent, Yanks could limit Hughes (1)
• Ranking the Top 20 outfielders in fantasy baseball for 2010 (5)
• Holds update 6.27.10: Brandon Lyon, Kameron Loe climbing (5)

If you’re in a league that tracks holds, congratulations. Holds is a category that needs to be used in fantasy baseball, where the traditional 5×5 is stale. It opens up a whole other group of players to the fantasy owner. A hold is awarded when a relief pitcher enters the game in a save situation, but does not get the save or blow the save. He holds the competition at a standstill.

A ranking of the projected top 50 holds players in 2009 according to CBS Sports fantasy site’s projections is included at right. I’ve included WHIP, holds and saves on the list, and you should notice quickly that many of the top holds guys will acquire a few saves. A couple of the top saves guys are going to acquire some holds. Some elite relievers are going rack up at least 15 of each according to the projections. Typically, setup men have good ERA and WHIP numbers, too.

That still leaves us with the questions, how much do you pay?

As long as holds are worth the same as saves in your league, these values are easy. Treat them like middle of the road closers. How much would you pay for a reliever with good ERA and WHIP and an expected 20 saves? That’s how much you should pay for someone like Scott Linebrink who’s projected for 23 holds.

Someone like Manny Corpas — of course this is based on the assumption you believe the projections you’re using — should be considered a 41-save closer with a 1.40 WHIP. According to CBS’ projections, he’ll have 22 holds and 19 saves at the end of the year.

If you play in a points league, where each statistic is worth a set amount of points, your mileage may vary. But the method is still solid. Both closers and setup men get limited appearances, but their innings pitched come in high-pressure situations. Some throw hard and some just get outs. It’s a remarkably close comparison, use it to your advantage.

Related posts

• What the Fukudome? Waiver wonders worth a look (2)
• So, I’ve drafted my team. Now what? [FBB] (0)
• Forget Wieters and Price, these rookies rock! [FBB] (2)
• 10 ways to kill like a Ninja at your draft [FBB] (1)
• Week 1 discovery: Stealthy assassins (1)