Closer carousel: Teams load up on late relief
Five of baseball’s marquee teams — Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, Yankees and Nationals — made a series of high-stakes decisions that had some of baseball's top closers changing teams in the offseason.
MESA, ARIZ. >> Mark Melancon got a big free-agent contract from the San Francisco Giants. Aroldis Chapman returned to the New York Yankees for a record-breaking deal. Kenley Jansen stayed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wade Davis was traded to the Chicago Cubs, and the Washington Nationals looked outside before looking internally for an answer.
Five of baseball’s marquee teams. A series of highstakes decisions. A closer look at the value of closers.
“There’s no magic formula. Filling that role is not different than any other role,” Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. “But I think you recognize that the relief pitching in general, guys kind of come out of nowhere and surprise you and then, with some notable exceptions, it’s not always the longest, most consistent run for these guys.
“So (we) try to be creative in how we fill those roles rather than just go out and give a free agent a huge longterm deal.”
Epstein and the Cubs parted with a pricey package of prospects to get Chapman from the Yankees last summer, and the hardthrowing left-hander helped Chicago to its first World Series title since 1908. But the Cubs got Davis from Kansas City a couple of weeks before Chapman finalized an $86 million, five-year contract with New York — the richest deal ever for a relief pitcher.
Davis will make $10 million this season in the final year of his contract. Asked if there was a disparity around the game in how teams look at the role, Epstein demurred.
“I think everyone would rather look in-house first, but if you don’t have the candidates ready and you’re a team that expects to win the World Series, then you look outside,” he said.
San Francisco and Los Angeles lost to Chicago in the NL playoffs, and what happened in each series followed the teams into the offseason.
Five San Francisco relievers combined to throw away a 5-2 lead in the ninth inning of its season-ending loss to the Cubs in Game 4 of the division series. The Giants blew 32 saves last season, including nine in September.
Enter Melancon, who finalized a $62 million, fouryear contract with San Francisco in December.
“It seems when you have a guy that is a lockdown guy it just shortens the game so much,” Giants catcher Buster Posey said. “You’re able to do some things a little bit differently and also, of course, the other team knows if they go into that last inning without the lead, they’re kind of up against it. Other than what he can just do on the mound, it just gives us a little bit of an edge overall.”
Jansen was practically unhittable in the NL Championship Series against Chicago, striking out 10 while throwing 6 1/3 scoreless innings. The Dodgers, who were eliminated by the Cubs in six games, then gave Jansen a blockbuster $80 million, five-year contract to remain in Los Angeles.
When the dust settled for the marquee closers, Washington was left with a giant question mark at the back end of its bullpen. The NL East champions made a play for Melancon, who finished last season with the Nationals, but were outbid by the Giants, according to Washington general manager Mike Rizzo. The Nationals also tried for Jansen before he re-signed with the Dodgers.