2015 Pitcher Profiles: C – E

by
February 9, 2015

Trevor Cahill

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 3/1/1988 | Team: Diamondbacks | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 8 10 0 146 6.3 4.0 0.8 3.99 1.42 4.26 1.7 0.9
’14 3 12 1 110 8.5 4.5 0.7 5.61 1.61 3.89 -1.4 0.8
’15 5 6 0 96 7.3 4.0 0.7 4.29 1.40 4.02 0.5 0.8

Profile: Cahill’s 2014 was a mixture of good and bad. The soft-tossing righty allowed plenty of runs with a 5.61 ERA, but his 3.89 FIP and 3.83 xFIP point to better times ahead. Left-handed hitters went wild with a .404 weighted on base average against him. A .350 batting average on balls in play, well above his career average, contributed to the pain. He was substantially better out of the bullpen with a 3.04 ERA and 2.92 FIP in 23.2 innings. The lone bright spot is a healthy 10.1% swinging strike rate, which translated to 8.54 strikeouts per nine. Unfortunately, the good was offset by 4.47 walks per nine. With $12 million owed to him in 2015, the Diamondbacks are looking at an expensive swingman. (Brad Johnson)

Quick Opinion: Cahill will need to learn how to neutralize left-handed hitters if he wants to help out of the rotation. Otherwise, he’s a very well paid long reliever.

Matt Cain

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 10/1/1984 | Team: Giants | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 8 10 0 184 7.7 2.7 1.1 4.00 1.16 3.93 1.2 1.3
’14 2 7 0 90 7.0 3.2 1.3 4.18 1.25 4.58 -0.1 -0.3
’15 10 10 0 173 7.5 2.7 1.0 3.77 1.24 3.87 1.2 1.0

Profile: Matt Cain, what has happened to you? Other than the whole bone spur thing. The long-time FIP-beater, Matt Cain, lost his home run per fly ball rate magic in 2013, and in 2014, he lost his health. Now Cain is entering his age-30 season and coming off two consecutive seasons over a four ERA. From 2005 through 2012, he managed a 3.27 ERA and 3.65 FIP. In his 274.2 innings since 2012, he has had a 4.06 ERA and 4.15 FIP. He has been throwing his fastball less and his slider more, and his numbers have gotten worse. Did one cause the other? It’s unclear. But maybe it’s an indication of a decreasingly effective fastball. Who knows? All said, Matt Cain is probably available and probably worth a flyer. There’s just too much good production in recent history to ignore completely. (Bradley Woodrum)

Quick Opinion: Cain has imploded over the preceding two seasons, but his track record is so solid, he is still worth a mid to late round draft pick. Keep an eye on his home run per fly ball rate. If he starts giving up dingers early in the year, then be careful. Keep him on the bench.

Arquimedes Caminero

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 6/16/1987 | Team: Pirates | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 0 0 13 8.3 2.1 1.4 2.77 1.00 4.12 0.2 0.0
’14 0 1 0 6 10.8 5.4 2.7 10.80 1.80 6.43 -0.5 -0.2
’15 1 1 0 15 8.6 3.8 0.9 3.61 1.31 3.86 -0.0 0.0

Profile: If you’re looking for a middle reliever who probably won’t get much of an opportunity in the majors this year, but who has a very long name, Arquimedes may be your guy. (Jeremy Blachman)

Carter Capps

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 8/7/1990 | Team: Marlins | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 3 0 59 10.1 3.5 1.8 5.49 1.63 4.73 -0.9 -0.4
’14 0 0 0 20 11.1 2.2 0.4 3.98 1.18 2.35 0.0 0.3
’15 2 2 0 35 10.4 3.0 0.7 2.80 1.12 2.87 0.4 0.4

Profile: In 2014, Capps did the two things most expected: strike people out and struggle with left-handed batters. He didn’t throw many innings in Miami, so the sample size is small, but either way Capps was mauled by lefties … again. For his career, which spans only 104 innings, left-handed batters have posted a .404 weighted on-base average. It’s difficult to see where improvement might come from, because a third pitch is seemingly nonexistent. Without some development, Capps seems destined to be utilized as a weapon versus right handed batters rather than a lockdown late innings option. (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: Capps cut down on his walks, which is good, but unless he’s able to solve his problem with left-handed batters it’s hard to see a manager trusting him with a late inning job unless platoon advantages are evident.

Chris Capuano

Debut: 2003 |  BirthDate: 8/19/1978 | Team: Yankees | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 7 0 105 6.9 2.0 0.9 4.26 1.41 3.55 -0.1 1.1
’14 3 4 0 97 7.8 3.1 0.9 4.35 1.39 3.91 0.4 1.0
’15 5 5 0 77 6.9 2.8 1.2 4.20 1.31 4.40 0.7 0.6

Profile: Capuano has been roughly the same pitcher over the course of his 10-year career, striking out batters at a roughly league-average rate and walking them at something better than that — while also skewing towards a slight fly-ball profile and conceding home runs with a corresponding frequency because of that. While he missed two entire seasons (2008-09), his decline has been a remarkably slow and steady one. Signed by the Yankees to a one-year, $5 million deal in December — likely with a view towards joining that club’s rotation — the most likely outcome for Capuano is an approximation of his 2014 season but also a little worse. (Carson Cistulli)

Quick Opinion: Capuano hasn’t had anything resembling “upside” for over a decade. That said, the prospect of him pitching league-average innings as a starter is a likely one.

David Carpenter

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 9/1/1987 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 0 0 0 27.0 54.0 27.0 108.00 12.00 54.05 -0.5 -0.3
’14 0 0 0 3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.00 0.33 5.13 0.1 -0.0
’15 0 0 0 1 6.3 3.8 1.0 4.55 1.45 4.57 -0.1 -0.0

Profile: Carpenter has pitched a whopping 43.2 relief innings with the Angels since 2012, posting a weak 5.3% strikeout minus walk rate. Unless you play in an Angels minor league fantasy league, it’s okay to move along kiddies. (Mike Podhorzer)

David Carpenter

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 7/15/1985 | Team: Yankees | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 1 0 65 10.1 2.7 0.7 1.78 0.99 2.83 2.1 0.9
’14 6 4 3 61 9.9 2.4 0.7 3.54 1.26 2.94 0.1 0.8
’15 3 3 0 55 8.9 2.6 1.1 3.31 1.17 3.74 0.5 0.3

Profile: Though his ERA jumped last year, Carpenter proved to be quite the waiver-wire find for the Braves. Now, Carpenter has been traded to the Yankees along with Chasen Shreve for a former top prospect in Manny Banuelos. Although he has a lot of strikeout potential, he is too far down the saves totem pole for the Yankees to be relevant in fantasy leagues. (Ben Duronio)

Carlos Carrasco

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 3/21/1987 | Team: Indians | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 4 0 46 5.8 3.5 0.8 6.75 1.76 4.10 -0.9 0.2
’14 8 7 1 134 9.4 1.9 0.5 2.55 0.99 2.44 3.3 3.2
’15 11 9 0 163 8.6 2.6 0.8 3.59 1.21 3.30 2.2 2.7

Profile: The second-best slider thrown by a starter. That’s what Carlos Carrasco owns. His whiff rate on that pitch was second only to the whiff rate on Clayton Kershaw’s slidepiece, which is a nice thing to have in common with an ace’s ace. And though the slider is nice, it’s not the only thing Carrasco has going for him. In fact, his change, sinker, and curve are all comfortably above-average by whiff rates. So you can believe in the breakout. There are the same flaws that existed before: his fastball is a little straight, his command isn’t great, and sometimes he gets flustered. But that same straight fastball averaged over 95 mph last year, and his career walk rate is better than average, and we saw what he can do once he gets going. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t sometimes hang one in the zone, but it does mean that there’s the potential here for a four-pitch monster with velocity and control. Even the projections that have him with a mid-threes ERA and fewer than a strikeout per inning would make him a great mid-rotation fantasy starter in any league. And with his swinging strike rate taking a lurch forward last year, it’s possible he beats those projections. If your leaguemates forgot about this breakout or are skeptical, pounce. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: The pieces are all there, and they all get whiffs with the best in the game. Perhaps faulty command has held him back. Doesn’t matter. He’s broken out and there’s no real reason to believe he’ll be broken in 2015. Here’s a potential fantasy ace that might go cheaply. If he goes for ace prices, there might be safer bets. 

Scott Carroll

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 9/24/1984 | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 5 10 0 129 4.5 3.1 0.9 4.80 1.48 4.77 -0.5 0.3
’15 0 0 0 1 4.9 3.3 1.1 5.12 1.50 4.84 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: The 30-year-old Carroll made his major-league debut last season, and looked like a potential Don Cooper reclamation project after two starts. It didn’t last. Carroll showed he was capable of putting together the occasional strong start, but would too often find himself giving up four or five runs per game. He’s effective when his sinker is on, but has underwhelming stuff and his control isn’t elite. Carroll was non-tendered in November, and may have to settle for a minor-league deal in the offseason. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Carroll finally made his major-league debut, but didn’t show enough to remain with the White Sox. Even if he signs with a team, he’ll have a tough time getting into a rotation.

Andrew Cashner

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 9/11/1986 | Team: Padres | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 10 9 0 175 6.6 2.4 0.6 3.09 1.13 3.35 2.6 2.1
’14 5 7 0 123 6.8 2.1 0.5 2.55 1.13 3.09 2.6 1.9
’15 9 11 0 173 7.2 2.5 0.8 4.01 1.27 3.65 0.6 1.4

Profile: This is a tough player cap to write. As a website, we’ve spent thousands of words on Cashner. Maybe even more than the 6371 pitches the mulleted Padre has thrown so far in the big leagues. What makes it tough is that the stuff is clearly there — he has a mid-nineties fastball that gets whiffs on the four-seamer (9%) and grounders on the two-seamer (60%), a nice changeup (13% whiffs), and two sliders that combine for good numbers (18%). With a recent adjustment, he even got his curve to average whiffs (11%) by using his four-seamer more up in the zone. But that recent adjustment was on the heels of another disabled list stint for his shoulder. Which has already happened twice in San Diego, once in Chicago. He’s as smart as he is fragile as his stuff is smoking. It’s the kind of combo upon which fantasy owners die upon. The next Mark Prior perhaps. I personally keep coming back to the fact that he’s very smart, makes plenty of adjustments, and should have one or two amazing seasons with the strikeouts, the ground-balls, and (hopefully) the innings. And owning those seasons is worth a few mid-level investments along the way, because those seasons will be Cy-worthy. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: You can’t get more upside than a 94-mph fastball with a dipping slider, a diving change, a big curve, and good command. You can’t get more downside than a recurring shoulder problem. Remember both of these things, but bid on Andrew Cashner in 2015.

Santiago Casilla

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 7/25/1980 | Team: Giants | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 7 2 2 50 6.8 4.5 0.4 2.16 1.28 3.67 1.2 -0.1
’14 3 3 19 58 6.9 2.3 0.5 1.70 0.86 3.18 1.8 0.4
’15 3 3 30 65 7.9 3.0 0.6 3.34 1.25 3.40 0.1 0.2

Profile: Santiago Casilla’s hard sinker (93 to 94 mph) has guided him to a ground-ball rate of about 55% in the last three years. It’s helped him to generate weak contact, make up for a lack of strikeouts, and outdo his FIP, xFIP, and SIERA consistently for the past several seasons. In 2014, the right-hander also dropped his walk rate to 6.9% — a career best. A big reason might be the righty’s greatly increased rate of four-seamers in the strike zone (59.4% contact rate). It’s never been a great pitch, except for the velocity, though. The likely benefits were to the sinker’s unpredictability and his control. There will probably be some regression in Casilla’s 2015 walk rate. Still, he’s a logical candidate for saves again in 2015. His contract with the Giants, which has only one year remaining, plus an option, could turn him into a trade chip, though. The return of Sergio Romo, who appeared to rediscover his form in the second half of 2014, and Bruce Bochy’s relative lack of commitment to one pitcher in the ninth don’t help, either. Casilla could be a safe play as a third or fourth reliever in mixed leagues and a confident buy in NL-only leagues. His low strikeout rate and team factors limit his upside, although it’s possible that those aspects drive down his price to an attractive one. (Nicholas Minnix)

Quick Opinion: Casilla has become incredibly reliable thanks in large part to his hard sinking fastball, it’s just that team factors, not least of which is the return of Sergio Romo to the bay, mean that Casilla isn’t the Giants’ only candidate for saves. His upside, especially because of his low strikeout rate, is capped, but he could also be discounted because of those issues.

Brett Cecil

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 7/2/1986 | Team: Blue Jays | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 1 1 60 10.4 3.4 0.6 2.82 1.10 2.88 1.2 1.0
’14 2 3 5 53 12.8 4.6 0.3 2.70 1.37 2.34 1.3 1.2
’15 4 3 28 65 10.1 3.0 0.7 2.98 1.16 3.07 0.9 0.8

Profile: Brett Cecil was once a fairly promising pitching prospect, but it simply was not working out. In 2013, the Blue Jays kept him in the bullpen with impressive results, although he faced a disproportionate numbers of lefties, which may have skew the numbers. In 2014, Cecil faced a greater proportion of right-handed hitters than in the past and was even better, with a 2.70 ERA and peripherals to match. His control is still a bit of an issue, particularly against right-handed hitters, but with a double-digit strikeout rate, you can live with it. The last two years, Cecil has pretty much ditched his lousy slider and used his change less frequently as well. Instead, he has begun using his hard (mid-80s) curve as his main offering to go with a fastball that sometimes touches the mid-90s. Yeah, that will work. The usual caveats about reliever volatility apply, of course. The biggest news with Cecil is that, at the moment, he looks like he has the inside track on the Blue Jays’ 2015 closer job. That obviously would take him from “good setup man” to “extremely valuable” in category leagues, but it is not a done deal yet. Cecil is good enough as a setup man to be a good pick in that role in AL-only leagues, at least, given that he might end up getting a few saves anyway. If he becomes the closer, he should be drafted in all category leagues. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: After a second season of excellent work in relief, Cecil has transformed himself from a high-end LOOGY to the Blue Jays’ likely 2015 closer. He’s good as a setup man, but if he does end up as Toronto’s closer, you know what that means for his value in category leagues.

Jhoulys Chacin

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 1/7/1988 | Team: Rockies | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 14 10 0 197 5.7 2.8 0.5 3.47 1.26 3.47 4.4 4.4
’14 1 7 0 63 6.0 4.0 1.1 5.40 1.44 4.82 0.2 0.4
’15 9 11 0 173 5.8 3.3 1.2 5.04 1.49 4.85 0.6 1.1

Profile: There have been times in the past where it seemed like Chacin was really putting everything together. The 2013 season was one of those times. He posted a 79 FIP- and ERA- on the way his career best season. The 2014 season was a much different story, however. Unlike 2013, when he finally threw more than half of his pitches for strikes for the first time in his career, 2014 saw him lapse back below the 50% mark. That is troubling by itself, but a further look reveals something even more troubling. Chacin regressed in zone percentage even while registering the highest percentage of first strikes in his career — 63.6%. This pattern — getting the first strike and then avoiding the zone completely — paints a picture of a pitcher who is hyper aware of his lack of stuff, and his drop in velocity and rise in home runs per fly ball support that as well. The most troubling is that this was just over a small sample. Chacin missed most of the season battling right shoulder issues, the same exact right shoulder issues he dealt with in 2012. The Rockies decided to keep him around anyway, because if he’s right, the potential for that four-win pitcher might still be in there somewhere. But in the aggregate, what we have is a pitcher who has been useless in two of the past three seasons, and who doesn’t strike out enough batters or limit walks enough to be a useful piece of a contending fantasy team. If everything clicks and he is back to his 2013 form, he might be someone to watch in the early months if you need a boost in your ERA category, but he is not someone you should be targeting in your draft(s). (Paul Swydan)

Quick Opinion: Jhoulys Chacin has been an effective pitcher in the past, but those times have not been frequent enough. At his best, his strikeout minus walk rate isn’t good enough for him to be a valuable contributor to your fantasy team, and since he is battling back from yet another right shoulder injury, we can’t expect him to be at his best heading into the 2015 season.

Joba Chamberlain

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 9/23/1985 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 1 1 42 8.1 5.6 1.7 4.93 1.74 5.64 -0.1 -0.6
’14 2 5 2 63 8.4 3.4 0.4 3.57 1.29 3.16 0.7 0.8
’15 3 3 1 55 8.4 3.2 0.7 3.58 1.26 3.48 0.2 0.2

Profile: Finally out of Yankee Stadium, Joba Chamberlain enjoyed a mild resurgence during his first year in Detroit. The righty saw his strikeout rate rebound and was able to cut his walk rate to passable levels. In fact, while Joe Nathan struggled early in the season, it looked like Chamberlain could benefit and take over as Detroit’s new closer. While Nathan pinballed back and forth between passable and awful, Chamberlain slumped in the second half of the season, however, posting a 4.10 xFIP (compared to 2.85 before the break). Even though his velocity has tailed off a bit, he still sits low-mid 90’s, so penciling the 29-year-old for an xFIP between 3.50 and 4.00 in 2015 seems reasonable. His fantasy value depends squarely on role. If the Tigers start leaning towards him in the ninth in spring training, he could prove to be quite a selection in drafts. That said, with Nathan and Joakim Soria still in the fold, and the Tigers desire to shore up a leaky bullpen, the safest route is to draft him well after bonafide closers come off the board and hope for the best. (Colin Zarzycki)

Quick Opinion: In his first season in Detroit, Joba Chamberlain bounced back a bit after a down 2013. While his punchout rate climbed a tad, his biggest improvement was cutting down on the free passes. He doesn’t have elite skills, but could prove to be useful; especially if the Tigers don’t upgrade their pen further. Until he wins the closer’s role, however, he’s no better than a late round roll of the dice.

Aroldis Chapman

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 2/28/1988 | Team: Reds | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 5 38 63 15.8 4.1 1.0 2.54 1.04 2.47 1.9 1.6
’14 0 3 36 54 17.7 4.0 0.2 2.00 0.83 0.89 2.0 2.7
’15 4 2 33 65 15.8 3.3 0.6 1.42 0.87 1.67 2.0 1.7

Profile: Chapman was pretty awesome when he averaged 98 mph on his fastball. But he averaged an astounding 100.2 mph on his fastball last year and took dominance to another level. He easily struck out more than half the batters he faced and allowed just one home run en route to a 1.09 SIERA. If you want to nitpick, his walk rate is still in double digits, but that doesn’t come back to haunt you when you strike everyone out and keep the ball in the yard. So long as his walk rate hasn’t been around 20%, he’s been dominant. Whether you should take a closer early or pay for saves in an auction is a topic for another forum. But if you’re going to go for an elite closer, Chapman is your guy, even over Craig Kimbrel. (Brett Talley)

Quick Opinion: Chapman went from awesome to absurd last year as he averaged 100.2 mph on his fastball and struck out 52.5% of the batters he faced. If you want to acquire a top closer, there is no better target than Chapman.

Tyler Chatwood

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 12/16/1989 | Team: Rockies | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 8 5 0 111 5.3 3.3 0.4 3.15 1.43 3.66 2.7 2.1
’14 1 0 0 24 7.5 3.0 1.5 4.50 1.21 4.88 0.2 0.1
’15 0 0 0 1 6.8 3.2 0.9 4.43 1.41 4.04 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: Sinkerballer Tyler Chatwood gave up on his rehab attempts and underwent Tommy John surgery in July. He isn’t likely to pitch in 2015 but should return strong in 2016. (Drew Fairservice)

Jesse Chavez

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 8/21/1983 | Team: Athletics | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 4 1 57 8.6 3.1 0.5 3.92 1.22 3.01 0.1 0.7
’14 8 8 0 146 8.4 3.0 1.0 3.45 1.31 3.89 1.8 1.4
’15 5 4 0 78 7.7 2.8 1.0 3.80 1.26 3.82 0.3 0.3

Profile: The Athletics roster will be in flux right up until Opening Day, so let’s just acknowledge that Jesse Chavez is not guaranteed a spot in the starting rotation. He’s likely to own a spot — the team has been open to trade offers for their starting pitchers, and even without a trade, and the health futures and timelines of Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin are unsettled — and so let’s just assume he’s a starter next year. A starter in Oakland is always interesting, and Chavez in particular has the skills to remain relevant in 2015. He turfed a bad four-seamer for a cutter that he now uses as a primary pitch, and that gives him three pitches out of four with above average whiff rates. That’s why you can believe in last year’s strikeout rate. The command? It’s not great — not bad, since his career walk rate is basically league average, but not great. He even admits to hanging curves, which lead to slightly more homers than you’d like, and less usable stretches when the schedule has him in bad parks. But who’s going to pay all that much for a short 31-year-old breakout starter with below average velocity? Chavez could make a sneaky play in 2015. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: The breakout year for this short low-velocity journeyman still had him below average by wins above replacement. But Jesse Chavez has three legit pitches and a fighter’s shot at 200 innings now that he’s been stretched out. Consider him for the back end of any fantasy rotation if your leaguemates are skeptical.

Wei-Yin Chen

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 7/21/1985 | Team: Orioles | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 7 7 0 137 6.8 2.6 1.1 4.07 1.32 4.04 2.2 2.0
’14 16 6 0 185 6.6 1.7 1.1 3.54 1.23 3.89 3.4 2.6
’15 11 9 0 173 6.7 2.2 1.3 3.96 1.24 4.30 2.1 1.6

Profile: Wei-Yin Chen turned in his best season as a major leaguer in 2014, pulling down 16 wins for the Baltimore Orioles while pitching to a 3.54 ERA (3.89 FIP), with a 1.23 WHIP and his standard unspectacular strikeout rates. Chen was pretty hittable last season, giving up 193 hits over his 185.2 innings pitched, but his improvement with his command kept him in games, and although he gives up his fair share of fly balls, his home run rate remained about league average. It’s likely Chen sees his ERA creep up towards his career rates in 2015, and if he continues to pitch to contact, his WHIP might slide to around 1.30. Without much in the way of strikeouts Chen is probably a better option for AL-only leagues, although he could be usable in deeper standard formats. (Michael Barr)

Quick Opinion: Wei-Yin Chen produced solid results in 2014 with a career low 3.54 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. He doesn’t strike many people out and given his low ground-ball rate, one might be concerned about a long ball issue, although that has yet to make itself manifest in his career. He’s not a pitcher you want to rely on, but he’s a nice arm to have around for those two-start weeks or in a pinch if injury strikes.

Bruce Chen

Debut: 1998 |  BirthDate: 6/19/1977 | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 9 4 0 121 5.8 2.7 1.0 3.27 1.18 4.12 2.5 1.4
’14 2 4 0 48 6.7 3.0 1.3 7.45 1.76 4.58 -1.1 0.1
’15 0 0 0 1 6.0 2.5 1.4 4.05 1.30 4.75 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: A 7.45 ERA in 48 1/3 innings led to his release from the Royals at the end of August, so it’s likely the end of the line for the 37-year-old. Of course, his 4.58 FIP wasn’t that much higher than the 4.12 FIP he posted in 2013, when he went 9-4 with a 3.27 ERA. In any case, if he’s finished, he ends up with perhaps one of the longest careers (16 years) for a starting pitcher who has likely never been on anyone’s fantasy team. Or at least not on anyone’s winning fantasy team. At his best, he ate innings for the Royals. At his worst, he went 0-7 with a 6.93 ERA for the 2006 Orioles. Ten different teams wanted him, though, and he played the last six years for the Royals, so he must have done something right. Also, he earned more than $20 million. So, hats off, Bruce. But even if he does end up with a minor-league invite somewhere, clearly you shouldn’t be drafting him. (Jeremy Blachman)

Quick Opinion: His 2014 season may not have been quite as awful as it looked, but it’s still probably the end of the road for Chen. If he ends up on your fantasy team, it probably means you missed the draft.

Tony Cingrani

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 7/5/1989 | Team: Reds | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 7 4 0 104 10.3 3.7 1.2 2.92 1.10 3.78 2.3 1.3
’14 2 8 0 63 8.7 5.0 1.7 4.55 1.53 5.37 0.2 -0.3
’15 10 10 0 163 9.4 3.9 1.2 3.72 1.30 4.20 1.9 1.4

Profile: A lot of people were baffled by Cingrani’s 2013 season in which he posted a sub-three ERA and 28.6% strikeout rate despite throwing his fastball more than 80% of the time. It’s almost unheard of for a starter to have that level of success using essentially one pitch. So it shouldn’t be a total surprise that he wasn’t able to replicate that success last year. The problem is that Cingrani dealt with injuries last year and didn’t pitch again after mid-June. It’s hard to say how much of his struggles last year were due to hitters figuring out limited repertoire and how much was due to injuries. Technically, Cingrani is said to be competing for a rotation spot in the spring, but it’s hard to look at Cincinnati’s depth chart and think he’s not one of their five best options for the rotation. If he does end up in the bullpen, the heavy fastball usage won’t be as big of a problem. But if he is in the rotation, it would be a lot easier to trust him if he’d develop his secondary stuff a bit more. Assuming he’ll come cheap on draft day, he does have some upside. But he’s just a flier and someone to keep an eye on if he doesn’t get drafted in your league. (Brett Talley)

Quick Opinion: Cingrani is a bit of a one-trick pony with his heavy fastball usage, which could be the reason he struggled so much last year. But he was also dealing with injuries, so it’s possible he could return to 2013 form. Pitching is so deep that Cingrani is nothing more than a flier, but he’s a name to keep an eye on if only due to past success.

Steve Cishek

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 6/18/1986 | Team: Marlins | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 6 34 69 9.6 2.8 0.4 2.33 1.08 2.52 1.9 1.4
’14 4 5 39 65 11.6 2.9 0.4 3.17 1.21 2.17 0.7 2.0
’15 3 3 34 65 9.6 2.8 0.6 2.90 1.15 2.90 0.8 0.7

Profile: Last offseason, Cishek was thought to be a future trade candidate. The Marlins had other plans, though, namely outperforming expectations. Cishek stayed put, and racked up 39 saves in the process, posting the best fielding independent pitching marks of his career. He missed more bats than ever, posting a strikeout rate just over 30%. He did so, thanks to his slider, which he used 48% of the time, up nearly 12 points from 2013’s usage. That might not bode well for his long term prognosis, but it produced real results, and it makes sense for him to stay the course until something changes. Most importantly, though, Cishek was able to keep left-handed batters at bay, despite his extreme arm slot, as they posted a .261 weighted on-base average. As with most relievers, health is key, but in the world of ever-changing bullpens, Cishek’s performance earned a little more rope. (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: Closers come and go, but Cishek has proven himself to be a formidable option on an improving team. Save opportunities could be somewhat plentiful, and given his ability to limit damage and miss bats, he should capitalize on them once more.

Alex Claudio

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 1/31/1992 | Team: Rangers | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 0 0 0 12 10.2 2.9 0.0 2.92 1.46 1.83 0.2 0.2
’15 2 2 1 45 7.1 2.4 0.9 3.73 1.27 3.81 0.3 0.2

Profile: Among the 543 pitchers to record at least 10 innings in 2014 — a threshold designed basically just to exclude position players who made relief appearances in blowouts — among that group, Claudio produced the fifth-lowest average fastball velocity in the league. Two of the pitchers (R.A. Dickey and Steven Wright) to post slower fastballs are knuckleballers, while the other pair (Mark Buehrle and Bruce Chen) are crafty veterans in their mid-to-late 30s. Claudio, meanwhile, was a 22-year-old with a fairly standard-sounding repertoire: fastball, slider, changeup. What’s different about Claudio is that last pitch, which he throws almost 20 mph slower than his fastball. He was successful with it in a limited sample, recording a park-adjusted expected FIP (xFIP-) about 35% better than league average. Despite his success across all levels in 2014, he’s not expected to begin the 2015 season in the majors. After a run of quality starts at Double-A, he’s a candidate to enter Triple-A Round Rock’s rotation. (Carson Cistulli)

Quick Opinion: It’s not uncommon for a lefty one-out guy (LOOGY) to advance through the minors more quickly than his peers. Claudio is left-handed, but isn’t a LOOGY proper. He’s advanced through the minors quickly, anyway.

Maikel Cleto

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 5/1/1989 | Team: White Sox | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 0 0 2 19.3 3.9 3.9 19.29 2.57 8.19 -0.3 -0.1
’14 0 1 0 29 9.8 7.1 0.9 4.60 1.60 4.94 -0.3 -0.2
’15 1 2 0 30 9.4 5.1 1.0 4.22 1.44 4.33 -0.0 0.0

Profile: Maikel Cleto is Rick Vaughn before he got glasses. The ability to post strikeouts is there, but it comes at the expense of having no idea where the ball is going. Vaughn was able to figure things out, but this isn’t a movie. (Chris Cwik)

Tyler Clippard

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 2/14/1985 | Team: Athletics | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 6 3 0 71 9.3 3.0 1.1 2.41 0.86 3.82 1.8 0.4
’14 7 4 1 70 10.5 2.9 0.6 2.18 1.00 2.75 1.4 1.5
’15 4 3 10 65 8.9 3.0 1.1 3.09 1.19 3.89 0.7 0.2

Profile: Tyler Clippard is the closest thing the modern game has to a relief ace. He’s not a closer, but a high-usage workhorse, and he excels in the role. Clippard has pitched at least 70 innings in each of the last five seasons. During that period, his ERA has never exceeded 3.72. Usually, it’s much lower than that, thanks to an ability to avoid walks while racking up strikeouts and pop-ups. Now in Oakland, Clippard should usually take a back seat to closer Sean Doolittle. But the bearded Athletic is having some shoulder trouble, and so Clippard may find himself as the stopper, at least temporarily. As he showed in 2012, Clippard can close if pushed into the role. He’ll have to settle for more of the same, but that’s not a bad thing. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Clippard is one of the game’s best set-up men, and can close if pushed into the role. He should rack up a fair amount of holds, at the very least, and may start the season as a closer in the short term. 

Alex Cobb

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 10/7/1987 | Team: Rays | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 11 3 0 143 8.4 2.8 0.8 2.76 1.15 3.36 4.0 2.4
’14 10 9 0 166 8.1 2.5 0.6 2.87 1.14 3.23 4.0 2.7
’15 12 10 0 192 7.9 2.7 0.6 3.52 1.23 3.34 2.5 2.9

Profile: Cobb entered the 2014 season having improved upon his strikeout- and walk-rate differential — quite predictive, that metric, relative to its simplicity — in each of the two years since his rookie campaign, from 7.1 percentage points in 2011, to 11.6 points in 2012, to 15.4 points in 2013. While research by Bill Petti and Jeff Zimmerman — plus by other people of similar intelligence, probably — reveals almost uniformly that pitchers begin to decline as soon as they enter the league, that’s also true merely of pitchers <i>as a group</i>. With regard to Cobb, meanwhile, one was forced to allow that he might continue to improve from merely a solidly above-average pitcher to an elite one. Unfortunately, he suffered an oblique strain during his third start of the 2014 season and was compelled to miss more than a month of baseball. When he returned, he replicated his 2013 season’s rates almost precisely. While not a prototypical “ace” given his relative lack of arm speed and reliance on the splitter (which he threw at a higher rate than any other qualified starter threw any sort of changeup in 2014), Cobb still profiles as one the league’s top-30 starting pitchers — and is likely to assume the role of Tampa Bay’s ace in 2015.  (Carson Cistulli)

Quick Opinion: Cobb doesn’t have above-average velocity, but he has above-average everything else. If he can remain healthy enough to pitch 200 innings, he’ll be worth three-plus wins to the Rays.

Phil Coke

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 7/19/1982 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 5 1 38 7.0 4.9 0.7 5.40 1.67 4.14 -0.5 0.1
’14 5 2 1 58 6.4 3.1 0.8 3.88 1.53 3.98 0.0 0.0
’15 2 2 1 45 7.9 2.9 0.7 3.44 1.26 3.46 0.2 0.2

Profile: A year after being Detroit’s most maligned reliever, Phil Coke experienced a minor renaissance of sorts. The southpaw continued to see his strikeout rate slump for the third year in a row, but at least he significantly cut down the free passes that he was handing out like candy in 2013. He continues his transition back to being a fastball first pitcher (64% of his pitches were fastballs in 2014, compared to 51% in 2012, and 70% in 2009) and this change corresponds to a rebound in the linear weights on his heater (although they are nothing to write home about). While Coke was horribly miscast as a true all-around reliever in 2013, his usage tilted more lefty-heavy in 2014. Should that continue going forward, his rates will likely further improve. However, there is little room on most fantasy rosters for a guy just a hair beyond a Lefty One Out GuY who has a propensity for meltdown innings. (Colin Zarzycki)

Quick Opinion: After nearly being booed out of town during various relief appearances in 2013, Phil Coke rebounded to a degree in 2014. Really, the fact that Phil Coke generally wasn’t the worst bullpen pitcher any given night was probably a large victory for him. However, given his sporadic usage and the fact that he is extremely unlikely to see the ninth inning, you probably don’t need to even bother putting him at the tail end of your reliever list on draft day.

Gerrit Cole

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 9/8/1990 | Team: Pirates | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 10 7 0 117 7.7 2.1 0.5 3.22 1.17 2.91 2.3 2.3
’14 11 5 0 138 9.0 2.6 0.7 3.65 1.21 3.23 1.7 2.1
’15 10 9 0 163 8.2 2.8 0.7 3.65 1.24 3.43 1.6 2.1

Profile: Cole is on the verge of being one of the elite pitchers in the game. He already displays three of the four traits you’d like to see from an ace. He has been striking out batters at decent clip (a strikeout per inning), walking them at a below average clip (2.6 walks per nine) and keeping the ball on the ground (49% ground-ball rate). While these numbers are good, they are not great. He ended up with the 32nd-best FIP, and his 3.65 ERA was actually worse than league average. The fourth trait Cole wasn’t able to display in 2014 was health. He went on the disabled list twice for a total of 70 days with shoulder issues. Nothing predicts future injuries like past injuries, so he may end up missing more time in the future. After coming back from the DL, he put up better numbers, with his strikeout minus walk rate going from 13% in the first half to 23% in the second half. For 2015, it is tough to figure out which pitcher will show up. Value him for something like 25 starts, 140 strikeouts with a 3.50 ERA. He could perform even better if he continues to throw like he did in the the second half of 2015. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Gerrit Cole enters 2015 with large number of possible outcomes because of injury issues which split an okay first half from his great second half in 2014.

Louis Coleman

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 4/4/1986 | Team: Royals | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 0 0 29 9.7 1.8 0.3 0.61 0.84 2.04 1.3 0.7
’14 1 0 1 34 6.4 4.8 1.6 5.56 1.68 5.69 -0.4 -0.5
’15 1 1 0 30 7.6 3.4 1.0 3.72 1.31 4.17 0.2 -0.1

Profile: After promising seasons from 2011 to 2013, Coleman fell apart in 2014. Before this season, he had averaged over a strikeout per inning while posting a 2.69 ERA. He had always struggled with walks (3.7 per nine), but his 2014 season was a complete disaster. His strikeout per nine rate dropped to 6.3 while his walks per nine went up to 4.8. Besides striking out less and walking more, his home runs per nine allowed sat at 1.6. These all led to a 5.56 ERA and 5.69 FIP. Two items led to this demise. First, his fastball velocity dropped 1.5 mph to 88.6 mph. Next, the number of pitches he threw in the strike zone dropped for the third straight season (52% to 49% to 47% to 44%). Fewer pitches in the strike zone to go along with a weaker fastball are not a going to lead to positive outcomes. He is unrosterable at his current talent level and will need to throw harder and for strikes to make an improvement in 2015. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Louis Coleman showed promise going into 2014, but struggled. Even if he improves to pre-2014 levels, the deep Royals bullpen will allow him few chances to be a fantasy contributor in 2015.

Josh Collmenter

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 2/7/1986 | Team: Diamondbacks | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 5 0 92 8.3 3.2 0.8 3.13 1.22 3.47 1.2 1.0
’14 11 9 1 179 5.8 2.0 0.9 3.46 1.13 3.87 2.8 2.0
’15 9 12 0 182 6.2 2.6 1.4 4.47 1.33 4.69 0.7 0.4

Profile: Collmenter’s pitching role on the Diamondbacks switches back and forth from starter to long reliever almost on a weekly basis. The one item which doesn’t change is his uselessness for fantasy owners. A 29-year-old soft-tossing (86-88 mph depending on starting or relieving) fly ball pitcher isn’t on many want lists. He has some noticeable values though. He has kept his walk rate down (2.1 per nine) over his career. Given his fly ball nature, he maintains a low batting average on balls in play (.271 on career) and somehow seems to suppress home runs (fewer than one home run allowed per nine). The problem is determining where he fits on a fantasy team. His strikeouts are too low to be of use there. Wade Davis had just about as many strikeouts in relief in 2014. In NL-only leagues, Collmenter could be used depending on the weekly matchup. If he is a reliever, he could have value filling in for starters on their off days. It is just tough to find value in a soft-tossing swing man. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Josh Collmenter doesn’t have the talent or role to be a useful fantasy player. If looking on the margins for players, look for ones with strikeout ability or a defined role.

Alex Colome

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 12/31/1988 | Team: Rays | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 1 0 16 6.8 5.1 1.1 2.25 1.44 5.05 0.1 -0.0
’14 2 0 0 23 4.9 3.8 0.4 2.66 1.23 3.85 1.0 0.3
’15 5 6 0 102 6.8 3.8 1.1 4.55 1.42 4.59 -0.6 -0.6

Profile: For the second straight year, Colome received a big-league cup of coffee in 2014, with three starts and a couple relief appearances. In both of his major-league stints, the now 26-year-old has displayed what has long been the major concern regarding his ceiling — an overall lack of command. While Colome has made progress over the last two years with his walk rate in the minors, he’s still walked more than four batters per nine innings in his eight-year minor-league career. In the majors, he’s issued 19 free passes in just 39.2 innings. He has pretty good stuff, with a four-pitch mix and solid mid-90s velocity, but he has yet to show the ability to miss bats at the major-league level. Colome is out of options, so he’ll have a spot on the 25-man roster, and will most likely start the season as the Rays’ fifth starter, with Matt Moore still recovering from Tommy John surgery. (Scott Strandberg)

Quick Opinion: Colome is worth a look in AL-only leagues, seeing as he gets to pitch half his games in the pitchers’ haven that is Tropicana Field. As for mixed leagues, he’ll have to show some major progress in his strikeout-to-walk ratio to give him much consideration in 2015.

Bartolo Colon

Debut: 1997 |  BirthDate: 5/24/1973 | Team: Mets | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 18 6 0 190 5.5 1.4 0.7 2.65 1.17 3.23 5.7 3.9
’14 15 13 0 202 6.7 1.3 1.0 4.09 1.23 3.57 0.9 2.1
’15 9 11 0 173 6.2 1.5 1.2 4.16 1.23 4.00 0.5 0.8

Profile: It should be stated that Bartolo Colon’s expected ERA’s (3.75 SIERA and 3.68 xFIP) present an even better pitcher than his actual ERA of 4.09, which is unique when you think that only David Phelps and Kevin Correa induced fewer whiffs.Bartolo Colon continues to be an asset for the Mets rotation and would have been an asset on your fantasy rosters if you were able to supplement his value with a few high strikeout relievers: for a second year straight, he won 15 games with a sub-1.25 WHIP. Bartolo Colon remains commanding — not dominant, but commanding. His 14.3% strikeout-minus-walk rate was 1.6% better than the MLB average and by far the best rate among low strikeout rates until you get to Jose Quintana (15.2% K%-BB%, but with a higher K% of 21.5%).You like Doug Fister, don’t you? Both Bartolo Colon and Doug Fister had a 3.6% walk rate. Did you know that Bartolo Colon struck out 3% more batters? Fister did prevent contact more and induced .5% more whiffs, but Colon wasn’t as lucky with his batting average on balls in play and left on base rates. …Just Saying. (Dan Schwartz)

Quick Opinion: Bartolo Colon will remain an asset until he loses command or breaks himself trying to swing.

Ryan Cook

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 6/30/1987 | Team: Athletics | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 6 4 2 67 9.0 3.3 0.3 2.54 1.29 2.74 1.5 1.6
’14 1 3 1 50 9.0 4.0 0.5 3.42 1.08 3.35 0.5 0.3
’15 3 3 4 65 8.9 3.2 0.8 3.30 1.23 3.45 0.5 0.3

Profile: The 2014 season for Ryan Cook was a mixed bag of results. His strikeout rate went up from the prior year, from 22.8% to 24.8%, but his walk rate also increased. Cook gave up a mere three home runs in his 50 innings and 54 appearances, however this jumped nearly a full run from his 2.64 ERA in 2013 versus a 3.42 mark this past year. The good news is Cook’s xFIP and SIERA remained mostly unchanged from 2013 to 2014, but despite a very low .232 batting average on balls in play, the balls that landed did damage. He managed nine shutdowns and just seven holds last year, ranking fifth and fourth on the A’s respectively. With Luke Gregerson gone — and Jim Johnson too — expect Cook to play a much more significant role in Oakland’s bullpen this year. By per game leverage index, Cook was the A’s sixth man in the pen. He has always been a solid source of strikeouts and he should return to being a good play in holds leagues, as his 51 holds since 2012 rate as the 22nd-most in baseball. (David Wiers)

Quick Opinion: After a bit of a bumpy 2014, expect another solid mid-threes ERA season to go with plenty of strikeouts from Cook. He should have a clearer role in the A’s pen as well as getting into more higher leverage situation for more hold opportunities.

Patrick Corbin

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 7/19/1989 | Team: Diamondbacks | Position: P
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 14 8 0 208 7.7 2.3 0.8 3.41 1.17 3.43 4.2 3.6
’15 3 3 0 48 8.0 2.5 0.9 3.53 1.21 3.60 0.7 0.7

Profile: Corbin had a good 2013 and hoped to build on it in 2014. His elbow didn’t agree and he needed Tommy John surgery. Right now he is expected back in June. It will be interesting to see where his talent level stabilizes when he does return. His velocity saw a jump from 2012 to 2013, and along with it came a bump in strikeouts. Will he keep both the velocity and the strikeout rate up? Usually command is one of the last skills a pitcher gets back after Tommy John surgery, so could he see more walks? Right now he should be a late round draft pick and a DL stash at best. Don’t make a call on him until a better picture of his health emerges, if possible. Actually throwing off the mound this spring would be a hopeful news item for his potential owners. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Patrick Corbin is coming back from Tommy John surgery. His return date and talent level are both up in the air at this point.

Kevin Correia

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 8/24/1980 | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 9 13 0 185 4.9 2.2 1.2 4.18 1.42 4.40 2.3 1.5
’14 7 17 0 154 4.6 2.3 1.2 5.44 1.50 4.67 -1.7 0.2
’15 8 11 0 153 5.0 2.4 1.2 4.90 1.41 4.61 -0.3 0.3

Profile: Correia remains unemployed despite a relatively decent 2013 season — by his standards — perhaps thanks in large part to a decline in innings pitched and an ugly stint with the Dodgers down the stretch this past season. Correia failed to reach 170 innings for the first time since 2011, thanks in large part to working out of the bullpen at times for the Dodgers. And since innings pitched is sort of Correia’s calling card, it appears his market has been somewhat stunted. It’s not certain yet what kind of market he’s looking at, but it’s most likely a one-year deal where he can hopefully soak up innings and hit the market again at age 35 next offseason. He’s not a fantasy contributor, regardless of where he lands. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: A midseason trade sapped Correia of his typical modus operandi (eating innings), but ultimately his market wasn’t going to be too strong either way. He’s not a fantasy consideration.

Jarred Cosart

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 5/25/1990 | Team: Marlins | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 1 0 60 4.9 5.2 0.4 1.95 1.35 4.35 2.4 0.4
’14 13 11 0 180 5.7 3.6 0.4 3.69 1.36 3.77 2.5 2.1
’15 6 7 0 105 6.4 4.0 0.7 4.44 1.47 4.09 0.1 0.7

Profile: What do you get when a pitcher’s flaws are equal to their strengths? You might get something like Jarred Cosart. He throws 90% cutters and curves, and by shape and velocity of those pitches, you’d think he was an ace. The 94 mph cutter is six-to-eight inches different from your average four-seamer, horizontally. The 79 mph curve had the second-most drop in baseball in 2014. Considering the general movements and velocities of those two pitches, you might think that he has all he needs to get the through the lineup multiple times. The problem is, the two-seamer never took. The change has been okay in small doses, but he doesn’t seem to trust it. And the flaw that is equal to the strengths: he cannot command the ball. Sure, his walk and zone rates approached average last year — and that’s probably why the Marlins traded for him — but he doesn’t hit the catchers’ mitt even when he’s not walking guys. That’s how his two pitches with good velocity and movement are both sub-par by whiff rates. That’s how a 94 mph cutter and a big old honking curve ball aren’t enough yet for Cosart to break out. Whether the flaws triumph over the strengths or vice versa is probably up the coaching staff in Miami. But at 24 years old, there are only so many more caps that we can write recommending Cosart as a late-round deep-league sleeper and general pitcher to be aware of. At some point, we have to have faith in one side or the other. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: If Jarred Cosart can’t break out in Miami, we can finally stop writing upbeat player caps about his velocity and movement. Sometimes lack of command is a big enough flaw to sink even the most major league of arsenals.

Neal Cotts

Debut: 2003 |  BirthDate: 3/25/1980 | Team: Brewers | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 8 3 1 57 10.3 2.8 0.3 1.11 0.95 2.17 2.6 1.8
’14 2 9 2 66 8.5 3.1 0.8 4.32 1.34 3.58 0.1 0.8
’15 2 2 0 35 9.4 3.0 0.9 3.12 1.19 3.44 0.4 0.3

Profile: Neal Cotts may have been out of the big leagues from 2009 to his return in 2013, but he’s been solid middle reliever for the Rangers over the past couple seasons. A left-hander, Cotts has actually had quite pronounced reverse splits over the past two seasons, making him an interesting guy for managers to get a handle on. Cotts isn’t quite good enough to merit picking up saves on a good team, and an ERA around 4.00 isn’t exactly enticing in holds leagues. Cotts isn’t much of a mixed league option, but if you’re looking for holds in a league specific format, he could be an interesting late-round flier. (Zach Sanders)

Quick Opinion: Cotts isn’t quite good enough to get saves, and despite throwing from the left side, he’s actually better against right-handed hitters. There’s no need to pick him up unless you’re in a league specific holds format.

Daniel Coulombe

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 10/26/1989 | Team: Dodgers | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 0 0 0 4 8.3 4.2 2.1 4.15 1.62 5.67 -0.1 -0.1
’15 1 1 0 15 8.9 4.6 0.8 3.75 1.37 3.98 -0.1 -0.1

Profile: Daniel Coulombe mixed strikeout skills with command issues in the minors, then got a surprising promotion to the big leagues in September. With only 161.2 professional innings under his belt and a revamped Dodgers bullpen ahead of him, he’s likely to return to the minors in 2015, but a lefty who can miss bats is always an intriguing proposition. (Mike Petriello)

Aaron Crow

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 11/10/1986 | Team: Marlins | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 7 5 1 48 8.2 4.1 1.1 3.38 1.48 4.34 0.8 -0.1
’14 6 1 3 59 5.2 3.7 1.5 4.12 1.29 5.40 -0.3 -0.9
’15 2 2 1 45 7.0 3.2 0.8 3.96 1.34 3.83 -0.2 -0.0

Profile: Former All-Star Aaron Crow is getting to the point where he isn’t even serviceable for middle inning relief. His velocity (95 mph to 92 mph) and strikeout rate (9.4 strikeouts per nine to 5.2 K/9) have been on the decline since he entered the league. A short reliever with a 5.2 K/9 is headed for retirement. It’s not like his strikeouts are offset by a low number of walks or home runs. His 3.7 walks per nine in 2014 were below his career average. Additionally, his 1.5 homers per nine were devastating for a reliever. Where will the rebound come? Crow has so much working against him. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Aaron Crow has bounced back before, but chances are his results won’t improve if his velocity doesn’t come back. If he didn’t have such a high pedigree, he would have been out of the league by now.

Johnny Cueto

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 2/15/1986 | Team: Reds | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 2 0 60 7.6 2.7 1.0 2.82 1.05 3.81 1.6 0.6
’14 20 9 0 243 8.9 2.4 0.8 2.25 0.96 3.30 7.7 4.1
’15 12 10 0 192 8.6 2.4 0.9 3.31 1.16 3.51 3.1 2.8

Profile: There is something admirable and yet maddening about a pitcher like Johnny Cueto. He knows all the tricks and, when you add his great love of shenanigans to his stuff and raw skills, you get one of the best pitchers in the National League. Cueto is really good at keeping runs off the board. He doesn’t have the shiniest underlying stats or pop radar guns with his fastball velocity, but he gets it done. He changes his tempo on the mound and keeps hitters off-balance brilliantly. Cueto disguises his pitches and, in 2014 in particular, earned more called strikes than any other pitcher in baseball. His 25% strikeout rate was the highest of his career and ranked tenth among qualified starters. Even if Cueto gives back some of those called strikes and his strikeout rate shrinks, he still has a great defense behind him and that knack for holding runners, claiming the third highest strand rate since 2011. Cueto is an ace heading into free agency, so a big walk year is very much to his benefit. He’s crafty before his time and, right now, he’s one of the best starters in baseball. (Drew Fairservice)

Quick Opinion: The Reds ace mixes great stuff with an unconventional approach to produce some of the best starter numbers in the game.

Brandon Cumpton

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 11/16/1988 | Team: Pirates | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 1 0 30 6.5 1.5 0.3 2.05 1.01 2.62 0.9 0.7
’14 3 4 0 70 5.9 2.3 0.3 4.89 1.43 3.22 -0.5 0.9
’15 3 4 0 58 5.6 3.0 0.9 4.61 1.41 4.39 -0.1 0.1

Profile: Crumpton is the rare low-strikeout, not-great control starting pitcher. He earned some starts early in the year but got pushed around a little bit in the batted ball department (.340 batting average on balls in play through his final start in July) and ended up returning late in the year as a reliever. Like most any pitcher, he performed better in relief, but his numbers has a starter did not ruin his chances there. The surface doesn’t look great (4.89 ERA and a demotion to the minors and then the bullpen), but he also finished with a 90 FIP- and has historically been a FIP-beater in the minors. He should be on the shortlist when the Pirates need a starter to fill in, but it’s unlikely he breaks it into the rotation out of camp. Odds are, the Pirates will let him compete for a rotation spot, but his future is likely out of the bullpen. He might be worth keeping an eye on in really deep leagues, but his method of real-world success — inducing weak contact and limiting mistakes (walks and homers) — does not scream fantasy success.(Bradley Woodrum)

Quick Opinion: Cumpton might get a few more starts in 2015, but he looks more like a middle reliever based on his minor league numbers. Even as a starter, though, his low ceiling for innings and strikeouts should make him a low-level waiver wire priority.

John Danks

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 4/15/1985 | Team: White Sox | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 14 0 138 5.8 1.8 1.8 4.75 1.29 5.06 0.5 0.3
’14 11 11 0 193 6.0 3.4 1.2 4.74 1.44 4.76 1.0 0.8
’15 7 9 0 134 5.9 3.1 1.3 5.00 1.44 4.89 0.0 0.3

Profile: Boy, injuries suck. Prior to having shoulder surgery in 2012, Danks was on his way to posting an above-average career. He was never going to be a star, but he had settled in as a solid pitcher with some upside. Since then, every start has been a battle. After averaging 92.2 mph on his fastball in 2011, Danks averaged just 89.4 mph last season. His stuff just isn’t as good anymore, and that’s reflected in his high home run rates. When Danks is off, or misses his spot, he gets murdered. The White Sox are known for having an exceptional shoulder training regimen, but Danks may be too far gone for them to actually get the old version back. Don Cooper might be a wizard, but no one is that good. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Injuries really threw a wrench into Danks’ career. His stuff isn’t what it used to be, and fantasy owners can probably find better upside elsewhere.

Yu Darvish

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 8/16/1986 | Team: Rangers | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 13 9 0 209 11.9 3.4 1.1 2.83 1.07 3.28 6.7 5.0
’14 10 7 0 144 11.3 3.1 0.8 3.06 1.26 2.84 3.5 4.1
’15 14 9 0 192 10.5 3.2 0.9 3.27 1.17 3.29 4.2 4.3

Profile: Since joining Texas from Japan before the 2012 season, Darvish is the only qualified pitcher in the majors to have recorded a strikeout rate of 30% or better — ahead of Max Scherzer (28.6%), for example, and Clayton Kershaw (27.4%), for another example, and Felix Hernandez (25.7%) for a third example. Insofar as strikeout rate correlates strongly with run prevention, it’s fair to suppose that Yu Darvish is among the very best of major-league pitchers. And, indeed, what other numbers reveal is that Yu Darvish is among the very best of major-league pitchers. Over that same interval, he’s produced the eighth-most wins above replacement (WAR) and the 10th-most wins above replacement using runs allowed as the input, as opposed to fielding independent pitching (i.e. RA9-WAR). He walks more batters than basically any other starter with equally strong run-prevention numbers, but he’s also improved on that aspect of his game in each subsequent year since his debut. The only concern at this point regarding Darvish is the elbow inflammation which compelled him to miss much of the season’s last two months. As of press time, however, he’s resumed a normal offseason throwing schedule and there appears to be no structural damage of any sort. (Carson Cistulli)

Quick Opinion: Darvish has in arguably the best swing-and-miss stuff in the majors and <i>inarguably</i> the highest strikeout rate among starters since making his debut in 2012. Given adequate health, he remains a perennial Cy Young candidate.

Wade Davis

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 9/7/1985 | Team: Royals | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 8 11 0 135 7.6 3.9 1.0 5.32 1.68 4.18 -0.6 1.7
’14 9 2 3 72 13.6 2.9 0.0 1.00 0.85 1.19 3.7 3.1
’15 4 3 2 65 10.3 2.7 0.7 2.46 1.08 2.80 1.3 1.0

Profile: Well, the trying Wade Davis as a starter thing is finally over. Davis was permanently moved to the bullpen after Luke Hochevar was lost for the 2014 season with Tommy John surgery. Davis never looked back, and had one of the best season’s ever for a relief pitcher in terms of outcomes: an ERA of 1.00, no home runs and 109 strikeouts in 72 innings pitched. The only thing missing from his fantasy line were the saves. Going into 2015, a prospective Davis owner needs to expect some regression. Hitters will blast a few home runs off him, thereby raising his WHIP and ERA. There is no reason to think he won’t be good. He will be, but don’t expect a repeat of 2014. One item which could raise his value would be a trade. If he could become a closer, he would be able to get some saves to go with the rest of his stats. His value could take a big hit in leagues where relief pitchers qualified at starters are useable on off days, since he is no longer starter qualified. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Wade Davis had one of the greatest seasons ever for a reliever. Expect some regression in 2015, but he could be in line for some saves if someone is traded out of the end of that bullpen.

Justin De Fratus

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 10/21/1987 | Team: Phillies | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 3 0 46 8.1 4.8 0.6 3.86 1.50 4.01 0.1 -0.1
’14 3 1 0 52 8.4 2.1 0.7 2.39 1.08 3.11 0.6 0.5
’15 2 3 1 55 7.7 2.8 1.0 3.86 1.28 3.99 -0.1 -0.1

Profile: Justin De Fratus’ fastball-slider combo has failed to generate the kind of strikeout rates it did in the minors (20.9% lifetime in 114 frames). It has helped him to retire left-handed batters consistently, however, especially last season (20.6% strikeout minus walk rate, .235 weighted on-base average against). The right-hander should remain one of the Phillies’ few reliable bullpen assets if he keeps some of those substantial gains in his walk rate. What he probably won’t be is a candidate for saves, even if Philadelphia finds a taker for the well-compensated Jonathan Papelbon. Righty Ken Giles has emerged as the organization’s closer of the future, as long as he keeps his demon of free passes at bay. If the Phils do trade Paps, then, perhaps, De Fratus would become a more reliable source of holds in deep leagues. (Nicholas Minnix)

Quick Opinion: De Fratus, with his modest strikeout rates, probably isn’t Philly’s next man up in the ninth even if Papelbon is injured or traded. His fastball-slider arsenal can get both left-handed and right-handed batters out, though, so he could provide holds in deep leagues down the road.

Rubby de la Rosa

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 3/4/1989 | Team: Diamondbacks | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 2 0 11 4.8 1.6 1.6 5.56 1.50 5.61 -0.1 -0.1
’14 4 8 0 101 6.6 3.1 1.1 4.43 1.49 4.30 1.0 0.9
’15 8 9 0 144 7.3 3.6 0.9 4.30 1.37 4.19 0.3 0.7

Profile: Rubby de la Rosa has been on the cusp of “being something” since 2011 but injuries, command issues and general inconsistencies have seen him ride the minor-league/MLB shuttle for the past four seasons. The hard-throwing right-hander turns 26 in March and will enter spring training with his third organization after being acquired by Arizona from Boston during the off-season. The Snakes reportedly have high hopes for de la Rosa, and view him as a starting rotation candidate, but the general consensus was starting to see him as more of a future bullpen piece due to the inconsistent command. He pitched 101.2 innings (18 starts) for Boston in 2014 but his strikeout rate was just 6.55 strikeouts per nine and he currently lacks reliable swing-and-miss stuff. Playing in a hitter’s park in 2015 is not going to help de la Rosa so be very realistic in your bids for his services. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: The new Arizona pitcher is going to enter spring training earmarked for a starting rotation slot. However, de la Rosa’s inconsistent past (including health issues, command concerns and lack of reliable secondary offerings) suggest expectations should be kept to a minimum.

Dane de la Rosa

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 2/1/1983 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 6 1 2 72 8.1 3.5 0.4 2.86 1.16 2.99 1.1 1.0
’14 0 0 0 2 0.0 11.6 0.0 11.57 2.57 6.99 -0.1 -0.1
’15 0 0 0 1 7.3 3.9 0.8 4.07 1.39 4.09 0.1 -0.0

Profile: The big Dane followed up a promising 2013 campaign by being hurt most of the year and throwing just 2.1 innings with the Angels. He underwent knee surgery at the end of the season, then become a minor league free agent and departed fantasy owners’ radars all across the land. (Mike Podhorzer)

Jorge de la Rosa

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 4/5/1981 | Team: Rockies | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 16 6 0 167 6.0 3.3 0.6 3.49 1.38 3.76 3.7 3.1
’14 14 11 0 184 6.8 3.3 1.0 4.10 1.24 4.34 2.6 2.1
’15 11 11 0 192 7.0 3.3 1.0 4.48 1.40 4.24 1.7 2.4

Profile: Since he’s returned from mid-2012 Tommy John surgery, Jorge de la Rosa has been a little more committed to other fastballs besides his four-seamer. His splitter has remained especially effective, even as he’s traded a touch of swing-and-miss on it for more grounders, and his control is much better, even if it’s not quite league-average. Two 2014 developments made him more difficult to beat: the return of his velocity, and his introduction of what looks like a good cut fastball for both whiffs and grounders. In fact, he was above 50% worm-killers overall for just the second time in his career last season, and he’s better equipped to remain that way. A lot about the left-hander’s evolution and indicators, particularly recently, suggests that he’s learning how to succeed at Coors Field, where his ERA was a full two runs better than his road mark last year. With a 3.53 ERA, 3.98 FIP, 3.57 xFIP, and 12.7% strikeout minus walk rate after the break, de la Rosa seemed to announce that he was all the way back as well as his team’s unquestioned ace. Alas, any ace of the Rockies still pays an upside penalty, and this one appears to come with a slightly below-average strikeout rate now. There’s a little profit potential here, but it’s basically in NL-only leagues, not most mixed formats, where he’s more of a fringe play or streamer. (Nicholas Minnix)

Quick Opinion: de la Rosa, with a pitch mix designed to net him 50% ground balls and reduce free passes, has learned how to win at Coors Field since his June 2012 Tommy John surgery. The upside is still capped, however, meaning that he’s mostly truly an interesting play only in NL-only formats and just an end-of-the-bench streamer in mixed leagues.

Samuel Deduno

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 7/2/1983 | Team: Astros | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 8 8 0 108 5.6 3.4 0.6 3.83 1.35 4.04 1.7 1.2
’14 2 6 0 100 7.4 4.1 0.8 4.47 1.42 4.31 -0.0 0.1
’15 3 4 0 63 7.0 3.8 0.7 4.39 1.43 4.10 -0.3 0.0

Profile: There was a time in early 2014, right after Deduno was promoted from the bullpen to the Twins’ rotation, when it seemed the right-hander might offer value to some fantasy owners in deep AL-only leagues. Eight starts, a 5.01 FIP and an awful strikeout-to-walk ratio later, such hopes can be definitively put to rest. A veritable ground-ball machine, Deduno pitched much better in a relief role for both the Twins and the Astros, who acquired him off waivers at the end of August, and finished with a not-bad 3.89 SIERA. But despite a significant improvement in his first-pitch strike percentage, his walk rate ballooned to a bad 10.4%, and the 31-year-old doesn’t generate nearly the strikeouts necessary to justify his mediocre production in other categories. As of this writing, Deduno did not have a major league contract, but were he to land one, his likely role in middle relief for 2015 means he’s of little value in fantasy. (Karl de Vries)

Quick Opinion: No need to draft Deduno in any format.

Jacob deGrom

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 6/19/1988 | Team: Mets | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 9 6 0 140 9.2 2.8 0.4 2.69 1.14 2.67 3.5 3.0
’15 10 10 0 163 8.0 2.9 0.9 3.92 1.26 3.70 0.9 1.3

Profile: There are lots of reasons to like Jacob deGrom better than his projections, which are (in part, at least) based on some mediocre minor league strikeout rates. You see, deG was a different pitcher in 2014 than he’d ever been before. As a college shortstop that sometimes closed and then had Tommy John surgery early in his pro career, he entered 2012 as an older prospect with one pitch. Since then, he’s added a changeup with Johan Santana’s grip, a curveball with Frank Viola’s grip, and a faster slider under pitching coach Dan Warthen’s tutelage. Now the man with the hair has four pitches that rate as average or above by whiffs. Considering his four-seamer got almost double the average four-seamer whiff rate, it’s an impressive collection. And it makes his 11.7% swinging strike rate — eighth best in the league among pitchers that threw at least 140 innings last year — completely believable. Will his strand rate and homer rate regress? Probably. But there is evidence that pitchers have more control over these rates than previously thought, as SIERA research has shown a link between strikeout rate and strand rate. Tick his projected strikeout and strand rates up a bit, and his homer rate down, and you’ve got a low-threes ERA with a strikeout per inning. That described 20 pitchers last year. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: Any analysis that ends up with Jacob deGrom outside the top 25 is ignoring huge strides the pitcher has made in the last two years. Pay more than projections-based auction value and rankings would have you pay, but keep your hat on. He can’t just replicate last season’s work.

Steve Delabar

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 7/17/1983 | Team: Blue Jays | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 5 1 58 12.6 4.4 0.6 3.22 1.35 2.72 0.7 1.4
’14 3 0 0 25 7.4 6.7 1.1 4.91 1.48 5.59 -0.1 -0.4
’15 2 2 0 40 9.2 4.2 1.1 3.88 1.35 4.22 0.1 0.0

Profile: Like many of the other relievers who had surprisingly good seasons in 2013 for the Blue Jays, in 2014 former substitute teacher Steve Delabar regressed. Oh boy did he ever regress. He had only two more strikeouts than walks in the majors, and spent about half the season at Triple-A. It was a serious disappointment after he dominated hitters in 2013 to the extent that he was considered to be in line for saves behind Casey Janssen going into the last season. His fastball velocity did dip a bit, but that was far from the only problem. Basically, Delabar is a cautionary tale about taking one year of reliever dominance too seriously. Keep an eye on him during the season for waiver purposes in case he seems to be regaining his 2013 form, but he can be safely ignored on draft day. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: Substitute teacher, 2013 strikeout machine, 2014 disaster: the many faces of Steve Delabar. None of the faces add up to a fantasy draft pick in 2015.

Randall Delgado

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 2/9/1990 | Team: Diamondbacks | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 7 0 116 6.1 1.8 1.9 4.26 1.19 4.99 0.9 0.1
’14 4 4 0 77 10.0 4.1 0.7 4.87 1.36 3.39 -0.6 0.7
’15 4 5 1 83 8.4 3.1 1.0 3.70 1.26 3.88 0.4 0.2

Profile: There are currently eight starters ahead of Randall Delgado on the Arizona depth chart. So he’s a bit of a long shot. But teams generally use ten starting pitchers in an average season, and get substantial innings from six or seven. So at some point in 2015, you’ll probably hear about him again. And when you do, take notice. Because Delgado shares a lot in common with Carlos Carrasco. Both: 1) Are formerly well-thought of prospects that were traded for and struggled at first; 2) Have bad command that has hurt them in the form of walks and home runs; 3) Have good velocity (94 mph for Delgado in 2014); 4) Have three pitches that are elite in terms of whiff rates. You read that right. Delgado’s change was second-best among starters by that measure (28%), and his slider (26%) wasn’t much worse. At 13%, his curve is more above-average than elite, but his fastball is above-average (8%) and it goes fast. If the 25-year-old can play to the league-average walk rate that his projections say he can manage, he should be a very good pitcher in 2015. All he needs is a chance. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: By whiffs, Delgado has an elite changeup and slider and an above-average fastball and curve. If the command comes together and he gets a shot, pick him up for your bench in any league — before the start. On draft day, he belongs on your deep league’s deep bench or on the waiver wire, though.

Anthony DeSclafani

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 4/18/1990 | Team: Reds | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 2 2 0 33 7.1 1.4 1.1 6.27 1.36 3.77 -0.5 0.1
’15 7 10 0 144 7.0 2.8 1.3 4.48 1.32 4.51 0.3 0.2

Profile: Believe it or not, Desclafani wasn’t as bad as he showed in 2014. He did a decent job of striking batters out, thanks to a decent slider. And he did an even better job keeping free passes to a minimum, only walking 3.4% of the batters he faced. Hard contact seemed to be an issue, and given the fact that he’s a fly ball pitcher, that isn’t always good, especially since he’ll now call Cincinnati home. DeSclafani’s main issue, though, is one that plagues many young arms: a lack of a third offering. As it stands, he doesn’t offer much in terms of defense against left-handed batters. And, in his short major league tenure, he’s been punished for it. DeSclafani’s minor league track record is solid, but until he develops a little more it’s tough to see anything more than a decent arm with solid control, yet no one true out pitch. (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: DeSclafani’s future seems bright, not of the blinding type, but the nice cool glow of a decent starting pitcher. There will be growing pains, but there might also be signs of above average ability. Keep an eye on him, but unless a third pitch develops it’s tough to see him getting anywhere quickly.

Odrisamer Despaigne

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 4/4/1987 | Team: Padres | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 4 7 0 96 6.1 3.0 0.6 3.36 1.21 3.74 0.7 0.7
’15 8 10 0 144 7.0 3.3 0.9 4.35 1.37 4.05 -0.1 0.5

Profile: This Cuban defector was putting up a crazy number of strikeouts in the minors (14 strikeouts per nine in Double-A and 11 K/9 in Triple-A), but they did not translate to the majors (6 K/9) in 2014. In addition to the lack of strikes, the 27-year-old righty was a walk machine with 5.9 walks per nine in Double-A and 4.9 BB/9 in Triple-A. The walks did drop down to 3.0 BB/9 in the majors. He was able to limit the damage from balls hitters put in play because of a 52% ground-ball rate. His 3.36 ERA doesn’t look sustainable with ERA estimators hovering around four. Looking a little deeper into his six-pitch mix, his sinker and curve are the only above average pitches. He is throwing the kitchen sink, but most of the pitches are just not helpful. Don’t get too hopeful about his 2015 outlook. Going by his age and lack of elite pitches, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of upside. The unibrow is most likely to end up as a back of the rotation innings eater or long reliever. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Odrisamer Despaigne hasn’t been able to translate his minor league strikeout numbers to the majors. The low strikeout numbers are limiting his upside and he looks to be a back of the rotation starter at best.

Ross Detwiler

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 3/6/1986 | Team: Rangers | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 7 0 71 4.9 1.8 0.6 4.04 1.49 3.66 0.3 0.9
’14 2 3 1 63 5.6 3.0 0.7 4.00 1.41 4.16 -0.5 -0.2
’15 8 10 0 144 5.3 3.1 1.2 4.94 1.46 4.81 0.3 0.8

Profile: On a lesser team, Detwiler could be a back end starter. On the Nationals, he made all of his appearances out of the bullpen last season. Detwiler has been fine when pushed into the rotation, but he lacks upside. He’s not going to strike out a ton of batters, and, outside of 2013, never showed elite control. Since the Nationals were set with late-game relievers, Detwiler was mostly limited to long-relief and during blowouts. Come playoff time, Detwiler found himself off the roster. He will reprise that role in the pitching staff, but it will come with the Rangers. Given the dangers of that park, it’s tough to recommend Detwiler as anything more than a late-round flyer in the deepest of leagues. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Detwiler may have found a way to get back into a starting rotation, but it comes in a poor park. Given his limited abilities, it’s tough to recommend the new Ranger as anything other than a late-round flyer.

Jumbo Diaz

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 2/27/1984 | Team: Reds | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 0 1 0 34 9.6 3.6 0.8 3.38 1.24 3.33 0.4 0.3
’15 2 2 0 45 9.2 3.2 0.9 3.35 1.21 3.58 0.3 0.1

Profile: After years of very pretty minor league numbers, the 30-year-old Diaz finally got a chance for the Reds in 2014 and acquitted himself quite nicely in 34 2/3 innings, striking out over a batter an inning and ending up with a peripherals-supported 3.38 ERA. The nickname comes from a weight that topped out at 347 pounds. So while in most cases it would be pretty awesome to have an ERA less than your weight, in Jumbo’s case it’s merely decent. The Reds have him penciled into the bullpen again, but it’s unlikely he offers enough upside to worry about on draft day. Still, he has supposedly lost as many as 70 pounds off of that 347-pound frame, so perhaps he’s worth drafting merely as inspiration. (Jeremy Blachman)

Quick Opinion: Unless your roster requirements also tend toward the Jumbo side, his middle-relief role is probably too limited for you to be considering him for your team.

R.A. Dickey

Debut: 2001 |  BirthDate: 10/29/1974 | Team: Blue Jays | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 14 13 0 224 7.1 2.8 1.4 4.21 1.24 4.58 2.5 2.1
’14 14 13 0 215 7.2 3.1 1.1 3.71 1.23 4.32 2.8 2.1
’15 12 10 0 192 6.9 2.8 1.3 4.27 1.32 4.51 1.6 1.5

Profile: R.A. Dickey oscillated from from “fun knuckleballer to root for” to “possible ace” then back to “engima” over the last five years. Although we know that defense-independent metrics like FIP are not much help with knuckleballers, most recent past performance and context do matter. Dickey’s 2010-2012 run with the Mets was fun, but the days of a sub-three ERA are probably gone. Not only was that a few years ago, but he was in a much more pitcher-friendly park and in the National League. His strikeout rate is still pretty good, but has come down since that magical 2012 season, and his walk rate has gone up. Still, his rates in that respect are decent for a starting pitcher. What makes Dickey so good is that in his case, it is reasonable to expect a sub-.280 batting average on balls in play. He does seem a bit susceptible to the long ball, and there is a reason to be a bit wary of even good knuckleballers like Dickey. When he loses the “feel” of the pitch, things get messy. But even in his extremely disappointing 2013, his ERA was 4.21 — hardly ace-worthy these days, but his WHIP stayed decent for a starter and he still pitched enough to get a high number of strikeouts. Dickey is not a fantasy ace, but 200 or more innings with a sub-three ERA, a good WHIP, and fair share of strikeouts make him a useful starter in all but the deepest fantasy leagues. He’s very valuable in AL-only leagues. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: Once one realizes that the 2010-2012 Dickey is probably gone for good, it is easier to accept that he is still a very good fantasy pitcher, even if he is nothing like an ace.

Jake Diekman

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 1/21/1987 | Team: Phillies | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 4 0 38 9.6 3.8 0.2 2.58 1.30 2.50 0.3 0.6
’14 5 5 0 71 12.7 4.4 0.5 3.80 1.42 2.65 -0.5 1.1
’15 3 3 1 55 11.1 3.9 0.7 3.01 1.19 3.00 0.6 0.5

Profile: Entering the 2013 season, the left-handed Diekman had recorded a walk rate below 10% only once in his entire professional career — back in 2007, as a 20-year-old in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. He crossed that threshold again, though, in 2013 over 38.1 innings for the parent club. He wasn’t able to repeat that effort this past season, but it was at least an indication that he had probably managed his control problems sufficiently to let his raw stuff play. With regard to that raw stuff: among pitcher who made at least a single appearance in 2014, only one left-hander (Aroldis Chapman) recorded a higher average fastball velocity than Diekman, who sat at 96.9 mph over 71.0 innings for the Phils. He still has a pretty substantial platoon split, but he’s strong enough against left-handed batters that his troubles with right-handed ones are tolerable. He’ll be responsible for late-inning work in 2015. (Carson Cistulli)

Quick Opinion: There’s not a long history of left-handers who throw 95-plus failing to cobble together a major-league career — largely because there’s not a long history of left-handers throwing 95-plus mph. Provided Diekman can remain healthy and find the strike zone, he should produce above-average numbers in relief.

Sean Doolittle

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 9/26/1986 | Team: Athletics | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 5 2 69 7.8 1.7 0.5 3.13 0.96 2.71 1.3 1.7
’14 2 4 22 62 12.8 1.1 0.7 2.73 0.73 1.71 1.5 2.4
’15 3 2 19 55 10.7 2.1 1.0 2.18 1.00 2.91 1.2 0.8

Profile: Here’s one leaderboard. 1) Aroldis Chapman; 2) Andrew Miller; 3) Sean Doolittle. That’s the strikeout minus walk rate leaderboard. Here’s another leaderboard: 1) Aroldis Chapman; 2) Darren O’Day; 3) Sean Doolittle. That’s the top whiff rates for four-seam fastballs in baseball last year. It’s good news for the A’s closer, who throws his fastball almost 90% of the time. Really, Doolittle is a combination of the other two in that he’s one part funk, one part heat. He uses a glove flip and some deception to hide his delivery, and then has a rising fastball that he throws high and away that gives hitters — now taught to drop their barrel on the ball and golf the low pitch out — many problems. It’s fair to ask if he can continue getting this much out of one pitch, and to his credit, he does spend time working on his breaking ball every offseason and spring. But excellent command, a great fastball, a contract that keeps him cheap no matter what role he’s in, and a nice home park to suppress home runs — these things make Sean Doolittle an excellent closer that should continue his run of success. Now let’s hope that shoulder is fine once he gets back off the disabled list early this year. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: Excellent control of a 94 mph rising fastball makes Sean Doolittle hum. Lack of a great second pitch is the only blemish on the record of what should be a top closer option in 2015.

Felix Doubront

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 10/23/1987 | Team: Cubs | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 11 6 0 162 7.7 3.9 0.7 4.32 1.43 3.78 1.8 2.9
’14 4 5 0 79 5.8 3.7 1.4 5.54 1.56 5.13 -0.4 -0.0
’15 4 4 0 69 7.9 3.2 0.9 3.80 1.29 3.82 0.1 0.2

Profile: Doubront endured a disastrous 2014 driven by shoulder issues, which led to a loss of velocity, a collapse in strikeout rate and poor results. His disappointing season ultimately resulted in him getting shipped off to the Cubs. Had he not struggled with his velocity, a move to the National League would have made him a nice little sleeper over the remainder of the season and heading into 2014. Instead, health is now a major question mark, especially after he struck out just eight batters in 20.1 innings in Chicago. He’s likely to have to battle to win a rotation spot out of spring training. If reports are positive about his shoulder and we hear that his velocity has rebounded, he becomes an interesting gamble in NL-Only leagues given his historical strikeout ability. If not, he might become just another middle reliever with mediocre skills. (Mike Podhorzer)

Quick Opinion: A disastrous 2014 highlighted by shoulder issues, a collapse in strikeout rate and poor results now clouds Doubront’s future. If healthy, he makes for a nice sleeper in NL-Only leagues, but don’t hold your breath.

Kyle Drabek

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 12/8/1987 | Team: Blue Jays | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 0 0 2 11.6 7.7 3.9 7.71 2.57 9.91 -0.1 -0.1
’14 0 0 0 3 15.0 6.0 0.0 0.00 1.33 1.80 0.1 0.1
’15 1 1 0 20 6.5 2.8 1.1 4.16 1.35 4.24 -0.0 0.0

Profile: Kyle Drabek was a well-regarded pitching prospect way back when for the Phillies, but he has never really panned out for the Blue Jays. From 2010 to 2012 the Jays gave Drabek 30 starts in the majors, and although he did an okay job of keeping the ball on the ground, it was not enough to make for mediocre strikeout rates and lousy control. Drabek’s numbers were not all the impressive in the high minors, either. He then spent most of 2013 recovering from Tommy John surgery, and most of his 2014 pitching was done in the minors, and in relief. The Jays seem to be grooming Drabek for the bullpen, which probably makes sense at this point. His stuff is not all that impressive, but it should get the usual bump that pitchers get from this sort of move. Assuming he makes the major league bullpen this spring, Drabek is still pretty far back from the closer’s spot. Whatever his past pedigree, at this point he is just another right-handed middle reliever. Barring shocking performance and/or a rash of injuries in the Blue Jays’ bullpen, there is very little to see here. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: Kyle Drabek might get a bit of attention because of his past prospect pedigree, but at this point he is just another right-handed middle reliever with very little fantasy value.

Brian Duensing

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 2/22/1983 | Team: Twins | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 6 2 1 61 8.3 3.2 0.6 3.98 1.48 3.24 0.3 0.9
’14 3 3 0 54 5.5 3.3 1.0 3.31 1.33 4.51 0.7 -0.2
’15 2 2 1 45 6.6 2.7 0.9 3.95 1.33 3.96 -0.0 0.1

Profile: Duesning is a largely fungible left-handed reliever that the Twins have fallen in love with for some reason or another. Despite working nearly exclusively as a reliever the last three seasons, Duensing has put together just a 4.37 ERA and 6.3 strikeouts per nine, yet the Twins have tendered him for his third year of arbitration control this offseason. Duensing doesn’t get right-handed hitters out — career .297/.356/.466 — and hasn’t been nasty enough against lefties to warrant paying him too high of a salary. In 2014 he held left-handed hitters to a .587 OPS, but in 2013 that mark was .786 and in 2012 it was .678. Simply put, that’s not the kind of domination that should be expected from a latter-arb LOOGY. Most likely, that kind of production could be attained by Logan Darnell, Aaron Thompson, or perhaps even a nasty right-hander as the Twins have a few of those coming through the ranks. Either way, 2015 will likely be the last dance between Duensing and the Twins. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: Duensing doesn’t have an obvious path to saves and doesn’t get enough right-handers out to be a real strong holds candidate. Look elsewhere.

Danny Duffy

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 12/21/1988 | Team: Royals | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 0 0 24 8.1 5.2 0.0 1.85 1.36 3.09 1.1 0.6
’14 9 12 0 149 6.8 3.2 0.7 2.53 1.11 3.83 3.7 2.2
’15 9 9 0 144 7.4 3.6 1.2 3.95 1.35 4.51 1.7 1.1

Profile: Here’s the weird thing about Danny Duffy’s 2014 season: despite putting up a 2.53 ERA in nearly 150 innings, he didn’t have a single plus pitch by pitch-type peripherals. Well, maybe you can give his fastball (8% whiffs, 6.4% is average) that moniker, it does hum along at 94 mph, so that’s not surprising. But his change, slider, and big ole curve — none of those pitches rated as above average by whiffs or grounders. That’s how you get a below-average strikeout rate out of what looks like a plus package on the mound. This year, he finally put up a walk that was better than average, but the difference between his strikeout and walk rates was below average, and his ground-ball rate was terrible. If he regresses with the command — his career major- and minor-league walk rates suggest he will — then it will be hard to love him in 2015. The pop-ups are nice (6% career, average is 3.7%) but without plus command will he be able to continue to hit those spots? And even if he does get another 20+ popups next year, will it be enough to over come his bad strikeout and walk rates? Duffy is risky. His upside is mixed-league worthy, but don’t overspend. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: A pop-up inducing rising 94 mph fastball is a thing to build a career upon. The fact that Duffy’s command is unstable and his other pitches don’t get whiffs or grounders eats away at that foundation, though. Be careful with this 25-year-old.

Zach Duke

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 4/19/1983 | Team: White Sox | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 2 0 31 5.2 2.9 0.9 6.03 1.56 4.20 -0.5 -0.0
’14 5 1 0 58 11.4 2.6 0.5 2.45 1.12 2.14 1.0 1.3
’15 3 3 3 65 8.1 2.5 0.9 3.44 1.23 3.49 0.6 0.5

Profile: Duke was less than an afterthought entering 2014, but he discovered himself in the Brewers bullpen. The transformation quietly began late in 2013 when he posted a 0.84 ERA, 5.91 strikeouts per nine, 1.69 walks per nine, and a 12.2% swinging strike rate (SwStr%) in 10.2 innings for the Reds. It was easy to dismiss the swing-and-miss stuff as small sample noise, especially since it didn’t lead to strikeouts. Instead, he maintained the whiff rate (12.3 SwStr%) in 58.2 innings for the Brewers. This time, the strikeouts came in droves, as he posted a 11.35 K/9. His 2.45 ERA was accompanied by an even better FIP (2.14) and xFIP (2.09). Duke is entering his age 32 season. The southpaw was used situationally, but he actually featured even splits. The White Sox snagged him at a reasonable cost, and he could even fill in as an emergency closer behind David Robertson. (Brad Johnson)

Quick Opinion: The southpaw reliever broke out in 2014 just in time for free agency. His short track record is cause for concern, but he’s not too far removed from a closer’s job.

Mike Dunn

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 5/23/1985 | Team: Marlins | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 4 2 67 9.6 3.7 0.7 2.66 1.20 3.12 1.4 0.8
’14 10 6 1 57 10.6 3.5 0.6 3.16 1.21 3.06 0.2 0.9
’15 3 3 2 65 9.8 3.3 0.8 2.94 1.19 3.33 0.8 0.5

Profile: Mike Dunn did more Mike Dunn things in 2014, getting a little better in the process. Being relied upon by the Marlins in crucial situations Dunn rode his velocity and slider combination into the promised land, posting an FIP that was 18% better than league average. Dunn’s a known commodity at this point, and he seems likely to stay the course in 2015. Command can be an issue, as can his production versus right-handed batters, but he’s a relatively safe late innings option that could see save opportunities if a few injuries occur. (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: Managers tend to stay away from left-handed closers, and Dunn probably isn’t going to be an exception, partly due to his command issues, even if they’ve improved. For now, just enjoy the strikeouts and holds he is going to provide.

Josh Edgin

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 12/17/1986 | Team: Mets | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 1 1 28 6.3 3.8 0.6 3.77 1.33 4.02 0.1 -0.2
’14 1 0 0 27 9.2 2.0 0.7 1.32 0.91 2.69 0.8 0.3
’15 2 2 0 45 8.5 3.4 0.9 3.70 1.30 3.78 -0.1 -0.2

Profile: Josh Edgin is more important to the Mets than one might think. As the only current, sure-thing lefty, they’ll need him. Though it’s worth pointing out that in a smaller sample, he was basically as impressive versus righties on both the outcome and pitch level, too. Against righties, his cutter is even more remarkable (18% more whiffs), and while his slider and fourseamer are not as effective, he adds in an elite sinker and just-below average change. All in all, Edgin has four pitches (five if you include a handful of curves) that get 30% whiffs or more – the cutter and slider get more than 40%. In fact, Edgin had the number one swinging-strike rate in all of baseball last year on his cutter – just north of Wade Davis! Not one was hit for a liner and he just missed Wade Davis’ grounder-to-fly ratio on the pitch as well. (Dan Schwartz)

Quick Opinion: Due to elbow issues, Edgin was not used much late in the season and he might get type-casted as a lefty specialist, but if the Mets somehow get into the playoffs, I can see him playing hero against big-time lefties and getting through righties just fine.

Roenis Elias

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 8/1/1988 | Team: Mariners | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 10 12 0 163 7.9 3.5 0.9 3.85 1.31 4.03 1.6 1.4
’15 10 9 0 153 7.5 3.4 0.9 4.05 1.33 4.11 1.2 1.2

Profile: There wasn’t a great standard peripheral in 2014 that recommends Elias for 2015. The strikeout rate was meh, the walk rate was slightly worse than average, and the ground-ball rate was only a tick above average. It all seemed very average, and his 4.03 FIP last year was a ducksnort away from average (3.81). But check out that swinging strike rate — he almost hit double digits (9.8%). That was tied for 26th in the league among starters with at least 160 innings. The funky Cuban got there on the back of both a change and a curve that got comfortably above-average whiffs, and since he threw 600+ of both, the sample was good enough to believe. For a lefty, his 92 mph fastball was above-average, too. What makes Elias tough to recommend as a top-end sleeper is the fact that he has trouble repeating his release points, and uses his pitches in very predictable patterns. The latter may be easily coached out, but the former may not get any better — the Mariners have been trying to fix that since they signed him. If he can just turn those whiffs into more strikeouts, and use his home park to suppress homers just a tad, Elias could easily better his projections and be a mid-rotation fantasy starter in most leagues. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: Two good off-speed pitches and a fastball with above-average velocity is enough to get this Cuban lefty a recommendation. Roenis Elias doesn’t get the “Rock Solid Sleeper” tag because of his issues with sequencing and his release point, but he could be better than he is projected to be in 2015.

Nathan Eovaldi

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 2/13/1990 | Team: Yankees | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 6 0 106 6.6 3.4 0.6 3.39 1.32 3.59 1.7 1.5
’14 6 14 0 199 6.4 1.9 0.6 4.37 1.33 3.37 0.3 3.0
’15 10 11 0 173 6.3 2.6 1.3 4.45 1.33 4.54 1.1 0.9

Profile: Eovaldi, owner of an overpowering fastball, began the year on a fantastic run, utilizing his improved command to post an ERA in the mid-twos in April before posting a 4.80 (3.65 FIP) mark the rest of the way. It all comes down to one thing: he doesn’t have a third offering. In order to survive versus left-handed batters, Eovaldi needs to have pinpoint command with his slider. He had that at the beginning of the year, but that command faded down the stretch, and so did his results. His command stayed in the form of lower walks, but spotting pitches in order to limit damage was another story. In totality, left-handed hitters hurt Eovaldi again, while right-handers were held in check. Eovaldi still his has heat, and that’s important, but until he’s able to pair it with better secondary offerings his career arc might seem a little stale. Watch the curve or the change in the spring for signs of life. (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: Eovaldi seemed to grow in early 2014, but quickly reverted back into old form. Without a third pitch, Eovaldi doesn’t seem likely to make a jump into uncharted territory. He’s a streaming option in some leagues, and perhaps worth a flier in others until he proves otherwise, especially now that his surroundings aren’t quite as friendly as they used to be.

Robbie Erlin

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 10/8/1990 | Team: Padres | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 3 0 54 6.6 2.5 1.0 4.12 1.24 3.83 0.3 0.5
’14 4 5 0 61 6.8 2.2 0.9 4.99 1.40 3.69 -0.2 0.5
’15 3 4 0 63 7.4 2.6 0.9 3.84 1.27 3.79 -0.1 -0.0

Profile: In 2012, at spring training with the FanGraphs crew, I met Robbie Erlin’s father. He was sitting in the stands watching his son’s new team play, and I felt like telling him that I thought his son was a fantasy sleeper that year. He smiled and nodded. His son didn’t pitch in the major leagues that year. The next year, I once again circled Erlins’ name, based on minor league walk and strikeout rates, and major league park. He pitched 50+ innings with the Padres that year, and they were unspectacular no matter if you judged them by whiffs, walks, or grounders. Maybe that’s unfair — his trademark command had actually traveled with him to the majors (6.6% walk rate). I acknowledged that his sub-90 mph fastball might not be enough to make the nice change/curve/command combo hum, but not to his father because that would be rude. 2014 brought much of the same, and so now it’s hard for me to recommend Erlin too heartily. Especially now that he’s probably sixth or seventh on that depth chart. So file this name away for the deeper leagues, and remember that, if he’s gets called into the role, he does actually have a good change and curve combo, he does have great command, and he has recently made a change to his fastball mix (more high fourseamers) that could help make the whole package play up. If Mike Fiers can happen, Robbie Erlin still has a chance. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: It’s not a good fastball. But Robbie Erlin has everything else that it takes to succeed, and still pitches at home in San Diego, so he deserves a kind eye if the investment required is low and the available talent in your deep fantasy league is unexciting.

Edwin Escobar

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 4/22/1992 | Team: Red Sox | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 0 0 0 2 9.0 0.0 0.0 4.50 0.50 2.63 -0.0 0.0
’15 1 0 0 10 7.6 2.5 1.0 3.55 1.25 3.86 0.1 0.1

Profile: Had Edwin Escobar remained in San Francisco, there’s a good chance he would have piled up 15 or more starts in 2015 for the Giants. Now that he’s in Boston though, he’s further down the depth chart. He was promoted to toss two innings in September, which is a mildly encouraging sign, but many of his peers were promoted in September for much more significant action. Escobar profiles as a pitcher worthy of a major league role, both from a statistical and scouting perspective, and is one of a few Red Sox pitching prospects to be projected (by Steamer) to have a strikeout minus walk rate greater than 10% next season. This with an arsenal that’s a breaking ball short of full. With so many options at Boston’s disposal, it is not entirely clear where Escobar and his excellent changeup will fit in. He has just one season of Triple-A ball under his belt, and it wouldn’t be incredibly abnormal for him to get some more polish in Pawtucket to start the season. Until his role becomes clear, it is impossible to say whether or not he will be a valuable part of a fantasy team, but at least at the outset, it would appear that his utility would be limited. If you’re in a deep AL-only league, he may be worth a flier, but that’s about it. (Paul Swydan)

Quick Opinion: Edwin Escobar may be a pitcher worthy of your fantasy team’s attention. But the Red Sox still have a bevy of pitchers at their discretion for the final few spots on their pitching staff, and Escobar isn’t guaranteed one of them. Until he is, he won’t be worth picking up.

Marco Estrada

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 7/5/1983 | Team: Blue Jays | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 7 4 0 128 8.3 2.0 1.3 3.87 1.08 3.86 1.8 1.6
’14 7 6 0 150 7.6 2.6 1.7 4.36 1.20 4.88 0.3 -0.3
’15 3 2 1 55 8.3 1.8 1.4 3.43 1.15 3.99 0.5 0.2

Profile: Estrada has a lot in common with a solid third starter. He has struck out 8.5 batters and walked just 2.4 batters per nine in his major league career. But every year that he’s made at least two starts, he’s allowed more than 10 percent of his flyballs to leave the park. It may be the result of his reliance on deception; his average fastball is slower than 90 mph. Whatever the reason, after 541 career innings, it’s difficult to expect that rate to regress. Estrada did get traded away from homer-friendly Miller Park this offseason, but he landed in another hitter-friendly park in Toronto. Estrada’s likeliest path to fantasy value at this point is to land in the bullpen, which does not have an established closer. Still, Estrada is an AL-only option at best this season. (Scott Spratt)

Quick Opinion: Estrada’s trade from Milwaukee to Toronto will likely do little for his homer-prone ways. As such, it’s difficult to see him having fantasy value unless he lands in an inexperienced bullpen and can ride the strikeout to high-leverage innings.





 

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