Josh Sharpless

The Pirates toyed with the idea of converting Sharpless into a starter in spring training but decided the 26-year-old righty with two pitches would be most effective as a reliever. His fastball is nothing out of the ordinary. What makes Sharpless a potential set-up man is his devastating off-speed pitch that reminds one of Keith Foulke's change-up. Who knows how far his slider can carry him, but it sure is fun to watch when it makes batters look clueless at the plate. His 2006 minor-league numbers show plenty of promise. Sharpless went 2-0 with eight saves and struck out 30 batters in 21 innings at Double-A, posting a 0.86 ERA. At Triple-A he went 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 33 innings, showing that his numbers at Altoona weren't a fluke. Sharpless walked 11 batters in 12 innings with the Pirates -- something to keep an eye on -- but he's got plenty of potential to hold down a bullpen spot for years to come.