The 2018 season has now come and gone (so sad!), so it is now time to dive into trends and projections for next season! A tough statistic to find trends on is saves, as a lot of success for closers comes from success from teams. There are also a lot of bullpens by committee these days, further stifling the value of closers.That being said, only four of the pitchers that ranked in the top-10 in saves in 2017 followed up in 2018. One of those pitchers had a huge jump in saves, but [...]

The 2018 season has now come and gone (so sad!), so it is now time to dive into trends and projections for next season! A tough statistic to find trends on is saves, as a lot of success for closers comes from success from teams. There are also a lot of bullpens by committee these days, further stifling the value of closers.That being said, only four of the pitchers that ranked in the top-10 in saves in 2017 followed up in 2018. One of those pitchers had a huge jump in saves, but [...]

As the [...]

The Washington Nationals picked up closer Sean Doolittle's $6 million option for the 2019 season, according to people familiar with the situation. Doolittle missed some of the second half of the season with a foot injury, but the left-hander was one of the most dominant ninth-inning men in baseball when he was healthy, posting a 1.60 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, 25 saves and 60 strikeouts in 45 innings in 34 outings. Doolittle will be a high-end fantasy closing option in 2019.

If you're still reading this, you're most likely either in the playoffs or winding down the year in a rotisserie league. Either way: congrats! This week was another interesting one in bullpens across the league, one that will certainly affect not only the fantasy playoffs but also the real MLB playoffs next month. There's bullpen turmoil in the desert, as the wearer of baseball's best Players' Weekend jersey may not be closing anymore. There's a familiar name in a somewhat unfamiliar position[...]

The Washington Nationals activated closer Sean Doolittle (foot) from the disabled list on Friday. Doolittle has been out for the last two months, so the Nats may ease him back into the ninth-inning role. The left-hander should still be owned everywhere, though, as he had posted a clean 1.45 ERA, 0.54 WHIP, 22 saves and 49 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings before his injury.

Washington Nationals closer Sean Doolittle (foot) threw a successful simulated game on Wednesday and is set to be activated from the disabled list this weekend. It's unclear if Doolittle will be put right back into the ninth inning, but he should still be owned in all leagues after sporting a 1.45 ERA, 0.54 WHIP, 22 saves and 49 K's in 37 1/3 innings. Koda Glover has been the main ninth-inning option of late with Doolittle sidelined.

In an update to an earlier news post, Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that closer Sean Doolittle could be activated from the disabled list early this week, per MLB.com's Jamal Collier. Doolittle is currently 81% owned, which means he is out there in some leagues. Given this recent news, those interested in saves should pick Doolittle up at this time if he happens to be on the waiver wire.

Washington Nationals closer Sean Doolittle (toe) said that he felt Sunday's sim game was an improvement over Friday's, per the Washington Post's Chelsea Janes. Doolittle has been out since the beginning of July with left toe inflammation, and while he said his foot felt fine today, nothing was mentioned about next steps for recovery. With injuries plaguing the Nationals bullpen, it looks like Justin Miller may be the guy to own until either Doolittle or Kelvin Herrera return to the team.

Washington Nationals closer Sean Doolittle (foot) was encouraged with his simulated game on Friday and will throw another one on Sunday or Monday. Doolittle is finally nearing a return and could return to the ninth-inning role sometime next week if he avoids setbacks. With Doolittle still out, Kelvin Herrera done for the year and Ryan Madson now with the Dodgers, Koda Glover should continue to be the favorite for save chances in D.C. until Doolittle is back.