Ryan Perry

After two solid seasons to start his career, Perry took a step back in 2011. The 25-year-old reliever struggled with his control all season, resulting in two lengthy stints in the minors. Perry appeared to have righted himself during his time in the minors, but he was never able to duplicate that success in any of his callups, finishing with a 5.35 ERA, 1.622 WHIP and 24:21 K:BB ratio in 37 innings for the Tigers. The up-and-down season was enough to convince Detroit to part ways with Perry this offseason, as the hard-throwing righty was traded to the Nationals. Perry’s arm is electric enough that he should get plenty of chances to stick in the Nationals' bullpen, but he’ll have to improve his control to make much of an impact with his new squad.

Perry had some ups and downs during his sophomore season, but by year's end, he was able to show improvements from his rookie campaign. After a rough May and June, Perry was demoted to Triple-A Toledo to work on his control issues. His stint in the minors did the trick, as the 24-year-old reliever returned to the Tigers to post a 2.37 ERA and 25:9 K:BB ratio in 32 appearances after the All-Star break. Tigers manager Jim Leyland is banking on Perry establishing himself as a legit late-inning option this season, but the presence of Jose Valverde and Joaquin Benoit will limit Perry's ability to vulture too many saves. He's still considered the Tigers' closer of the future, but keeper leaguers likely will have to wait until the 2012 season at the earliest to reap any significant benefits in the saves category.

Perry was a surprise addition to the Tigers' final roster out of spring training last year, and after expected early-season struggles, the 23-year-old flamethrower turned into one of the Tigers' more reliable arms out of the bullpen. The big (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) right-hander used his high-90s fastball and improved slider to keep hitters off balance while picking up 60 strikeouts in 61.2 innings. He struggled with free passes (38) for most of the season, but showed improvement down the stretch. With Jose Valverde signing in the offseason, Perry will slot into an eighth-inning role, occasionally pitching in the ninth with Valverde is unavailable.

Perry, Detroit's first round pick last year, has a fastball that has been clocked as high as 98 mph, as well as a quality slider and an improving change-up. He pitched sparingly after being drafted but looked solid when he was on the mound. The Tigers expect him to move quickly and are thinking of Perry as their closer of the future. It wouldn't be surprising to see him in a Tigers uniform later this season but closing duties may be a year or two off.

Perry has a strong arm but can be somewhat erratic, and it's unclear if he's a starter or reliever at higher levels. He has a a fastball that has been clocked as high as 98, as well as a quality slider and an improving change-up. He has one of the higher ceilings of the college pitchers selected in the 2008 draft.