J.C. Gutierrez

Gutierrez was claimed off waivers from the Royals in July after posting a solid, if unspectacular, 3.38 ERA in 29.1 innings with Kansas City in 2013. This level of success eluded him with the Angels, however, as his K/9 jumped to 9.7, and his BB/9 spiked to 4.2 in 26 innings with the Halos, leading to a 5.19 ERA. In sum, Gutierrez had a decidedly mediocre season in 2013, with only his HR/9 rate (0.8) standing out as either resoundingly positive or negative. After being designated for assignment in November and non-tendered in December, Gutierrez will battle for a job elsewhere in spring training.

In the first half of 2010, Gutierrez did his part in contributing to the league's worst bullpen by delivering a 6.96 ERA and giving up 11 homers in 32.1 innings before the All-Star break. He turned things around in the second half, however, going 13-for-13 in save opportunities after Chad Qualls was traded to Tampa Bay. Considering that Gutierrez ended up on the DL with shoulder inflammation after his poor showing in April and May, there's reason to believe that his early struggles can be attributed to the injury. As the internal options go, Gutierrez will get the first crack at the ninth inning to open 2011, but that opportunity could be thwarted by the expected acquisition of a more proven closer. Even if he's not the closer on Opening Day, there's reason to believe that he'll get a high-leverage opportunity to solidify the Arizona bullpen again this time around.

Gutierrez was permanently moved to the bullpen in 2009 and he hit the ground running with his new role. In 65 appearances, Gutierrez held the opposition to just two homers while maintaining a 66:30 K:BB ratio. When Chad Qualls went down with a knee injury in late August, Gutierrez moved into the ninth-inning role and secured all seven of his save opportunities. In relief, Gutierrez boasts a 94-96 mph fastball and his limited secondary stuff doesn't hurt him the way it did when he was a starter in the minors. Look for Gutierrez to be one of the D-Backs' primary setup options again this season, while he'll likely be the first in line for saves if Qualls has any future injury trouble.

Gutierrez was included in the deal that sent Jose Valverde to Houston, but he spent the entire season at Triple-A Tucson in the rotation. Pitching in front of a team with limited talent, Gutierrez suffered an inflated .368 BABIP after staying below .311 at each of his three previous full-season stops. As he's progressed through the minor league levels, Gutierrez hasn't kept opposing hitters off-balance, due in large part to his lack of an effective third pitch. With a fastball that hovers between 91-94 mph and sharp breaking ball as his two weapons, Gutierrez appears to have an arsenal better suited for bullpen work at the higher levels.

Gutierrez had a disappointing season for Triple-A Round Rock, going 5-10 with a 4.15 ERA and 108:63 K:BB ratio. His strikeout rate and walk rates deteriorated from 2006 at Double-A. He did appear with the Astros briefly, making three starts and appearing in four more games out of the bullpen. He was traded to Arizona in the offseason as part of the Jose Valverde deal. His fastball usually sits in the 91-94 range, and he also throws a hard curveball, but he needs a third pitch. He'll compete for a spot in the back of the Arizona rotation this spring, and he's got some upside if he's able to recover his command. Odds are that he'll see time at Triple-A to begin 2008.

Gutierrez was 8-4 with a 3.04 ERA and a fantastic 106/34 K/BB ratio in 103.2 innings. He features a fastball that is consistently in the 91-94 mph range, and can reach up to 96. He also throws a hard curveball, and his control improved throughout the season. While the Astros still view him as a starter, many have him pegged as a power reliever as he only has those two pitches.

Organizational favorite--he was added to the 40-man roster more than a year ago, despite no experience above rookie ball--Gutierrez has been brought along slowly due to some stamina problems. His future is as a reliever, and he has the repertoire to be a very good one. Nice reserve-list saves play, if you can wait until '08.