Closer Report: Sleeper options emerging 

January, 17, 2012
Jan 17
2:17
PM ET
When longtime Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Rafael Betancourt was traded to the Colorado Rockies in July 2009 for next to nothing, it was one of those easy-to-overlook transactions in the fantasy baseball world. Betancourt didn't figure to end up in the closer role for the Rockies, and although he'd had some nice moments with the Tribe, notably that spectacular 2007 season in which he fashioned a 1.47 ERA and 0.76 WHIP, the fly-ball pitcher allowed more than his fair share of home runs and didn't figure to excel while calling Coors Field his home.

A few years later, Betancourt likely enters the 2012 season as Rockies closer and a rather large fantasy sleeper, and we're way past the point of expecting him to fail in the National League. Sure, he'll allow his share of gopher balls -- he has given up 16 of them in the past two seasons -- but he's not giving up much else. In two-plus seasons for the Rockies, over 172 appearances and 150 innings, Betancourt's ERA is an even 3.00, his WHIP a splendid 0.91, and he has fanned 11.5 batters per nine innings. Using FanGraphs' WAR as a guide, he's one of only eight relief pitchers to finish in the top 20 among relievers each of the past two seasons, joining Sean Marshall, Matt Thornton, John Axford, Mike Adams, Jonny Venters, Mariano Rivera and Daniel Bard. How many of those guys are closers?

To see Eric's take on the Rockies, Dodgers and White Sox bullpen situations, among others, you must be an ESPN Insider.

Eric Karabell | email

ESPN.com Senior Writer
  • Charter member of FSWA Hall of Fame
  • Host of Baseball Today podcast
  • Author of "The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments"

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ABOUT THIS BLOG

Eric Karabell
Eric Karabell

Eric Karabell is a senior writer for ESPN.com. He has covered fantasy sports for ESPN since 2001, specializing in baseball and football. Eric is the host of the Baseball Today Podcast, is seen several times a week on ESPNEWS and contributes to ESPN The Magazine. He has been honored twice as fantasy sports writer of the year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association, his blog was named best fantasy baseball series for 2007 and he was inducted into the inaugural FSWA Hall of Fame class in 2011.

Eric grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, and accordingly, favors all Philly teams first, his fantasy teams second. He previously served as ESPN.com's lead NBA editor, and is a former Washington Post and Philadelphia Inquirer sports writer. Eric is also the author of "The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments," published by Source Books and available in bookstores and online.

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