Huston Street closed out Wednesday's game after Manny Corpas pitched the last three nights. He did a great job, but he is not the closer in Colorado.

This performance certainly helps his case, but for now Corpas is still the closer and it is his job to lose. We will keep an eye on this situation.

This was a shocker. Despite the terrible start for the Nationals and the 6 blown saves from its bullpen, the next casuality in the clean up effort was demoting Joel Hanrahan from the closer job. The first move was sending Lastings Milledge to the minors and then benching Dukes for staying long at a charity event.

Manny Acta is really being stupid and reacting to the media and the fans rather then helping his young players become better players. If every team was managed like the Nationals, Hanley Ramirez would be benched, Matt Holiday would be sent to the minors, and Jimmy Rollins would be put on waivers.

All of pitchers, closers, and hitters have had a slow start. Maybe it was the WBC, or maybe it is what it is, a slow start. Whatever the case, Hanrahan is a talented young pitcher with closer mentality and closer stuff. Instead of letting him work through his problems and learn, Acta wants to hand the job over to Kip Wells, Julian Tavarez, and others. Is that the same Julian Tavarez from the Red Sox!

If you own Hanrahan, hold him. Acta is trying to make a point with his team, by demoting people to motivate them. I don't like the strategy, but do not doubt that after a week or so Hanrahan will be closing.

I would not touch Wells or Julian Tavarez. They may get a save or two, but the risk outweights the reward.

Last year we were high on Wood. This year we weren't. We don't like injury prone national league pitchers crossing the line over to the American league. Its a different game. Monday night Wood got lit up by Jason Bay and gave up a 3-run bomb. On Tuesday, Wood came into a game for the second straight night where it wasn't a save opportunity. He promptly let a couple of guys get on before striking out Nick Green on three straight fastballs and getting Ellsbury to line out.

He got the win Tuesday, but this is a closer out of his league. American League feast on fast balls and most hitters are better then Nick Green. I recommend moving Kerry Wood while he has value.

I'm sure lots of Matt Linstrom owners were worried after his huge blow up the other night giving up 7 runs.

Tonight against the Mets he threw a perfect 9th inning with a strikeout.

Word out of Florida is, they are sticking with Lindstrom through the good and bad. He's a young flamethrower that has to work through his problems with his command. They feel one day he will be a dominating closer and I agree.

Stick with Lindstrom.

Jose Valverde's calf is bothering him and he will be out a bit longer before he can return. The Astros have been hesitant about placing Valverde on the 15-DL, but if they do it will be retroactive.

It has been a tough start for Valverde, but he had a tough start last season as well. Get LaTroy Hawkins in the mean time and keep your faith in Valverde. He will be back and strong.

Last Friday the Royals reported that Joakim Soria would be out 3-5 days. The latest reports are that the Royals are in no rush to bring him back.

This isn't good for Soria owners. He has some pain in his shoulder, but after an MRI no damage showed. He is on special medication and light throwing.

We recommend picking up Robinson Tejeda in the meantime. The Royals will with a closer by committee until Soria is back, and Tejeda has been lights out with a 1.69 ERA and 10 K's so far this season.

So far in 2009, Chad Qualls has been alright. He is a closer we are not high on but he has nailed down four saves, while blowing one. He has struck out 12 batters in 8 innings but has a average ERA at 3.00. His WHIP is also high at 1.33, but not much to be concerned about.

After Sunday all of that should improve as he struck 3 batters in 2 innings of work, but did not record the win or save in the extra inning affair.

We recommend holding onto Qualls. He won't get you much in trade value, and seems to be doing alright so far as the closer for the Diamondbacks.

After nearly three weeks of baseball we really haven't seen the 2008 Brad Lidge, but closer to the 2007 Lidge. So far this season, Lidge has appeared in 9 games and five save chances. While he has only blown 1 save, several of the saves have been touch-and-go. His last appearance Saturday night resulted in a save, but he walked the bases loaded in doing it.

So far Lidge has a 7.27 ERA, but even more important is his 1.85 WHIP. That is just not going to cut it for a dominating closer. We were suspect on Lidge coming in because of his past breakdowns and this year we are no different. 11 hits and 5 walks in less then nine innings is showing us the Lidge we expected.

I recommend trading Lidge ASAP. He could come out of this slump and be lights out, but I'd rather not worry about that and get a good deal for him now. If he does implode, you won't be able to move him.

Papelbon came into a tie game on Friday and closed out Saturday's game in a non-save situation. That spells out a frustrating week for Papelbon owners. Overall, in week 3 Papelbon made three appearances, none of them save opportunities.

What makes this worse for Papelbon owners? Count him out on Sunday. The Red Sox will not pitch Paps three days in a row, even against the Yankees. Papelbon will not record a save this week, but if you can pick up Saito he will get the save chance on Sunday.

Also note that Papelbon threw 47 pitched over the past two days, including 30 pitches Saturday. Do not count on Papelbon for Sunday.

Brandon Morrow has been on fire over his past 6 appearances. After a brutal start he has pitched six scoreless innings , while earning five saves.

Morrow has shown complete command of all his pitches except for his first appearance. He has 7 K's over the 6 inning stretch and has secured that closer position.

Aardsma got the save last night because Morrow wasn't available due to stiffness in his pitching shoulder. This is something you will just have to put up with Morrow until his arm gets back to full strength. Clearly he is not 100% healthy and the Mariners have been trying to protect him until he is completely healthy.

Morrow should be good to go for Sunday.

Wow, Philadelphia hammered Lindstrom in the 9th inning of a of a 3-0. He did get the leadoff man out and struck out Bruntlett with only one run in. After that, all hell broke loose capped by a Shane Victorino grand slam and a Chase Utley home run.

Very bad outing for Lindstrom. His biggest problem coming into the season was his command and he clearly didn't have it tonight. At the end of the day, a one inning ERA of 94.50.

As a owner of Lindstrom, I would worry too much. It was a bad day for him, but like Lindstrom, brush it off.

At the beginning of the year, one of the questions for the Orioles was who would close? Their former closer Chris Ray was back from injury and last years All-Star closer George Sherill certainly desevered the job.

Tonight in Texas he blew the first save of the season giving up a 2-run home run against Micheal Young after giving up a single to Ian Kinsler.

This is another rough game for Sherill, but we suspect the job is still his. Though his hold on the job is far less strong with each bad performance and Chis Ray waiting in the wings.

Bad news for BJ Ryan owners as he went on the DL with a sore shoulder and back. Sounds like a sore ego. I think the Blue Jays want to give him some time to rest and get back to where he was. I have no doubt he will be back on time when he is eligible to get off the DL.

For now, get Scott Downs and possibly Jason Frasor. Both RP's have been great this year and both should see opportunities. Downs is a lefty, while Frasor is a righty. They could work match ups in the bullpen till Ryan returns.

I'm no longer high on BJ Ryan. If someone is willing to trade for him, consider exploring it. However, don't sell him cheap. He has the capabilities to come back and give you 35 saves.

Its been a tough start for top closer Jose Valverde, but today he finally got his first save. It took 6 appearances and a blown save to get it.

While his WHIP has been OK, he's been pounded for 3 runs in 5 innings before today's save. There was an issue of a sore back, but you never know how true that is. Either way, its not an issue anymore.

Today's save wasn't the best. He committed an error, give up a hit and walked a batter before striking out Loney and Martin to end the game.

We predicted it before the season started and now it has happened. Huston Street is out as Rockies closer according to sources in Denver. Manny Corpas will become the closer and should have success. If he is available in your leagues, get him. He has closed before for the Rockies with 23 saves over two season and should do alright. He has had problems, so this might be a good pick up and trade scenario if you can get him. Personally, I don't like closers in Colorado.

Joel Hanrahan blew a save in a big way Saturday giving up 3 runs in the ninth inning and to of them on a Jeremy Hermida home run.

Don't worry or panic with your closer. Hanrahan is one of the best young closers in the National League and he should be fine. Washington has had a horrific start and the problems are compounding for them. Hanrahan will notch his first save shortly and get back into the swing of it. Outside of that performance he has been solid.

If you can, try and deal for Hanrahan as his value is low and some worried owners might be willing to dump him at a cheap price.

In spring training the A's were set to have two closers and use them both often. However, things changed when Joey Devine sprained his pitching elbow and in my opinion that was a good thing for the A's. He is on the 60-Day DL and won't likely pitch again this year and if he does, it won't be as closer.

Brad Ziegler is a solid closer for the A's. His Dan Quisenberry submarine-style of pitching really works for a closer. Its an odd and rarely seen pitching style and hitters don't look forward to the change in the final inning of a game. That is a hard adjustment to make and is a big reason for Ziegler's success.

If you have Devine on your roster, cut him. He's not worth holding. So far this season Ziegler has been great. He has recorded 3 saves, a 2.57 ERA, and 6 K's in seven innings. Continue to expect production out of the A's closer and expect a 30+ save year for a healthy Brad Ziegler.

Takashi Saito came in to save the game for the Red Sox. Terry Francona stuck to his rules of not pitching Papelbon three game sin a row.

He faced the middle of the Orioles lineup and gave up hits against Markakis and Huff before getting the next three out. He did give up a run and recorded one strikeout.

If your league offers holds, Saito is extremely valuable. He will get the call for saves whenever Papelbon has pitched two games in a row, so have him on hold for that as well.

B.J. Ryan looked strong getting his second save of the season. The Blue Jays are still going with their veteran lefty at closer and today it went perfect.

Ryan gave up 1 hit and struck out one in what was a quiet 9th inning. This should raise the confidence level for Ryan owners going forward.

Scott Downs did come in and pitched a perfect 8th inning.

Just when you thought that maybe Carlos Marmol was being considered for the closer role, Pinella bring him into the game in the 7th inning and he promptly gives up the lead. He did pitch a perfect 7th, but the first two batters in the 8th banged out base hits and handed Marmol the blown save.

Kevin Gregg followed Marmol and pitched scoreless 8th and 9th innings, but got non decision.

Carlos Marmol notched his second save of the season Friday night, but didn't do it smoothly. He opened the inning with a walk and hit batter before retiring the next three with one strikeout.

Clearly Pinella could have gone with Kevin Gregg, but his dependability with his gimpy knee could spell doom for the closer. If his knee stiffens he can't pitch and that might be causing him problems right now.

They were warming up Marmol before Soriano belted a home run off of Chris Perez in the 8th and he decided to stick with him. Either way, we told you that Marmol would get at minimum 20 saves this year and he now has 2.

Gregg is still the closer, but watch the reports on his knee and do not bench or trade Marmol. However, if you can acquire him via trade, now is the time.

Last night things looked back to normal in Seattle. The Mariners called on David Aardsma in the 8th and Brandon Morrow in the 9th for the save.

Morrow have a perfect inning with two strikeouts. We will see who the mariners will go with if a save opportunity occurs tomorrow. Our guess is Morrow, but after last week who knows. Feel safe to keep him in there unless you have another on your bench.

If you have Aardsma and feel like gambling, either put him in or keep them both in. Assuming the Mariners can win two in a row, at least you will get the save.

Our favorite closer this year Jonathan Broxton amazed us again with another stud performance. He was brought into the game with the bases loaded and one out in the 8th inning. He struck out 2 batters that inning and ended up with 4 strikeouts and a save.

Broxton is clearly becoming one of the most dominating closers in baseball. His only issue remains his loss of control. He definitely feels comfortable and has the mentality for the job.

If any pitcher in baseball can break 50 saves and 100 strikeouts it is Jonathan Broxton. Get him if you can.

Heath Bell is on fire. He recorded his 5th save tonight. After having a tough time at the end of last season allot of people including myself lost confidence in Bell. He blew 7 saves and did not record one in 2008, so when the Padres let Hoffman go and gave the job to Bell I was a bit concerned.

So far he has not only proved he can handled the job, but he has also proved me wrong. He's pitch 5 shutout innings and 5 strikeouts. His microscopic 0.82 WHIP is also getting the attention of closer hunters.

I'm not saying go out and grab Bell, but his value as a top-of-the-line closer is going up. Keep an eye on him and consider dealing for him, just don't pay too much.

Larussa is at it again. It's obvious that LaRussa doesn't like rebuilding years and likes youth at the closer spot even less. For now it looks as though he has chosen Ryan Franklin to close for the Cardinals.

Last season Franklin blew 8 saves in 25 opportunities and if LaRussa had the confidence in him for the long haul, it would have been his job from the beginning. This is short lived. We suspect that they are fine tuning Chris Perez for the job. At least we think LaRussa plans to give him a chance to close, and soon.

The Cardinals have brought Chris Perez up. He pitched 2 perfect innings today, striking out 2. Jason Motte also pitched the ninth inning in a non-save situation and was perfect.

We have a feeling that LaRussa is testing Perez and getting him ready for a chance at closing games. If Chris Perez is on your waivers, GET HIM!

Also, offer some lite trades for Perez. He is risky, but his value could end up being very high.

Kerry Wood recorded his first save today. While he didn't get any strikeouts, his command looked good and his velocity was average. Jensen Lewis got the win by blowing the save in the 7th.

Kerry Wood still worries up, so keep Lewis and Betancourt on your scout team till further notice.

Huston Street had another rough outing today. He came in to pitch the 9th in a non-save situation, but quickly turned it into one. He gave up a home run to to Derek Lee, and then followed that with single and a walk before Clint Hurdle pulled him for Jason Grilli.

We have never had confidence in Huston Street pitching in Colorado. Its a big risk, and a bad ball park to pitch in if you can't command your stuff. Today wasn't in Colorado, but he is bound to have adventures when the Rockies go home.

Currently, according to reports, he is still the closer, he was just ineffective and was removed. Don't pick up Grilli. If Corpas was available he would have pitched, but he was used in the 8th.

We recommend picking up Manny Corpas if he is available on your waiver wire. We suspect before long he will be the Rockies closer.

If you don't already know, I am not a fan of Mike Gonzalez. While ha has good stuff and a killer breaking ball, he is inconsistent and injury prone. It is almost a guarantee he will end up on the DL at some point this year.

Gonzalez has had 4 appearances and has recorded 1 save in to save opportunities. While two of his appearances weren't save situations, Gonzalez has given up 5 hits and 2 walks in 4 innings. A positive is 6 strikeouts, so far, but Gonzalez has been anything but dominating.

Rafael Soriano has been completely dominating. He has pitched 4 innings himself, and given up no runs and has 5 strikeouts. He also has recorded one save.

If you own Gonzalez, we highly recommend picking up Soriano. If Gonzalez continues to give up runs, and Soriano continues to shutdown the 8th, the Braves will make the change.

Motte is out as closer in St. Louis. LaRussa has gone with McClellan, Reyes, and Franklin to secure ball games recently. Motte has been moved to earlier innings to get more experience.

Get Chris Perez. Perez is on fire in the minors. He has healed from his sore shoulder and has pitched 4 innings with no runs and 4 strikeouts.

If and when the call up Perez they will likely give him a shot, but still mix in Franklin.

Between April 9-12 the Mariners had 4 save opprotunities. So far they've had 5 saves chances, closing out 4. The Mariners are monitoring Morrow's workload as to try and avoid injury.

As Morrow gets stronger and once Aardsma starts to become unreliable Morrow will start saving games back to back. After his blown save you could tell he wasn't quite ready after walking 3. He also has thrown over 50 pitches in the two saves, so the Mariners went with Aardsma for 2 saves.

Keep Morrow as your closer, but pickup Aardsma as insurance. We still think Roy Corcoran can get in the mix for saves as well. If Aardsma is gone and you have a roster spot free, take a flier on Corcoran.