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They are supposed to be the baseball equivalent of a seal, that little bit of wax poured onto a finished letter and pressed with a stamp to denote that which is finished. Firemen. Stoppers. Closers. Whatever you want to call them, they are all the rage in the free-agent marketplace.Heres some perspective from ESPNs Jayson Stark: Dollars for Kenley Jansen, Aroldis Chapman & Mark Melancon in the last week: $228 million. Total dollars Mariano Rivera earned: $169 million.According to Cots Baseball Contracts, the contracts signed by Jansen (Dodgers, five years/$80 million), Chapman (Yankees, five years/$86 million) and Melancon (Giants, four years/$62 million) are the three largest pacts ever given to relief pitchers, not just in total contract value, but also on a per-season basis.Have teams gone collectively mad?Lets not pin this all on the high-revenue teams that ended up with this years crop of elite closers. The Marlins and Nationals also were reportedly in on the bidding, and ESPNs Jim Bowden reported that Washington offered Jansen even more than he accepted from the Dodgers.The 2016 postseason was terrific for a lot of reasons, but if not for the Cubs curse-breaking run, the thing we might remember most would be the re-introduction of the super-reliever -- that key bullpen arm that could be trotted out at the most crucial juncture of a game even if that moment fell outside the parameters of the modern save situation. Andrew Miller, Chapman and Jansen all helped cement the concept of leverage into the minds of mainstream hardball fans and recalled the days of Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage and Bruce Sutter, when a teams best reliever was often asked to do more than lock down the ninth inning.Still, despite the continuing evolution of postseason bullpen deployment, relief pitchers in general arent any better than they were last year at this time. Baseballs development systems continue to churn out more hard throwers than ever, but all that really has changed is that there seems to be a trend away from the paint-by-numbers method of managing bullpens.Its easy to look at the windfalls received by Jansen, Chapman and Melancon and view this as a unique winter-stove season, when multiple contending teams had ninth-inning holes to fill, the games revenue is at its highest-ever peak and is projected to climb higher, and the overall free-agent class is tepid. Any one of these signings, in a vacuum, is easily justified in a December press conference, and chances are the majority of each teams fan base is thrilled about the signings. And certainly we all are relieved that Jansen wont have to find another walk-in song.Nevertheless, the odds are good that at least one, if not all three, of these contracts will turn out to be terrible values.The teams would almost certainly argue that even if the contracts eventually wont look good on a spreadsheet, that is beside the point. These were aggressive moves made by teams trying to win championships. If they do so, then some dead money down the line will be easier to digest.That may well be a valid way to look at the closer splurge. The Dodgers were two wins short of a National League pennant and Jansens ability to go multiple innings in October was a big reason why that happened. The Giants might have pushed the Cubs even harder in the NLDS if theyd had Melancon, as their second-half bullpen problems extended into the postseason.The Yankees ... well, thats a different case. Its hard to ever really call New York a rebuilding team, but the Yankees did finish fourth in the AL East last season and were outscored by 22 runs during the campaign. They stocked up on prospects at the trade deadline by dealing away Chapman and Miller, so they should have known better than anyone that an elite late-inning reliever on a good-value or expiring contract is a great trade chip to have. Thats why as good as Miller has been the last few years, hes bounced around the majors like a pinball. Chapmans new deal isnt likely to result in the same kind of trade-market cachet.That brings us back around to our seal metaphor: Closers are the last step, not the first, or even the 10th. They are the cherry on the top of the sundae. The Giants and Dodgers can make a claim that Melancon and Jansen is that to them. For the Yankees to do the same with Chapman is a stretch. Thats not to say the Yankees cant contend, but whether or not they do probably wont have much to do with Chapman, especially since the Yankees already had a quality closing candidate in Dellin Betances.Meanwhile, as the Yankees take aim at the 2018-19 free-agent class, they are locking up space under the tax threshold while hoping that Chapman retains his velocity and remains something like a foundational player. Its this last proposition that makes all of these deals suspect. Simply put, just because a closer -- any closer not named Mariano Rivera -- has been elite, it doesnt mean he will remain so. In fact, chances are, he wont.To be sure, the three closers in question have been among the most consistent in all of baseball, insofar as relief pitching is ever consistent. That perception of certainty is a big part of what drove up their respective values. All three of the signing teams better hope that this perception remains a reality.According to the free-agent listings at baseball-reference.com, there have been 182 relievers since 1976 to sign a new deal on the heels of a season in which they saved at least 10 games -- a very low bar to label someone a closer. Barely half (92) saved at least 10 games the very next season. By the third season after the signing, only 24 percent of them were still at the 10-save level, and by the fifth season, that number was down to 10 percent. Thats why were so hard on teams that sign relievers to four- and five-year deals. Few of them work out.The story remains the same if you raise the bar to 30-save guys, a level reached the season before a pitcher hit free agency 65 times over the last three decades. Of those 65 pitchers, only 45 percent hit 30 saves again the season after signing a free-agent deal. (This includes those who re-signed with the same team.) Two years out, that number was down to 25 percent. By the fifth year -- which will eventually apply to Chapman and Jansen -- only five (8 percent) were still at the 30-save level. Not one of the 65 had at least 30 saves in each of the five seasons after his signing.The save is a deeply flawed metric but, lets face it, its one of the key statistics that got these players so much money this winter, and it does more or less describe what a closer does during the regular season. Its a stat that is at least as much about context as actual performance. Thats not comforting in this case because these numbers strongly suggest that, by and large, closers tend to quickly flame out, to the extent that they arent used in save spots within a couple of years.There are always exceptions and the players who populate the all-time saves list are proof of that -- the likes of Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, Lee Smith and Billy Wagner -- who have been both consistent and durable. Its certainly possible that Jansen, Chapman and Melancon will end up on a similar path. Nevertheless, given the history of free-agent relievers, its an expensive gamble.The old axiom about free agency in any sport is that you pay not for what a player has done, but for what he is going to do. When it comes to closers and free agency, its crucial, and exceedingly difficult, to make that distinction.Drew Lock Broncos Jersey . A statement from the worlds top-ranked player says all checks "were satisfactory and showed positive evolution" regarding the injury, which contributed to his loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in the final in Melbourne. Dalton Risner Womens Jersey . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. http://www.broncosrookiestore.com/Broncos-Dalton-Risner-Jersey/ . -- PGA TOUR Canada member Steve Saunders took a three-stroke lead Saturday in the Web. Shannon Sharpe Jersey . Burke is expected to miss two to three months after breaking a finger in the teams third preseason game. Tinsley, a 10-year veteran, spent the last two seasons in Utah, where the point guard averaged 3. Royce Freeman Womens Jersey .J. -- Seven games into a disappointing season, New York Giants defensive catalyst Jason Pierre-Paul is getting the feeling hes back.ARLINGTON, Texas -- Dez Bryants 60th career touchdown was Dak Prescotts first for the Dallas Cowboys.And for the first time in his short stint filling in for injured Tony Romo, the rookie quarterback was able to effectively utilize all of the receiver trio of Bryant, Cole Beasley and Terrance Williams in the same game, a 31-17 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday night.There was Bryants 17-yard TD catch early in the fourth quarter to extend the lead for the Cowboys (2-1). Beasley, the 5-foot-8 sparkplug who has been the teams leading receiver this season, had seven more catches and Williams had some important receptions on scoring drives though he lost a fumble at the end of a 47-yard gain in the third quarter that led to a Bears touchdown.On the second play of the game, however, Bryant limped off after hurting his right knee on an 11-yard completion. He was back on the field not long after that following treatment on the sideline, but didnt have another catch until the opening play of the fourth quarter.He hurt his knee, he was out for a little bit, but then he was able to come back, Garrett said. The slant for a touchdown was a big play in the game.Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said X-rays indicated that Bryant likely has a sprained knee, and an MRI was expected as early as Monday. Bryant didnt speak to reporters after the game.Prescott still doesnt have a turnover, extending his early-career mark to 99 consecutive passing attempts without an interception. And his first passing touchdown -- he had his second rushing TD early against the Bears -- put the Cowboys up 31-10 when Bryant caught the ball in front of a defender, turned and lunged into the end zone.That put Bryant in exclusive company since Hall of Fame receivers Michael Irvin (87) and Bob Hayes (71) and current tight end Jason Witten (60) are the only other players with 60 career TD catches for the Cowboys.Prescott ended up with the ball from his first touchdown, which was also a notable score for Bryant.ddddddddddddThey saved it for me. If (Bryant) wants it, he can have it, Prescott said. I plan on getting many more.Bryant had only one catch in the season opener two weeks ago before a 100-yard game at Washington, a game in which a pass was never thrown in Williams direction. Beasley has been the constant, with at least five catches in every game so far.Beasley caught all seven passes thrown his way against the Bears, gaining 73 yards. Williams was targeted four times, catching all of them for 73 yards. Bryants third and last catch was the touchdown, after Prescott went his way on six plays.With all of those guys, we want to rotate them through, and we dont want any of those receivers playing every snap the whole game, coach Jason Garrett said. We want to keep them fresh.Beasley was also banged up on the opening series, taking a hard shot to the chest from defensive back Adrian Amos after a completion that was initially marked as a first down. After a replay challenge by the Bears, officials pushed the ball back a yard, making it fourth down, though the Cowboys converted on way to a touchdown.Prescott thought he might have had his first touchdown on Wittens 18-yard catch on the opening drive, and then again on Beasleys 29-yard catch early in the second quarter. Both instead were correctly marked down at the 1, immediately followed by touchdown runs -- by Prescott and Lance Dunbar, respectively.On the next Cowboys possession, Williams had a pair of 12-yard catches for first downs and Beasley has a 9-yard gain when he caught a short pass, was hit by a defender and then dived forward to get a few extra yards .All the guys were getting open for him, Beasley said of the rookie quarterback. He was going through his reads and he does a good job of it.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '