Kevin Jepsen

Jepsen will be a key setup man for the Twins after coming over in a trade from Tampa Bay at the deadline last season. He was having another solid season as a setup man with the Rays, although he walked a few too many batters (4.3 BB/9). Shortly after his trade to Minnesota, he took over as the team's closer while Glen Perkins was injured. Jepsen converted 10-of-11 save chances and helped keep the Twins in the playoff hunt. He didn't repeat his career-high 10.0 K/9 from 2014, but he still struck out batters at a decent 7.6 K/9 clip. He also allowed just a .653 OPS against lefties after struggling with them in recent seasons. He'll serve as Minnesota's primary setup man to begin the season and he could see save chances again given Perkins' health problems the past two seasons.

Jepsen came into spring training in 2014 having changed to a three-quarters delivery in order to lower his walk rate, and also began featuring a changeup in place of his cutter in an attempt to have a better success rate against left-handed batters. While his walks actually increased slightly from 2013 (8.5 to 8.9% BB%) the 30-year-old saw a real difference when facing southpaws, as he tallied a .628 OPS against them after allowing an OPS of .865 in 2013. This, combined with the highest strikeout rate of his career (28.9%) allowed Jepsen to pitch to a career-best 2.63 ERA in 65 innings. Jepsen has a fastball that averaged 95.5 mph, but he relied heavily on his newly-cultivated changeup and curveball last season, throwing the No. 1 just 62 percent of the time. Acquired by the Rays during the offseason, Jepsen may be called upon to close out games to begin the season while Jake McGee recovers from elbow surgery.

Jepsen was thought to be one of the top contenders for a setup role last season coming off a strong campaign in 2012, but the hard-throwing right-hander had an injury-plagued campaign, missing more than a month in April with a strained lat muscle before being shut down for good in August due to an emergency appendectomy. Jepsen threw the ball well in 2013, as evidenced by his 9.0 K/9 and 0.8 HR/9 numbers, but was victimized by both a high BABIP (.345) and a strand rate of just 67.6%, leading to a 4.50 ERA. With very few roles in the Angels' bullpen solidly spoken for, Jepsen could conceivably be used in a number of different capacities in 2014, as he is a reliever with an effective skill set who can touch 96 mph with his fastball.

Jepsen had a terrible April last year and spent May and June in the minors, but after getting called back up in July he was able to assert his place in the Angels' bullpen, posting a 1.69 ERA and 1.08 WHIP over 37.2 innings. His strong numbers over that period were backed by solid peripherals, namely a 34:10 K:BB and 0.5 HR/9. Jepsen figures to open the season working as part of the improving bridge to the Angels' closer, although he's now further down the list of options in the ninth inning with the addition of Ryan Madson during the offseason.

After appearing in 122 games out of the Angels bullpen between 2009 and 2010, Jepsen struggled through a rough 2011 season. A 7.62 ERA and dreadful 6:9 K:BB ratio through 16 appearances earned Jepsen a ticket to Triple-A in mid-June, and a knee injury suffered shortly thereafter ended his season in mid-July. Despite last season’s struggles, Jepsen’s history will give him a shot at earning a spot in the bullpen during spring training.

Jepsen pitched a bit better last season than he did in 2009, but his impressive 61:29 K:BB ratio in 59 innings was offset by a 1.407 WHIP. Jepsen, who reaches the upper-90s with his fastball, is a potential closer of the future in Anaheim; but he is also a valuable trade chip that could net the Angels another starter or position player. The Angels have yet to name an official closer, but expect Jepsen to be one of the top setup options in front of the pitcher that wins the job, likely Fernando Rodney.

Jepsen pitched much better than his 4.94 ERA indicated, with a nearly 3.0 K/BB ratio and a great groundball rate. He simply had a lot of hits get through. Jepsen has been a reliever since 2007, but has the skills and size of a starter. There's not much chance that he'll close, but his ERA will come down by a run, making him useful as a staff filler.

Jepsen split last season between Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Salt Lake but pitched effectively enough in a short major league stint late in the season to be included on the Angels’ opening round playoff roster. Jepsen is a hard-throwing right-hander who struck out 56 batters over 54.2 minor league innings last season while holding opposing batters to a miniscule .204 batting average. Jepsen will turn 25 in the middle of next season, and will either begin 2009 with Salt Lake or in the majors, depending on what happens in spring training. If Jepsen starts the season with Salt Lake, expect him to be among the first guys called up if the Angels need to tweak their bullpen.