Tracks the closer role and bullpen pecking order across all 30 MLB teams — who owns the ninth-inning job today, who is next in line if the current closer falters (the handcuff), and who carries DFA or demotion risk. Emits a per-reliever `save_role_certainty` signal (0-100) and flags speculation-worthy handcuffs for waiver bids. Use when the user mentions "closer", "save role", "handcuff", "ninth inning", "bullpen depth", lost save, blown save, committee, or when the waiver analyst needs to decide whether to spend FAAB on a backup reliever. This league uses SV as one of its five pitcher categories, but SV is also the most volatile and most punt-worthy cat, so tracking should always be paired with a punt-the-cat fallback recommendation.
Scenario: User asks "who should I stash — any good handcuff closers on waivers?" in mid-April. Three teams of interest have unsettled ninth innings.
Inputs gathered (web search — RotoBaller primary, Closer Monkey secondary, Athlon Closer Confidential):
| Team | Current 9th | Next in line | Third option | Situation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLE | Emmanuel Clase | Cade Smith | Hunter Gaddis | Clase firmly locked — elite K/9 and walk rate |
| TEX | Chris Martin | Robert Garcia | Hoby Milner | Committee language from manager; Martin 39 years old |
| DET | Jason Foley | Tommy Kahnle | Beau Brieske | Foley has two blown saves in a week; velo down 1.2 mph |
Signal emission (per RP):
| Pitcher | save_role_certainty | Owned in league? | Rec action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmanuel Clase | 95 | Yes (by user) | HOLD |
| Cade Smith | 35 | No | ADD on spec, BID $2 |
| Chris Martin | 55 | Yes (opponent) | IGNORE |
| Robert Garcia | 45 | No | ADD, BID $6 — true committee, high handcuff value |
| Jason Foley | 40 | Yes (opponent) | IGNORE (hold only if we owned him) |
| Tommy Kahnle | 50 | No | ADD, BID $8 — velo trend + recent Foley blowups = highest speculation value |
Output signal file (signals/2026-04-17-closer.md):
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