My keeper league badly overvalues closers. So the question in the waning days of the season is, are there pitchers I should be picking up who could become closers next season?  For example, if Papelbon becomes a starter in Boston, who closes? Foulke, who has a player option? Hansen?  Is there an in-house candidate in Cleveland? Other teams?

I’ll just run through em quick

Arizona - pretty open for next year possibly Medders?
Atlanta - Wickman
Colorado - Fuentes
Cincinatti - Bray or who knows with them???
New York Mets - Wagner
Milwaukee - Cordero
Washington - Cordero
Philly - Gordon
Pittsburgh - Gonzalez (maybe Capps I’ve read somewhere)
St. Louis - Izzy or watch for Wainright if Izzy can’t recover
Cubs - Dempster
Dodgers - Saito/Gagne
Houston - Wheeler would probably be a good pickup but assuming he’s taken in your league
Florida - Taylor Tankersly or Borowski
San Diego - Hoffman
San Fran - not real sure with them Benitez I guess

Boston - I’m guessing Papelbon
Baltimore - Ray
Yankees - Mariano
Jays - BJ
Tampa - Orvella or McClung..another one who knows
Cleveland - another who knows
Detroit - Todd Jones , Zumya
Minnesota - Nathan
White Sox - Jenks
Kansas City - Joe Nelson I guess
Oakland - Huston
Angels - KRod
Texas - Otsuka
Seattle - Putz

If Cleveland doesn’t sign a closer, it’ll be either Mastny or Betancourt.  But I’d bet they’ll sign somebody - the bullpen has been so atrocious this season that they almost can’t stand pat.

And frankly, I think there’s a reasonable chance that Mastny may not even make the team out of spring training ‘07.