Jo-Jo Reyes

After making 22 starts for Atlanta in 2008, Reyes was mostly relegated to Triple-A last season after the Braves upgraded their rotation. He struggled in his six starts in the majors when called upon after a few injuries, before missing two months with a hamstring injury and then working in the Triple-A Gwinnett rotation. While he posted a 2.86 ERA at Gwinnett, he had just a 32:24 K:BB ratio. Although he's never had great control, he induces a lot of ground balls (47 percent career rate in the majors) and had decent strikeout rates in the minors before last season. His drop to a combined 5.3 K/9IP between the majors and minors last season isn't a good sign. Atlanta has enough depth in the starting rotation that it's hard to see how he has a significant role with the Braves without several injuries. He may need a change of organizations to get another crack at a big league rotation.

Reyes jumped from Double-A to the majors last season and was hit hard in his rookie season. He had good strikeout rates in the minors with passable control, but the long ball was a major issue after his promotion. He had just 19 innings above Double-A before last season, so some time at Triple-A could serve him well. Considering that he'll be just 24 in 2009, he'll likely need to have a strong spring or start the season hot at Triple-A to get another shot in the rotation.

Reyes may be the leading candidate for the fifth starter job with the Braves after climbing from Double-A to the majors last season. Reyes went 12-1 with a 2.72 ERA and 110:47 K:BB ratio in 109.1 innings between Double-A and Triple-A last season. His first major league season didn't go as well, but he was 2-1 with a 3.09 ERA in his final four starts. Reyes can be erratic and needs to watch his weight, but at his best he confuses hitters with a 90 mph fastball, a solid curveball and an effective changeup. He has just 19 starts above High-A, so he may need more time in the minors before he's ready for the majors, but the Braves may give him a shot right out of spring training.