Armando Galarraga

Galarraga was a surprise Rookie of the Year candidate in 2008, but most of that shine has worn off after a disappointing sophomore campaign. After posting a 13-7 record with a 3.73 ERA as a rookie, Galarraga fell to 6-10 with a 5.64 ERA last season. The main culprit for his struggles was a rise in his BABIP, going from an unsustainable .242 in his first season to a more realistic .302. The drop in production pushed Galarraga to the bullpen, and the 28-year-old right-hander will have to battle for the fifth spot in the rotation during spring training.

Galarraga, acquired from the Rangers before last season began, was one of the few bright spots on a disappointing Tigers pitching staff. When an injury sidelined Dontrelle Willis, he got his chance. Willis' ineffectiveness allowed Galarraga to remain in the rotation all year and he capitalized opportunity. Galarraga works in the low 90s and has a solid slider. He posts a decent strikeout rate but has struggled with walks a bit in the minors. Last season he managed to cut back on the walks a bit and was in line to finish with very solid numbers before a rough September inflated his ERA a bit. Those struggles could be attributed to Galarraga wearing down after his first full season in the majors. Galarraga is guaranteed a rotation spot to open the year but he doesn’t look like a sure bet to replicate last year’s success again this season. He looks like he may settle in as a back of the rotation starter long-term in the majors.

Galarraga posted decent numbers in the minors (152.1 innings, 145 hits, 58 walks and 135 K), earning him a callup in September. Of concern though is his mediocre walk rate and the poor job he does of keeping the ball on the ground. He'll be 26 years old when the season begins, and will likely compete for a rotation spot in the spring, but there's not a ton to like here.

Galarraga was sidelined early in the year with an elbow injury, but returned to start nine games with Double-A Frisco. In those nine starts, he allowed 56 hits and 13 walks in 41 innings, but did manage to strike out 38. He'll need to show the ability to miss more bats as his advances up the chain if he wants to contribute in the majors.

Galarraga, the son of former Expo great Andres Galarraga, broke through with an impressive campaign at High-A -- a performance good enough to get him included as one of the key components in the Alfonso Soriano trade. A good year at Double-A will have him mentioned in the same breath as John Danks, Thomas Diamond and the other Ranger young guns.