Paul’s Call to the ‘Pen: September 2

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  • By Paul Williamson

    Last Updated on September 3, 2025 8:03 pm by Paul Williamson | Published: September 3, 2025

    There was some movement on the closer front this week.

    We have yet another potential closer in Texas. Tanner Scott is back in LA. There was some interesting usage in Tampa as well as in Baltimore. Who benefits from Jason Adam’s injury in San Diego and the injury to Shelby Miller in Arizona? The closer situation in Arizona also looks to be fluid. Then we still have some fluidity in the Bronx.

    As always, the holds landscape is always changing.

    I dive into all 30 teams and tell you how to evaluate them.

    The closers I will label in the following tiers (I’ve added a fourth tier from last year and modified my definition of ‘weak’*)

    Strong – they are definitely the closer.
    Probably – they look to be the closer, for now.
    Weak – there is a good chance they don’t get the next save chance*
    Committee – We just don’t know who will get the ball in the ninth. Shrug.

    Alright, let’s get into it!

    Rays

    Note – the information in the ‘Rays’ section is through Tuesday’s action. 

    Closer – Pete Fairbanks – Probably

    Fairbanks got two saves with Garrett Cleavinger and Bryan Baker each getting one.

    Cleavinger cleaned a mess left by Griffin Jax who got the call in the ninth over Fairbanks, who had a couple of days off so we can only infer Fairbanks’ spot as the Ray’s closer is in jeopardy as he gets downgraded to ‘probably’ from ‘strong’.

    Jax has had his issues since joining the Rays and they continued in allowing a couple walks and a hit, prompting Cleavinger to come in to save the day.

    For Baker’s save, it was Baker’s second day in a row (through 19 pitches day before) and would have been Fairbanks’ second as well (he threw 22 pitches), though Baker got the call.

    I’d speculatively add Baker and Cleavinger in deeper formats right now but hold my shares of Fairbanks elsewhere. He hasn’t been bad lately, outside of two bad outings.

    But as I noted last week, there have been some patches of rough outings for Fairbanks this year but it hasn’t lasted.

    I (mostly) expect Fairbanks to get the next ninth inning.

    Holds

    Cleavinger and Edwin Uceta each got two holds with Baker, Jax and Mason Montgomery each getting one.

    I’ve mentioned Uceta as an arm to watch for all year as he worked through some issues and now, he is back to getting holds with major K upside (17 Ks in 12.2 innings over last 30 days with a 1.42 ERA). I’d add him everywhere, right now. He has the kind of upside you want to get a head of. But if he doesn’t get another hold this week, we may have to send him back to the wire.

    Cleavinger remains a must roster dude with Jax (for now, he is teetering on the edge of losing his spot to Uceta). Baker is also a solid holds league play.

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    September 3, 2025, 8:03 pm