10 Spring Training Position Battles With Major Fantasy Baseball Implications
St. Louis Cardinals' Closer
It's still possible that the St. Louis Cardinals wind up acquiring another back-end reliever prior to opening day. But as things stand now, this job seems to be wide open.
Luke Gregerson hasn't been told he'll be the #Cardinals closer in 2018. pic.twitter.com/eeKneWzSAO
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) February 16, 2018
The team has added all three of Luke Gregerson, Dominic Leone, and Bud Norris into the fold over the offseason, and Tyler Lyons is a holdover who performed well out of the bullpen last year. All four could conceivably wind up holding this role.
Based on incentives in Gregerson's contract, it seems as if he's the favorite here to win the job. But if we're going to pick the guy with the most talent again, that could lead us down a different path.
| In 2017 | NFBC ADP | Strikeout Rate | Walk Rate | SIERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Gregerson | 292.95 | 26.6% | 7.6% | 3.30 |
| Tyler Lyons | 419.17 | 30.9% | 9.1% | 3.14 |
| Dominic Leone | 480.87 | 29.0% | 8.2% | 3.26 |
| Bud Norris | 560.65 | 27.7% | 10.1% | 3.60 |
Gregerson had the lowest strikeout rate last year of this group, and his SIERA ranked third. That should stir up some interest in Lyons and Leone.
Because Gregerson is the most likely to land the job, he's worth his current draft slot. Again, you can cut bait if it doesn't work out. If it does, you've got the closer on an above-average team. But he also shouldn't stop us from taking stabs at the other guys.
Leone's entering his age-26 season and posted a 14.5% swinging-strike rate last year with the Toronto Blue Jays. He'll get strikeouts, and he could be the team's long-term answer at closer. He's a fun lottery ticket late in drafts.
As for Lyons, not all teams are comfortable having a lefty as their ninth-inning man. But the Cardinals do have Brett Cecil also in the pen, meaning they'd still have someone to come in and shut down lefties earlier in games. Additionally, Lyons held righties to a .275 wOBA last year with a 34.1% strikeout rate. He ain't your average southpaw. He's not quite as intriguing as Leone because of his age and handedness, but Lyons is an acceptable flier if Gregerson and Leone are off the board.
