Tim Byrdak

Byrdak was the Mets' main lefty out of the bullpen, appearing in a team-high 72 games, though he pitched just 37.2 innings. He faced 110 lefties, holding them to just a .222 average with 36 strikeouts. Byrdak should reprise a similar role in 2012, though Daniel Herrera could also break camp with the parent club as a second southpaw.

Byrdak battled a litany of injuries in 2010, missing time with a back injury, a hamstring injury and ultimately a sports hernia. He was effective as a middle reliever, allowing just 15 of his 42 inherited runners to score. At age 37 and on a rebuilding Astros squad, Byrdak's primary contribution will be mentoring the young arms, which unfortunately won't do anything for your fantasy squad.

Byrdak followed a nice 2008 season with another solid year in 2009. At 35, he's still reasonably effective, but could stand to cut down on the walks. He has always been vulnerable to the long ball, so that comes with the package. Expect more of the same in 2010.

Byrdak made 59 appearances for the Astros, going 2-1 with a 3.90 ERA. He was far too vulnerable to the long ball, giving up 10 homers in just 55.1 innings, but when deployed against left-handed hitters, Byrdak held the opposition to a .135 batting average against. He will once again be part of the middle-relief corps for Houston in 2009, but Byrdak struggles too much against right-handed hitters to take on more than a situational role.

Byrdak signed a minor league deal with the Tigers before last season and earned an early promotion to the major league roster after a solid Triple-A start. He missed about a month with arm soreness but was solid for the Tigers when he was healthy. He doesn't offer much for fantasy owners however as his decent strikeout numbers are offset by a high walk rate, driving up his WHIP.

Byrdak is one of the few Orioles with a clearly-defined role with the team for the upcoming season. With the trade of Steve Kline to San Francisco and the loss of B.J. Ryan to Toronto via free agency, Byrdak is the only left-handed reliever in the organization with significant major league experience. He had a respectable 4.05 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings spanning 41 outings in 2005, but struggled a bit with his control with 21 walks on the season. Byrdak might be a decent source of holds in 2006, but his other peripherals shouldn’t be significant enough to merit fantasy consideration.