Josh Kinney

Going into 2009, Kinney looked like a nice sleeper after missing almost all of the previous two seasons. Unfortunately, he didn't deliver in his three stints with the Cardinals last year. When batters are hitting .343 off you and you have an 8:11 K:BB ratio in 15.1 innings, you might need some time in the minors. Kinney's strikeout rate has been much better in the minors, but if he doesn't right the ship soon, he'll stay down there.

After missing almost two years with elbow problems, Kinney pitched seven scoreless innings after being activated in September. He struck out eight and gave up just one walk and three hits. He was a nice sleeper heading into 2007, and could be again this year.

After undergoing Tommy John surgery last March and missing the entire season, Kinney has fallen way down on the St. Louis pecking order. He was a nice sleeper last spring as the expected top set-up man for Jason Isringhausen, but he never got going during spring training and was shut down quickly. He'll be back at some point this year, but don't expect much.

Kinney was called up in July and promptly gave up a home run on his first major league pitch. Fortunately for both him and the Cardinals, he confidently took it in stride and pitched effectively the rest of the season. He was dominant in 51 Triple-A appearances (1.52 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 76:29 K:BB in 71 IP), and did well with the big club, too. He’s likely to be a mainstay in the Cardinals pen in 2007, but there are rumblings that St. Louis will attempt to stretch him out in the spring in an attempt to convert him into a starter. He likely won’t pitch as well as he did last season, but he could be worth a buck in the end-game.