2015 Pitcher Profiles: P – T

by
February 9, 2015

Jonathan Papelbon

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 11/23/1980 | Team: Phillies | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 1 29 61 8.3 1.6 0.9 2.92 1.14 3.05 0.9 1.0
’14 2 3 39 66 8.5 2.0 0.3 2.04 0.90 2.53 2.5 1.7
’15 3 3 30 65 8.3 2.2 1.1 3.42 1.17 3.68 0.3 0.2

Profile: Some figured that the end was nigh for Jonathan Papelbon because of the seven save opportunities he blew in 36 total chances in 2013. The mid-30s righty’s readouts on the radar gun have definitely lost a tick – or three – but he’s still posted some solid peripherals (a 2.78 FIP, 3.50 xFIP, and 2.91 SIERA) in the past two seasons. He revived his swinging-strike rate (12.2%) in 2014 by ditching the two-seam grip, which wasn’t doing much for him. A couple of years with bad walk rates are almost distant memories. OK, enough: This is still a pitcher in decline. Last year, he went back to mostly four-seamers and locating them up often. That could certainly continue to work, but, with that low velo, it might be quite a trick to allow only two homers in a full season again. It’s fair to expect some serious regression in his .247 batting average on balls in play, too, given all its context. Papelbon deserves credit for continually finding ways to stay ahead of the competition. A strikeout rate slowly approaching 20% has reduced his relevance in the fantasy world, however. He’s still good – definitely not great – because he’s a smart pitcher. He’s still fantasy-relevant because his survival skills and hefty contract keep him in that closer’s role. Philadelphia could eventually find a taker who won’t need to feel the same way – although that seems unlikely even in 2015. He’s an adequate second reliever in mixed leagues and could be just a tad overpriced this year. (Nicholas Minnix)

Quick Opinion: Rumors of Papelbon’s demise were premature, but strikeout percentages in the low 20s can’t endear him to fantasy owners. He owes the baseball gods a favor or two, as well, so he may be a tad overvalued in 2015. He’s relevant mostly because he’s a probable source of 30-plus saves.

Blake Parker

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 6/19/1985 | Team: Cubs | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 2 1 46 10.7 2.9 0.8 2.72 1.17 2.90 0.5 0.6
’14 1 1 0 21 10.3 1.7 1.3 5.14 1.33 3.28 -0.3 0.1
’15 1 1 0 15 9.1 3.0 1.0 3.39 1.22 3.67 0.1 0.1

Profile: Parker has been slaying minor league pitching over the past two seasons, and with a 2.72 ERA season in recent memory, he could play a significant role in the back end of the Cubs bullpen if he can recapture that 2013 sparkle. Joe Maddon has shown a willingness to put inexperienced relievers into closing or setup roles, so do not be surprised if Parker can find a few saves in 2014. That being said, he’s likely behind Jason Motte to start the season and certainly behind Hector Rondon. Pedro Strop might be a step further up the ladder too. Either way, Parker is a former Triple-A closer who made the Pacific Coast League look like a pitcher’s league. Even though he’s a late bloomer (age 30 in 2015), he is worth keeping an eye on. (Bradley Woodrum)

Quick Opinion: Parker might not be first in line for a closing or setup role in Chicago, but his minor league numbers have been filthy recently, and he has a 2.92 SIERA in his career. There could be an elite reliever hiding behind last season’s 5.14 ERA.

Bobby Parnell

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 9/8/1984 | Team: Mets | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 5 22 50 7.9 2.2 0.2 2.16 1.00 2.33 0.8 1.2
’14 0 0 0 1 9.0 9.0 0.0 9.00 3.00 4.13 -0.1 -0.0
’15 3 3 10 65 8.2 2.4 0.7 3.27 1.20 3.24 0.2 0.2

Profile: Bobby Parnell might get a late start to 2015 as he returns from Tommy John surgery. The Mets’ Jenrry Mejia was solid in the closer role last year, but Terry Collins has already penciled Parnell in once he returns supposedly. If he regains value, he can also turn into a trade candidate being the only Mets reliever at the moment past pre-arbitration eligibility. If Captain Fastball doesn’t return to his 2013 velocity, there probably is not enough value left on his fastball, and how often can he go to the curve and splitter back from TJS? I don’t have confidence in what is basically a two-pitch repertoire a year back from surgery. (Dan Schwartz)

Quick Opinion: If you have the space on your fantasy rosters for both Parnell and Mejia, you should earn the majority of the Mets’ saves, but Mejia should be the more valuable asset from start to finish in both rate stats and counting stats.

Manny Parra

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 10/30/1982 | Team: Reds | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 3 0 46 11.0 2.9 1.0 3.33 1.20 3.07 0.4 0.5
’14 0 3 1 36 8.3 4.4 1.0 4.66 1.55 4.25 -0.4 -0.2
’15 3 3 2 55 9.1 3.2 0.8 3.25 1.22 3.47 0.4 0.3

Profile: After a much improved 2013 season, fueled by an uptick in velocity, Parra gave back some of the velocity gains and saw his increased strikeout go with it. Even if the velocity and strikeouts come back, he’s 32 and walks more than ten percent of batters. He’s not fantasy relevant. (Brett Talley)

Spencer Patton

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 2/20/1988 | Team: Rangers | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 1 0 0 9 7.7 1.9 0.0 0.96 0.86 2.06 0.3 0.2
’15 1 0 0 10 8.5 3.5 0.9 3.81 1.31 3.89 0.0 0.0

Profile: Patton got his first taste of the majors in 2014, pitching well in nine appearances. The 26-year-old isn’t a flame-thrower, but his wipeout slider generates plenty of punchouts, as reflected by his eyebrow-raising career 12.2 K/9 in the minors. He doesn’t really have a third pitch, so struggles against left-handers could be a problem. His tiny major-league sample (.641 OPS vs. L, .297 OPS vs. R) and robust minor-league sample (.717 OPS vs. L, .638 OPS vs. R) both suggest as much. It’s also worth noting that his career walk rate in the minors against lefties (4.29 BB/9) is nearly double his mark against righties (2.41 BB/9). (Scott Strandberg)

Quick Opinion: Patton will likely have a job in the Rangers’ bullpen, but he’s unproven, and his potential platoon issues don’t help his case to pitch in high-leverage situations. He’s worth keeping an eye on in holds leagues because of his strikeout potential, but everyone else can safely ignore him.

Felipe Paulino

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 10/5/1983 | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 0 2 0 18 6.9 5.9 2.9 11.29 2.56 7.99 -1.0 -0.5
’15 0 0 0 1 6.8 4.2 1.3 5.20 1.52 4.95 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: Injuries have pretty much killed any chance Paulino reaches his potential. He had promising peripherals in 2011, and looked to be putting things together in 2012 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. It was assumed Paulino would be fully healthy, and ready to help the White Sox in 2014, but he got off to a terrible start. After just four awful starts, it was determined he was dealing with shoulder tendinitis. He made just five more starts in the minors. The White Sox could have brought him back for $4 million, but decided against that, making Paulino a free-agent. He has an intriguing arm if he can ever get healthy, but his climb to relevance will be lengthy. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Injuries ruined Paulino. His potential should get him a job, but he’ll face an uphill climb if he hopes to settle into a desirable fantasy role.

James Paxton

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 11/6/1988 | Team: Mariners | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 0 0 24 7.9 2.6 0.8 1.50 0.92 3.26 1.1 0.5
’14 6 4 0 74 7.2 3.5 0.4 3.04 1.20 3.28 1.4 1.3
’15 11 10 0 173 7.4 3.8 0.7 4.10 1.37 3.88 1.2 1.6

Profile: James Paxton made a more extended debut in 2014, and the big Canadian left-hander flashed great promise amidst some issues. Paxton started the season on the big league roster, but managed just 13 starts due to a lat injury. He then struggled with command at times upon his August return, but was able to labor through outings and earn a 3.04 ERA thanks to his tremendous stuff. Paxton’s fastball sits comfortably at 95 mph, and he features a nasty curve as his secondary offering. Entering his age-26 season, Paxton has locked down a rotation spot, and can be a fantasy asset when healthy due to his ability to power through outings even when he’s not on his A-game. It’s hard to expect Paxton to throw more than 150 innings in 2015, but those innings will be worth having in all formats. (Zach Sanders)

Quick Opinion: Paxton can struggle with his command, but a big fastball and nasty curve allow him to get through outings when he doesn’t have his A-game. Paxton has some injury concerns, but he’s worth drafting while hoping he stays healthy for 150 innings.

Brad Peacock

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 2/2/1988 | Team: Astros | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 6 0 83 8.3 4.0 1.6 5.18 1.38 4.98 -0.2 0.2
’14 4 9 0 131 8.1 4.8 1.4 4.72 1.56 4.99 -0.5 0.0
’15 7 8 0 125 7.6 4.0 1.3 4.72 1.43 4.75 -0.2 -0.0

Profile: Brad Peacock doesn’t have the same amount of command as Brett Oberholtzer, and the strikeout differential doesn’t make up enough ground. All of his pitches outside of his fastball are below average from a swinging-strike standpoint. A 4.75+ ERA and 1.45+ WHIP doesn’t cut it for your fantasy rosters. It would take a ton of luck to make him valuable in even the deepest of AL-only leagues. (Dan Schwartz)

Jake Peavy

Debut: 2002 |  BirthDate: 5/31/1981 | Team: Giants | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 12 5 0 144 7.5 2.2 1.2 4.17 1.15 3.96 2.0 2.4
’14 7 13 0 202 7.0 2.8 1.0 3.73 1.28 4.11 2.7 1.9
’15 11 10 0 173 7.4 2.5 1.0 3.71 1.23 3.92 1.3 1.0

Profile: Peavy had a miserable time with the Red Sox, as he posted a 4.72 ERA, saw his walk rate balloon to its highest mark since his first full season in 2003, and won just one measly game. Issues with the long ball hurt, and with his fastball velocity failing to average 90 mph for the first time in his career, asking if he was done as an effective pitcher was a valid question. But a midseason trade to the National League and pitcher friendly home park of the Giants was all Peavy needed to revive his career. His walk rate rebounded, he stopped allowing homers at an inflated rate, and his whiff rate jumped to its highest mark since 2009. While the Giants won’t be a very good source of run support, staying in San Francisco will be favorable for his ratios. The return to the National League should also slow his strikeout rate decline and give him a better chance of enjoying a rebound. (Mike Podhorzer)

Quick Opinion: A move to the National League and the pitcher friendly environs of AT&T Park are just what Peavy needed to reverse his swift decline. Now with the Giants for a full season, his strikeout rate and ratios will benefit and he should once again earn some mixed league value.

Mike Pelfrey

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 1/14/1984 | Team: Twins | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 13 0 152 6.0 3.1 0.8 5.19 1.55 3.99 0.0 2.2
’14 0 3 0 23 3.8 6.8 1.9 7.99 1.99 7.57 -0.8 -0.6
’15 4 5 0 77 5.4 3.2 1.1 5.10 1.49 4.79 -0.2 0.2

Profile: Mike Pelfrey had a frustrating 2013, throwing 150 mostly-dismal innings for the Twins. Of course, in 2014, he was worse, shelved after five awful starts where he went no more than 5 1/3 innings and struck out 10 batters in 23 2/3 innings (3.8 strikeouts per nine). The Twins are already talking about trying him in the bullpen in 2015. On the bright side, he’s still only 31 years old. Then again, Lindsay Lohan is only 28. (Jeremy Blachman)

Quick Opinion: The Twins will be paying him $5.5 million in 2015. Your fantasy team should not follow their lead.

Brad Penny

Debut: 2000 |  BirthDate: 5/24/1978 | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 2 1 0 26 4.5 4.5 1.0 6.58 1.81 5.25 -0.6 -0.3
’15 0 0 0 1 6.1 2.9 0.8 4.37 1.37 4.07 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: There was a Brad Penny sighting in 2014! We didn’t even write a cap for him in 2013! Like a Phoenix, Penny rose from his own ashes to post… not so good numbers. If the Marlins’ rotation didn’t succumb to injuries, he probably wouldn’t have graced a major league mound, but they did, and so he pitched. He didn’t pitch well, though, walking too many batters, while not striking out nearly enough to balance the ratio out. Penny doesn’t seem likely to make a roster in 2015, and if he does, he isn’t going to be on your radar unless you’re in desperate need of a few innings. (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: According to widely available data, Brad Penny has made nearly $50 million in salary while in the big leagues. Good for him, man. Good for him.

Joel Peralta

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 3/23/1976 | Team: Dodgers | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 8 1 71 9.3 4.3 0.9 3.41 1.14 3.68 0.4 0.5
’14 3 4 1 63 10.5 2.1 1.3 4.41 1.18 3.40 -0.2 0.6
’15 3 2 4 55 9.4 2.5 1.1 2.94 1.12 3.51 0.5 0.2

Profile: Despite a rather unseemly 4.40 ERA, the 2014 season was kind of business as usual for a fairly effective Joel Peralta. Stung by the long ball and a .307 average on balls in play, the highest he’s seen in six seasons, Peralta still managed to strike out 28% of opponents and demonstrated the best control he’s had in years. His FIP of 3.40 was right in line with his results since being a member of the Tampa Bay Rays and it’s likely that Peralta will be the go-to guy for holds, setting up teammate Jake McGee. It’s possible Brad Boxberger swoops in to snag that role, so do your diligence to read the Spring Training tea leaves left by new manager Kevin Cash. (Michael Barr)

Quick Opinion: Joel Peralta should enter 2015 first in line for holds, setting up Jake McGee. Ignore his ERA from 2014 and expect a reliever with a mid-3.00 ERA, a WHIP in the 1.15 range, oodles of strikeouts and a goodly number of holds. Keep an eye on any late inning battles with a crowded cast of potential characters, but if you’re in a holds league, Peralta is a pretty safe bet.

Wily Peralta

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 5/8/1989 | Team: Brewers | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 11 15 0 183 6.3 3.6 0.9 4.37 1.42 4.30 -0.2 1.1
’14 17 11 0 198 7.0 2.8 1.0 3.53 1.30 4.11 2.5 1.5
’15 10 11 0 182 7.3 3.3 0.9 4.25 1.36 3.99 0.9 1.6

Profile: Wily Peralta enjoyed something of a breakout season in his second full year in the Brewers’ rotation, but it wasn’t for the obvious reason. Since his average fastball sits at close to 96 mph, one would expect him to strike out more than seven batters per nine, but he did not in 2014. He still relies heavily on both a two-seam fastball and slider and generated ground balls 53.6% of the time last season, 11th-highest among qualified starters. Instead, Peralta made the jump by decreasing his walk rate from 3.6 per nine in 2013 to 2.8 per nine in 2014. That improvement cut his ERA by close to a run and his WHIP by 0.12 to a decent 1.30. At 25 years old and with 411 career innings, Peralta may not carry the sleeper potential he once did, but he has already matured into a usable streamer option in standard formats. And with Jonathan Lucroy behind the plate to frame Peralta’s pitches down in the zone, I wouldn’t give up on Peralta seeing a bump in strikeout rate just yet. (Scott Spratt)

Quick Opinion: Peralta made a bit of a leap in 2014 by improving his command. His 7.0 strikeouts per nine still do not match his 96 mph fastball, but is a solid streamer option with some upside entering 2015.

Martin Perez

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 4/4/1991 | Team: Rangers | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 10 6 0 124 6.1 2.7 1.1 3.62 1.34 4.23 2.3 1.6
’14 4 3 0 51 6.1 3.3 0.5 4.38 1.34 3.70 0.6 0.8
’15 2 2 0 29 6.1 3.4 1.0 4.59 1.43 4.39 0.2 0.2

Profile: Martin Perez, who turns 24 in April, already has parts of three major league seasons under his belt but he’ll likely miss the entire first half of 2015 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He might see some time in the Rangers’ rotation in the second half of the year but he’s not going to be a significant fantasy performer until 2016 at the earliest. With that said, monitor his rehab closely and, if you’re lucky, you might squeeze a little value out of him in late ’15. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: The rehab from Tommy John surgery will keep Perez out of action until at least mid-season so he’s not likely to be relevant in most drafts in 2015 — barring some miraculous recovery.

Oliver Perez

Debut: 2002 |  BirthDate: 8/15/1981 | Team: Diamondbacks | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 3 2 53 12.6 4.4 1.0 3.74 1.43 3.26 0.4 0.7
’14 3 4 0 58 11.7 3.7 0.8 2.91 1.26 3.23 0.3 0.6
’15 3 3 1 55 9.9 3.3 0.9 3.08 1.19 3.44 0.5 0.4

Profile: Control remains Oliver Perez’s biggest problem, but it’s been easier for him to overcome in the last few years. His move to the bullpen, mechanical alterations, and changes in pitch usage (primarily, the addition of a sinker and more reliance on the slider) facilitated that development. He’s become a somewhat dependable reliever who isn’t purely a specialist and can rack up strikeouts and is thus a candidate for late-innings work, possibly in save situations when his team has a need. The facts that the 33-year-old is left-handed and still occasionally erratic preclude him from consistent work in such a fantasy-friendly role. In Arizona, need could again be not far from arising, however, and he should continue to contribute occasionally for those in deep holds leagues, regardless. He’s not the ideal NL-only pickup, but fantasy owners could do worse in times of their own necessity. (Nicholas Minnix)

Quick Opinion: Perez has found a home in the bullpen, where he’s not just a LOOGY. He’s not a likely source of saves, either, but he could again help deep leaguers in strikeouts and, occasionally, holds.

Chris Perez

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 7/1/1985 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 3 25 54 9.0 3.5 1.8 4.33 1.43 5.08 -0.1 -0.9
’14 1 3 1 46 7.6 4.9 1.2 4.27 1.36 5.07 -0.3 -0.8
’15 0 0 0 1 8.4 3.1 1.0 3.60 1.25 3.83 0.1 -0.0

Profile: Chris Perez tallied 20 or more saves in four consecutive seasons for the Indians between 2010-2013, but those days appear to be in the rearview for the right-hander. In 49 appearances out of the Dodgers’ bullpen in 2014, Perez posted a blah 4.27 ERA (5.07 FIP) with just a 7% strikeout minus walk rate (12% is league average). While looking a little deeper at his plate discipline numbers, we notice that Perez posted the lowest first pitch strike percentage (51.5% F-Strike%) and landed the lowest percentage of pitches inside the strike zone (45% Zone%) for his career, presumably resulting in the highest walk percentage (12.5% BB%) as a major leaguer. Perez failed to make the Dodgers’ National League Division Series roster ultimately ending his tenure with the club. He’s currently unemployed, but could make sense for a bullpen seeking an arm with experience on the bump in the final frame but shouldn’t be an option on draft day for your fantasy squad. (Alan Harrison)

Quick Opinion: Chris Perez tallied 20 or more saves in four consecutive seasons for the Indians between 2010-2013, but those days appear to be in the rearview. Look elsewhere for middle relievers on draft day.

Glen Perkins

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 3/2/1983 | Team: Twins | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 0 36 62 11.1 2.2 0.7 2.30 0.93 2.49 2.2 1.7
’14 4 3 34 61 9.6 1.6 1.0 3.65 1.18 3.10 0.1 1.1
’15 4 3 33 65 9.3 2.1 0.9 2.87 1.12 3.20 0.9 0.8

Profile: Perkins was his typical self through late August before things went awry. Through Aug. 24, Perkins had a 2.44 ERA, .618 OPS allowed, a 64-to-9 K/BB rate and was fanning 10.4 per 9. The rest of the season was an utter debacle for the fireballing lefty, as he battered to the tune of a 1.487 OPS, with a 14.21 ERA (10 earned runs in 6.1 innings) with just two strikeouts before he was shut down for the season in mid-September. Earlier in that month he had experienced neck stiffness, and when he was shut down — he never went on the disabled list due to expanded rosters — it was due to “nerve injury and forearm strain.” Nary a peep has been made about Perkins’ status this offseason, with the club stating there was no structural damage and that the left-handed was expected to be ready to go come spring training. Nevertheless, it’ll be a situation to monitor, with Casey Fien the immediate benefactor should Perkins suffer any sort of setback. A healthy Perkins, however, is among the American League’s premier closers, and is still a worthy pick on draft day assuming nothing new crops up between now and then.

Quick Opinion: Perkins is one of the American League’s best closers, and was fantastic when he was healthy in 2014. Assuming he has no health setbacks, he should again post elite numbers in the Twins bullpen in 2015.

Vinnie Pestano

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 2/20/1985 | Team: Angels | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 2 6 35 9.4 5.3 1.5 4.08 1.64 5.03 -0.1 -0.4
’14 0 1 0 18 12.5 2.4 1.4 2.89 1.23 3.24 0.1 0.2
’15 3 2 1 55 8.5 3.1 1.0 3.44 1.24 3.79 0.2 0.2

Profile: After uncharacteristic struggles in 2013, Pestano bounced back some in 2014 — at least after he was shipped to Los Angeles to join the Angels. Pestano only threw a little more than 18 innings, so health concerns are still there, but his stuff appeared to tick back up. His strikeout numbers improved from his career-low 23% mark in 2013, and his walks dropped nearly 7%, allowing him to post the best strikeout minus walk rate of his career. Small sample, sure, but seemingly good news. Home runs were still an issue, though, and his velocity didn’t bounce back — dropping below 90 mph on average for the first time in his career — like one would expect upon glancing at his strikeout totals. The Angels bullpen isn’t overloaded with potential “closers”, but Pestano is a known commodity — one that gets right-handed batters out and struggles pretty badly versus left-handed batters. He seems to be back on track, but his fantasy upside will be limited either way. (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: Pestano bounced back, and that’s nice. Injury and platoon concerns still dampen his upside, though. The Angels should have better options than Pestano in late innings.

Yusmeiro Petit

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 11/22/1984 | Team: Giants | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 1 0 48 8.8 2.1 0.8 3.56 1.19 2.86 0.6 0.8
’14 5 5 0 117 10.2 1.7 0.9 3.69 1.02 2.78 0.3 1.7
’15 4 3 0 59 9.0 1.8 0.9 2.89 1.07 3.12 0.6 0.5

Profile: After years of having produced above-average — and, in some cases, unconscionably good — strikeout and walk rates at the minor league level, Petit has finally approximated those numbers in the majors. Between 2013 and 2014 with the Giants, he’s recorded strikeout and walk rates of 27.4% and 5.0%, respectively, over 165 innings (roughly two-thirds of those in a starting capacity). During that same interval, only four qualified starters — Yu Darvish, Matt Harvey, Clayton Kershaw, and Chris Sale — have posted a strikeout- and walk-rate differential better than Petit’s mark of 22.4%. Generally, K-BB% correlates strongly with run prevention. Indeed, the four aforementioned starters have produced a collective ERA about 40% better than league average. Petit, meanwhile, has recorded an ERA 7% worse than average. One explanation is that he’s been a victim of batted-ball variance. A more likely alternative, however, is that his lack of arm speed — he’s produced an average fastball velocity of just 88.6 mph over the last two years — is the culprit. There remains a possibility that Petit will become a competent starter in the major leagues. That contingency will wait till some point after opening day, however, as Giants manager Bruce Bochy has designed Petit as a “super reliever” for the club once again. (Carson Cistulli)

Quick Opinion: Owing to a lack of velocity, probably, Petit’s fielding-independent numbers seem likely to outpace his actual run-prevention numbers. Probably isn’t a candidate to provide even league-average run prevention as a starter, but may be useful in stretches at home.

Jake Petricka

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 6/5/1988 | Team: White Sox | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 1 0 19 4.7 4.7 0.0 3.26 1.55 3.72 0.3 0.1
’14 1 6 14 73 6.8 4.1 0.4 2.96 1.37 3.60 1.8 0.6
’15 3 3 1 55 7.3 4.2 0.7 4.17 1.44 4.01 -0.1 0.1

Profile: Petricka is the answer to the trivia question “who led the White Sox in saves in 2014.” While the 2.96 ERA was solid, Petricka’s peripherals weren’t all that great. He’s a below-average strikeout guy as far as relievers are concerned, and he walks a fair amount of hitters. Petricka’s saving grace is that he keeps the ball on the ground at an elite rate. Petricka’s 63.4% ground ball rate ranked sixth among qualified relievers. While it’s not the ideal skill set for a closer, it got the job done last year. That won’t be a concern this year, as the White Sox brought David Robertson in to lock down the ninth inning. Petricka probably isn’t the second-best reliever on the team, but could be Robertson’s primary backup based on his success in 2014. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Petricka moves into a set-up role now that David Robertson is in town. His strikeout numbers will be underwhelming, but he keeps the ball on the ground, and that’s enough to keep him employed.

David Phelps

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 10/9/1986 | Team: Marlins | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 6 5 0 86 8.2 3.6 0.8 4.98 1.42 3.81 0.1 1.1
’14 5 5 1 113 7.3 3.7 1.0 4.38 1.42 4.41 0.3 0.7
’15 5 5 0 92 7.9 3.2 0.8 3.79 1.30 3.78 0.3 0.4

Profile: After establishing himself as a reliable swingman for the Yankees, Phelps was traded to the Marlins in December as part of the Martin Prado-Nathan Eovaldi deal. Phelps, 28, has averaged about 100 innings per season since entering the big leagues in 2012, but he’s been trending downward since his rookie year: his strikeout-to-walk ratio and swinging strike percentage have declined each season, while his SIERA and line drive percentage have risen. In 17 starts last year, Phelps was mediocre, with a middling WHIP and 4.18 FIP. It’s not clear how Phelps will figure into the Marlins’ plans; Henderson Alvarez, Mat Latos, Jarred Cosart and Tom Koehler already have rotation slots, Dan Haren could be a starting option if he doesn’t retire or isn’t traded, and Jose Fernandez is expected back in July. Brad Hand also could factor into the mix in the competition for the fifth starter’s job to open the season. As a middle reliever, of course, Phelps would have virtually no value in fantasy, but even if he were to snag a rotation spot, he doesn’t offer owners a lot of help. (Karl de Vries)

Quick Opinion: A move to the National League and a pitcher’s park should help Phelps, but he’s probably no more than a streaming option if and when he picks up starts.

Michael Pineda

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 1/18/1989 | Team: Yankees | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 5 5 0 76 7.0 0.8 0.6 1.89 0.83 2.71 3.1 2.2
’15 11 10 0 173 7.4 2.1 1.3 3.90 1.21 4.16 2.2 2.0

Profile: A huge question mark entering the 2014 season, Pineda now enters 2015 as the third starter on the Yankee staff (as of late December). The big right-hander returned from shoulder surgery but lost all of 2012 and parts of 2013-14. Despite the understandable rust, he walked just seven batters in 76.1 big league innings for New York and posted a shiny ERA of 1.89. As a result, he’s going to get a fair bit of attention in 2015 fantasy drafts but there are some warning signs at a significant regression is coming in a full season (assuming he stays healthy). Pineda’s average velocity dropped two miles per hour between his two MLB seasons (2011 and 2014) and the fly-ball heavy pitcher didn’t strike out many batters last season (6.96 strikeouts per nine). He’s worth a late round pick in mixed leagues on upside, but if the price climbs too high remember the risk. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: Pineda’s shoulder surgery took some shine off of his future but he still has a chance to be a solid big league starter, if he can stay healthy. However, he’s not the future No. 1 or 2 starter that he once appeared to be, so don’t overpay for the potentially overhyped Yankees hurler.

Yohan Pino

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 12/26/1983 | Team: Royals | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 2 5 0 60 7.5 2.1 1.2 5.07 1.33 3.94 -0.2 0.8
’15 0 0 0 10 7.5 2.0 1.2 3.40 1.18 3.93 0.1 0.0

Profile: Pino finally got a chance to pitch in the big leagues after 10 mostly-solid minor league seasons, and managed to hold his own as the Twins shuttled him back and forth on a couple occasions. Pino’s 5.07 ERA seems a bit unsightly, but he fanned 7.5 per nine and kept his other rates in check enough to merit interest in the offseason after the Twins removed him from the 40-man roster. The Royals signed him to a major-league deal, where he’ll ostensibly battle for a back-end rotation spot, but more likely a spot at the front end of that vaunted bullpen. With Luke Hochevar coming back and Kris Medlen in the mix, it’s going to get crowded. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: Pino’s story is a great one of perseverance despite being passed up on multiple occasions, but he isn’t a fantasy consideration even if he somehow cracks Kansas City’s — or anyone else’s — rotation.

Drew Pomeranz

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 11/22/1988 | Team: Athletics | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 4 0 21 7.9 7.9 1.7 6.23 2.03 6.46 -0.1 -0.2
’14 5 4 0 69 8.3 3.4 0.9 2.35 1.12 3.77 1.6 0.7
’15 10 9 0 163 7.7 3.8 0.9 4.13 1.36 4.12 0.7 0.9

Profile: Drew Pomeranz will finally get his shot this year. The now 26-year-old southpaw demonstrated an ability to get major league hitters out last season, albeit in just 10 starts and an additional 10 relief appearances. Even in the 69 inning sample size, Pomeranz was able to induce a fair share of strikeouts and swinging strikes. Watch his walk rate as his 51.8% first strike rate — as both a starter and reliever — was a far cry from the 61.1% F-strike% the league average starter posted in 2014. Pomeranz may be prone to the occasional burst of gopher-itis but his home park should help keep his home run rate close to league average. Overall Pomeranz is probably best fits as a stream starter as opposite handed hitters could give him fits. His knuckle curve works as a great secondary pitch, but until he utilizes his change-up to help neutralize right-handed hitters, Pomeranz may find himself dancing through raindrops too often to be a strong fantasy pitcher.

Quick Opinion: Although this is the first season Pomeranz figures to break camp with a major league team, don’t be too optimistic on his production just yet. He has no issues against lefties, but right-handed hitters could be his undoing as a starter, in both real life and fantasy. 

Rick Porcello

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 12/27/1988 | Team: Red Sox | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 13 8 0 177 7.2 2.1 0.9 4.32 1.28 3.53 2.2 3.2
’14 15 13 0 204 5.7 1.8 0.8 3.43 1.23 3.67 3.3 3.1
’15 13 9 0 192 6.2 2.2 0.8 3.97 1.29 3.70 2.2 3.1

Profile: Quick: who does Steamer project to own the 14th best fWAR in baseball this upcoming season? If you answered Rick Porcello, well, I don’t give you that much credit since you are on his FG+ page. The worm-burning righty was flipped to Boston in exchange for Yoenis Cespedes, meaning he’ll start 2015 in the AL East. While park factors hurt him a bit heading to Fenway, there’s reason to believe he’ll be able to immunize himself to at least some of the Green Monster’s effects with his career 52% ground-ball rate. With Pablo Sandoval, Xander Bogaerts, Dustin Pedroia, and Mike Napoli Boston’s tentative 2015 infield, he stands to see an upgrade in defense behind him, hopefully helping keep his ERA close to his defense independent metrics. The soon-to-be 26-year-old’s strikeout spike in 2013 did not prove to be sustainable, but weak contact and few walks help keep his floor relatively high. He may be a bit more prone to batted ball luck swings than big whiff kings and doesn’t have elite upside, but there’s no reason to believe Porcello can’t return top-50 fantasy SP value (as he has done the last few years) — even in his new digs. (Colin Zarzycki)

Quick Opinion: Porcello was unable to sustain his strikeout gains from 2013 last season but still managed to post top-50 fantasy SP numbers. Traded to Boston during baseball’s overly insane winter meetings, the groundballer will move to a hitter’s park, but sees an improvement in infield defense behind him. His body of work implies a low ceiling but high floor, making him a somewhat boring, but useful, middle-to-late round fantasy pitcher.

Aaron Poreda

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 10/1/1986 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 2 1 0 21 8.9 3.0 0.8 5.91 1.73 3.51 -0.3 0.2
’15 0 0 0 1 9.5 3.1 0.9 3.23 1.21 3.40 0.1 0.0

Profile: Aaron Poreda is a former number one draft pick by the Chicago White Sox back in 2007. He had a good amount of success in their minor league system, had a brief stint with the big club in 2009 and was summarily shipped to the San Diego Padres in a package for Jake Peavy. Poreda spent three seasons in the Padres organization, becoming increasingly hittable in each year. After posting a 5.43 ERA with a 1.84 WHIP in almost 70 innings in 2011, he was left unprotected and the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him in the Rule 5 draft. He threw a handful of innings at Altoona and then had the dreaded Tommy John surgery, missing all of the 2013 season. He signed with the Rangers in 2014 and had 21 decent, if unspectacular, innings in the major leagues. It’s worth noting that Poreda was throwing about 91-92 before surgery and he averaged 95.4 mph on his fastball in 2014. He’s likely a Lefty One Out GuY if he sticks with the big club in 2015, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility he could fall into some holds chances as he actually picked up four in limited action in 2014. Definitely not someone to target on draft day, but if you’re in a holds league he’s a player to keep an eye on as far as role is concerned. (Michael Barr)

Quick Opinion: Poreda flashed some zip on his fastball and although he wasn’t used primarily as a left handed specialist in 2014, he did strikeout almost one-third of lefties he faced. He’s a possible target for holds in 2015, but it’s not even guaranteed he makes the big league roster for the Rangers out of camp. 

David Price

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 8/26/1985 | Team: Tigers | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 10 8 0 186 7.3 1.3 0.8 3.33 1.10 3.03 3.0 4.3
’14 15 12 0 248 9.8 1.4 0.9 3.26 1.08 2.78 4.3 6.1
’15 14 8 0 192 8.4 1.7 0.9 3.25 1.11 3.24 3.9 4.0

Profile: Although he posted an ERA above his career average, Price actually finished fourth in the American League in SIERA. His strikeout minus walk rate was third best in baseball, as he maintained the suddenly pinpoint control he displayed in 2013, while also boosting his strikeout rate to a career high level. Only a career worst .306 batting average on balls in play pushed his ERA above three. Both his two-seam and four-seam fastballs generated swinging strikes at significantly higher clips than he previously averaged, despite not gaining any velocity. It’s the primary explanation behind that strikeout rate surge, but seems a bit unsustainable. He did use his excellent changeup more often, however, which could allow him to keep some of his gains if he uses the pitch with the same frequency again. Unfortunately, the trade deadline blockbuster that sent him from the Rays to the Tigers robs him of the benefits he received by pitching half his games in the more pitcher-friendly Tropicana Field. Furthermore, his defensive support in Detroit is unlikely to be as good as it had been. Price should remain an elite hurler, but he’s ever so slightly less attractive in Detroit than he was in Tampa Bay. (Mike Podhorzer)

Quick Opinion: A spike in strikeout rate paired with elite control resulted in a dominating season, even if his ERA doesn’t tell that story exactly. A full season in Detroit is a bit less desirable than one in Tampa Bay, but he should remain a top tier fantasy starter.

Stephen Pryor

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 7/23/1989 | Team: Twins | Position: 
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 0 0 7 8.6 1.2 0.0 0.00 0.55 1.55 0.7 0.4
’14 0 0 0 1 5.4 10.8 0.0 0.00 1.80 5.53 -0.0 -0.0
’15 1 1 0 25 7.1 4.7 1.0 4.75 1.53 4.65 -0.2 -0.2

Profile: When healthy, Stephen Pryor’s fastball can touch triple-digits, and a 90 mph slider serves as an effective second offering. Pryor was healthy in 2012, and the right-hander struck out 26 percent of the batters he face. Now, Pryor is coming off essentially two seasons lost to back and shoulder injuries, and no one knows if he’ll be healthy in his first full season with the Twins organization. If Pryor’s right, he’ll be up in the big leagues and will rack up strikeouts but give up a few too many walks. Even then, Pryor isn’t likely to factor into the back end of the Twins bullpen, and doesn’t project to have value in leagues that count holds. Pryor is a fun organizational bullpen arm, but he’s not fantasy worthy. (Zach Sanders)

Quick Opinion: If healthy, Pryor is a fun bullpen arm with a fastball that can hit 100 mph. Unless he can prove to be healthy and cut down on the walks, Pryor isn’t a fantasy option.

Zach Putnam

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 7/3/1987 | 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 3 10.8 0.0 2.7 18.90 2.70 4.55 -0.3 -0.0
’14 5 3 6 54 7.6 3.3 0.3 1.98 1.08 3.08 1.8 0.8
’15 3 3 1 55 7.6 3.2 1.0 4.14 1.34 4.01 0.0 0.1

Profile: Zach Putnam saved six games in 2014, which tells you just how desperate the White Sox were to find someone who could get outs late in the game. His numbers actually weren’t all that bad. And though the 1.98 ERA is sure to rise — he had good luck on batted balls as well as home runs per fly ball — he has established himself as a solid part of the team’s bullpen moving forward. With the addition of David Robertson this offseason, Putnam isn’t going to get many save chances. He strikeout and walk rates are just so-so, but his role could put in line for a few holds. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Putnam had a surprisingly effective year for the White Sox, but is, at best, the third right-handed option in the pen now. He doesn’t have a huge upside, but should scrape together some holds.

J.J. Putz

Debut: 2003 |  BirthDate: 2/22/1977 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 1 6 34 10.0 4.5 1.0 2.36 1.25 3.83 1.0 0.1
’14 1 1 0 13 9.2 4.0 0.7 6.59 1.68 3.57 -0.3 0.1
’15 0 0 0 1 8.1 2.8 0.9 3.45 1.23 3.60 0.1 0.0

Profile: The Arizona Diamondbacks announced in November 2014 that J.J. Putz, whom the club released several months prior, returned to the organization as a special assistant to president and CEO Derrick Hall. Putz is expected to work with the club’s pitchers in spring training and then visit its minor league affiliates throughout the season. He stated in an interview with SI.com that family was one reason he decided to retire, because, although his physical ability had diminished, he felt that he was a mechanical fix away from turning things around. He also related that he has a degree in sports management and communications and that he’d iterated to Hall on multiple occasions a desire to work in a front office when his playing days were finished. His days as a fantasy commodity were likely over, anyway. (Nicholas Minnix)

Quick Opinion: Putz has retired and taken a position with the Snakes’ front office. He surely would have been off the fantasy radar anyway.

Kevin Quackenbush

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 11/28/1988 | Team: Padres | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 3 3 6 54 9.3 3.0 0.3 2.48 1.10 2.65 1.1 0.7
’15 2 2 0 45 8.7 3.3 0.9 3.65 1.28 3.69 -0.1 -0.1

Profile: The only player in major league history to have the word “Quack” in his name was no trivial matter in his rookie debut. His stuff isn’t overpowering, but he misses bats and pounds the zone. If he can continue to suppress homers like he did in the minors — and playing at Petco Park will certainly help — then Quackenbush could play a major role in the Padres bullpen. If stalwart reliever Joaquin Benoit struggles — and injury is the only foreseeable problem for the 37-year-old righty — then Quackenbush could be line for some saves. Consider the singular Quack man a great bullpen sleeper. (Bradley Woodrum)

Quick Opinion: San Diego relievers don’t get much attention, but fantasy owners know to stash a few away given the stadium’s run environment. Consider Quackenbush the favorite for finding this year’s sleeper SD reliever. He has a good strikeout rate, a decent walk rate, and the potential for some saves.

Chad Qualls

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 8/17/1978 | Team: Astros | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 2 0 62 7.1 2.8 0.6 2.61 1.23 3.32 1.5 0.5
’14 1 5 19 51 7.5 0.9 0.9 3.33 1.15 3.13 0.4 0.6
’15 3 3 6 55 7.0 2.1 0.8 3.67 1.24 3.50 0.2 0.3

Profile: As Fangraphs contributor August Fagerstrom pointed out earlier this offseason,no pitcher has appeared in more games over the last decade than Chad Qualls. The 36-year-old righty acquitted himself well in 2014, posting the second best xFIP of his career (narrowly surpassed by his 2009 in Arizona). Qualls operated as Houston’s closer occasionally, too, notching 19 saves. Always stingy with free passes, the Astros reliever’s 2.4% walk rate was the best he’s ever posted. While he seems unlikely to repeat that number, his skills appear relatively stable. His biggest roadblock to fantasy value is Houston’s newfound infatuation with signing relievers to big league deals (e.g., Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek). He’ll likely be in a spring competition for a ninth inning job, but will warrant consideration if he can lock it down. (Colin Zarzycki)

Quick Opinion: After a career of relative mediocrity, Qualls’ 2014 was arguably his best big league season and it came at 36. If he can keep his fastball velocity in the low-mid 90’s and continue to suppress walks, he probably still has a few good years left. However, he’ll need to win the closer gig to have any standard league value on a Houston club that projects to be only marginally better than terrible in 2015.

Jose Quintana

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 1/24/1989 | Team: White Sox | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 9 7 0 200 7.4 2.5 1.0 3.51 1.22 3.82 4.2 3.7
’14 9 11 0 200 8.0 2.3 0.4 3.32 1.24 2.81 3.4 5.3
’15 11 10 0 182 7.7 2.6 1.1 3.94 1.27 3.89 2.2 2.4

Profile: It’s tough to find a pitcher who has exceeded expectations as much as Jose Quintana in recent years. The one time minor-league free-agent has turned himself into a legitimate number two starter in just a few years. While he looked like a low-upside starter back in 2012, a jump in velocity has helped him become a solid source of strikeouts. He’s always displayed strong control, but even that has taken a step forward in recent years. Quintana may have experienced some home run luck last year, and that could lead to a slightly elevated ERA in 2015, but there’s no reason to expect anything drastic. Don Cooper is a wizard, and Quintana is the latest example of that. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Jose Quintana went from minor-league free agent to number two starter in just a few years. His improvements are legitimate, and he pitches for one of the best pitching coaches in the game. He may give up more home runs next year, but there’s no reason to expect any drastic regression.

Erasmo Ramirez

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 5/2/1990 | Team: Mariners | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 3 0 72 7.1 3.2 1.5 4.98 1.45 4.83 -0.2 0.1
’14 1 6 0 75 7.2 4.1 1.6 5.26 1.54 5.38 -0.2 -0.5
’15 2 2 0 39 6.7 2.5 1.2 4.14 1.28 4.29 -0.0 -0.1

Profile: Now that Erasmo Ramirez has 200+ innings spread out over three seasons, now that his team no longer has a big league rotation spot reserved for him, now that he’s shown serious home run issues in every season, now that he’s really been above-average only once and that was three years ago, now that that velocity boost that made him interesting has subsided and left him with below-average velocity — now we can finally stop thinking about Erasmo Ramirez, right? Here’s the weird thing. Last year, in a year that saw Ramirez put his worst results by traditional numbers (5.26 ERA) and peripherals (17.8% strikeout rate, 10.1% walk rate, 37.7% ground-ball rate), Ramirez still had a solid arsenal. His four-seamer, slider, change, and curve all had average or above-average whiff rates. So there’s still a little bit of hope. It’s now just reserved for the dreamers like us, plugging away in deep leagues and wondering what warm body we should put on our AL-only bench, and what name hasn’t been combed over by an industry that combs every hair over the bald spot that is our pitching budget. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: Once you get to the bottom of your sleepers list, maybe make some room for Erasmo Ramirez. Sure, those high fastballs have lead to homers, and his command is spotty, and his pitches aren’t always all there at the same time, and he doesn’t have a starting role right now. If you zoom out, he’s still only 24 and he still has four major league pitches.

Neil Ramirez

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 5/25/1989 | Team: Cubs | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 3 3 3 43 10.9 3.5 0.4 1.44 1.05 2.61 1.1 0.8
’15 2 2 0 45 10.0 3.4 0.9 3.22 1.21 3.54 0.3 0.2

Profile: Ramirez, a former first-round draft pick and a starter in the minors leagues, looked very much like a starter pitching relief in the majors. His 1.44 ERA (39 ERA-) was easily the best in the Cubs pitching staff. He struck out about a third of his opponents, but also walked one in every 10. The nearly 10% walk rate is not a great sign, given he was in relief. But somehow, through a crazy combination of what we can only assume is both skill and luck, Ramirez had a 26% ground-ball rate. Usually, anything under 40% fits the profile of a fly ball pitcher. But 26% is extra extreme. In extreme splits like these, it’s not unheard of to sustain a strange home run per fly ball ratio, so his 4% HR/FB rate is not too unbelievable. But sustaining that as a starter would be a true feat of statistical peculiarity. So if Ramirez wants to make it as a starter with the Cubs — and the Cubs would probably want that — the walks need to go down because the homers are bound to creep up in a starter role. Until then, he could develop into an elite late-innings reliever. (Bradley Woodrum)

Quick Opinion: Keep an eye on Ramirez. If he continues to have outstanding success from the Cubs bullpen, he may get a shot to prove his extreme-flyball talents can work in the rotation too. But if that doesn’t happen, he still has all the talent necessary to become an elite reliever for the Cubs.

Cesar Ramos

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 6/22/1984 | Team: Angels | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 2 1 67 7.1 2.9 0.8 4.14 1.31 3.70 0.1 0.1
’14 2 6 0 82 7.2 4.2 0.9 3.70 1.35 4.25 0.1 -0.2
’15 1 1 0 20 7.3 3.0 0.9 3.79 1.30 3.84 0.0 -0.0

Profile: Another successful graduate of the Tampa Bay bullpen academy, Cesar Ramos takes his left-handed reliever act on the road to Anaheim, where he’ll serve as the top lefty out of Mike Scioscia’s bullpen. He sits behind at least three pitchers previously designated as “save getters” so there isn’t much hope for Ramos to collect much in that department, but he’s a reliable reliever who can go multiple innings and even start in a pinch. Coming out of the ‘pen helped Ramos manage his control a little better, walking fewer and striking out more as he streamlined his arsenal. As the sole lefty in the Angels bullpen, he will be called upon to face the toughest left-handed batters in the game, meaning lots of Robinson Cano, Seth Smith, and Prince Fielder in his future. But if it’s holds you seek, the stacked Angels might provide Ramos more than his share of opportunities. (Drew Fairservice)

Quick Opinion: The newest, and only, lefty in the Angels bullpen should draw some tough assignments but Cesar Ramos can provide valuable innings as a Lefty One Out GuY or swingman.

A.J. Ramos

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 9/20/1986 | Team: Marlins | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 4 0 80 9.7 4.8 0.4 3.15 1.26 3.24 0.6 0.6
’14 7 0 0 64 10.3 6.0 0.1 2.11 1.23 3.21 1.8 0.5
’15 3 3 1 55 9.1 4.2 0.8 3.72 1.34 3.78 0.0 -0.0

Profile: Ramos backed up his solid 80 innings of work in 2013 with 64 better innings in 2014, lowering his ERA by more than a full run, even though his FIP was stagnant. Ramos accomplishes everything — his strikeouts, which come frequently, and his walks, which also come frequently — with a three pitch mix, using his curveball sparingly. He lost a couple of ticks on his fastball, which is worrisome, but his slider and changeup helped make up the slack; the latter posted a swinging strike rate of 24%. And, as a right-handed reliever, his changeup is extremely important. The pitch allowed him to hold right-handed and left-handed batters to the same offensive production. He’s still a middle reliever, so his value is stunted, but his ability to get outs versus both lefties and righties should keep his innings count — holds, too — up. (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: Ramos’s profile isn’t without its blemishes: He walks too many batters, and his velocity needs to regain its losses. When it’s all said and done, though, his skillset is widely available, and outside of injuries occurring he isn’t likely to have much value except for in NL-only leagues.

Anthony Ranaudo

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 9/9/1989 | Team: Rangers | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 4 3 0 39 3.4 3.7 2.3 4.81 1.40 6.89 0.3 -0.5
’15 3 3 0 54 6.3 3.5 1.4 4.83 1.46 5.08 -0.3 -0.3

Profile: Last season, there were two pitchers who tossed at least 30 innings and had a higher walk percentage than strikeout percentage. Anthony Ranaudo was one of them. Ranaudo only piled up 39.1 innings, so his failures should not be a death sentence, but they certainly don’t paint an intriguing picture for the future. he doesn’t generate ground balls and doesn’t throw that hard (average fastball velocity 91.6 mph). He didn’t generate an average rate of swings outside the strike zone, and his pace was positively Clay Buchholz-ian (that’s not a compliment). The Red Sox essentially voted no confidence in Ranaudo when they stocked up on veteran pitchers this winter, and after his very poor trial, it’s hard to see him being the first one called in for starter’s work. That would seem to be more likely to fall to Brandon Workman or prospect Henry Owens. In other words, Ranuado was given a chance to separate himself from the pack this past September, and failed to do so. He might yet pitch his way back on to the radar, but as a soon-to-be 25-year-old with just average fastball velocity and a poor changeup, you shouldn’t be targeting him for your fantasy squad. (Paul Swydan)

Quick Opinion: Given a chance to pitch his way into contention for a 2015 role, Anthony Ranaudo flopped spectacularly, walking more people than he struck out in a disastrous September 2014 tryout. He retains a little prospect sheen, but not enough for you to worry about drafting him this season.

Cory Rasmus

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 11/6/1987 | Team: Angels | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 1 0 21 8.3 5.4 2.5 5.40 1.71 6.60 -0.4 -0.5
’14 3 2 0 56 9.2 2.7 0.8 2.57 1.05 3.17 1.1 0.7
’15 2 2 0 40 8.4 3.7 1.0 3.79 1.33 4.02 0.0 -0.1

Profile: He’s probably a reliever at this point — there are too many confirmed starters ahead of Cory Rasmus on the Angels’ staff with Andrew Heaney and Nicholas Tropeano in town and Tyler Skaggs on the mend — but why not use Angels and Rasmus himself to display the fact that teams need many many starting pitchers to finish a season. The average team uses ten starters, and the Angels used eight, and Rasmus was one of them. Though he wasn’t stretched out enough to manage a lot of innings or wins, Rasmus had a good ERA and WHIP supported by a double-digit swinging strike rate and a strong walk rate. And it’s believable that he could — if stretched out — continue to do so as a starter, considering his above-average swinging strike rates on the slider, change, and the curve. Sure, his fastball isn’t great, but great command is just the thing to make up for that flaw in a varied arsenal. Maybe this is all moot — Rasmus is probably only an emergency starter in 2015 — but it does speak to his general quality. Huston Street is often hurt, Joe Smith is an awkward choice at closer, there’s age and infirmity in the rotation — there are chances for Rasmus to be relevant. These aren’t the sort of chances you spend on in a draft, but they are the sort of things that should help you stash the name away. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: Cory Rasmus is probably a middle reliever. The fact that he has the arsenal of a starter, though, should put a little asterisk next to him on your waiver wire this year.

Robbie Ray

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 10/1/1991 | Team: Diamondbacks | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 1 4 0 28 6.0 3.5 1.6 8.16 1.88 5.23 -0.8 0.0
’15 1 2 0 30 7.9 3.5 1.0 3.79 1.33 4.11 0.0 -0.0

Profile: Ray is on the move again. Last summer he was traded from the Nationals to the Tigers for Doug Fister. Now, the 23-year-old lefty is with the Diamondbacks after a three team trade. Overall, Ray wasn’t a good pitcher in 2014. In Triple-A, he had 6.7 strikeouts per nine — that is okay, but not when paired with four walks per nine. While his walks went down in the majors (to 3.5 BB/9(, so did his strikeouts (to 6.0 K/9). His fastball stands at 91 mph and is straight. None of his other pitches stick out. Since he can’t find the strike zone, it’s just not obvious how he can take a step forward and be useful. He probably wouldn’t be generating any buzz except that Doug Fister was basically traded for him. A transition to the bullpen might bring a possible velocity jump and make him fantasy relevant a few years from now. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Just because Robbie Ray has been traded twice in the past two seasons is not a reason to pick him up. Teams are getting rid of him for a reason. He is just not a good pitcher.

Todd Redmond

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 5/17/1985 | Team: Blue Jays | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 3 0 77 8.9 2.7 1.5 4.32 1.21 4.40 0.9 0.8
’14 1 4 1 75 7.2 3.2 0.6 3.24 1.33 3.56 0.3 0.4
’15 2 2 0 45 7.9 2.5 1.4 3.87 1.26 4.27 0.1 -0.0

Profile: Todd Redmond was basically a minor-league journeyman who came out of nowhere to fill a rotation spot for the Blue Jays in 2013 and did a serviceable job over 14 starts. Redmond did not get any starts for the Jays in 2014, but put up 75 innings over 42 games, primarily in low-leverage situations. Redmond is a weird pitcher — his main pitch is classified as a “sinker,” but he is a fly ball pitcher. His slider is not too great, either. His strikeout and walk rates are average. In real baseball, Redmond is useful for preserving the rest of the bullpen. In fantasy baseball, a reliever who gives you a mid-threes ERA without saves or an otherworldly strikeout rate is pretty much pointless. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: After years of bouncing around the minors, Todd Redmond has shown he can be a useful as a garbage time, innings-eating reliever. In real baseball, that has value. In fantasy, not so much.

Addison Reed

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 12/27/1988 | Team: Diamondbacks | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 4 40 71 9.1 2.9 0.8 3.79 1.11 3.17 0.8 1.7
’14 1 7 32 59 10.5 2.3 1.7 4.25 1.21 4.03 -0.4 -0.0
’15 3 3 32 65 9.0 2.4 1.1 3.24 1.15 3.63 0.6 0.3

Profile: A severe case of gopheritis led to disappointing results for Reed, including an ERA that jumped above four. However, he posted the strongest set of skills yet during his short career, as his strikeout rate surged and strikeout minus walk rate hopped above 20%. His slider remains stellar at inducing swings and misses and his four-seamer was fantastic as well, despite losing another tick of velocity. Speaking of which, his fastball has lost steam for the third straight year. It hasn’t hurt his ability to generate swinging strikes, but it’s a concern for a two-pitch pitcher. Curiously, Reed has had good results with his change-up, both inducing swings and misses and grounders, but threw just six of them all season. Perhaps if the fastball velocity loss affects his results, he will go back to the change more, rather than upping his slider usage even further. With neutral home run per fly ball luck, Reed should rebound nicely and prove to be a good value among closers, even if the velocity loss is a bit of a red flag. (Mike Podhorzer)

Quick Opinion: Reed battled the HR/FB rate luck dragons and lost, but enjoyed the best skills of his career en route to a sub-three SIERA. It’s worth monitoring his fastball velocity, which has declined during each season, but with better fortune, he will return to being a solid option in the mid tier of closers.

Scott Rice

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 9/21/1981 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 5 0 51 7.2 4.8 0.2 3.71 1.35 3.40 0.1 0.2
’14 1 2 0 13 8.6 7.9 0.7 5.93 1.98 5.03 -0.5 -0.4
’15 1 2 0 30 7.7 3.9 0.7 3.74 1.36 3.80 -0.1 -0.1

Profile: Scott Rice signed a minor league contract with an invitation to Mets’ Spring Training. He had bone spur surgery and nerve relocation in 2014. In 2013, Rice had two to three pitches and took notice that his fastball was no good. On 31 fourseamers that year, not one induced a whiff. So in 2014, he only threw two of them (at least two pitches that were classified as such). Instead he relied primarily on his sinker, which was elite from a whiff per swing and grounder perspective, but it was also his only mistake pitch. Almost 17% of them that weren’t hit on the ground went for a homer. Righties either whiffed or clobbered the pitch. Rice’s slider was great with a 53.85% whiff/swing rate that wound up just worse than Andrew Miller for relievers. Albeit with low usage, Rice’s splitter also had a top 20 whiff/swing rate among all splitters. (Dan Schwartz)

Quick Opinion: Rice will probably get typecasted as a lefty specialist based on the outcomes, but if he could control/reduce the usage of the sinker against righties, he could be effective overall as his slider and splitter both induced 50+% whiffs.

Garrett Richards

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 5/27/1988 | Team: Angels | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 7 8 1 145 6.3 2.7 0.7 4.16 1.34 3.66 0.6 1.5
’14 13 4 0 168 8.8 2.7 0.3 2.61 1.04 2.60 4.9 4.3
’15 11 8 0 153 8.2 3.0 0.7 3.63 1.25 3.37 1.7 2.3

Profile: Entering the 2014 season, Richards had distinguished himself as a pitcher who could throw hard — and throw strikes while doing so — but who had failed ever to record a strikeout rate particularly close to average, even while working in a relief capacity. Richards retained the former two skills last season, while also adding the final one, as well. Having produced a 15.7% strikeout rate over 230.0 innings between 2011 and 2013, Richards’ posted a 24.2% figure over 168.2 innings in 2014. Among the differences exhibited by the 2014 iteration of Richards was his ability to finish off opposing batters. Consider: in 2013, he recorded strikeout rates of 41.7%, 30.9%, and 27.9% through counts of 0-2, 1-2, and 2-2, respectively. In 2014, those numbers increased to 54.7%, 46.7%, and 44.1% (again, all respectively). Richards appears to have used his slider more often in counts that were even or in which the the batter was ahead, and more fastballs in two-strike situations. Unfortunately for both himself and the Angels, Richards’ season ended in mid-August when he badly hurt his left knee while attempting to cover first base. As of publication, he’s expected to return again in early in the season. Given the quality of the stuff and last season’s improvements, it would appear reasonable to expect a return more to his 2014 form than previous versions of himself — provided the leg injury proves fully healed. (Carson Cistulli)

Quick Opinion: In 2014, for the first time, Richards’ parlayed his above-average arm speed into above-average run prevention. A mid-August knee injury will keep him out until mid-May but oughtn’t affect the stuff.

Andre Rienzo

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 6/5/1988 | Team: Marlins | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 3 0 56 6.1 4.5 1.8 4.82 1.48 5.85 0.1 -0.4
’14 4 5 0 64 7.1 4.6 1.7 6.82 1.78 5.73 -1.1 -0.4
’15 5 6 0 97 7.2 3.8 0.8 4.36 1.41 4.06 -0.4 -0.1

Profile: Rienzo is the first Brazilian to reach the majors. That’s where the positives end. He hasn’t displayed the skills needed to succeed in a major-league rotation. Home runs, in particular, have been a major problem for him. Those issues should be somewhat mitigated in Miami, but Rienzo still doesn’t have the value or skills to justify a draft pick. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion:  

Tanner Roark

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 10/5/1986 | Team: Nationals | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 7 1 0 53 6.7 1.8 0.2 1.51 0.91 2.41 2.1 1.4
’14 15 10 0 198 6.3 1.8 0.7 2.85 1.09 3.47 5.1 3.0
’15 2 2 0 38 6.4 2.3 1.1 4.10 1.28 4.13 0.2 0.3

Profile: Roark doesn’t display any great single talent, but has no horrible flaws either. The 28-year-old doesn’t strike out a bunch of hitters, as he has a fairly pedestrian 6.4 strikeout per nine rate in the majors. If one aspect should get more love than others, that would be his walk rate, which sits under two per nine. Both of these can be combined (and manipulated a bit) to form a 12.4% strikeout minus walk rate, which is slightly above average for a major league pitcher. Pitchers with a lower strikeout rate than Roark last year included Chris Archer, Dallas Keuchel, Jered Weaver, Yordano Yentura, and teammate Doug Fister. Not great pitchers, but still useful. His 43% ground-ball rate is near the league average, so it isn’t a problem. Remember, in most cases, average is fine. He could see his ERA jump because it was nearly a run less than his ERA estimators. The ERA has been suppressed because of a low batting average on balls in play (.265) and high strand rate (79%, 70% is average). With another full season of pitching, he should put up similar numbers to his 2014 values with maybe fewer wins and a higher ERA. He is not a pitcher who will single-handedly win a league, but he will be a nice complementary piece in most leagues. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Tanner Roark has some fantasy values, as his recent peripherals are on par with several other well-regarded pitchers. Don’t be afraid to own him if he is valued correctly.

David Robertson

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 4/9/1985 | Team: White Sox | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 1 3 66 10.4 2.4 0.7 2.04 1.04 2.61 2.5 1.6
’14 4 5 39 64 13.4 3.2 1.0 3.08 1.06 2.68 1.5 1.7
’15 4 3 34 65 11.0 2.9 0.7 2.81 1.11 2.78 1.1 1.0

Profile: It’s hard to imagine a more successful year for Robertson as he took up the mantle for Mariano Rivera in New York: he recorded 39 saves in 44 chances and his 13.4 strikeouts per nine innings ranked fourth among closers. That lofty strikeout ability is legit: Robertson’s swinging strike percentage surged and he induced hitters to swing at pitches outside the zone more frequently, while the contact rate against him simultaneously plummeted. Meanwhile, the man once called “Houdini” for his ability to wiggle out of jams continued to do so, stranding runners at a 77.7% rate. On the downside, he was bitten often by the home run bug, and a move to U.S. Cellular Field is not going to do him any favors as he looks to address that issue. He also was tagged for line drives at a high 23.2% rate, and faded in the second half, during which his walk rate rose and his strikeouts, while still coming in at a 29.1% clip, declined significantly. These are warning signs to keep an eye on, but all told, there’s no denying that Robertson has established himself as solid number one reliever. (Karl de Vries)

Quick Opinion: Robertson isn’t yet established as a perennial top-five closer, but he has the upside to become one.

Fernando Rodney

Debut: 2002 |  BirthDate: 3/18/1977 | Team: Mariners | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 4 37 66 11.1 4.9 0.4 3.38 1.34 2.84 0.7 1.3
’14 1 6 48 66 10.3 3.8 0.4 2.85 1.34 2.83 1.1 1.2
’15 4 3 32 65 9.2 3.1 0.6 3.10 1.18 3.12 0.6 0.6

Profile: Fernando Rodney will never relive his historic 2012 season, but even at 37 years old, the right-hander was pretty good in 2014 for the Mariners. The Fernando Rodney Experience was on full display, frustrating fans, but the end results were usually fruitful. He had more strikeouts than innings for the third straight season, and his fastball still sat around 95 mph, leading to a sub-3.00 ERA and 48 saves. Rodney’s proclivity to get wild will hurt your team’s WHIP, but the rest of his performance should make up for it. The Mariners have one of the best bullpens in baseball, but unless Rodney struggles to lock down games, don’t expect manager Lloyd McClendon to turn to another reliever in the ninth inning. Rodney was worth $7 to mixed-league fantasy owners last year, so assuming he slips a little due to simple aging, don’t be afraid to spend $5 of $6 for the privilege of riding the Rodney Coaster. (Zach Sanders)

Quick Opinion: Rodney will never make you feel good as a fantasy owner, but he’ll deliver saves, strikeouts, and a solid ERA. Rodney’s WHIP limits his value, but don’t be shy about shelling out $5 or $6 and turning your hat to 10 o’clock.

Francisco Rodriguez

Debut: 2002 |  BirthDate: 1/7/1982 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 2 10 46 10.4 2.7 1.4 2.70 1.20 3.65 1.2 0.3
’14 5 5 44 68 9.7 2.4 1.9 3.04 0.99 4.50 1.3 -0.6
’15 3 3 9 65 8.8 2.7 0.9 3.41 1.20 3.48 0.4 0.3

Profile: K-Rod made the most of his one-year deal with the Brewers in 2014. He struck out 9.7 batters and walked just 2.4 batters per nine en route to 44 saves. That marks two consecutive seasons in which Rodriguez set career lows in walk rate. Unfortunately, Rodriguez also allowed a career-high 14 home runs in just 68 innings in 2014. It is not a huge surprise that he would struggle with home runs playing in homer-friendly Miller Park, but he actually allowed six of his 14 homers in just 28 road innings. It’s a concern, but probably not one that will prevent K-Rod from landing a closer role. The strikeouts and guaranteed saves (depending on where he ends up) should make Rodriguez a fairly safe top-20 relief pitcher, but the homers do create some blowup potential. (Scott Spratt)

Quick Opinion: After a 44-save season with the Brewers, expect K-Rod to land another closer job and rack up plenty of strikeouts and saves for fantasy owners. But beware his tendency to allow home runs, especially if he lands in a hitter-friendly park like in Milwaukee, Toronto, or Chicago.

Henry Rodriguez

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 2/25/1987 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 1 0 22 4.9 8.2 0.8 4.09 1.82 6.14 -0.1 -0.4
’14 0 0 0 1 5.4 27.0 0.0 10.80 4.20 10.93 -0.1 -0.1
’15 0 0 0 1 9.7 6.5 0.7 4.53 1.55 4.26 -0.1 -0.0

Profile: It’d be pretty neat if Rodriguez had any idea where his pitches were going to end up. As it stands, Rodriguez’s command is simply too poor for him to be given a substantial role. And he’s running out of time to fix it. Rodriguez could be electric if he could find the zone, but it just seems impossible at this point. He’ll probably bounce around for awhile, but meaningful innings are probably long gone at this point. (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: Things could have been fun, because 100 mph is nice to look at, but only if it isn’t sailing to the backstop. Unless he’s able to zero in on home plate for an extended period of time, there should be much better options available.

Wandy Rodriguez

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 1/18/1979 | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 6 4 0 62 6.6 1.7 1.4 3.59 1.12 4.42 0.9 0.2
’14 0 2 0 26 6.8 2.7 3.4 6.75 1.69 7.41 -1.0 -0.8
’15 4 5 0 67 6.8 2.6 1.0 4.15 1.31 3.98 0.3 0.5

Profile: Injuries (a 2013 forearm strain and 2014 knee ailment that required surgery) have cut short Wandy Rodriguez’s last two campaigns, so he needs to establish some credibility. He’s pitched only 89 1/3 major league frames in the last two years. One positive is that other things could shoulder some of the blame for things like his lowered release points, waning location (particularly of his sinker), and fly-ball rate that has hovered around 40% for those two seasons. It’s not what it used to be, but the left-hander’s curveball remains formidable. If he rediscovers the form that allowed his two-seamer to be average, then he could carve out a role at the back end of a big league rotation. There doesn’t appear to be much upside in Rodriguez’s arm anymore, however. The 36-year-old’s declining physical ability as well as a long-time dull four-seamer and bad changeup have driven him from above-average to below-average in strikeout rate at a time when league-average in that category has risen. His days as anything more than a possible mixed-league streamer are probably done. He’s basically just a NL-only hopeful, and after failing his first physical with the Phillies, even an opportunity at the end of the Braves rotation seems like a long shot. (Nicholas Minnix)

Quick Opinion: The repertoire of Rodriguez, 36, hasn’t aged well, and health hasn’t been on side for the last two years. If he’s healthy, then he could recover enough to be a league-average piece, but even then, he’s unlikely to contribute in strikeouts and would basically be a league-only innings eater.

Esmil Rogers

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 8/14/1985 | Team: Yankees | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 9 0 137 6.3 2.9 1.4 4.77 1.42 4.73 0.6 0.4
’14 2 0 0 45 8.7 3.4 1.6 5.72 1.47 4.73 -0.5 -0.2
’15 2 2 0 40 7.4 2.7 1.0 3.79 1.26 4.00 0.2 0.1

Profile: As a 29 year-old right-handed reliever who is poor against left handed hitters and is in a Yankees bullpen with impact arms ahead of him on the depth chart, Esmil Rogers is probably only deserving of a “The Quick Opinion” blurb. Steamer projects just under a 4.00 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, which is possible if they use him less often against lefties. His cutter and slider are good against righties. (Dan Schwartz)

Sergio Romo

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 3/4/1983 | Team: Giants | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 8 38 60 8.7 1.8 0.7 2.54 1.08 2.85 1.1 1.1
’14 6 4 23 58 9.2 1.9 1.4 3.72 0.95 3.94 0.1 -0.3
’15 2 2 3 35 8.3 2.0 0.8 2.98 1.12 3.29 0.2 0.2

Profile: Has it already been four seasons since Sergio Romo had a stupid 0.96 FIP and I penned the brilliantly titled article, “Sergio Romo? More Like: Strikeouts Relievo”? Apparently it has. Since, then, Romo has had steadily strong peripherals, even if the ERA went pining for the fjords in 2014. And even despite that 3.72 ERA, the Giants brought Romo back and figure to give him yet-more late inning appearances. I, his fan since whenever, would not be surprised if he wriggled his way back into save opportunities in 2015, but for now, he is probably behind Santiago Casilla, who is one of the more spectacular FIP-beaters of our generation. There appears to be no reason to suspect Romo’s uptick in homers per fly ball in 2014 was any sign of trouble to come — even if his vaunted slider lost effectiveness in the early season, it was once again great by the end of the season. So feel free to once again call Romo by his least-known nickname: Strikeouts Relievo. (Bradley Woodrum)

Quick Opinion: Don’t expect many innings or saves from Romo, but do expect a healthy quaff of strikeouts and a steady abstention of walks. If ERA or strikeouts are your thing, Romo should fit your plans nicely. And who knows? Maybe he’ll wander his way back into save situations?

Hector Rondon

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 2/26/1988 | Team: Cubs | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 1 0 54 7.2 4.1 1.0 4.77 1.41 4.40 -0.3 -0.3
’14 4 4 29 63 9.0 2.1 0.3 2.42 1.06 2.26 1.1 1.5
’15 3 3 31 65 9.3 2.7 0.7 3.09 1.16 3.11 0.6 0.6

Profile: Easily the most impressive Rule 5 Draft pick in recent Cubs history, Hector Rondon went from minor league injury machine to Cubs closer in the span of two calendar years. He enters 2015 as the team’s closer, and his scintillating fastball and wily slider show no portents of depreciation. Because his success occurred on a largely hopeless Cubs team, Rondon may have gone unnoticed in some leagues. This may be the last chance to snag him before he becomes more of a known commodity. However, his injury history still looms like the John Hancock over Streeterville. He’s not only a reliever, but one with a Tommy John surgery in recent memory. Get him, but not for the price of a farm. (Bradley Woodrum)

Quick Opinion: Rondon looks poised for another solid-to-great year. He should also be closing for the Cubs all year this time. But be wary of the injury history; his arm could implode at any moment.

Jorge Rondon

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 2/16/1988 | Team: Rockies | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 0 0 0 1 0.0 9.0 0.0 0.00 1.00 6.13 0.0 -0.0
’15 0 0 0 1 7.1 3.7 0.9 4.07 1.38 4.23 0.1 -0.0

Profile: The Rockies are not exactly rich with pitcher options, and as such, Jorge Rondon could make his way into their major league bullpen this season. But with limited strikeout potential, he has no fantasy value. (Scott Spratt)

Bruce Rondon

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 12/9/1990 | Team: Tigers | Position: P
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 2 1 28 9.4 3.5 0.6 3.45 1.36 3.01 0.4 0.4
’15 2 2 0 40 10.0 3.3 0.8 3.16 1.19 3.23 0.5 0.4

Profile: Rondon might be a bit of sleeper for 2015. He lost all of the 2014 season because of Tommy John surgery. So for right now, we don’t know his role. If he comes back to his previous talent level, he may be the best arm in the Tigers bullpen. Joe Nathan, Joakim Soria and Al Albuquerque will all be ahead of him to get saves to begin the season, but they all have their warts. Draft Rodon late with the plan he will fill a disabled list spot to start the season. The Tigers bullpen can implode while he is making his rehab appearances. Then he can step in and become the savior once he is healthy. It would not be surprising if his velocity dropped down to the 95 to 97 mph range, which would affect his strikeouts. A fastball over 95 mph is still nice, though. Additionally, his slider is his real out pitch with a 27% swinging strike rate. Besides a possible velocity loss, pitchers usually struggle with control. Rondon didn’t have a ton of control to start with as seen by his 3.5 walks per nine in 2013. A lot of questions surround him, but he has the potential to get 20 saves. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Bruce Rodon is will start the season the disabled list. When he finally returns, he could be a force in a subpar Tigers bullpen.

B.J. Rosenberg

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 9/17/1985 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 0 1 19 8.7 4.1 0.0 4.58 1.47 2.49 -0.1 0.4
’14 1 0 0 12 6.8 5.2 3.8 6.75 2.25 8.80 -0.5 -0.7
’15 1 2 0 30 7.3 3.5 1.2 4.36 1.38 4.52 -0.3 -0.3

Profile: B.J. Rosenberg has good velocity on his fastballs and a complementary pitch or two that could be league-average, at least, in terms of whiffs. Unfortunately, health (and, consequently, velocity), command, and control haven’t always been on his side. His track record on the farm hints at some upside, but in 56 2/3 major league frames, the righty hasn’t shown that his arsenal can get easy outs consistently. In 2015, he’ll have to demonstrate recovered pitch speed as well as improvements on his flaws, and that’s just to secure a role in the bigs. Rosenberg, at 29, probably still has the capacity (above-average velocity is always intriguing) to hold a bullpen job in The Show, but he’s a long way from a fantasy-friendly role. (Nicholas Minnix)

Quick Opinion: Rosenberg has some interesting physical tools, but he hasn’t put them on display consistently in the majors. The right-hander has to recover some velocity and improve his command just to get a major league role, let alone a fantasy-relevant one.

Trevor Rosenthal

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 5/29/1990 | Team: Cardinals | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 4 3 75 12.9 2.4 0.5 2.63 1.10 1.91 1.3 2.2
’14 2 6 45 70 11.1 5.4 0.3 3.20 1.41 2.99 1.1 1.0
’15 4 3 34 65 10.7 3.4 0.7 2.75 1.14 3.01 0.8 0.6

Profile: Some analysts (including me) expected big things from Rosenthal in 2014. The 24-year-old closer features a 97 mph fastball and a big whiff rate. On the surface, his 3.20 ERA, 11.13 strikeouts per nine, and 45 saves highlighted good, but not elite, performance this past season. However, those 5.37 walks per nine were concerning, as were his six blown saves and 13 meltdowns (tied for eighth-most in the league). The control problems are new to Rosenthal, which could mean they’re easily correctable. Or if you’re a pessimist, perhaps something is broken. During the second half of the season, Pat Neshek threatened to take the closer role, recording six saves in the process. Neshek has since migrated to Houston. However, the Cardinals acquired former Angels closer and Braves’ setup man Jordan Walden earlier this offseason. Walden could press for saves if Rosenthal’s control issues continue. (Brad Johnson)

Quick Opinion: Rosenthal produced good surface level numbers and plenty of reasons to be worried. Fantasy owners will have to watch out for new acquisition Jordan Walden lurking in the eighth inning.

Robbie Ross

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 6/24/1989 | Team: Red Sox | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 2 0 62 8.4 2.7 0.6 3.03 1.32 3.18 1.4 1.1
’14 3 6 0 78 5.9 3.4 1.0 6.20 1.70 4.74 -1.7 0.2
’15 3 3 0 48 5.9 3.4 0.8 4.41 1.43 4.29 0.3 0.4

Profile: A starter throughout his minor league career but a reliever in the big leagues, Robbie Ross was called upon by the Rangers to start 12 games last year thanks to an injury-ravished rotation; it did not go well. Ross had a 5.70 ERA as a starter in 60 innings, but when he returned to the bullpen, it actually went worse: Ross’ 7.85 bullpen ERA was the ninth-worst in baseball for those with at least 10 innings. Ross was a solid left-handed reliever in 2012 and 2013, and with a clearer role, could return to form in 2015. Even when he was on his game in the bullpen, Ross wasn’t really a fantasy option, so feel free to ignore him on draft day. (Zach Sanders)

Quick Opinion: Let’s be blunt: Ross wasn’t good in 2014, even when he was in the bullpen. Ross does have a history of bullpen success, though, and can be a fringe roster candidate in super deep AL-only holds leagues.

Tyson Ross

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 4/22/1987 | Team: Padres | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 8 0 125 8.6 3.2 0.6 3.17 1.15 3.20 1.3 1.5
’14 13 14 0 195 9.0 3.3 0.6 2.81 1.21 3.24 3.0 2.6
’15 10 10 0 163 8.6 3.3 0.6 3.71 1.28 3.37 1.2 1.9

Profile: Ride Tyson Ross for good production until his arm falls off. The 27-year-old righty putt up some great numbers for a starter last season, with nine strikeouts per nine, 3.3 walks per nine, a 57% ground-ball rate, and a 2.81 ERA. He hasn’t always put up such stellar numbers. His pitch mix features a two-seamer which gets an above average amount of swinging strikes and an insane 71% GB%. Ross’s bread and butter, though, is his slider — and that pitch induces ground balls 52% of the time and has a 23% swinging strike rate. He understands how devastating his slider is and has doubled is usage since 2011 (20% to 26% to 33% to 41%). I have found pitchers who throw a more 30% sliders have an increased injury risk and Ross is over 40%. Ross is a perfect pick up for shallow leagues. If he doesn’t get hurt, great. If he does, a decent pool of pitchers are available to be picked up from the waiver wire. In deep leagues, where the replacement level for pitchers is lower, it might be prudent to stay away. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Ross is a good pitcher as long as his arm doesn’t fall off due to his rampant slider usage.

James Russell

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 1/8/1986 | Team: Braves | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 6 0 52 6.3 3.1 1.2 3.59 1.22 4.45 0.5 -0.1
’14 0 2 1 57 6.6 3.1 0.5 2.97 1.13 3.44 0.7 0.2
’15 3 3 1 55 7.2 2.9 1.1 3.80 1.31 4.14 -0.0 -0.3

Profile: After about 275 innings replacement-level innings, mostly out of the bullpen for the Cubs, James Russell was traded to the Braves, alongside Emilio Bonifacio, for Victor Caratini at the trading deadline. He experienced real success in the majors for the first time, posting a 2.22 ERA and 2.31 FIP in 22 innings, largely thanks to a much-improved walk rate and a complete absence of home runs. Of course, he’ll eventually give up dingers again, but the walk rate is encouraging. Russell earned a spot start to the end the season and will reportedly get a chance to start in spring training, but isn’t expected to be an impact pitcher in Atlanta. (August Fagerstrom)

Quick Opinion: James Russell had 22 impressive innings in Atlanta after 275 replacement-level innings in Atlanta, and will reportedly get a chance to start in spring training. Even if that works out to some extent, his upside is virtually non-existent and he’s nowhere near the fantasy radar.

Hyun-Jin Ryu

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 3/25/1987 | Team: Dodgers | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 14 8 0 192 7.2 2.3 0.7 3.00 1.20 3.24 4.1 3.2
’14 14 7 0 152 8.2 1.7 0.5 3.38 1.19 2.62 2.3 3.5
’15 12 10 0 182 7.9 2.2 0.8 3.35 1.16 3.36 2.3 2.3

Profile: Some may not have noticed because he’s been overshadowed by teammates Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, but Hyun-Jin Ryu established himself as one of the better starters in the majors in just his second season stateside. Although Ryu failed to make his full share of starts in 2014 due to a couple of stints on the disabled list, he managed to win 14 games with a 3.38 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP and a 17.4% strikeout minus walk rate in 152 frames on the bump. His ERA jumped from 3.00 in his first year to 3.38 in his second year, but Ryu’s FIP actually dipped from 3.24 to 2.62 over that time thanks to a spike in strikeouts and a dip in free passes and home runs. If the uptick in velocity can stick and health is on his side, Hyun-Jin Ryu will once again be a fine number one or two starter on your fantasy team at just a fraction of the cost of his mound mates. (Alan Harrison)

Quick Opinion: Ryu is just a half strikeout or so short of lock stock fantasy acedom. Considering his likely price, and his teammates, he’s probably a good investment in the coming fantasy season. 

CC Sabathia

Debut: 2001 |  BirthDate: 7/21/1980 | Team: Yankees | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 14 13 0 211 7.5 2.8 1.2 4.78 1.37 4.10 0.8 2.7
’14 3 4 0 46 9.4 2.0 2.0 5.28 1.48 4.78 -0.3 0.1
’15 11 11 0 192 7.1 2.5 1.0 3.93 1.25 3.97 2.3 2.3

Profile: It was a lost season for the Yankees’ ace, who made just eight starts before landing on the disabled list in May with a right knee injury and never returned. It’s the same knee on which he had arthroscopic surgery in 2010 to repair a small meniscus tear, and the current injury doesn’t sound good; Sabathia said in August that the knee will never be 100 percent as he now has nearly no cartilage underneath the kneecap, and it will have to be periodically drained due to fluid buildup and swelling. On the mound, Sabathia’s fastball continues to lose velocity — it didn’t average 90 mph over the 46 innings he pitched — and that’s now five straight seasons in which hitters’ isolated power against his four-seam fastball has risen, to the point where they were teeing off it with a .370 mark in 2014. It’s a small sample size, to be sure, and Sabathia, who had a very good 18.2 walk minus strikeout percentage when he went down, is probably smart and experienced enough to still find a way to get major league hitters out. But there’s little reason to believe the 34-year-old will return to the elite fantasy form he was flashing as recently as 2012, and his days as an innings-eating workhorse are long gone. (Karl de Vries)

Quick Opinion: We’ll see what the reports on Sabathia’s health look like come March, but it’s difficult to count on him producing more than mid-to-late-round value for 2015.

Fernando Salas

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 5/30/1985 | Team: Angels | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 3 0 28 7.1 1.9 1.0 4.50 1.18 3.62 -0.2 0.0
’14 5 0 0 58 9.4 2.1 0.8 3.38 1.09 2.93 0.6 0.6
’15 3 3 2 55 7.8 2.4 1.1 3.63 1.22 3.87 0.1 -0.1

Profile: Despite possessing below average velocity for a reliever, Salas has managed to post strong SwStk% marks, which have resulted in pretty respectable strikeout rates. That’s because his fastball has actually been fantastic at generating swings and misses. This is likely due to his preference to pitch up in the zone, which leads to whiffs, but also lots of fly balls. It’s a profile that makes one antsy when thrusted into a high-leverage situation, which means he’s probably a bit back in the pecking order for saves should Huston Street get hurt. Because he appears third in line for saves at best, he’s probably not worth rostering during your AL-Only draft or auction. However, if he does wiggle his way into the ninth, he should be able to do a decent job and hold onto the role. (Mike Podhorzer)

Quick Opinion: Salas enjoyed the best skills of his career in 2014 with the Angels but with little shot at saves, is just another middle reliever with limited value. The 29-year-old righty is best left for deep AL-Only leaguers, and even then, just for holds and ratios.

Danny Salazar

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 1/11/1990 | Team: Indians | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 3 0 52 11.2 2.6 1.2 3.12 1.13 3.16 1.3 1.2
’14 6 8 0 110 9.8 2.9 1.1 4.25 1.38 3.52 0.5 1.8
’15 10 8 0 153 9.3 3.1 1.1 3.62 1.23 3.77 2.0 2.1

Profile: Danny Salazar entered the 2014 season among an exciting class of young starting pitchers who burst onto the scene the previous year. The group included names like Sonny Gray, Michael Wacha, Gerrit Cole, and Yordano Ventura. By the All-Star Break, Salazar looked like the only one to bust. Wacha and Cole both went on to deal with injuries that limited their performance, but both lived up to expectations when they pitched. Salazar was the only one not to be impressive. His first eight starts were met with serious contact issues — a .369 batting average on balls in play and 1.77 home runs per nine innings — and some command issues which led to a 5.53 ERA, 4.71 FIP a demotion back to Triple-A. The Indians identified a problem in Salazar mechanics, in that his glove hand was reaching too high and causing him to release the ball too soon. After two months in the minors, he returned to Cleveland with improved mechanics and finished the season with a run of 12 starts that sported a 3.50 ERA and 2.83 FIP. Because of Salazar’s strikeout potential, his upside is as high an unproven pitcher’s could be, and his second time through the rotation in 2014 makes him a juicy fantasy option in 2015, one that could potentially fly a bit under the radar due to his atrocious start to the season. (August Fagerstrom)

Quick Opinion: After an electric debut in 2013, Salazar struggled mightily with his mechanics to open the 2014 season and was sent down. Upon returning, he looked much more like the flamethrowing rookie who first took the league by storm. To date, he’s made 30 MLB starts, and the total product moving forward is probably something like the sum of those 30 starts: a 3.89 ERA, 3.41 FIP, some hard contact issues, and a ton of strikeouts.

Chris Sale

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 3/30/1989 | Team: White Sox | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 11 14 0 214 9.5 1.9 1.0 3.07 1.07 3.17 5.4 5.1
’14 12 4 0 174 10.8 2.0 0.7 2.17 0.97 2.57 6.2 5.4
’15 14 9 0 192 10.3 2.3 0.9 3.00 1.08 3.07 4.7 4.7

Profile: An elbow injury caused fantasy owners to panic early, only to have Sale post the finest numbers of his career once he returned. For all the talk about the thin lefty being injury prone, the White Sox have been able to get 674 2/3 exceptional innings out of his arm without a major injury. At this point, it seems unfair to look at Sale as a bigger injury risk than any other pitcher. Sure, an injury could come at some point, but that can be said of any pitcher. Sale may miss some time with arm fatigue, but the White Sox have done a fantastic job monitoring that issue the past couple years. When he’s on the mound, he’s one of the best pitchers around. There’s no reason to expect any of that to change moving forward. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: The concern with Sale has always been injuries, but after 674 2/3 injury-free innings it might be time to treat him like any other pitcher. He’s really great when he’s on the mound, and there’s no reason to expect that to change.

Jeff Samardzija

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 1/23/1985 | Team: White Sox | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 8 13 0 213 9.0 3.3 1.1 4.34 1.35 3.77 1.2 2.6
’14 7 13 0 219 8.3 1.8 0.8 2.99 1.07 3.20 4.1 4.1
’15 12 11 0 192 8.3 2.6 1.0 3.92 1.24 3.69 2.4 3.1

Profile: Samardzija split his season between the Cubs and Athletics after a mid-year trade, and went on to post the best skills of his career while finishing with a sub-three ERA. He has now proven that last year’s ground-ball rate spike was no fluke, as he induced grounders on both his four-seam fastball and slider more frequently than he had been. Unfortunately, everything has not remained so rosy. The city of Chicago apparently couldn’t live without him, as the South Siders traded for him, which in turn hurts his fantasy outlook. The White Sox home park sports one of the highest home run park factors in baseball and inflates overall run scoring as well. Samardzija has already dealt with home run issues in the past, posting home run per fly ball rates of at least 10.6% each season as a starter, all of which have been above the league average. The park switch isn’t going to suddenly make him worthless in shallower mixed leagues, but will make it much more difficult for him to come close to a repeat of his 2014 performance. (Mike Podhorzer)

Quick Opinion: Samardzija’s overall skills package peaked in 2014, as his control improved significantly driven by the highest first strike percentage of his career. But the move to the White Sox and a hitter-friendly home park is going to take a bite out of his fantasy value.

Anibal Sanchez

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 2/27/1984 | Team: Tigers | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 14 8 0 182 10.0 2.7 0.4 2.57 1.15 2.39 5.9 6.2
’14 8 5 0 126 7.3 2.1 0.3 3.43 1.10 2.71 2.0 3.4
’15 11 9 0 163 7.8 2.4 0.9 3.80 1.21 3.60 2.2 2.6

Profile: With his fantasy value at an all-time high headed into 2014, Anibal Sanchez was unable to replicate his outstanding 2013, although he still was able to provide owners value when on the field. The righty did not sustain a career-high 27% strikeout rate, seeing it fall to 20% in 2014, right in line with his career average. The same story holds for his swinging strike rate. His fastball velocity, which had climbed each of the past six seasons, fell off a touch, ruining one of the most impressive upward trajectories in baseball. That said, the overall package did not completely crumble. He managed to cut his walk rate a hair and continued to be stingy with the home run ball. Perhaps the biggest knock on Sanchez is his health, and he did nothing to dissuade that notion, losing about a third of the season to a strained pectoral muscle. Now on the wrong side of 30 and yet to reach 200 innings in a season, owners have to be willing to get a prorated discount on the Tiger come draft day. He has the upside to finish at a top-40 SP, but without the cumulative innings, he’s a more safe bet to look into once 50 or more have come off the board. (Colin Zarzycki)

Quick Opinion: Sanchez was unable to replicate an impressive strikeout rate surge from 2013, but his rates stayed stable enough that he is still a valuable starter. However, without elite punchouts and with lingering durability questions which have persisted into his thirties, he is a risky selection inside the top 40 fantasy starters on draft day.

Johan Santana

Debut: 2000 |  BirthDate: 3/13/1979 | Position: P
’15 0 0 0 1 7.6 2.7 1.2 3.90 1.27 4.14 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: To say the least, it’s been a difficult few years for the two-time Cy Young winner, who has now missed three full seasons since 2010. As you may recall, Santana, who turns 36 in March, tore the anterior capsule in his left shoulder in 2010, made two disabled list trips with back and ankle problems in 2012 and tore the shoulder capsule again in early 2013. Most recently, a comeback bid with the Baltimore Orioles ended in June when Santana ruptured an Achilles tendon. At the time, reports from extended spring training suggested that Santana was able to reach the high 80s with his fastball, and his agent was quoted in November as saying the southpaw was “hellbent” on coming back to the majors. Santana’s famous changeup and veteran savvy could make him an interesting player to keep an eye on as he pitches in Venezuela in early 2015, but until he snags a major league contract, there’s little reason to invest even a late-round pick in him on draft day. Especially since his Venezuelan team ordered an MRI for him — clean — and kept him out of their final series of the year. If he’s never healthy again, at least the Mets and Twins fans will remember him and his unhittable changeup fondly.  (Karl de Vries)

Quick Opinion: Santana’s progress is worth monitoring, but he needs to prove he’s healthy before having any fantasy value.

Ervin Santana

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 12/12/1982 | Team: Twins | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 9 10 0 211 6.9 2.2 1.1 3.24 1.14 3.93 4.4 2.9
’14 14 10 0 196 8.2 2.9 0.7 3.95 1.31 3.39 1.8 2.8
’15 11 12 0 192 7.1 2.8 1.0 4.41 1.34 4.07 1.1 1.9

Profile: Ervin Santana pitched better than the 3.95 ERA he recorded last season, but there are some concerns with what to expect out of him as he moves back to the American League this season. Santana saw his strikeouts increase at almost the identical rate that is expected when a player moves from the American League to the National League, so it is reasonable to expect his strikeouts to drop back down around to the 18% mark at which he sat before moving to the Braves. Along with moving back into the tougher league, the Twins have a lackluster defense, highlighted by the acquisition of Torii Hunter in right field. Santana pretty much is who he is at this point, which is roughly a league average pitcher. The only reason he did not throw over 200 innings last year was because he signed late after declining his qualifying offer. While all pitchers are health risks, he has shown some consistency in starting over 30 games in each of the past five seasons. Three of his past four years he has posted between an ERA between 3.24 to 3.95. Despite the health and reliability, the move to the American League is not quite a welcome one, and Santana should only really be looked at as rotational depth in most fantasy formats. Even if the change got better. (Ben Duronio)

Quick Opinion: Santana had a decent 2014 in the National League, but his move to the American League should lead to a lower strikeout rate. Combine that with a poor defense behind him, and you get a pitcher that will likely be a bit overvalued on draft day despite recording 14 wins last season.

Hector Santiago

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 12/16/1987 | Team: Angels | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 9 0 149 8.3 4.3 1.0 3.56 1.40 4.44 2.1 1.5
’14 6 9 0 127 7.6 3.7 1.1 3.75 1.36 4.29 0.7 0.7
’15 9 8 0 145 7.5 3.6 1.2 4.09 1.36 4.57 0.0 -0.5

Profile: The left-handed former screwballer has all but ditched the pitch, which makes sense given that it didn’t generate swings and misses or induce ground balls. Plus, he allowed the highest weighted offense against that pitch compared with all others he has thrown throughout his career. Instead, he now comes at batters with a variety of stuff, none of which sport a whiff rate above 10% for his career. With no out pitch, one wonders how he has posted a career strikeout rate above 20%. The answer is that he has gotten a significantly higher rate of both called and foul strikes than the average pitcher, both of which are real skills, though not quite as reliable as the swinging strike. He still possesses below-average control and allows a hefty rate of fly balls. Anaheim is a great place to play as a fly ball pitcher, but the overall skill set is uninspiring. He’ll have to continue to outperform his SIERA marks to maintain any semblance of fantasy value, which is rarely something I like to bet on happening. (Mike Podhorzer)

Quick Opinion: An assortment of off-speed pitches has boosted Santiago’s called and foul strike rates, which has resulted in solid strikeout rates despite underwhelming whiff marks. But the overall skill set here is rather soft and one wonders how much longer he could significantly outperform his SIERA. I don’t want to be his owner when the ERA finally does converge with the SIERA.

Sergio Santos

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 7/4/1983 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 1 1 25 9.8 1.4 0.4 1.75 0.58 1.84 1.1 0.9
’14 0 3 5 21 12.4 7.7 2.1 8.57 2.19 6.04 -1.3 -0.5
’15 0 0 0 1 9.4 3.4 0.9 3.60 1.26 3.60 0.1 0.0

Profile: Sergio Santos’ career has been quite the ride. He made it all the way to Triple-A as a position player, was traded some, then in 2009 with the White Sox he was converted to pitcher. By 2010, he was relieving in the majors, and quite effectively. In 2011, he saved 30 games for Chicago, racking up strikeouts with a devastating combination of a 95-mile-per-hour fastball and an 85-mile-per-hour-slider. The White Sox signed him to a contract extension at the end of the 2011 season, then promptly traded him to the Blue Jays. Santos then missed almost the entire 2012 season with a shoulder injury. He came back in 2013, and although he had been supplanted as closer, in a limited 25 innings in the majors, he seemed to be as effective as ever — if his strikeout rate was now awesome rather than otherworldly, he seemed to be making up for it with good control. The return to dominance was short-lived, though. In 2014 the strikeouts shot back up, but Santos lost all semblance of control. A forearm strain did not help matters, either. Santos did seem to have great misfortune on balls in play and in the air. Still, it was understandable that the Blue Jays did not pick up his option. Now with the Dodgers, it’s improbable that even a healthy and dealing Santos would close. Wait and see if he’s worth owning for strikeouts and holds. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: Past arm issues and other uncertainties mean that it is better to wait and see if Santos is healthy and dealing before trying to pick him up on waivers for strikeouts and (possibly) holds.

Joe Saunders

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 6/16/1981 | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 11 16 0 183 5.3 3.0 1.2 5.26 1.60 4.72 -1.0 0.3
’14 0 5 0 43 4.8 5.0 1.9 6.70 2.07 6.60 -0.9 -0.5
’15 0 0 0 1 5.2 3.2 1.1 4.67 1.43 4.71 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: There hasn’t been a peep of news surrounding Saunders all offseason, meaning he’s finally reached that point no one ever wants to reach: not even the Rockies, Twins or Phillies are interested. At 33, he may be done, especially if his 2014 performance was any indication.

Quick Opinion: Saunders hasn’t done anything worthwhile since 2012, and remains an extreme longshot to ever again. Stay away.

Tanner Scheppers

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 1/17/1987 | Team: Rangers | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 6 2 1 76 6.9 2.8 0.7 1.88 1.07 3.74 2.4 0.8
’14 0 1 0 23 6.7 3.9 2.3 9.00 1.78 6.74 -0.9 -0.3
’15 3 3 1 55 7.6 2.6 0.9 3.64 1.26 3.81 0.4 0.4

Profile: Tanner Scheppers was a cog in the injury breakdown machine that was the 2014 Texas Rangers. After posting a terrific season in 2013, Scheppers came out of the gate with rotten results and then unsurprisingly, elbow soreness landed him on the disabled list by the start of June. His 2014 numbers were a mess — a 9.00 ERA, a WHIP near 1.80, and a pretty awful strikeout rate to go with them — but this clearly wasn’t the healthy version of himself who was a very valuable piece in holds leagues in 2013. Saves mavens might want to stash Scheppers as Jon Daniels has indicated he is likely the next in line should Neftali Feliz falter early on. While Scheppers might not possess fantastic strikeout material, should he regain the groundballing form that led to such success in 2013, he could be an excellent pickup on the cheap. (Michael Barr)

Quick Opinion: 2014 was a lost season for Tanner Scheppers, who spent most of his time on the shelf with elbow soreness. But using his 2013 success as a guide, it’s likely Scheppers returns to a role yielding plenty of holds — and if Neftali Feliz struggles early on, Scheppers could even find himself in a closer role.

Max Scherzer

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 7/27/1984 | Team: Nationals | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 21 3 0 214 10.1 2.4 0.8 2.90 0.97 2.74 6.2 6.4
’14 18 5 0 220 10.3 2.6 0.7 3.15 1.18 2.85 5.3 5.6
’15 14 8 0 192 10.4 2.4 0.9 2.91 1.08 2.96 4.2 3.9

Profile: Cajones. Max Scherzer has them. Remember, this is a guy who turned down a reported 6/$144 million extension offer before the 2014 season. Cue the “betting on himself” opinion pieces. Scherzer put his money where his (or perhaps Scott Boras’?) mouth was and essentially duplicated his 2013 Cy Young season across the board. 2013: 214 innings. 2014: 220 innings. 2013: 29% strikeout rate, 7% walk rate. 2014? 28% and 7%. Seriously, try and find something (other than batting average on balls in play) which signified any sort of skill degradation. Okay, we can quibble that his fastball velocity is down a touch, but is anyone really worried he’s about to fall off the table? The 30-year-old got paid this offseason, and now that he’s in the National League, there’s even just a little bit more to love about him. Putting his past arm injuries further in the rear-view mirror, Mad Max is mostly projected for around a 3.10 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 28% K%. That sounds like a top-10 fantasy option in my book, and some pitchers really take to the National League. (Colin Zarzycki)

Quick Opinion: Max Scherzer tossed a near-identical replication of his breakthrough 2013 in 2014. Now in the National League, there’s little reason to believe the 30-year-old righty can’t prove to be a top-10 SP option again in 2015.

Brian Schlitter

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 12/21/1985 | Team: Cubs | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 2 3 0 56 5.0 3.0 0.3 4.15 1.37 3.61 -0.4 0.2
’15 1 1 0 25 6.4 2.7 0.7 3.79 1.33 3.78 -0.0 0.0

Profile: Brian Schlitter has a 2.99 ERA across 331.1 IP in the minors. And that includes a 3.21 ERA in 95.1 innings with the Iowa Cubs, who play in the offense-happy Pacific Coast League. So it should not be too grand a surprise that he managed to stick in the Cubs 2014 bullpen and, moreover, post a decent season. He proved himself a formidable ground-ball pitcher, and Steamer foresees another good season ahead of him. However, the Cubs appear to have infused their relief corps with a collection of better relievers — including Jason Motte and whichever of the three starters (Travis Wood, Kyle Hendricks, Tsuyoshi Wada, Jacob Turner, or Felix Doubront) miss out on the fourth and fifth rotation spot. Not to mention the possible renaissance Edwin Jackson could have as a reliever. If you are desperate for a decent reliever who might get some holds, Schlitter is an okay target — if he’s on the 25 man roster. But I wouldn’t count on it. (Bradley Woodrum)

Quick Opinion: Schlitter might find himself back in Triple-A ball after the Cubs added a heft of pitching this offseason. That being said, he should be a good, grounder-heavy middle reliever if and when the Cubs need him.

Gus Schlosser

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 10/20/1988 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 0 1 0 17 4.1 3.1 1.0 7.64 1.64 4.89 -0.7 -0.2
’15 2 2 0 35 6.3 3.2 1.3 4.78 1.46 4.86 -0.1 -0.1

Profile: Gus Schlosser struggled in 17.2 innings in Atlanta last season and is off the fantasy radar. There is little likelihood he is used in any type of important role for the Braves. (Ben Duronio)

Bryan Shaw

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 11/8/1987 | Team: Indians | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 7 3 1 75 8.8 3.4 0.5 3.24 1.17 3.07 0.6 1.0
’14 5 5 2 76 7.5 2.6 0.7 2.59 1.09 3.42 1.3 0.5
’15 3 3 3 65 7.6 2.8 0.9 3.85 1.29 3.81 0.1 0.0

Profile: No pitcher made more relief appearances than Bryan Shaw (80) in 2014, as manager Terry Francona set an American League record with 573 total relief appearances. Shaw’s 150-inning workload over the past two seasons is a positive, on one hand. Shaw wouldn’t be so trusted if he hadn’t been reliable. While he’s not been a dominant force, his 2.91 ERA and 3.25 FIP are both much better than league average and make him a solid second option in a bullpen. On the other hand, the workload can be worrisome, given how volatile relievers even with normal workloads are. For what it’s worth, Shaw’s velocity only increased as the 2014 season went on, which seems to hint that if he was experiencing any fatigue, it wasn’t showing up in his production. If Shaw can stay healthy, he’s a lock for 20 holds and perhaps a save or two. Though his results are encouraging, he likely doesn’t have staying power as a closer due to his somewhat extreme platoon splits. He relies heavily on cutters and sliders that break away from righties, and he’s held them to a .256 weighted on base average throughout his career. Lefties, however, have tagged him for a .326 wOBA. (August Fagerstrom)

Quick Opinion: Shaw has been a steady seventh and eighth inning option since coming to Cleveland in 2013. Terry Francona has a ton of trust in Shaw, which results in a ton of opportunities. Shaw is unlikely to make an eventual transition to closer, due to his pronounced platoon splits, but as long as his heavy workload doesn’t catch up to him, he’s a lock for 20 holds.

James Shields

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 12/20/1981 | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 13 9 0 228 7.7 2.7 0.8 3.15 1.24 3.47 6.0 4.5
’14 14 8 0 227 7.1 1.7 0.9 3.21 1.18 3.59 3.9 3.7
’15 13 11 0 201 7.8 2.2 0.9 3.63 1.20 3.57 2.6 3.0

Profile: Shields’s fantasy value will be determined by who he ends up signing with this offseason. But you can estimate his value independent of his home park, to an extent. The first area to look and the greatest of concern is his strikeout rate. It has been declining since 2012 going from 8.8 per nine to 7.7 K/9 to 7.1 K/9. With his ability to stay healthy and pitch a ton of innings, his strikeout total has still gone from 223 to 196 to 180. The reason for his decline is not a drop in fastball velocity (steady around 92 mph), but from using his change less (28% to 25% to 22%) and it being less effective (21% swinging strike rate to 19% SwStr% to 16% SwStr%). He has offset the decline in strikeouts by posting a low 1.7 walks per nine rate in 2014. Over the last couple of seasons, his ERA (~3.20) has been below his ERA estimators (~3.60) because of an above average Royals offense. Without knowing which team signs him, expect 14 wins, 170 K, 3.60 ERA, and a 1.25 WHIP. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: James Shields is a predictable pitcher with the only wart being a declining strikeout rate. His value could change some depending on which team he finally signs with.

Matt Shoemaker

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 9/27/1986 | Team: Angels | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 0 0 5 9.0 3.6 0.0 0.00 0.80 2.25 0.4 0.2
’14 16 4 0 136 8.2 1.6 0.9 3.04 1.07 3.26 2.8 2.1
’15 12 11 0 189 6.9 2.1 1.1 4.08 1.25 3.99 1.2 1.3

Profile: Towards the end of August, Jeff Sullivan observed a curious phenomenon regarding the split-finger fastball and those pitchers who throw it with some frequency. By way of illustration, consider the unordered list below, which features the birthplaces of every starter in 2014 to record at least 100 innings and also post a split-finger usage rate above 20%. • Hyogo, Japan • Osaka, Japan • Tokyo, Japan • Wyandotte, Michigan, USA Those are the hometowns of Masahiro Tanaka, Hiroki Kuroda, Hisashi Iwakuma, and Matt Shoemaker, respectively. While, culturally speaking, one of these people isn’t like the other, all four pitchers feature remarkably similar repertoires — including merely average fastball velocities and relatively high split-finger usage. What else they share is success: all four prevented runs at an above-average rate in 2014 and produced the fielding-independent numbers to suggest that such run prevention is sustainable. For the three Japanese pitchers this is perhaps less surprising: each was expressly signed out of Japan with the idea (from the club’s point of view) that he’d be an asset to a major-league rotation. Shoemaker, meanwhile, was undrafted after his senior year at Eastern Michigan University and signed afterwards with the Angels for merely $10 thousand. Despite the lack of pedigree, the most likely outcome is that he approximates his 2014 numbers in 2015 — which he’ll begin as the Angels’ number three starter, it would appear. (Carson Cistulli)

Quick Opinion: Matt Shoemaker very probably isn’t a Japanese person, nonetheless he has a repertoire most commonly found among former NPB pitchers. Despite a lack of pedigree and arm speed, he’s very likely also an above-average major-league starter.

Chasen Shreve

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 7/12/1990 | Team: Yankees | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 0 0 0 12 10.9 2.2 0.0 0.73 1.05 1.43 0.4 0.2
’15 1 0 0 10 8.4 3.4 1.0 3.60 1.27 3.92 0.1 0.0

Profile: Shreve is a pretty standard left-handed reliever and will act as a middle relief Lefty One Out GuY type for the Yankees this season. He was impressive in Atlanta in a short stint last year and possess a changeup that may eventually allow him to pitch to both lefties and righties, but this season he possess little to no fantasy value. (Ben Duronio)

Kevin Siegrist

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 7/20/1989 | Team: Cardinals | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 1 0 39 11.3 4.1 0.2 0.45 0.88 2.29 1.8 0.7
’14 1 4 0 30 11.0 4.7 1.5 6.82 1.58 4.62 -1.3 -0.3
’15 1 0 0 10 9.9 3.6 0.8 3.05 1.22 3.50 0.1 0.1

Profile: Since the Cardinals converted him to a reliever in 2013, Kevin Siegrist has lived on the edge. His big fastball and 10 or more strikeouts per nine at every level were impressive, but his four or more walks per nine and unsustainably good strand rates at every level suggested that his minuscule ERAs were going to rise. It all seemed to crash down for Siegrist in 2014, when his batting average on balls in play jumped to .338 and his ERA nearly touched seven. This offseason, Siegrist has been recovering from a forearm injury that cost him some time in 2014 and may have led to his poor results. Still, it is difficult to be overly optimistic for him given that his 2013 results were due to decline regardless of injury. Siegrist is likely more than a lefty vs. lefty specialist, but he does not have much of a chance to earn saves with his poor control, even with Trevor Rosenthal’s own command issues surfacing in 2014. (Scott Spratt)

Quick Opinion: A forearm strain cost Kevin Siegrist much of the 2014 season and likely much of his previous success as a reliever, but a poor walk rate could continue to cause him problems even with his elite fastball and strikeout rates. He seems unlikely to earn saves in 2015.

Shae Simmons

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 9/3/1990 | Team: Braves | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 1 2 1 21 9.6 4.6 0.4 2.91 1.20 3.13 0.3 0.2
’15 2 2 0 40 10.0 3.7 0.7 3.24 1.24 3.20 0.2 0.2

Profile: In terms of the long term, Shae Simmons may project to be the Braves closer of the future if they ever do decide to move Craig Kimbrel to further bolster their farm system during their rebuilding stage. The Braves have stated they are committed to keeping Kimbrel, who is under a rather favorable contract through 2017 with a team option for 2018, so he will still be under contract when the new stadium is unveiled and the assumed target date for when the Braves plan to be competitive. Simmons is similar to Kimbrel in stature and arm strength, but lacks the same level of command that Kimbrel has developed during his time in the majors. Owning Simmons in long term leagues is a bet on either the Braves moving Kimbrel at some point or them moving Simmons to another team that would utilize him at closer. He is a risky play in that respect, but he could move his way up the bullpen and be the set up man in the near future if new acquisitions Jason Grilli or Jim Johnson struggle. (Ben Duronio)

Quick Opinion: Shae Simmons showed his strikeout potential last season but also showed how difficult it his for him to command his pitches. He will fight for a bullpen spot in spring training, and the signings of Jason Grilli and Jim Johnson make it difficult for him to project as a handcuff in Atlanta, but he may be the next best long term bet for saves if the Braves ever trade Craig Kimbrel. 

Alfredo Simon

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 5/8/1981 | Team: Tigers | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 6 4 1 87 6.5 2.7 0.8 2.87 1.07 3.96 1.0 -0.1
’14 15 10 0 196 5.8 2.6 1.0 3.44 1.21 4.33 3.1 0.9
’15 8 10 0 144 5.3 2.9 1.2 4.92 1.43 4.79 0.0 0.4

Profile: Alfredo Simon’s shock 2014 season was a revelation for the Reds, as he made 31 very nice starts out of the blue. The long-time reliever made it work with a lowish strikeout rate and some good batted ball fortune, aided and abetted by the stellar Reds defense. Switching to the American League with the less-than-spectacular Tigers defense behind him sends up all manner of warning sign. Worse yet, his numbers against pitchers really prop up his overall line. Remove his 22 strikeouts in 60 plate appearances against opposing hurlers, and suddenly his strikeout and walk rates don’t look so great. His strikeout rate dips from 15.5% down to 13.9% and his walk rate creeps to the high side of 7%, just under league average. Suddenly, he keeps Kyle Gibson and Kevin Corriea company in the strikeout minus walk ranks. This is not good for business. Even if he can sustain his high strand rate (as he has for most of his career), Simon becomes a fringe starter with poor defense behind him, albeit in a more forgiving ballpark. The Tigers powerful offense will hand him many chances to win ballgames but allow others to buy high on Simon’s strong 2014 season as 2015 doesn’t look nearly as rosy for him. (Drew Fairservice)

Quick Opinion: After a strong and surprising 2014 season, everything is working against Alfredo Simon as he moves to the American League with a more porous defense supporting him.

Tony Sipp

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 7/12/1983 | Team: Astros | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 2 0 37 10.0 5.3 1.4 4.78 1.51 4.88 -0.4 -0.2
’14 4 3 4 50 11.2 3.0 0.9 3.38 0.89 2.93 0.8 1.0
’15 3 2 1 55 10.0 3.2 1.1 3.09 1.19 3.69 0.7 0.3

Profile: The left-handed Sipp was one of the lone bright spots for the Astros in 2014. The former Indians prospect saw a large jump in the strikeout department, fueled by a two mph fastball velocity spike (and corresponding swinging strike rate increase). He also managed to cut down on the number of free passes he allowed, posting the lowest walk rate of his career. The whole package led to the southpaw posting a 2.43 SIERA, well over a run lower than his career average. He was far from a Lefty One Out GuY material as well, fanning nearly twice as many righties as lefties. Pedigree and peripherals make Sipp a candidate to repeat in 2015 and therefore an interesting name in holds leagues. Unfortunately, Houston’s lavish reliever spending spree (Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek) as well as the return of incumbent Chad Qualls mean saves may be difficult to come by for the 31-year-old. (Colin Zarzycki)

Quick Opinion: Operating out of Houston’s bullpen, Sipp finally showed some of the promise that made him a coveted prospect a few years ago. While some of his gains should be sustainable, he’s mired amongst many other decent relievers on a bad team so he’ll carry little fantasy value outside of super deep leagues or those with scoring systems rewarding middle relievers.

Tyler Skaggs

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 7/13/1991 | Team: Angels | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 3 0 38 8.4 3.5 1.6 5.12 1.37 4.86 -0.1 0.1
’14 5 5 0 113 6.8 2.4 0.7 4.30 1.21 3.55 0.3 1.5
’15 1 1 0 10 7.8 3.2 0.9 3.79 1.29 3.80 0.2 0.1

Profile: Skaggs put together an intriguing skills package that hinted at a promising future, but Tommy John surgery in August will likely keep him out for the entire 2015 season. He’s one to revisit in 2016. (Mike Podhorzer)

Kevin Slowey

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 5/4/1984 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 6 0 92 7.4 1.8 1.2 4.11 1.35 3.81 0.6 0.8
’14 1 1 0 37 5.8 2.2 0.7 5.30 1.66 3.78 -0.5 0.1
’15 4 5 0 77 6.7 2.4 1.4 4.51 1.32 4.61 -0.2 -0.3

Profile: Slowey was decent in 2013, eating some innings for the Marlins while not surrendering a ton of runs. A repeat wasn’t in the cards. Slowey was shelled early on in 2014, and subsequently released during the summer. Perhaps trying to set him up for success, the Marlins didn’t offer him a chance to eat innings, instead deploying him as a reliever in 15 of his 17 appearances. It didn’t really matter — he struggled in both roles. He simply doesn’t miss bats. And he doesn’t generate enough ground balls, either. Slowey, if he catches on somewhere, probably isn’t going to be given a large enough to right the wrongs he’s sewn throughout his career. (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: Slowey is a middling pitcher, a stop gap that is only used in times of duress. He won’t be on your radar unless as a last resort streaming option in deep leagues.

Joe Smith

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 3/22/1984 | Team: Angels | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 6 2 3 63 7.7 3.3 0.7 2.29 1.22 3.60 1.9 0.5
’14 7 2 15 74 8.2 1.8 0.5 1.81 0.80 2.85 2.6 1.0
’15 3 3 2 65 7.6 2.5 0.7 3.30 1.22 3.36 0.4 0.3

Profile: It’s not often that a soft-tossing side-armer gets thrust into the closer’s role and records 15 saves, but that’s exactly what happened to Smith last season. Ernesto Frieri’s disastrous performance opened the door and Smith proved that big velocity isn’t a requirement to succeed in the ninth. But the Angels decided that Smith wasn’t enough at the back of the bullpen and traded for Huston Street, who now sits in the throne. Street, of course, isn’t exactly the model for good health, so he’s one of the better arms to sit behind if you’re hoping for a second chance at saves. Given Street’s brittleness, Smith makes for a reasonable speculation in AL-Only leagues. At the very least, he’ll provide good ratios and allow you to bench your worst starter who threatens to torpedo your ratios in each of his outings. (Mike Podhorzer)

Quick Opinion: Smith saved 15 games last season when Ernesto Frieri couldn’t hold the closer role and posted strong skills along the way. But with Huston Street in the way, he’s going to just remain a solid reliever, who might earn a buck or two from his ratios in AL-Only leagues at best.

Will Smith

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 7/10/1989 | Team: Brewers | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 1 0 33 11.6 1.9 1.6 3.24 0.93 3.53 0.5 0.5
’14 1 3 1 65 11.8 4.2 0.8 3.70 1.42 3.25 -0.0 0.5
’15 4 3 1 65 10.2 2.9 0.8 3.00 1.16 3.10 0.7 0.6

Profile: Smith quietly emerged as perhaps the best Lefty One Out GuY in baseball last season. He appeared 78 times for the Brewers, pitching only 65.2 innings. Against same-handed hitters, he posted 15.86 strikeouts per nine, 3.38 walks per nine, and a .237 weighted on base average. Righties handled him with a .374 wOBA. There were times when Smith seemed like he could succeed against all types of hitters, but we’ll probably see the Brewers manage him even more carefully in 2015. That’s good news for holds league owners looking for frequent, short appearances with great ratios. (Brad Johnson)

Quick Opinion: Against left-handed hitters, Smith had the highest strikeout minus walk rate of any non-closer. In other words, he’s very good against fellow southpaws. Assuming the Brewers manage him wisely, that could make him a great asset in holds leagues.

Drew Smyly

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 6/13/1989 | Team: Rays | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 6 0 2 76 9.6 2.0 0.5 2.37 1.04 2.31 2.1 1.9
’14 9 10 0 153 7.8 2.5 1.1 3.24 1.16 3.77 3.5 2.3
’15 8 7 0 125 8.1 2.8 1.0 3.54 1.23 3.85 1.7 1.5

Profile: Define “pressure”: being the 25-year-old tapped to replace David Price in the Rays rotation. That’s asking a lot, but Smyly hinted that he might be up to the task, going 3-1 in seven starts with a 1.70 ERA (3.01 FIP) and a solid four-to-one strikeout-to-walk ratio after coming over to Tampa Bay at the July trade deadline. Although the southpaw had long been effective against left-handed hitters, righties had killed him during his two-and-a-half years in Detroit, due in no small part to his struggles with his changeup. But in Tampa Bay, Smyly has found a home where the changeup is embraced and developed, and it comes as little surprise that his whiff rate on the pitch soared after he came over. There were other positive signs: Jeff Sullivan noted an increased reliance on elevating his fastball, which helped fuel a nearly two-and-a-half point jump in his overall whiff rate, and his first-pitch strike percentage zoomed upon becoming a Ray, helping him improve what was already a solid walk rate. Meanwhile, he essentially halved his hits allowed per nine innings, and what was a 1.35 WHIP in Detroit melted into a 0.76 mark in Tampa Bay. Of course, Smyly’s south Florida stint only gives us a small sample size on which to judge, and generous batted ball luck, a super high strand rate and good fortune on home run rate given a spike in his fly balls allowed all but debunk the paper-thin ERA. But in replacing Price with Smyly in the team’s rotation, the Rays clearly saw potential in his arm, and the early returns suggest they were on to something. (Karl de Vries)

Quick Opinion: Smyly remains a mostly unproven commodity entering the draft, but his upside justifies a pick somewhere after the top 40 starting pitchers are off the board.

Joakim Soria

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 5/18/1984 | Team: Tigers | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 1 0 0 23 10.6 5.3 0.8 3.80 1.35 3.68 0.3 0.2
’14 2 4 18 44 9.7 1.2 0.4 3.25 0.99 2.09 0.5 1.5
’15 4 3 11 65 8.2 2.3 0.9 3.23 1.17 3.47 0.6 0.6

Profile: Soria inexplicably stopped striking batters out after the Tigers acquired him amidst desperation to patch up a sagging late-season bullpen, but all told the 30-year-old righty had a nice rebound campaign after missing all of 2012 and half of 2013 with Tommy John surgery. Soria fanned more than a batter an inning for the full year, walked just six batters all season long and still managed to pitch well despite not getting all of his pre-injury velocity back. Soria routinely sat 91-92 before he injured the arm, but was far more in the 90-91 range the past two seasons. His slider remains a weapon, and his curve is still pretty good too. With just a wobbly Joe Nathan in front of him for saves in an as-yet unremarkable Tigers bullpen, Soria is a definite stealth saves candidate, and one who should be high on the list in holds leagues — especially since the Tigers project to have plenty of leads to hold again this season. Don’t be surprised if Soria is closing by midseason, and if he takes the role and runs with it, is perhaps rewarded with a contract extension from a team desperate for some semblance of stability in the ninth inning. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: If Soria can vault a quickly-aging Joe Nathan for ninth-inning duties, he’s going to be a highly-sought fantasy commodity. Keep an eye on him.

Rafael Soriano

Debut: 2002 |  BirthDate: 12/19/1979 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 3 43 66 6.9 2.3 0.9 3.11 1.23 3.65 1.0 0.5
’14 4 1 32 62 8.6 2.8 0.6 3.19 1.13 3.08 0.7 0.7
’15 3 3 21 65 7.9 2.7 1.2 3.70 1.25 4.08 0.2 -0.1

Profile: Though the season didn’t end well for Soriano, he experienced a bit of a rebound in his second year with the Nationals. His strikeout rate jumped back to his normal rate, while his walk rate remained manageable. Luck played a big role in his late season decline. Despite posting the same peripherals, he saw his batting average on balls in play jump from .207 to .358. Soriano will be 35 heading into next season, and he’s a free agent, and that’s a reason for concern. He remains unsigned as of publication, but could stumble into some saves depending on which team takes the plunge. He probably won’t post vintage numbers, but he can still help a team in the late innings. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Soriano was on his way to a nice comeback season before a miserable second half pushed him out of the closer role. Soriano can still help a club, and could stumble into some saves given his history. Age is starting to become a concern, however.

Zeke Spruill

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 9/11/1989 | Team: Red Sox | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 2 0 11 7.1 4.0 2.4 5.56 1.94 6.49 -0.4 -0.2
’14 1 1 0 22 5.6 1.6 0.0 3.57 1.37 2.56 0.0 0.4
’15 1 1 0 15 6.5 2.5 1.0 3.93 1.30 4.04 0.1 0.0

Profile: It appears that Spruill’s days as a starter are over. When he was acquired from Arizona, Red Sox GM Ben Cherington expressed that the team viewed him as a reliever. The 25-year-old will spend Spring Training fighting for a job in the major-league bullpen, but his low strikeout numbers make him an unappealing fantasy option. He also probably won’t be a reliable option for holds, even if he does break camp with the Sox. (Scott Strandberg)

Quick Opinion: His lack of velocity and pitch-to-contact profile will likely keep him from ever being a closer, so he really doesn’t have any value in dynasty formats, either.

Tim Stauffer

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 6/2/1982 | Team: Twins | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 1 0 69 8.3 2.6 0.9 3.75 1.13 3.55 0.1 0.0
’14 6 2 0 64 9.4 3.2 0.6 3.50 1.40 3.02 0.3 0.4
’15 4 4 0 69 7.1 3.0 0.9 4.18 1.36 4.01 -0.1 0.1

Profile: This 32-year-old righty spent his entire professional career prior to 2015 with San Diego, the last two almost exclusively as a reliever. Despite the near uniformity of his recent role, he uses the varied arsenal characteristic of a starter (four-seamer, sinker, slider-cutter, changeup, curveball) and has at times proven to be a reliable swingman in his career (10% strikeout minus walk rate, 48% ground-ball rate). He was quite adept in these past two seasons, having fanned more than 23% of the hitters he faced (with a 10.9% swinging-strike rate in 2014), a nice showing after a 2012 strain in his elbow and subsequent surgery cost him that entire campaign. Substandard results for ground balls (41.9%) left his luck and outcomes wanting in 2014, granted. But there appear to be no disturbing signs in his PITCHf/x data and peripherals, so a rebound in those areas should be forthcoming. He’s better-suited to the Anthony Swarzak role in Minnesota than was Swarzak. Still, that role isn’t fantasy-friendly, making Stauffer, if anything, a 2015 reserve pick or potential in-season acquisition in AL-only leagues, with some low profitability possible. (Nicholas Minnix)

Quick Opinion: Stauffer’s varied pitch mix help him to be very effective as a long reliever and survive (sometimes better) as a starter. His likely role as the Twins’ long man and emergency starter obviously doesn’t carry fantasy appeal, however, except perhaps as an in-season AL-only streamer or fill-in.

Drew Storen

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 8/11/1987 | Team: Nationals | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 2 3 61 8.5 2.8 1.0 4.52 1.36 3.62 -0.7 0.2
’14 2 1 11 56 7.3 1.8 0.3 1.12 0.98 2.71 2.4 0.9
’15 3 3 32 65 7.9 2.3 0.8 3.37 1.20 3.45 0.3 0.3

Profile: With Rafael Soriano gone, Storen should open the season as the Nationals closer. He even assumed the role at the end of the season when Soriano was working through some struggles. Storen’s made a lot of changes to his mechanics since joining the league, and deserves credit for bouncing back from a rough 2013. There’s nothing in his 2014 profile that suggests he will falter as the team’s closer. His 1.12 ERA will regress, sure, but he’ll still be a solid option. Given the expectations surrounding the Nationals, Storen could pick up a ton of saves and come at a lower price than most of the more established closers. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Storen is set to open the season as the closer on one of the best clubs in the National League. His track record, or lack thereof, could make him an undervalued asset at draft time.

Dan Straily

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 12/1/1988 | Team: Astros | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 10 8 0 152 7.3 3.4 0.9 3.96 1.24 4.05 1.5 1.9
’14 1 3 0 52 8.1 4.2 1.7 6.75 1.48 5.32 -0.9 -0.2
’15 4 4 0 67 7.4 3.6 1.4 4.65 1.41 4.90 0.2 0.2

Profile: Sure, Dan Straily doesn’t have the velocity he used to own when the Athletics drafted him pretty much only because he could sit 93 on the fastball. His nascent slider got better as he kept pitching, though. And they finally taught him a good changeup. Now he barely breaks 90, but those two non-fastballs are still working, and now he has three pitches that are above average by whiffs and grounders (including that slower fastball). So he does well in any Arsenal Score you might come up with. Who knows if he is in that Astros rotation — he’s probably battling Brad Peacock for one spot, so he might not start the season there — but it’s not like that top four is a lock to stay healthy (and Peacock himself has issues). At some point, Dan Straily will be relevant in 2015. And now that he’s on the Astros, that day might be draft day in your deeper leagues. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: It’s not about velocity with Straily any more. It’s about the fact that he has three good pitches by peripheral results, and now has an opportunity to start in the big leagues. Once it gets to your reserve rounds, it’s time to pounce in deeper leagues.

Stephen Strasburg

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 7/20/1988 | Team: Nationals | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 8 9 0 183 9.4 2.8 0.8 3.00 1.05 3.21 3.4 3.3
’14 14 11 0 215 10.1 1.8 1.0 3.14 1.12 2.94 3.5 4.3
’15 13 8 0 182 9.8 2.3 0.7 3.03 1.10 2.87 3.5 3.8

Profile: For the first time, Strasburg eclipsed the 200 innings pitched mark. It was not only a sigh of relief for the Nationals that their ace does indeed have the ability to clear that plateau, but also a boon for fantasy owners who always had to consider that he wouldn’t pitch as many innings as the other elite fantasy hurlers. By SIERA, Strasburg had the best season of his short career. He posted the fifth best strikeout rate and fourth best strikeout minus walk mark among all qualified starters. His changeup remains one of the best swing and miss pitches in baseball, while also generating tons of ground balls. Oddly, despite his high velocity fastball and obvious quality of his arsenal, his batting average on balls in play has actually sat above .310 in two of his three full seasons. And for his career, he has allowed a line drive rate and home run per fly ball rate above the league average. It’s surprising that hitters have been able to make such solid contact against him when they are actually able to put the bat on the ball. Felix Hernandez dealt with the same troubles at the beginning of his career as well and was eventually able to correct them, so the hope here is that Strasburg is able to do the same, assuming it’s not just a matter of poor fortune, due to turn. A 215 inning Strasburg is now a real threat to finish as the most valuable fantasy starter. (Mike Podhorzer)

Quick Opinion: With a high octane fastball, killer changeup and excellent control, Strasburg has certainly lived up to the hype, even if he has yet to post a sub-three ERA. If his luck metrics ever do neutralize, he should battle for top fantasy starter honors assuming he could continue to get over the 200 innings pitched hump.

Huston Street

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 8/2/1983 | Team: Angels | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 5 33 56 7.3 2.2 1.9 2.70 1.02 4.92 1.2 -1.1
’14 2 2 41 59 8.6 2.1 0.6 1.37 0.94 2.80 3.0 1.0
’15 3 3 35 65 7.7 2.3 1.1 3.55 1.21 3.86 0.2 -0.0

Profile: Huston Street accomplished something in 2014 that he hadn’t accomplished in five years: avoid the disabled list! Street finally pieced together a healthy season in 2014, though he did deal with some hamstring tightness near the end of the season. And for the third consecutive season, Street was nothing short of fantastic. Of the 88 relief pitchers who have thrown at least 150 innings since 2012, only four have a lower ERA than Street: Craig Kimbrel, Wade Davis, Koji Uehara, and Greg Holland. In terms of preventing runs, Street’s been in the elite class of relievers the past few years. But he’s still not without his warts. Street’s 2013 seemed like it might have been smoke and mirrors. A career-low strikeout rate and an MLB-high 1.91 homers per nine gave Street an ugly 4.92 FIP. His 2.70 ERA was propped up by an unusually low batting average on balls in play (.217) and a comically high strand rate (99.5%). These are the kind of numbers that are never repeated, except he repeated them. In his age-30 season the strikeout rate came back up to his career average, he stopped giving up dingers almost entirely, and he kept the outlier BABIP and LOB% numbers. Street is as hard as they get to predict. You can’t predict his health, you can’t predict his production. But you also can’t argue with what he’s done the last three years. (August Fagerstrom)

Quick Opinion: Street finally avoided the disabled list in 2014 and put together a pretty spectacular season. Whether or not he can stay healthy again is anyone’s guess, and there are certainly legitimate questions as to whether he can maintain his historic BABIP and strand rates. Concerns aside, it’s hard not to like a a 1.97 ERA three years running.

Hunter Strickland

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 9/24/1988 | Team: Giants | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 1 0 1 7 11.6 0.0 0.0 0.00 0.71 0.56 0.3 0.2
’15 3 2 3 55 10.0 2.3 0.6 2.49 1.06 2.66 0.8 0.7

Profile: Strickland burst onto the scene in September, as the 26-year-old rookie held opponents scoreless in his nine relief appearances, while also not walking a single batter. This earned him a spot on the playoff roster, where he gave up six home runs in just over eight innings. Giants fans aren’t likely to forget his playoff meltdown, even though the team went on to win the World Series. As for the 2015 season, Strickland will be an interesting guy for owners in holds leagues. His high-90s heater will continue to generate plenty of whiffs, and he’s always been very stingy with free passes. However, his lack of a reliable secondary pitch could prove problematic. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit to see him throwing lots of sliders and change-ups in Spring Training. The Giants need him to sharpen up those offerings to prevent hitters from sitting dead red, like the Royals did in the Series. (Scott Strandberg)

Quick Opinion: Strickland isn’t in the running for a shot at the closer’s job anytime soon, so his 2015 value is limited to owners in holds leagues, where he could be a sneaky late-round flier due to his strikeout upside. If he develops his secondary pitches, he certainly has a shot to close sometime down the line, but the 2015 Giants simply have far too many proven, quality arms in their bullpen.

Marcus Stroman

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 5/1/1991 | Team: Blue Jays | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 11 6 1 130 7.6 1.9 0.5 3.65 1.17 2.84 2.2 3.3
’15 13 10 0 192 7.9 2.5 0.9 3.76 1.24 3.54 2.7 3.3

Profile: Marcus Stroman arrived, and Marcus Stroman delivered. Okay, so it was not a Strasburg-like, world-historical debut, but it was pretty much all good news for the Blue Jays’ rookie. He struck out hitters at just above a league-average rate, displayed very good control, did not have especially problematic platoon issues, and kept the ball on the ground. His 3.65 ERA was nice, but his peripherals indicate he might be better than that. Look, Stroman is not a super-stud pitching prospect in waiting, and there is risk with any young player, especially pitchers, and maybe shorter pitchers at that, but for now he looks like a solid, middle-of-the-rotation starter with an ERA in the mid to high threes at the very least. With a change, slider, curve, and fastball that were above-average by swinging strike rate, he might be able to add more strikeouts to his resume and ascend in the ranks of fantasy starters. His control means WHIP should be good, too. Don’t draft him expecting an ace, but the 24-year-old is useful in all leagues and has daylight remaining between his current production and his ceiling. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: Marcus Stroman is not the Next Big Thing, but did just about everything right in his 2014 major league debut, and should be a solid fantasy starter at the very least.

Pedro Strop

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 6/13/1985 | Team: Cubs | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 2 5 1 57 10.4 4.1 0.8 4.55 1.24 3.55 -0.0 0.5
’14 2 4 2 61 10.5 3.7 0.3 2.21 1.07 2.66 1.2 1.0
’15 4 3 2 65 9.8 3.4 0.5 3.04 1.20 2.98 0.7 0.6

Profile: Pedro Strop thoroughly recovered from his home run flu in 2014. With a 2.21 ERA and 2.66 FIP, Strop again hoisted himself in a late-inning fireman and setup man role. It will be interesting to see how Joe Maddon employs the sinker-slinging ground-ball machine. In the past, Maddon has used his some of his best pitchers in clutch innings — regardless of the inning. This may limit Strop’s save ceiling, but it could also increase his hold and win total (because Maddon may employ him while losing). Unfortunately, the Cubs acquisition of Jason Motte means just one more rung for Strop to climb if he wants to close games for the Cubs. Even if his slider had the best whiff rate of any slider in baseball last year. So don’t count on him closing, and if he does, it will be a nifty bonus atop his likely stellar ERA. (Bradley Woodrum)

Quick Opinion: Saves will be limited for Strop, who figures to play a fireman role in Maddon’s bullpen. And while his ERA should be good enough for a closer, don’t draft him expecting saves. Think of that as a possible bonus.

Eric Stults

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 12/9/1979 | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 11 13 0 203 5.8 1.8 0.8 3.93 1.27 3.53 1.1 2.6
’14 8 17 0 176 5.7 2.3 1.3 4.30 1.38 4.63 -0.2 -0.6
’15 0 0 0 1 5.8 2.3 1.1 4.44 1.33 4.27 -0.1 -0.0

Profile: In Eric Stults’ diverse repertoire, his changeup shows the most promise. That’s not necessarily a compliment, but the pitch is pretty good, particularly as peripherals go. Still, as hinted, the rest of his stuff, with below-average velo and put-you-to-sleep breakers, is not all that interesting. He has nothing to generate strikeouts (14.7% career, 14.6% in 2014), grounders (40.4%, 43.3%), or pop-ups (3.8%, 2.4%) frequently enough to harbor hope any more. Homer-suppressing ballparks have helped to diminish Stults’ shortcomings, too. The fact that he’s left-handed could keep him around for a while, and some team may decide that he’s better suited to be a swingman than starter. Either way, there wouldn’t be enough reasons to bring this league-average pitcher (on a good day) to your fantasy team. (Nicholas Minnix)

Quick Opinion: Stults has displayed a pretty good changeup but otherwise offers no real reasons to think that he can be better than league – not roto, Major League Baseball – average. He doesn’t do much for fantasy baseball players.

Anthony Swarzak

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 9/10/1985 | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 2 0 96 6.5 2.1 0.7 2.91 1.16 3.28 1.5 0.9
’14 3 2 0 86 4.9 2.9 0.5 4.60 1.49 3.77 -0.4 0.5
’15 0 0 0 1 6.0 2.7 1.0 4.49 1.39 4.25 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: Swarzak was one of the Twins’ better pitching prospects what seems like a lifetime ago, but had spent the past few seasons eating innings in the front end of the bullpen. This past season was Swarzak’s lowest innings output of the last four, and he still managed to toss 86 frames. Those four seasons were largely mediocre — 4.21 ERA, 5.5 strikeouts per nine, 3.98 FIP — so the Twins opted to outright him off the 40-man roster. Swarzak has opted for free agency, and as of this writing has not yet landed with another club. Most likely he’ll ink a minor-league deal, and battle for a similar role elsewhere. His stuff isn’t good enough for late innings, but his durability will make him an attractive option to fill out a bullpen on the cheap. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: Swarzak won’t be a saves option no matter where he lands. He’s most likely to end up as a mop-up guy, which leaves him with virtually no fantasy value.

Masahiro Tanaka

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 11/1/1988 | Team: Yankees | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 13 5 0 136 9.3 1.4 1.0 2.77 1.06 3.04 3.7 3.2
’15 13 10 0 192 8.0 1.8 1.0 3.44 1.12 3.54 3.5 3.3

Profile: Tanaka was as good as advertised in his first season in the United States, and probably even better; he zapped hitters at a better than strikeout-per-inning pace, he hardly walked anyone and his FIP and xFIP can attest to the validity of his 2.77 ERA. All this despite pitching in homer-happy Yankee Stadium, where he suffered from an abnormally high home run rate. You also might recall his three-month quality start streak to open the season. Basically, it was a near-perfect season …. until his elbow began barking. An examination revealed a partial tear in the ulnar collateral ligament, except Tanaka chose rehab over Tommy John surgery. He returned for two starts in September; one okay, the other dreadful, or, put another way, not nearly enough of a sample size to make a real determination about his elbow’s health. There are some who believe it’s just a matter of time until he’ll need surgery, which, of course, would vaporize his value for at least a year. At full health, Tanaka, just 26, has proven he’s got what it takes to be a fantasy ace. The question is whether he can be depended upon to deliver as one in 2015. (Karl de Vries)

Quick Opinion: Tanaka offers the ultimate risk-reward choice: will he provide ace upside or be lost to injury? Spring training might yield more clues as to his elbow’s health, but prudent owners will draft him as no more than their third starter in case he goes down.

Junichi Tazawa

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 6/6/1986 | Team: Red Sox | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 5 4 0 68 9.5 1.6 1.2 3.16 1.20 3.22 1.3 1.1
’14 4 3 0 63 9.1 2.4 0.7 2.86 1.19 2.94 1.1 1.2
’15 4 3 2 65 8.8 2.3 0.9 3.10 1.15 3.29 0.8 0.7

Profile: Typically one of baseball’s premier strikeout-to-walk ratio relievers, Tazawa didn’t quite finish as high on the leaderboard as he had done in the previous two seasons. That said, a small jump in walk rate and a slight downtick in punchouts didn’t hurt his peripherals too much as evidenced by his 2.91 SIERA. His fastball velocity (93.9 mph) was actually the highest of his career, and he maintained his swinging strike rate well north of 11% for the third consecutive year. An Achilles’ Heel in 2013, Tazawa managed to cut the gopherball rate by nearly half last season, although a few ill-timed moonshots a couple years back still have some questioning whether he has the “moxie” to close. Tazawa would likely be a more-than-adequate ninth inning guy if the call comes, but with Koji Uehara and Edward Mujica still under contract in 2015, he seems to be at least a few spots down the totem pole. Owners in deep leagues that need the help in WHIP and holds could find him useful, but it’s tough to find enough elite value or upside to draft him in standard leagues. (Colin Zarzycki)

Quick Opinion: While Tazawa’s peripherals weren’t quite as sparkling in 2014 as they were the previous two seasons, they weren’t too far off either. At 28 and possessing his best fastball velocity ever, Tazawa projects to be a nice reliever to stream if you need holds and rates. However, even with an aging Koji Uehara, he’s probably far enough away from Boston’s ninth inning gig that he’s not a great sleeper non-closer on draft day.

Julio Teheran

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 1/27/1991 | Team: Braves | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 14 8 0 185 8.2 2.2 1.1 3.20 1.17 3.69 3.7 2.5
’14 14 13 0 221 7.6 2.1 0.9 2.89 1.08 3.49 4.3 3.2
’15 10 11 0 182 7.8 2.4 1.2 3.82 1.24 4.10 1.7 1.3

Profile: After struggling at Triple-A in 2012, Julio Teheran has now posted back-to-back promising seasons in his rookie and sophomore campaigns. The soon to be 24-year-old threw 220 innings last year and recorded another 14 win season, making him one of the more reliable young starters in the game. Teheran made strides by utilizing his two-seamer and changeup more, which allowed him to maintain an almost identical strikeout-to-walk ratio while he pushed his home run per nine inning mark below one.There is a bit of concern that Teheran is a dramatic fly ball pitcher and the Braves just replaced Justin Upton and Jason Heyward with Zoilo Almonte and Nick Markakis. That is a dramatic downgrade defensively and could lead to his ERA pushing up closer to his peripheral statistics. Teheran’s career ERA of 3.16 is significantly lower than his career FIP of 3.66, so the hope is that Teheran continues to make strides in becoming a better pitcher to help mitigate the expected rise in his ERA from the change in outfield defense. Regardless, Teheran is a young and impressive starter and should be drafted accordingly in all fantasy formats. (Ben Duronio)

Quick Opinion: Teheran avoided a sophomore slump and threw a very respectable 220 innings last season. The soon to be 24-year-old will have a worse defense behind him last year, but he is a reliable starter who has upside remaining.

Nick Tepesch

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 10/12/1988 | Team: Rangers | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 6 0 93 7.4 2.6 1.2 4.84 1.37 4.19 0.5 1.2
’14 5 11 0 126 4.0 3.1 1.1 4.36 1.37 5.01 1.0 0.4
’15 3 3 0 48 5.6 2.8 1.2 4.84 1.43 4.75 -0.2 -0.0

Profile: Through two big league seasons, we finally have 200 innings of baseball on which to evaluate Nick Tepesch. He showed promise during his debut in 2013, but was an irrelevant pitcher during a more extended stint in 2014. Tepesch could barely generate any swinging strikes, and despite utilizing a sinker, a four-seamer, and a hard slider, the right-hander had trouble getting opponents to hit the ball on the ground. He did have a successful 2014 in the minor leagues, posting a 1.58 ERA in seven Triple-A starts. Tepesch profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter for a variety of reasons, and those types don’t typically fare well when they pitch over half their games in Texas. Feel free to stay away from him in all leagues, even deeper AL-only formats. (Zach Sanders)

Quick Opinion: Tepesch flashed some promise in 2013, but struggled in every facet last season. Feel free to stay away from Tepesch in all leagues, even deeper AL-only formats.

Dale Thayer

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 12/17/1980 | Team: Padres | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 5 1 65 8.9 3.0 1.1 3.32 1.25 3.79 0.4 -0.2
’14 4 5 0 65 8.5 2.2 1.2 2.34 1.06 3.85 1.1 -0.1
’15 2 2 0 35 8.1 2.5 1.0 3.60 1.22 3.63 0.0 0.0

Profile: Dale Thayer has yet to display a special pitch. Doesn’t mean that he has no good pitches – his four-seamer has nice life (9.9% swinging strikes lifetime), and he’s commanded and located well. His bread and butter may be losing a touch of its oomph, though, so the mid-30s right-hander will probably need to get used to a smaller margin for error. Changes behind the plate in San Diego could decrease it further. The Padres’ pecking order for save opportunities is increasingly unlikely to reach Thayer again, anyway. They have a couple of in-house options to close, and their newly aggressive front office would likely be dissatisfied if the club reached a point at which use of the veteran righty in the ninth was a necessity for long. He might still net holds for those in desperate times, at least. (Nicholas Minnix)

Quick Opinion: Thayer may remain serviceable in the sixth and seventh innings with his solid numero uno. That obviously doesn’t leave much room for fantasy relevance, however, and he’s becoming less likely to have any, even if his team were in a bind.

Tyler Thornburg

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 9/29/1988 | Team: Brewers | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 1 0 66 6.5 3.5 0.1 2.03 1.19 3.11 2.1 1.2
’14 3 1 0 29 8.5 6.4 0.3 4.25 1.52 3.81 -0.0 0.0
’15 3 3 1 55 8.6 3.3 1.1 3.78 1.30 4.00 0.1 -0.0

Profile: Thornburg was a revelation in 2013 — albeit a seemingly lucky one. The righty swing man pitched to a 2.03 ERA over 66.2 innings with middling peripherals. A 1.4% home run per fly ball ratio looked exceedingly fortunate for a fly ball pitcher in Milwaukee. And yet, 2014 began with more home run suppression (2.8% HR/FB). Thornburg, who was used purely as a reliever, also buffed his swinging strike rate to 9.8% (8.5% is average). Unfortunately, his walk rate also spiked to an unpalatable 6.37 walks per nine. Thornburg hit the disabled list mid-season with an elbow injury and ultimately required a Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injection. His status for 2015 is unknown. (Brad Johnson)

Quick Opinion: Thornburg missed much of the 2014 season with an elbow injury. When he did pitch, a combination of a good whiff rate, terrible walk rate, and extremely low home run per fly ball ratio produced a viable, unconventional reliever.

Matt Thornton

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 9/15/1976 | Team: Nationals | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 4 0 43 6.2 3.1 0.8 3.74 1.43 4.04 0.3 0.2
’14 1 3 0 36 7.0 2.0 0.0 1.75 1.14 2.66 1.0 0.7
’15 3 2 1 55 8.3 2.3 0.6 2.97 1.16 3.12 0.6 0.5

Profile: After toiling away in Chicago for years, Thornton has traveled a little more the past few seasons. He finally arrived in Washington for their stretch run — promptly posting a 1.75 ERA (2.66 FIP) in 36 innings. His strikeouts have declined in recent seasons, thanks to a declining ability to generate swings on pitches out of the zone. After not allowing a contact rate over 78% in his first few seasons, hitters have been able to barrel the ball more the past three seasons, posting contact marks of 82%, 83%, and 84%, respectively. Washington’s bullpen should be good again, a blessing for them and a curse for Thornton. He isn’t likely to be high on the list if saves are needed, as he should be planted behind Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard at the very least. He’s good at getting left handed batters out, though, and he’ll surely continue that, although maybe not quite as well as he did in 2014. (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: Thornton should be good for a fair amount of holds. And he might even get a save opportunity or two. Other than getting lucky and having him those days, there will probably better options out there, preferably ones that miss more bats.

Chris Tillman

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 4/15/1988 | Team: Orioles | Position: SP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 16 7 0 206 7.8 3.0 1.4 3.71 1.22 4.42 4.0 1.9
’14 13 6 0 207 6.5 2.9 0.9 3.34 1.23 4.01 4.1 2.4
’15 11 11 0 192 6.8 2.9 1.3 4.35 1.33 4.62 1.3 1.0

Profile: It seems like Chris Tillman has been around the league for a while, but he’ll enter the 2015 season just barely 27 years old and coming off a pretty fine little season where he posted 13 wins for the upstart Baltimore Orioles to go with a 3.34 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. Tillman has now thumbed his nose at FIP and xFIP for three seasons straight, outperforming these predictors by a wide margin despite an underwhelming strikeout rate and a fly ball tendency. He has increased his ground ball rate for three seasons straight, and his home run per fly ball rate was almost halved in 2014 at 8.3% versus 14.2% in 2013. His 17.2% strikeout rate represents a pretty significant step back from his 21.2% rate in 2013, and ranks him up there among the no-bat-missing likes of Bartolo Colon and Jason Vargas. However — his second half shouldn’t be overlooked where his strikeout rate was 21.5%, his walk rate dropped from 9.3% to 5.1%, his ERA dropped from 4.11 to 2.33 (FIP 4.49 to 3.38, respectively) and his WHIP went from 1.39 to 1.01 — all while holding opposing batters to a .216/.258/.341 slash line. Tillman was dominant in the second half of 2014 and might represent a nice little value pick, but only if he can manage a way to continue that success over the course of a full season. Given his age, he seems like a pretty good bet to outperform his draft slot in 2015. (Michael Barr)

Quick Opinion: Chris Tillman had a ho-hum first half and a spectacular second half which resulted in a solid, if underwhelming, cumulative 2014. As such he represents an interesting dilemma for fantasy baseball enthusiasts entering 2015. Should he recreate his second half magic, he could be good for a pile of wins, strikeouts, and terrific ERA and WHIP. Given his success in 2013, it’s hard to argue against his ability, but you ought not overpay.

Shawn Tolleson

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 1/19/1988 | Team: Rangers | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 0 0 0 0.0 18.0 0.0 0.00 2.00 9.05 0.0 0.0
’14 3 1 0 71 8.7 3.5 1.3 2.76 1.17 4.23 1.3 0.1
’15 3 3 2 65 8.5 3.3 1.1 3.79 1.30 3.99 0.3 0.3

Profile: Shawn Tolleson received another major league opportunity on a depleted Rangers’ squad last year, and the right-hander shined. Tolleson’s 2.76 ERA wasn’t exactly backed up by the 27-year-old’s underlying numbers, but those suggest he’s at least worthy of a big league roster spot. He always had great strikeout numbers in the minors — and so far as a pro, he’s struck out 108 batters in less than 110 innings of work — but as a fastball/slider pitcher who sits in the low 90s, Tolleson isn’t a great candidate to pitch in the late innings due to likely troubles against left-handed hitters. Tolleson recorded just seven holds in 64 appearances last year, and there’s no reason to think he’ll be able to pick up any more this year. Steer clear of Tolleson in all formats. (Zach Sanders)

Quick Opinion: Tolleson got a second big league opportunity last year and pitched well, even if his underlying numbers suggest he won’t be as successful this year. Tolleson isn’t in line for saves or even many holds, so steer clear in all formats.

Josh Tomlin

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 10/19/1984 | Team: Indians | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 0 0 0 2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.00 1.00 3.05 0.1 0.0
’14 6 9 0 104 8.1 1.2 1.6 4.76 1.29 4.01 -0.9 0.9
’15 4 4 0 68 7.3 1.6 1.1 3.73 1.19 3.78 0.2 0.3

Profile: In some ways, Josh Tomlin was a new pitcher in 2014, in other ways, it felt like nothing had changed. On one hand, his strikeout rate spiked to never-before-seen levels, reaching 21% with a his previous career-high of 14%. On the other hand, he was still the same guy who continues to give up more home runs than most people think is sustainable. His ERA also continued to hover around five. At a certain point, you just have to accept that a guy’s true talent level has him giving up 1.5 homers per nine and accept it for what it is. Tomlin’s been a fly ball machine whose troubles keeping the ball in the yard will keep him from ever locking down a rotation spot, and so he will open the 2015 season in the Indians’ bullpen. He could still fall into a spot start or two, but he’s soundly behind T.J. House and perhaps even Zach McAllister on the Indians depth chart of backup starters. (August Fagerstrom)

Quick Opinion: Tomlin enjoyed an unprecedented boost in swinging strikes and strikeouts in 2014, after missing the previous season due to Tommy John Surgery, but was plagued by the same thing that’s burned him his entire career: an extraordinary amount of home runs allowed. Tomlin will open the season in the bullpen, and while he may make some spot starts, the Indians certainly aren’t itching to get him back in the rotation.

Alex Torres

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 12/8/1987 | Team: Padres | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 2 0 58 9.6 3.1 0.2 1.71 0.90 2.32 1.9 1.3
’14 2 1 0 54 8.5 5.5 0.3 3.33 1.46 3.72 -0.2 -0.2
’15 3 3 1 55 9.4 4.2 0.7 3.55 1.31 3.58 -0.0 -0.1

Profile: At this point in his career, Alex Torres might be better known for being the first pitcher to wear protective head gear on the mound than his production. Torres was lights out in 2013 as a member of the Rays but was largely unimpressive in San Diego last year with a 3.33/3.72/4.27 ERA/FIP/xFIP pitching line. Torres can still miss bats from the left side (12.5% swinging strike rate and 21.2% strikeout rate) but he’s more of a lefty specialist than classic setup man in San Diego. Joaquin Benoit is cemented as closer to start the season and Kevin Quackenbush, Dale Thayer, and newcomer Shawn Kelley are more likely to see higher leverage innings and save opportunities in lieu of Benoit. If Torres can harness some of his control that eluded him last year (5.5 walks per nine) he’ll be a productive member for the Padres bullpen but unlikely to be on many fantasy radars. (Ben Pasinkoff)

Quick Opinion: Alex Torres hasn’t put the super in Super Mario, and needs to prove himself agains versus right-handers to be more than a lefty in that bullpen, but still has some swing and miss stuff.

Carlos Torres

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 10/22/1982 | Team: Mets | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 4 6 0 86 7.8 1.8 1.6 3.44 1.11 4.30 1.2 -0.2
’14 8 6 2 97 8.9 3.5 1.0 3.06 1.31 3.86 1.0 -0.3
’15 2 2 0 40 8.5 2.6 0.9 3.40 1.21 3.49 0.0 0.1

Profile: Carlos Torres led all full-time relievers last year with 92 innings pitched and was above average in contact-related outcomes. Even though Torres is a righty, he held lefties to a .307 weighted on base average versus .322 for righties thanks mainly to his great curveball and solid cutter. From a fantasy perspective, he doesn’t have the peripherals to keep for 80+ innings and hope for lucky wins, but he is a valuable piece to the Mets’ bullpen who consumes innings. (Dan Schwartz)

Quick Opinion: Torres is an asset that could keep games in check when the Mets need a stop-gap prior to specialists and end-gamers coming in. That doesn’t usually translate to fantasy value.

Samuel Tuivailala

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 10/19/1992 | Team: Cardinals | Position: RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’14 0 0 0 1 9.0 18.0 18.0 36.00 7.00 33.13 -0.3 -0.3
’15 0 0 0 1 10.1 4.3 0.7 3.37 1.29 3.54 0.1 0.0

Profile: Samuel Tuivailala was drafted by the Cardinals in the third round in 2010 as a third baseman, but the team has since transitioned him to relief pitching, and now he looks poised to follow in the footsteps of Jason Motte and Trevor Rosenthal, both former position players who became big-armed closers. Tuivailala fits in terms of his stuff. His fastball touches triple digits, and he struck out more than twelve batters per nine in his two longest minor league stops in 2014 as he rushed through the system. He actually made a pair of appearances in the majors late in the season, but it seems most likely that he’ll arrive for good sometime in the middle of 2015. As such, Tuivailala should probably not be drafted in standard formats, but keep an eye on him. He could find himself in high-leverage situations for the Cardinals very quickly, and he has the potential to become an elite closer down the line. (Scott Spratt)

Quick Opinion: Samuel Tuivailala is a big-armed relief prospect for the Cardinals. He will probably start the year in the minors, but his elite strikeout potential should keep him on your radar as a mid-season pickup for teams needing strikeout and ratio help.

Jacob Turner

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 5/21/1991 | Team: Cubs | Position: SP/RP
Yr W L SV IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 ERA WHIP FIP R9W WAR
’13 3 8 0 118 5.9 4.1 0.8 3.74 1.44 4.43 1.2 0.4
’14 6 11 0 113 5.7 2.6 1.0 6.13 1.60 4.16 -1.9 0.4
’15 3 3 0 54 6.8 2.7 0.9 4.20 1.33 3.97 -0.2 -0.1

Profile: The Angels once had a highly thought of right-handed pitcher with gas, good breakers, and a bad changeup. It took him a while to become the Garret Richards we know now, but it happened when he decided to turf the bad change and go fastball/slider/curve. Now the Cubs have former top prospect Jacob Turner, and he’s still averaging 92+ with the fastballs, still showing good whiff rates on the curve (13%, 11% is average) and slider (15%, 13% is average), and still has one last chance to make it. He’s behind a lot of people if he wants to get into the rotation — Tsuyoshi Wada, Edwin Jackson, and Travis Wood at least — but at least none of those names represents an insurmountable obstacle. Even if he ends up in the pen, Hector Rondon, Pedro Strop, and Neil Ramirez also don’t scare the fantasy upside out of him. Especially if he’s more 94 than 92 in the pen. There’s some talent in this arm. Wait for the dust to settle on roles, and consider making a deep league bet commensurate with his upside — decent closer, mid-rotation starter — late in your late-spring deep-league draft. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: Jacob Turner has decent control, two breaking balls that are above-average by whiffs, and above-average velocity as a starter. That’s enough to keep an eye on his role, and enough to remember that he was once a top prospect. You might see this name again in 2015.





 

2 Responses to “2015 Pitcher Profiles: P – T”

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  1. Andrew says:
    February 16, 2015 at 4:40 pm

    No Aaron Sanchez?

  2. TommyLasordid says:
    March 14, 2015 at 1:34 pm

    No Rodon?