Scott Olsen

Olsen was a disaster in 2009, and his season ended mercifully early due to what proved to be a labrum tear. He'd been alternating ugly seasons with adequate ones, but he's not guaranteed a rotation spot heading into spring training, so that pattern will likely be snapped. Washington still thinks he has a big league future, but they're decidedly in the minority on that one.

Olsen's 2008 was better than his 2007, but it would have been hard for it to be worse. His control improved but his strikeout numbers have regressed sharply since he entered the majors and the Marlins likely felt no hesitation about trading him to the Nationals. He'll fill a rotation spot for Washington, but with an even worse team behind him it's doubtful he'll turn things around.

While fellow young guns Anibal Sanchez and Josh Johnson were felled by injuries, Olsen's struggles seemed mostly attributable to mental issues like his immaturity and lack of control, issues which spilled off the field in July and led to a DUI and scuffle with police. He's still got a good fastball and nasty slider (so nasty it sometimes gets mistaken for a changeup) but until he learns to harness his emotions it's tough to project a solid major league career for him.

Olsen didn't get the attention that Josh Johnson or Anibal Sanchez did in 2006, but his first full major league season was only a little less impressive. His HR rate spiked compared to his minor league numbers but otherwise his skill set remained firmly intact, especially his excellent strikeout rate, and at 23 he's got plenty of time to refine the command on his fastball-slider arsenal and start reeling off some 200 strikeout campaigns.

Olsen looked surprisingly good in a brief stint in the Marlins rotation during the summer, but his season was cut short by an elbow injury. Assuming he's fully recovered, he stands as good a chance as any of Florida's top pitching prospects of winning a spot in the rotation for good coming out of spring training.

Olsen ripped through the Florida State League in 2004, posting a 158/53 K/BB ratio in 136 1/3 innings. The Marlins could have a revolving door for a fifth starter this season, so if Olsen keeps up the pace at Double-A there's always a chance he could find himself in a big league uni sometime in August.