Antonio Alfonseca

Alfonseca will try to win a job in middle relief after struggling in Texas last season.

El Pulpo's return to the Marlins was no triumph, as an elbow injury cut short his year. Assuming he's healthy, someone out there will give him another shot.

Alfonseca revived his career last season with a strong performance as a set-up man in Atlanta. He'll start the season setting up in Florida, but could get save chances in a less stable bullpen. He doesn't strike out batters at a high enough rate to bet on a repeat of his 2004 numbers, however, and it may not be a coincidence that he had his career-best ERA working with Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone.

A hamstring injury sidelined the Cubs' former closer early in 2003, and by the time he returned in early May, Joe Borowski had taken the job and run with it. Now that Alfonseca has signed with the Braves, he's a long shot for saves unless John Smoltz is injured. Alfonseca's 5.83 ERA last year, his modest strikeout rate and his career 1.485 WHIP make him a bad pick without the save totals.

Although Alfonseca blew an unconscionable eight saves in 27 chances last season, he enters 2003 as the Cubs closer almost by default. With Tom Gordon gone via free agency, and Kyle Farnsworth having an almost inconceivably poor season in 2002, Alfonseca should keep the job, at least intially. Despite the terrible save conversion rate, Alfonseca's final numbers weren't all that horrible - a 61/36 K/BB ratio and a 4.03 ERA in 74 1/3 innings. In fact, they weren't too far out of line with his career averages, though both his strikeouts and walks were up. But when a 61/74 K/IP ratio is your career high, you shouldn't be closing out games for a major league club unless you have impeccable control, and Alfonseca doesn't. If he struggles early on, Juan Cruz, Carlos Zambrano or even Farnsworth could get a crack at the job.