American League Fantasy Baseball Closer Report: Who will Emerge for Tigers and Yankees?

A lot has changed in the MLB over the past week because of the trade deadline.

That makes now a good time to assess the fantasy baseball closer situations for every team. We'll start with the American League - here's the last update we did.

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Tigers

Detroit added a couple relievers to the mix over the break. Will Vest had been serving as the team's closer, but now Kyle Finnegan is also an option.

Vest blew a save on Friday before working in the eighth inning on Saturday, with Finnegan earning the save that night. It's hard to tell who is the closer right now, and this duo might split the role the rest of the season.

Vest is trending down and is at 73% rostered now. Finnegan is at 66% and is also trending down, but might go back up if he earns more saves. This is a situation to monitor daily.

Guardians 

With Emmanuel Clase suspended, Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis look like the main leaders for the closer role.

Smith earned a win on Friday, after Gaddis had blown a save. Gaddis earned a save on Saturday. This could be another split closer role, which would leave both relievers as weaker fantasy options.

Smith is at 65% rostered, while Gaddis is at 21%. Their own percentages will rise or fall based on who gets the save chances going forward.

Royals

Carlos Estevez is the clear closer for Kansas City, but the team hasn't gotten him much work of late. His last save was on Tuesday.

Estevez is rostered in 94% of leagues, and that's holding steady. To get to 100%, he needs KC to earn wins more regularly.

Twins

Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax are no longer in Minnesota, so the closer role is up for grabs. Cole Sands might be the leader for save opportunities.

Minnesota likely won't do enough winning down the stretch to support a closer outside of deeper fantasy setups. 

Sands is the one fantasy owners expect to take over, as he's rostered in 12% of fantasy leagues, which is up from 2% back on the day of the deadline.

White Sox

There's still no clear closer in Chicago, which is unfortunate, because the team is winning more of late.

Steven Wilson earned a save on Friday, then Jordan Leasure got one on Saturday. Wilson is owned in barely any leagues, and the same could be said for Leasure. Grant Taylor is the most rostered at 12%, but a lot of that has to do with him being a pretty highly-regarded prospect.

I doubt the White Sox will have a closer emerge this season. It's another situation to keep tabs on, but outside the deepest of leagues, none of these relievers will be worth rostering.

Blue Jays

Jeff Hoffman is the team's closer. He earned saves on Wednesday and Saturday, but took a loss on Tuesday.

Hoffman is rostered in 95% of leagues, and he's ever so slightly dropping of late. The job is his, so he's a good fantasy asset, especially because the Blue Jays have been doing a lot of winning.

Red Sox

Aroldis Chapman is the go-to closer in Boston. He earned saves on Tuesday and Saturday.

He's rostered in 92% of fantasy leagues, and is one of the better options because of high strikeout totals. Chapman probably should be at 100% owned, and could get there if Boston makes a playoff push down the stretch.

Yankees

New York added David Bednar, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird at the deadline, but I still think it'll be Devin Williams that gets the save chances.

Williams blew a save on Wednesday and has not pitched since. Doval took a loss and blew a save on Saturday, while Bednar also blew a save that night.

Williams is rostered in 92% of leagues, but that could drop if he continues to struggle or loses the closer role again. Bednar is at 76% and dropping, while Doval is at 56% and dropping. Luke Weaver is another name to keep in mind and is rostered in 39% of leagues.

The closer situation is a mess in New York, and that makes this something to monitor daily. 

Rays

Pete Fairbanks is the team's closer, but Edwin Uceta or Griffin Jax could step in if he struggles.

Fairbanks blew a save on Wednesday after earning a save on Monday. Uceta blew a save on Wednesday, while Jax hasn't pitched with his new team yet.

Fairbanks is the guy you want for now, but he's only at 79% rostered. I don't think the Rays will win enough down the stretch to increase that mark, so only good results will see Fairbanks rise.

Jax is at 38% owned, while Uceta is at 10%. They'd only rise with great results or saves.

Orioles

With several relievers shipped out at the deadline and Felix Bautista hitting the injured list, the closer role is wide open in Baltimore.

Corbin Martin earned a save on Tuesday, but it was Keegan Akin who got the save on Saturday. Yennier Cano is another option.

Martin is up to 7% owned and was a waiver pickup I discussed the other day. He isn't going to get every save chance, so don't expect his own percentage to go up unless he gets more saves.

Cano is at 4%, while Akin is at just 2%. Whoever earns saves regularly will eventually be owned in the most leagues, but Bautista will regain the closer role if he returns this season. I'm not sure Baltimore will be able to win enough to make any reliever outside Bautista worth rostering the rest of the season.

Astros 

Josh Hader is the clear closer in Houston. He earned a save on Tuesday and is one of the top fantasy options in the game.

Hader should remain a top-end option down the stretch, so keep utilizing him instead of trying to sell him, unless you get a favorable offer.

Mariners

Andres Munoz is the team's closer. He had a save on Monday, but has worked just one since.

He's another top-end fantasy option, and should remain one down the stretch after Seattle added more help at the deadline.

Rangers

Robert Garcia has been serving as the team's closer this season, but has struggled this week. He earned a save on Wednesday, but took a loss and two blown saves on Friday and Saturday.

Phil Maton and Danny Coulombe have been helping set up Garcia, so they could be next in line if Garcia loses the closer role.

Garcia is trending down and is rostered in 38% of leagues now. Maton is at 21%, while Coulombe is at 4%.

This is another closer situation to watch daily.

Angels

Kenley Jansen earned two saves this week, but they came back on Monday and Tuesday. He hasn't pitched since.

Jansen is the clear leader for saves in LA, but the team needs to give him more opportunities to see his own percentage really go up. He has been on the rise and is at 77% now.

Athletics

Mason Miller was sent to the Padres at the deadline, so the closer role is up for grabs. 

Jack Perkins is the only one with a save this week. Sean Newcomb, Michael Kelly and Justin Sterner are some other options.

Perkins rose to 22% owned, but has been used more as a multi-inning guy, so he's not a must-add fantasy reliever because he's not a traditional closer. I think he's worth an add still in some leagues, especially because he's pitched well in his role and could earn the occasional save.