Pedro Beato

Beato was an inexpensive addition to the organization last season, but was not considered much more than bullpen depth. A shoulder issue delayed his season by a couple of months, and whether it was with the Mets early or the Red Sox late in 2012, he shuttled between the minors and majors. He has battled control issues for periods of time in his career and more recently was prone to the long ball, making him pay for the increasing rate of walks. In theory, he will compete for a spot in Boston's bullpen, but the likelihood is that Beato will open the season at Triple-A Pawtucket.

The Mets claimed Beato as Rule 5 pick from Baltimore and kept him on the roster all season. After a solid April, Beato hit the skids the next two months, only to rebound in July before fading down the stretch. His slide was likely due to overuse, as he appeared in a career-high 60 games and saw his fastball velocity drop from 95 mph down to 89. Beato has good movement on his fastball and command of his various off-speed pitches, so there has been some thought of converting him back to starting. The Mets' addition of three relievers might mean that Beato opens 2012 in Triple-A.

The 2006 first-round pick has great stuff, but Beato hasn't turned that stuff into results just yet. His strikeout rate dropped considerably pitching in the Low-A Sally League, a league in which he should have been dominant. He's young enough that he can still be developed, but 2008 will be a pretty crucial year for him.

Beato is a 20-year-old flamethrower who spurned the Mets as a 17th-round pick in 2005 to be selected in the first round by the Orioles in the past draft. He has very good stuff but is still working to refine his command, as evidenced by his 8.21 K/9 and 3.63 BB/9 ratios at Aberdeen of the short-season New York Penn League in 2006. Expect him to begin next year at the High-A level, with a promotion to Double-A possible if he does well.