Closer & Bullpen Report: Save Situations To Watch Right Now

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New York Mets — Wide Open

The Mets are in full closer-by-committee mode after placing Devin Williams on the 15-day IL (retroactive to August 8) with a right shoulder strain. Williams had been shaky in his first year in Queens, sitting at a 4.66 ERA and 1.66 WHIP with 16 saves in 19 chances, and the injury caps off a rough Mets debut. The strain is being described as relatively minor and precautionary, but with New York's high-leverage relievers already thinned out at the trade deadline, there's no clear waiting-in-the-wings closer.

Kodai Senga, working out of the bullpen after a move from the rotation, has already picked three saves and looks like the most battle-tested option, but Daniel Duarte, Dedniel Núñez, and Jefry Yan are all in the mix, and interim manager Andy Green has stopped short of naming anyone the permanent closer. This is a low-value bullpen for saves purposes overall, and Senga is probably the best speculative add, but hedge with a second name if your league allows wide rosters — this could bounce around for a few weeks.

Add priority: Kodai Senga (speculative RP1), Daniel Duarte and Dedniel Núñez (deep-league dart throws)

Chicago Cubs — Webb Has Earned the Job, For Now

Jacob Webb has quietly become one of the best closer stories of the year. Thrust into the role after Daniel Palencia's elbow inflammation shelved him in mid-June, Webb has been outstanding, running his scoreless streak to 18 straight appearances and sitting at a 2.33 ERA with eight saves — a career high after never notching more than two in a single season before 2026.

Palencia is nearing a return, but the Cubs are being explicit that he won't just walk back into the ninth inning. Manager Craig Counsell said the team plans to be "flexible" with Palencia's usage and wants to build up his innings before trusting him in high leverage again — a sensible approach given Palencia posted an ugly 19.29 ERA over three rehab outings. For now, Webb is the guy, and he should be rostered in all formats. Palencia is worth stashing in deeper leagues on name value and swing-and-miss stuff (10.3 K/9), but he's not an immediate priority add.

Add priority: Jacob Webb (must-own), Daniel Palencia (speculative stash only)

Arizona Diamondbacks — Martinez Nearing His Return

Arizona's bullpen has been chaos incarnate, but relief is finally on the way. The team already moved on from Paul Sewald, designating him for assignment, and while Brandyn Garcia has picked up saves in the interim, the real name to watch is Justin Martinez. The hard-throwing righty, who's been out since June 2025 following his second Tommy John surgery, has completed his rehab work and is progressing through the final stages, with a return targeted for this stretch of games.

Before his injury, Martinez had a 2.70 ERA with three saves in three tries and easy triple-digit velocity. He won't necessarily walk into the closer's role on Day 1 back, but he's the best pure stuff in that bullpen and should be palming saves within a couple of weeks of his activation. Grab him now before the wire gets crowded the moment his call-up is official.

Add priority: Justin Martinez (priority stash), Brandyn Garcia (hold for now if rostered)

Pittsburgh Pirates — Fresh Bullpen Boost

Pittsburgh made a notable move at the deadline, acquiring Luke Weaver from the Mets to shore up the late innings. Weaver arrives with strong numbers (1.84 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 45 strikeouts over 44 innings) and gives the Pirates a real weapon after Gregory Soto's late-June collapse (a 13.50 ERA over a nine-appearance stretch) effectively ended his run as closer. Soto and Mason Montgomery had been splitting save chances in Soto's absence from the role, and Weaver's addition further muddies an already unsettled picture.

This remains a committee to monitor rather than a set-it-and-forget-it situation. Weaver is the best arm added to the mix and worth speculative adds in most leagues, but don't be shocked if saves stay spread around Pittsburgh for a few more weeks as the staff sorts itself out.

Add priority: Luke Weaver (speculative add), Mason Montgomery (deep-league watch)

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