ESPN.com · May 29, 2018
Closer report: Who will get saves for the Tampa Bay Rays?
The reason I was not the least bit disappointed by the Tampa Bay Rays trading closer Alex Colome to the Seattle Mariners this past weekend was due to believing the right-hander, who led the majors with 47 saves last season, was a prime candidate to lose the role in 2018. I had not invested. After all, Colome was nowhere near the relief leaders in ERA, WHIP or strikeout rate last season or this, and the main reason he was able to save 47 games in a league-leading 53 chances was due to his offensively compromised team playing so many close games. Colome was not a particularly good pitcher last season, nor is he this time around.