Spring training 2017 is right around the corner with pitchers and catchers reporting to camp this week as the focus slowly shifts to the upcoming season. While the star players remain the focus one underrated area that should receive more attention is the relief staffs from around the majors. Last year, the NL East was one of the weakest as only two teams finished above .500. However, there could be some fantasy value to be had here as some of these teams are overlooked.. Here is a look at the outlook for the NL East bullpens based in order of perceived strength heading in to the 2017 season.
New York Mets
The Mets own two of the best relievers in the majors in Addison Reed and Jeurys Familia. However, Familia is set to miss some time due to a suspension for domestic violence so it will be Reed holding down the closer role. New York will have to make a decision on what to do with Familia once he returns but the good news is that they have a solid bullpen either way with a pair of solid potential closers and some capable depth behind them.
Miami Marlins
Miami pushed hard to sign Kenley Jansen away from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason but after failing to land him they were forced to settle for the pieces they already have in place. The Marlins are still in a decent position with A.J. Ramos as their closer as well as Kyle Barraclough and Brad Ziegler right behind him but the addition of Jansen definitely would have put them over the top in the NL East.
Washington Nationals
The Nationals are another team that missed out on some big name closers in the offseason but they still have a capable closer in Shawn Kelley. The righty finished last season with a 12.41 K/9 and a 1.71 BB/9 so he could be a fantasy sleeper with the potential to deliver a strong season. Meanwhile, Blake Treinen, Koda Glover and Trevor Gott give Washington some solid depth despite a lack of elite talent in the bullpen.
This was an area of strength for the Nats last season as their bullpen finished second in the Majors in terms of team ERA. They’re hoping for some continuation in this realm.
Atlanta Braves
Remember in the 1990’s…when the Atlanta Braves had one of the best bullpens in all of baseball? Back in those days, Bobby Cox and Leo Mazzone were running the team but the team has tailed off significantly from those days. Nowadays, their bullpen is in shambles.
The Braves will once again rely on a ground ball specialist in Jim Johnson for 2017 and while he pitched well a year ago, it will be difficult for him to maintain his 9.46 K/9 next season. Atlanta doesn’t have much capable depth behind him either. They’ll hope that Arodys Vizcaino can stay healthy as the next best option in their bullpen. The Braves have some young arms that will be competing for relief jobs in spring training and the situation is definitely worth monitoring to see if an arm or two can make a strong enough impression to earn a role.
The Braves bullpen ranked 18th last season in terms of team ERA. In terms of their closers, they also ranked 18th in ERA. Part of the problem is that the Braves rely too much on their pen due to lack of quality innings from the starters. The Braves bullpen pitched the fifth-most innings and it’s hard to be effective when they have to work that much.
Philadelphia Phillies
Jeanmar Gomez is the incumbent closer in Philadelphia but the situation is wide open with Joaquin Benoit and Hector Neris in the mix as well. Neris is expected to be given an opportunity at some point but he struggled with consistency a year ago and that could be a major issue when it comes to earning a chance this season. Meanwhile, Benoit could be the biggest challenger for Gomez’s closer role at the start of the year with an opportunity to make his case in camp. The Phillies are a team in transition right now and considering their lack of elite options for the closer role it simply doesn’t make sense to place any expectations on their bullpen from a fantasy perspective right now.
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