Archive of SportingNews.com's old SOM Baseball forum

Has anyone used sub 1M closers throughout the season with success?

IMO i always want a stud closer
its one position where i will spend what it takes

I've been a big Wickman guy all season. My last five teams he's over 10ERA. Used to use him with Walker but recently have been using Halsey in the other slot. Hmmm...

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. You get what you pay for.

I take the chance because I'd rather spend 6mil on my setup guy who can get 200IP.

I''ve just started a season trying to go with a low-price bullpen:

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2005/team/team_other.html?user_id=50243

So far it's not going well, although it's early.

In the right park (Pitching) guys like:

Graves
Mesa
Jorge
Koch
and Wickman

can be somewhat effective. I've had some success with Graves, but only @ Petco. If you've got stud pitching, and you're in Petco, it can be done.

Graves did ok for me in Petco too. I agree with the above though...I'd rather spend more money on my set up guy cuz he plays more innings and even closes sometimes.

jorge julio is the only guy I would try it with

I 3rd Graves in Petco, trying for the first time right now, sub 2 era, sub 1 whip, barely an inning/save, but leading the league in saves!

I have had good success with Percival(consistent 80%+ percentage, including 1st once), which emboldened me to try Graves. I am using him $60 JaserD 3rd round in Ameriquest and on a Yankee stadium autodraft team. The cheapo's seem to get rocked more when they lose, creating poor ERA & WHIP, but I am looking for the save % to be 80%+. To me, when using these guys you must set them for the ninth inning only, following the Bill James logic that it is not that difficult to get three outs in the ninth starting with no one on base. Any more than one inning and they are exposed IMO.

I was gonna mention percival as well, I've used him in petco almost exclusively and he does well, I am about to finish a season with him and he has ~49 saves and a ~3 era and ~1.3 whip