The Rays will not designate a closer this season, but Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times thinks Alvarado will "get lots of save opportunities."

EDGE Analysis

Alvarado racked up eight saves for the Rays last season, finishing third on the team behind Sergio Romo and Alex Colome, and the skills are certainly closer worthy. He pumps the fastball in at 97 mph on average and gets plenty of swinging strikes. The southpaw was even more of a headache against right-handed hitters than he was against lefties, holding them to a .218 wOBA. It sounds like he will be primary ninth-inning arm, but Alvarado will be used earlier in the game when needed, creating some save chances for the likes of Diego Castillo, Chaz Roe, Emilio Pagan and perhaps others.