Mound Musings: Endgame Odyssey – National League

Last week we examined some shaky AL bullpens, but they don't have a monopoly by any means. The are plenty of bullpens in the National League with evolving roles including some with decisions on who will get the call in the ninth inning.

With so many undecided bullpen scenarios, I found myself leaning to a specific plan of attack on draft day. Basically, I targeted an actual closer to anchor my bullpen, then tried to fill in behind him with pitchers I felt could eventually work themselves into relatively consistent save chances. Challenging? Absolutely! However, there is great satisfaction in outmaneuvering your opponents. This approach tests your scouting and assessment skills as many times the mainstream will select a pitcher – often the primary set-up guy – and label that pitcher the next in line for saves. Interestingly, that guy is only the benefactor in maybe half of the scenarios. Sometimes there is a better option. Our goal here is to identify him, hopefully before the word gets out.

Let's review some NL bullpens with question marks as we navigate the 2025 season:

Pirates – Here is an NL Central team, a division that could see any of the five teams emerge as division champion. Rumors have circulated on and off over the past couple years that closer David Bednar could be dealt, but he still wears a Pirates (or Triple-A Indianapolis) uniform. Bednar has struggled mightily in 2025 but with Pittsburgh possibly in the hunt, they may not be keen on trading him anyway even if they can straighten him out. If they can't, they do not seem to have an ideal replacement. There is a pretty solid complement of set-up arms that includes righties Colin Holderman (unfortunately he is now hurt), Dennis Santana and southpaw Ryan Borucki. Santana is seeing the most ninth-inning work with Bednar absent, but he doesn't profile as a closer.

Diamondbacks – We'll pass along kudos to a fine committee. The D'backs have often relied on set-up guys like Kevin Ginkel to finish games the past couple seasons, but he's currently injured. They probably want A.J. Puk to claim the gig and run with it. He has an electric arm (when it's firmly attached) but injuries have tarnished his recent results, and he's not terribly consistent. This is one of those relatively deep pens. They have righties Justin Martinez, Ryan Thompson, Kendall Graveman and southpaw Joe Mantiply to bridge from the starter to the end-gamer. There is also an interesting insurance policy in veteran Shelby Miller, and I think he could grab occasional saves if Puk and/or Martinez struggle or get hurt.

Reds – The Reds look competitive in the tough NL Central, but there are some questions to be answered in their bullpen. They currently have a more or less proven closer in Alexis Diaz. He has battled a balky hamstring, which has impacted his command. He's back from a recent IL trip, but not closing, at least not yet. When healthy and in sync, he's pretty capable. Until then, the consensus focuses on Tony Santillan and veteran Emilio Pagan who are both solid set-up guys. Closing is not new to Pagan who saved 20 games in 2019 for Tampa Bay, but he's miscast in the role now. Santillan has the arm – he can touch the upper 90s – and he has displayed respectable command and the ability to miss bats. They have filled in well for Diaz, and I think there's a decent chance they take over as the primary closers long-term. This is a fairly deep bullpen with set-up men Scott Barlow and Taylor Rogers. They even have a former starter – Graham Ashcraft – looking to make his mark in the pen.

Marlins – This one appeared to be sorting itself out late last year, as their best option, Tanner Scott, took the gig and settled in. Unfortunately, the southpaw is now plying his trade in Los Angeles. That leaves the door open for a cast of several options including Anthony Bender (my top choice) and other decent set-up guys like Calvin Faucher, Declan Cronin, Jesus Tinoco and lefty Andrew Nardi who all could get into the mix at some point. Bender appears to be a lukewarm choice with most of the alternatives banged up right now, if anyone does. I do also have a dark horse I am watching. Keep an eye on Lake Bachar. He's learning on the job, and I don't think he's quite ready, but he could grow into it. I expect this to be a hot hand assignment. Right now, Bender is doing a respectable job, but if he falters, we could get a look at whoever's in line.

Phillies – Let's go back to those old school days. Books on the floor, here's your test. Q1. Who's the best closer option in Philly? A. Jose Alvarado B. Orion Kerkering C. Jordan Romano D. Matt Strahm E. None of the above. Right now, it's pretty much mix and match with Alvarado handling most lefties, Kerkering facing tough righties, and Romero – the most legitimate closer in the bunch – coming on earlier as the Phillies feed him low-leverage fodder trying to get him back in form. Realistically, Strahm, with his name on so many other innings, probably isn't in the closer considerations, but I really don't feel Alvarado or Kerkering are ideal candidates. This is actually a very deep pen with those mentioned joined by the generally capable Joe Ross, Tanner Banks and Carlos Hernandez, any of whom could serve as a viable set-up man. So, I guess the answer to our question, at least for now, is none of the above. Unless the Phillies go shopping or Romano gets his act together, this could be a closer by committee. I think Alvarado gets a slight edge now, but any of the options could step up at some point.

Rockies – I'll save readers some time. I almost just neglected to include Colorado's bullpen in this review, but the bottom line is there is no bottom line. Seth Halvorsen is probably the favorite for save chances, but I am hesitant to jump on his bandwagon. He was just recently torched for six runs in one third of an inning. He, like pretty much everyone in this bullpen, can't seem to throw quality strikes. So, let's litter the bases with extra baserunners in a ballpark that is the easiest to hit in throughout all of baseball. That makes a lot of sense. Others who have seen the ninth inning (or have been rumored to) include Tyler Kinley, Angel Chivilli, Jake Bird and Jimmy Herget. They are collectively scary (that's being kind). I will mention one other guy to watch. The Rockies acquired Victor Vodnik from Atlanta in late 2023. He has a big arm, so learning to throw strikes could be of benefit, but I wouldn't count on it happening. It's rare when I can't find anyone with strong positives, but here we are.

Cubs – These last couple capsules might fit into the "pretty much decided" category unless some things change. The Cubs have a current closer in Ryan Pressly. He's not an overwhelming choice having already notched a couple each of saves and blown saves, but he's probably the best they have. However, fantasy players should be aware that any stumbles from Pressly may lead to ninth-inning opportunities for Porter Hodge or even Julian Merryweather. Don't be fooled. While these guys generally pitch well in set-up roles, their track records suggest save chances can often result in lapses in performance. IMHO, the guy who should get the ball late in games is Nate Pearson. In 2020-21 while with Toronto, he was considered one of the best pitching prospects in the game. Unfortunately, injuries and a lack of pitches to complement his top-shelf fastball have seen his progress stall. The Jays gave up and dealt him to the Cubs who have helped him add diversity and improved his command. Stay tuned on this one.

Brewers – Until the other day, this one looked easy. The Brewers have a pretty nice pen, and Abner Uribe appeared to be emerging as the interim leader. The question was, who would be the long-term leader. Devin Williams saved 36 games in in 40 chances in 2023. He struck out 87 in 59 innings and posted a brilliant 1.53 ERA. He looked like the guy. He was hurt early in 2024, and when he returned, the Yankees acquired the pending free agent. Uribe still struggled a bit with command at times, and even though he appeared to be making progress, the Brewers explored options. Early this year it again looked like they had found their guy in Trevor Megill. In his first few appearances he was untouchable. Then he had his knee looked at (which was deemed healthy) immediately before getting torched in his next appearance. Are these related? Only time will tell. He has had a second examination of that knee. And so, the Brewers will rely on their bullpen including Uribe, Joel Payamps, Nick Mears, Bryan Hudson and Jared Koenig. It will be a challenge given the injury-decimated rotation. They lost one their best in lefty Hoby Milner, but the nucleus is still intact. 

Some Notable Rotation Ramblings:

• Years ago we had a saying when something good happened unexpectedly – "even a blind dog finds a bone sometimes." I think that fits well for the seven shutout innings recently tossed by Jose Quintana. He was making his first start for the injury-riddled Milwaukee Brewers. Don't hold your breath.
• Sometimes a pitcher sneaks up on me. He looks good, but I don't necessarily see him as a star. Then he says, "hold my beer" and does it all. Such is the case with Kansas City's Cole Ragans. I watched his start against Cleveland and he just methodically dismantled the Guardians. I just needed to recognize him.
• The Cardinals' Andre Pallante never showed much as a reliever but has been effective in a starting role. Amazing what a new sinker can do. That said I'm not sure his mechanics are repeatable enough to maintain his effectiveness over the long haul. I liken him, but command could be a problem going forward.
• I was anxious to see Houston's Hayden Wesneski again, and I got the chance in his most recent start against the Angels. He struck out 10 in six innings, but he also left a few pitches in the middle of the plate, leading to three solo home runs. He keeps hinting at good things, and I look for him to just keep getting better.
• Took a look at Atlanta's Spencer Strider in his first start in about a year following elbow surgery. I won't lie, I love watching him. He looked pretty much how I remembered him. His fastball still masquerades as a meatball at times, but hitters can't touch that slider. His velocity did dip a bit as the game wore on.