Captain Hook
Footballguy
Early speculation favorite is Addison Reedinfo below from cbs sportslineWho do we (I am looking at you Bender and Hook) think is going to close for the CWS this year? Thornton assuming he does not get traded? I hate taking a closer early as it is such a volatile position and you usually can find em' as the season moves along just by paying attention and being a little aggressive on the Waiver Wire. I also like to find closers late in the draft. Just because they pitch for a bad team, does not mean they don't get decent save numbers while not destroying your ratios. I know it is still early but wondering what you guys think.
Addison Reed is the only pure relief pitcher on this list, but given his potential to contribute in Fantasy this season, the ranking is certainly justified. You know how Craig Kimbrel entered last season as the favorite to close for the Braves and wound up being the best reliever in Fantasy? Well, Reed has the potential to do something similar for the White Sox, provided they give him the opportunity to close now that Sergio Santos is in Toronto. No, you shouldn't expect him to set a rookie record for saves or pile up 127 strikeouts, but Reed's 1.47 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings between the majors and minors last year look a lot like Kimbrel's numbers during his rise to the majors in 2010. Reed also has experience closing, having done it for Stephen Strasburg while at San Diego State, so the transition would come naturally for him. The White Sox could go any number of directions with the closer role at this point, which is the only reason Reed ranks as low as he does among relief pitchers in Fantasy, but as the roster currently stands, the rookie looks like the leading candidate for saves. He's worth a late-round flier until that changes. (Updated 1/11/12)
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