Stephen Pryor

Pryor lost much of 2013 to shoulder issues and eventually underwent surgery to repair a torn lat, which caused his 2014 season to be delayed until July. When he returned, he struggled with a 4.65 ERA and 27:18 K:BB over 31 innings at Triple-A Tacoma. He was then traded to the Twins in July, where he bounced back with a 0.89 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 20.1 innings at Triple-A (despite 16 walks). The 6-foot-4 Pryor was labeled as the closer of the future with the Mariners and possessed a mid-90s fastball, so there's some hope he can come close to his previous form in his first full season back from shoulder surgery. Even if he doesn't close, he could find a role in a Minnesota bullpen in need of high powered arms.

Pryor's 2012 season was a bust thanks to an oblique injury and then a torn lat that caused season-ending surgery in August. The Mariners hope the 24-year-old flame-thrower will be ready for Opening Day, but that's far from certain as he's not expected to begin throwing until January. Assuming the rehab goes as expected, Pryor should be a candidate for late-inning work in 2014. He has a 2.97 ERA and 34 strikeouts through 30.1 major league innings, while posting K/9 marks higher than 10.0 at nearly every stop in the minors.

Pryor's rapid ascent from prospect to "closer of the future" was interrupted last season by a groin injury and the emergence of Tom Wilhelmsen. The former knocked Pryor out of action less than two weeks after his June callup and sidelined him for a more than a month. The latter made it possible for the Mariners to take it easy with Pryor and send him back to Triple-A after he came off the DL. He returned a short time later and continued to impress with his high-90s fastball (96.3 mph average). Not only does the 6-foot-4 Pryor throw hard and fast, his downhill release gives his fastball late life and electric movement. At Triple-A, Pryor did not allow a run in 20 innings. He's still the "closer of the future" but Carter Capps will also have a say, and Wilhelmsen doesn't appear to be going anywhere just yet. All of which could also make him trade bait.