Miguel Asencio

Two years on the sidelines due to elbow injuries have done nothing to improve Asencio's ability to throw strikes. Even if the former Rule 5 draftee from Pittsburgh is able to come back 100 percent from ligament-transplant surgery, he will need to retain his nifty, mid-90s fastball while somehow finding a way to control it. In his only full season in the major leagues, he walked 64 while striking out 58 in 123 innings. He's expected to spend the bulk of the year rehabbing in the minors.

Treated with kid-gloved hands, Asencio pitched only eight games before getting shut down for the season due to elbow surgery. A good, young, live right-hander, Asencio has some command issues to overcome, but he also has some nice potential. He had Tommy John surgery before the 2004 season and is out.

Twenty-one year old Rule V draftees are supposed to ride the pine and pitch only in the late innings of blowouts. That was the plan for Asencio, a former Phillie, who made even that much work a tough proposition when he walked the bases full in his first major-league outing. He settled as the year continued, somewhat, and finished with 21 starts but walked 64 in 123 innings. His fastball, curve and slider are all quality pitches. The trouble is they aren't always thrown for strikes.