Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez

Gonzalez missed a significant amount of time early last season as he struggled to get over a shoulder injury. The Phillies worked him back slowly and shifted him to a relief role while on a rehab assignment. He looked good in that role in the minors and eventually earned a promotion to the majors in September when rosters expanded. Gonzalez hit the upper-90s with his fastball working as a reliever and has an impressive mix of pitches to keep batters guessing. He also has shown some difficulty commanding his pitches, though it is possible that is due to his long layoff from pitching after defecting from Cuba and the relatively small number of innings he threw last year. The Phillies remain intrigued by Gonzalez's potential and will give him a chance to compete for a rotation spot this spring. Given his high powered fastball, Gonzalez is worth speculating on at the end of early drafts to see how he performs in camp. He has the potential to deliver a significant return on a small investment.

The Phillies signed Gonzalez, a 27-year-old Cuban defector, to a three-year contract in late August. The team did not have him pitch in any games after his signing, instead having him work out in instructional ball in September. Gonzalez is seen by some scouts as a second or third starter, while others question whether he is better suited to a relief role. His fastball has been clocked in the 93-97 mph range and he has a wide assortment of pitches, including a cutter, changeup, slider and splitter. Gonzalez has not pitched professionally in two years amid his struggles to defect and surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow, but he was the top pitcher on Cuba's World Cup teams in 2009 and 2011. The Phillies will have him compete for a rotation spot this spring.