Jonathan Albaladejo

A sprained right elbow cut Albaladejo's season short, as he was eventually diagnosed with a stress fracture and shut down for good in June. In limited relief work at the big league level between Washington and New York over the last two seasons, Albaladejo has put together a 25:8 K:BB ratio in 28 innings, relying on a low-90's fastball and biting slider. As long as he's able to stay healthy, Albaladejo will be among the options to work in middle relief for the Yankees in 2009.

Albaladejo overcame a history of weight trouble and questions about his motivation in the Pirates organization to rise all the way from Double-A to the majors with the Nationals, and used his low-90's fastball and biting slider to good effect in a brief stint with Washington. Traded to the Yankees in the offseason, he'll battle for a middle-relief spot in the spring.