Mound Musings: The Endgame Odyssey Continues – American League

Last week I promised to look at American League bullpens. Just like in the senior circuit, there are plenty of bullpens in the American League with evolving roles, including decisions that need to be made on who will get the call in the ninth inning.

Delving into unsettled bullpens has become one the most popular topics in the Musings because, quite frankly, it is one the most challenging scoring categories in fantasy baseball, and a timely addition to your roster can propel you to new heights in your league standings. The trick is in identifying an upcoming change in roles before the competition catches on to the upcoming changes.

Let's review some AL bullpens, many with question marks still remaining:

Angels – In the years I have done these bullpen reviews the Angels have generally not had a reliable bullpen. This season things are different. They signed Kenley Jansen in the offseason (he loves the West Coast), and the future Hall-of-Famer certainly lends stability. Brock Burke, Hunter Strickland, and Robert Stephenson are adequate bridge builders, but Jansen remaining "young" at age 37 is the key.

Astros – A deep bullpen is a luxury, but the Astros have one. When Josh Hader is on his game, I don't think there is a better closer in the game. And, they also have another potential closer in Bryan Abreu How many teams feature a pair like that? A very reliable closer is obviously a huge asset, but Bryan King, Kaleb Ort and Shawn Dubin are pretty good setup guys, too, and they can fill in if Hader needs a day off.

Athletics – The A's are not a very good team, but their closer, Mason Miller, is pure nasty – we're talking mumble to yourself on your way back to the dugout nasty. He can get a bit wild at times, but at 101 mph-plus, you can get away with it. Their set-up crew isn't bad either, led by Tyler Ferguson, along with Justin Sterner, T.J. McFarland and swingman Mitch Spence, they offer a lot of versatility.

Blue Jays – Here's another easy one. If he stays healthy, Jeff Hoffman is the man in Toronto. He has the great stuff, excellent command and has adjusted to the bullpen very well. And, there is a very capable support staff when healthy lead by top setup guys Yimi Garcia, Chad Green, Nick Sandlin, Erik Swanson and lefty Brendon Little, but, like I said, keeping them healthy has not been easy. Also keep an eye on Yariel Rodriguez who was a bullpen ace in Japan but has the makings of a solid starter.

Guardians – Let's make it two in a row. Like Hoffman, Emmanuel Clase is at the top of the closer food chain. He and his capable support crew, including Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis, consistently finish off games begun by their starting pitchers. This is a scenario where well-developed pitching boosts a team's overall standing, and the Guardians have an excellent staff.

Mariners – Andres Munoz is a well-entrenched closer, but Matt Brash could also handle save chances. He's pretty good, too, but the ideal situation would have him setting up a healthy and dominating Munoz. I think it will be that way, while Trent Thornton, Gabe Speier and Collin Snider consistently get games into the later innings. This is one of my favorite bullpens to watch when they play it smart.

Orioles – On the surface this one also appears rather easy. Yes, Felix Bautista, "the Mountain," has closer stuff and has successfully finished quite a few games over the past couple years, but he underwent Tommy John surgery and has yet to find consistency since returning. Don't be surprised if Seranthony Dominguez sneaks in an occasional save, and I think both Andrew Kittredge and Bryan Baker are well-positioned in their setup roles. The O's are likely to give Bautista plenty of leash.

Rangers – I think the Rangers would have liked Luke Jackson to step up and claim the job, but it hasn't happened yet. He's capable and has the tools, but he sometimes runs into stretches of ineffectiveness. Most often, one rocky outing leads to more of the same. Enter Robert Garcia. He's serving as the left side of a committee. Shawn Armstrong is another set-up guy now, who along with Chris Martin, Hoby Milner and Caleb Boushley handle the seventh and eighth innings. This is a shaky bunch looking for stability.

Rays – As with their starting pitching, the Rays don't always stick to traditional bullpen roles. I think they might like to, but the best closer on the staff, Pete Fairbanks, can't stay healthy. So, lesser talents like Edwin Uceta and Garrett Cleavinger chip in for the ninth inning as needed. The Rays have always had an knack for getting the most out of their arms. Mason Montgomery and Manuel Rodriguez are also viable set-up men.

Red Sox – If you can't grow your own closer, go out and buy one. Boston tried for years to internally develop a closer, but it didn't work out, so they went out and signed veteran Aroldis Chapman. He's getting older (37) and probably isn't as durable as he once was, but he amazingly lives in triple digits and still gets it done. Unfortunately, his primary setup guys, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten and Greg Weissert aren't always as reliable as you would like. Maybe take a flyer on Liam Hendriks.

Royals – Carlos Estevez isn't usually considered an elite closer but he's getting it done. Interestingly, the Royals brought in several useful arms including Lucas Erceg, Hunter Harvey and James McArthur, but they have all been banged up early this season. That has left the majority of set-up duties to John Schreiber, Steven Cruz and swingman Daniel Lynch. So far, so good. 

Tigers – The Tigers actually had a pretty decent closer candidate in Alex Lange, but he continually struggled to throw strikes and found himself at Triple-A Toledo. Then this spring he had arm issues. He has quality stuff, but his command just hasn't made it. So, they went looking and came up with a pair to share the ninth. Will Vest (my choice) and Tommy Kahnle have stepped in as the current closers. John Brebbia serves as a setup man with Tyler Holton and Beau Brieske along with southpaw Brant Hurter.

Twins – The Twins have pieced together a very good bullpen. They have Jhoan Duran who features an ultra-electric arm as their closer, while quality relievers like Louis Varland and Griffin Jax serve as the bridge builders. Further, Brock Stewart, Cole Sands and Jorge Alcala have generally done a good job getting the game to them.

White Sox – The Sox bullpen has been a story of inconsistency made worse when they hit "flush" on virtually their entire roster. Jordan Leasure and Steven Wilson currently see the bulk of save chances, but neither is a true closer. Mike Vasil looked like a possibility, but nope, leaving Cam Booser as the flavor of the week. He's definitely not the answer either. In short, the "answer" is not on the White Sox roster.

Yankees – For the Yankees, if you need something, you go buy it. They decided they needed a closer, so they went and got Devin Williams. After a few sparkling seasons in Milwaukee, he looked like a sure thing. Then the 2025 season started and he was very erratic, so much so the Yankees had to use a set-up man to bail him out. In the process they found someone cool enough to take the job – Luke Weaver. He has looked great. Williams is back to closing duties while Weaver is hurt, and guys like Ian Hamilton, Jonathan Loaisiga, Fernando Cruz and Mark Leiter – all of whom are capable but have been, or are currently, hurt – handle set-up, so musical chairs is the order of the day. The Yankees big problem is keeping everyone healthy.

Some Notable Rotation Ramblings:

• Always remember, don't count your 0's before they're hatched. Jesus Luzardo has been pitching like an ace for the Phillies – until last weekend when he was hammered for 12 runs, and didn't make it out of the fourth inning. I didn't see the outing but I'm confident he'll be back. He's too good to slip that far.
• Here's a name we haven't discussed in a while. Cleveland's Shane Bieber underwent Tommy John surgery 14 months ago, and his rehab has now progressed to rehab games. He looked good in his first start against a rookie league team, but he will require several more starts before he's ready.
• Gloom, despair and agony on me. In all my years I've never seen anything like it. Arizona's Brandon Pfaadt allowed six hits (mostly doubles) and hit two batters, allowing the Nationals to open a game with eight runs. Most of it was line drives, but there was some ugly fielding, too. He'll bounce back, but damn!
• One guy who has really turned my head is Houston's Hunter Brown. I like his adjustments. The Rays touched him up for five runs a couple weeks ago, punishing his change-up. In a recent rematch, he threw virtually no change-ups and shut them out, allowing just one hit. I would like to see him get deeper.
• Hey, don't look now but the Rockies have cracked the 10-win plateau. Their "ace" German Marquez has two of those wins, but he also boasts a 6.98 ERA. If you have to own a Rockies pitcher, young Chase Dollander is probably a better choice, but this year they can't even hit at home. I'm staying far away.
• The Tigers have to be happy with the recent progress shown by Jack Flaherty. He has allowed three or fewer runs in his last four starts, dropping his ERA to a more respectable 3.72 on the year. That's more in line with his career 3.64 ERA over 165 starts dating back to 2017. He's still vulnerable in tougher matchups.

These aren't all the questions by any means but they are some situations to watch. As always, we'll keep tabs on possible bullpen adjustments throughout the season in the Endgame Odyssey section of the Musings, but for now, there are some thoughts on the American League and those ever-changing bullpens.

Find out which projected starters are going and when with RotoWire's Probable Pitchers page!