John Bale

Bale won a rotation spot coming out of spring training, but was extremely hittable and quickly suffered a "dead arm." He broke his hand in frustration during the recovery process, and sat on the DL for 121 games. He returned to a late-inning role, and did not allow a single run in 11.1 September innings, while limiting opposing hitters to a .108 average. It's hard to tell if those late season numbers are for real, given the small sample size, but he should be given a role as the left-handed set-up man to start the season.

Bale returned to the major leagues in 2007 after a two-year stint in Japan, but he missed the entire first half with back and shoulder issues. Once he returned, he provided a stable left-handed arm out of the bullpen for the Royals in middle innings. He walks very few opposing batters, and his 1.12 G/F ratio suggests that his 1.550 WHIP was inflated. Although there are rumors of him moving to the starting rotation for the 2008 campaign, chances are he will be the first lefty out of the bullpen and pick up a fair number of holds.

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While it's probably overstating the case to say that the Mets are kicking themselves for letting Bale go, he certainly proved useful after being acquired by the Reds' organization in May. Bale was converted back into a starter after being called up by the Reds, with passable results, including a 37:12 K:BB ratio in 46.1 innings. This glimpse of his potential suggests why Baltimore once traded Jayson Werth (at the near-peak of his value) for him and why the Mets were willing to trade Gary Matthews Jr. for him. His later-age development is somewhat reminiscient of Mike Remlinger, and a reminder why teams are loathe to give up on left-handed hurlers.