Shairon Martis

Martis put up OK numbers at Triple-A, but he showed only minor improvement in his control. Despite the parade of injuries the Nationals suffered in their big league rotation, he never got the call and at 24 he may no longer be in the team's future plans. Consider him a low-upside organizational soldier at this point.

Martis actually got worse in 2009, walking more batters than he struck out in the majors and seeing regression in his Triple-A numbers as well. The Nationals still like him, but his stuff simply isn't good enough to survive in the majors right now, and their aggressive/desperate promotion of him the last couple of seasons may have done some lasting harm to his confidence. He's still only 23, but as the organization's talent level rises, Martis is slowly sinking down the depth chart and not even treading water.

Martis has average major league stuff at best, but he's endeared himself to the Nationals with his competitiveness and, uhh, chutzpah, and pluckiness, and other words that mean, "We've got no rational excuse for liking him." The club expects him to compete for a rotation job in the spring, but there's no reason to think he'll do much with it even if he wins a spot.