Free-agent relief pitcher Scott Barlow agreed with the Cincinnati Reds on a one-year, $2.5 million contract on Tuesday, sources told ESPN's Jesse Rogers. The deal is still pending a physical. Barlow will head to the National League Central in 2025 after going 3-3 with a 4.25 ERA (4.02 FIP), a 1.36 WHIP, two saves, 68 strikeouts and 31 walks in 55 relief innings for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024. The 32-year-old right-handed veteran became a free agent last fall when the Guardians released him in September. In Cincinnati, he'll be in play for the Reds as a late-inning setup man alongside Taylor Rogers and Emilio Pagan in front of closer Alexis Diaz. Barlow has seen a dip in velocity the last couple years, although he did still post a 28.2% strikeout rate last year. He has 58 career saves in seven big-league seasons, but he's unlikely to see many save chances in Cincy as long as Diaz stays healthy.

Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Scott Barlow picked up his second save of the season in Monday's 3-2 win over the Orioles. Barlow came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by one and struck out the side to seal the win. Closer Emmanuel Clase has pitched each of the last two days, so Barlow was called upon to close things out. The 31-year-old has pitched well overall this season, picking up 16 holds with a 3.66 ERA, a 12.38 K/9 rate, and a 4.78 BB/9 rate in 32 innings of work. While he has spent time as a closer in his career, Barlow will likely see very limited opportunities given Clase's elite skillset. However, his high strikeout numbers and high-leverage usage could make him worth a look in saves-plus-holds leagues.

The Cleveland Guardians have acquired relief pitcher Scott Barlow from the San Diego Padres on Friday. The Padres will receive right-hander Enyel De Los Santos as the return for Barlow. It's a bit surprising to see the Padres give up on Barlow this quickly. It's worth noting that Barlow is due close to $7 million in arbitration this offseason. Possibly, the Padres didn't believe Barlow's value was worth the pay increase. The right-hander posted a 4.37 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, with 79/34 K/BB ratio and 13 saves last season. He pitched extremely well during the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Kansas City Royals. The Guardians have a good track record with relievers, so hopefully they'll be able to turn him around.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Scott Barlow is being traded to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. The right-handed reliever will be moved in exchange for pitchers Jesus Rio and Henry Williams. The Padres appear to be hanging onto Josh Hader, which isn't going to help Barlow's value going forward. Barlow is basically going to be a set-up pitcher, so he'll only have value in leagues where holds matter. The assumption is that Carlos Hernandez is going to be the favorite for saves in Kansas City with Barlow headed elsewhere.

The Kansas City Royals continue to draw significant trade interest in relief pitchers Scott Barlow and Carlos Hernandez as the Aug. 1 trade deadline draws near, according to sources. Barlow is more likely to be moved based on club control; he's set to be a free agent after the 2024 season, while Hernandez will be arbitration-eligible for each of the next four years. Barlow, 30, has recorded 12 saves this and has fanned 45 hitters in 36 2/3 innings, but he also has a bloated 5.15 ERA (3.61 FIP) and 1.53 WHIP on the year. Hernandez, 26, doesn't have any saves and has posted a 3.78 ERA (2.82 FIP), 1.00 WHIP, 13 walks and 57 strikeouts in 50 relief innings for the Royals.

Kansas City Royals closer Scott Barlow picked up his 12th save of the season in Monday's 5-3 win over the Guardians. Barlow entered the game to pitch the ninth inning up by two. He allowed a leadoff single, got the first out on a lineout, allowed another single, and got the final two outs on a lineout and groundout. The 30-year-old is currently having the worst season of his career, blowing only two save opportunities but compiling a bloated 5.15 ERA with an 11.05 K/9 rate and a 5.15 BB/9 rate. While he has little competition in the bullpen, Barlow's fantasy value is limited given his poor performance and the lack of save opportunities in general with the Royals.

Kansas City Royals closer Scott Barlow picked up his 11th save of the year to hold down a 4-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. Barlow allowed a hit and struck out one in his inning of work. The lanky righty isn't having the success he had last year in the closer role, but his job seems to be secure given the recent trade that saw Aroldis Chapman shipped out of town. Now the only problem is the lack of opportunities Barlow has seen. He is 11-for-13 in save opportunities and is unlikely to see a big uptick in those numbers given the Royals' ineptitude. He's still a solid low-end closer to have in 12-team leagues or deeper where saves are valuable.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Scott Barlow registered four outs with a strikeout on one walk en route to his to 10th save of the season in Saturday's 6-4 triumph over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Just as it seemed the 30-year-old was losing his grip a bit on the closing job, Kansas City flipped Aroldis Chapman to the Texas Rangers on Friday. It removes the most significant threat to Barlow's role, solidifying his status as the Royals stopper going forward. The right-hander still has work to do, though, toting a middling 4.06 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 43:15 K:BB across 31 innings this year. It's worth noting that KC has only supplied 24 save opportunities so far in 2023.

Kansas City Royals closer Scott Barlow was off his game in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Guardians, blowing his second save of the season and earning his fourth loss. Barlow came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by one. He allowed a leadoff single, got the first out on a strikeout, walked a batter, allowed a two-RBI double, and finally ended things with a groundout and fly-out. The 30-year-old has pitched uncharacteristically poorly this season, compiling nine saves with a 4.40 ERA, 12.56 K/9 rate, and 4.40 BB/9 rate. His fantasy value was always limited given his team context, but it is now even lower given his performance. He is still worth a roster spot in deeper roto leagues for now but is not trending in the right direction.

Kansas City Royals reliever Scott Barlow allowed one hit while striking out two over a scoreless inning to earn the save during Thursday's 6-5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. He entered the ninth inning to protect a one-run lead. The 30-year-old retired three of four batters he faced to notch his ninth save of the season. Barlow has converted 9-of-10 save opportunities while posting a 3.90 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and 39: 13 K: BB across 27 2/3 innings in 2023. Fantasy managers should continue to roll with Barlow in all league formats, as he's the primary closer for the Royals.

Kansas City Royals closer Scott Barlow picked up his eighth save of the season in Tuesday's 1-0 win over the Tigers. Barlow came in to pitch the ninth inning and got the first out on a groundout. He then allowed a double before inducing another groundout and a strikeout to end the game. The 30-year-old has not pitched as well as he has in the past, although he has only blown one save to go with a 4.05 ERA, 12.49 K/9 rate, and 4.39 BB/9 rate. His fantasy value will remain capped given how poorly the Royals have played, but he is still worth rostering in at least all roto leagues given his relative role security.

Kansas City Royals closer Scott Barlow picked up his sixth save of the season after hurling a scoreless ninth to close out a 4-3 win over the San Diego Padres. He pitched in back-to-back nights after picking up another save in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Padres. Barlow has been on an encouraging streak over his past seven appearances, including seven scoreless innings, 11 strikeouts, and a 0.29 WHIP. The ball was flying to begin the year for Barlow, but he's adjusted well to prove his competence as a closer. On the season, he owns a 3.63 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, with 24 strikeouts over 17 1/3 innings. It appears that most fantasy managers have held onto Barlow, but if he's still around on the wire, it would be beneficial to pick him up.

Kansas City Royals reliever Scott Barlow was handed the ninth inning on Tuesday, trying to preserve a 5-4 lead against the San Diego Padres. He was successful, throwing a perfect inning and striking out one batter en route to his fifth save of the season. Barlow's been a solid arm in the Royals bullpen thus far, posting a 3.86 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 33.8% strikeout rate. The 30-year-old's been on a dominant stretch, though, not allowing a run since April 19. The saves haven't been there for Barlow, who pitches for one of the worst teams in the league, but fantasy managers should expect him to continue closing out games and eventually end up with north of 25 saves.

Kansas City Royals reliever Scott Barlow allowed two hits while striking out one across a scoreless inning to earn the save during Saturday's 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins. He entered the game in the ninth inning to protect a one-run lead. The 30-year-old allowed a pair of base hits but retired the remaining batters he faced to earn his fourth save of the season. Barlow is the Royals' primary closer but is off to a slow start this season. He owns a 6,10 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, and 13 strikeouts over 10 1/3 innings. Despite his early season struggles, Barlow should be rostered in all league formats as he continues to handle closing duties for the Royals.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Scott Barlow earned his third save of the season in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Diamondbacks. Barlow entered the game in the eighth inning up by one with one out and the tying run at second. He left that runner stranded by striking out the first two hitters he faced and stayed on to pitch the ninth. He gave up a leadoff double, got the first out on a groundout, which advanced the tying run to third, got the second out on a pop-out, allowed a walk, and ended the game with a groundout. This was an encouraging outing for Barlow and his fantasy managers, as he has struggled to start the season with a 6.75 ERA. It is also worth noting that Barlow relieved Aroldis Chapman, who allowed two runs (one earned) while recording just one out. Barlow should continue to be given save opportunities as long as he can produce.

Kansas City Royals reliever Scott Barlow pitched the ninth inning of a tie game against the Atlanta Braves but gave up a run on two hits and was tagged with the loss of the 5-4 contest. He did strikeout two without walking anyone but now owns a 6.35 ERA and 5.62 FIP over 5.2 innings with just one save. The Royals will likely be patient with Barlow to get into a groove after he posted a 2.18 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP and 26.6% strikeout rate in 2022. Assuming the right-hander starts to improve his numbers, fantasy managers can expect north of 20 saves by the season's end.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Scott Barlow continued his successful season against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. The right-hander tossed a percent ninth inning to earn his 21st save of the season. The Royals don't do a ton of winning, but Barlow shuts down opposing teams when given the chance. This season, Barlow has converted 21 of 24 save opportunities with a 2.57 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 63/16 K/BB ratio. Fantasy managers in leagues where saves matter should continue to lean on Barlow.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Scott Barlow has been a fairly effective option in the ninth inning this season. On Thursday, Barlow was handed the ball in the ninth inning with a three-run lead over the Chicago White Sox. The right-hander gave up a solo home run to Andrew Vaughn, but looked solid outside of that. The 29-year-old has 18 saves on the season with a 2.32 ERA through 54.3 innings of work in Kansas City. He should be a reliable source for saves through the rest of the season.

Kansas City Royals closer Scott Barlow picked up his 14th save of the season in Monday's Game One 3-1 win over the Tigers. Barlow came into pitch the ninth inning up by two and delivered a 1-2-3 inning with no strikeouts. The 29-year-old hasn't been the flashiest fantasy option this season but has been effective, converting all but two of his save opportunities with a 2.21 ERA and an 8.85 K/9 rate over 40 2/3 innings pitched. He remains a reliable source of saves in all leagues at this time.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Scott Barlow locked down his 13th save Wednesday, allowing one hit and striking out two batters in one inning of work against the Houston Astros. Barlow has been successful in all but two of his save opportunities this season, and he has a 2.39 ERA and 1.04 WHIP to his name in 37 2/3 innings. His strikeout rate of just slightly more than a batter an inning keeps him from being among the elite closers in fantasy baseball, but his role remains very secure going forward.