Carlos Marmol

It's almost time for pitchers and catchers to report to their spring training cites. This means the men who each team count on to secure a win will be reporting. In the last inning in a close game, the team's manager calls on his best bullpen pitcher to come into the game and shut the door. The closers role is one of the most important roles on a baseball team. Let us countdown the Top 10.

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Some people prefer to wait until late in their draft to acquire their fantasy closers, figuring that you can take some risks while also finding saves on the waiver wire throughout the season. 

Others like to use early- to mid-round picks in order to get an elite closer or two, hopefully stabilizing their standing in saves.  Which strategy is right is a debate for another day, but let’s look at how I currently rank the Top 15 closers heading into 2011:

How good has Cubs closer Carlos Marmol been this season? Historically good. 

It's not as though Carlos Marmol throws 100 miles per hour. It isn't as though he can pinpoint the ball on either corner, or change a batter's eye level at will.

In fact, if any hurler in the game's history has been more frequently guilty of "throwing" rather than "pitching," he will need to submit himself for review. Carlos Marmol just goes out, toes the rubber and lets go of whatever may be in his right hand when he finishes his improbable delivery.

Yet, it works.

Relievers are often called upon when a strikeout is necessary to prevent the other team from scoring. Here are the five relievers that are best at striking hitters out, based on their K/9 rate. 

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Yes, woeful.

The Chicago Cubs spent $146,859,000 on their 2010 payroll, which works out to an average of $5,439,222 per player and is good for third in all of Major League Baseball. Only the Evil Empires—the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox—shelled out more scratch for their squads.

Only the Bronx Bombers are paying more per victory.

They did it! The Blackhawks finally got their Stanley Cup in one of the more bizarre endings you’ll see in a championship game.

My only regret is that they didn’t win it at home. The city was wild enough on a Wednesday during an away game, imagine what clinching on a Friday at home would have been. Oh well, guess we’ll have to wait for the Cubs to win the World Series before we get another Chicago Fire.

Oh yea, and there were some baseball games this week.

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This article was originally published at TheDailyCub.com, my blog offering thoughts and insight on the Chicago Cubs.

After breaking down the starters a few days ago, it’s time to look at the guys who will be working off of their performances.

The Cubs’ bullpen has always been a concern, and they have been changing closers pretty much every season.

This continues my 2010 MLB preview. I intend to touch on every team in the major leagues in installments by division. The lineups I provide will be what I predict will be the most productive for each team for the MAJORITY of the season (e.g., Jason Heyward will be listed as the Braves RF even though he may not begin the season as the starter).

I will also provide the stereotypical letter grade to each team's lineup, rotation, bullpen, and depth/bench. Though it is trite, I think all baseball fans can identify with the letter grade system.

Closers are a volatile bunch.  It’s a fantasy mantra and a good one.  So, for those who participate in dynasty leagues, how do the rankings fall?  How far do you push up a younger closer who has proven capable?  How far do you drop a veteran who may only have a year or two left?  Let’s take a look: