Matt Shoemaker

The right-hander wasn't tendered a contract by the Angels for 2019 and signed with the Blue Jays, but he was once again limited by injury, making just five starts. Shoemaker has thrown only 137.1 innings over the last three seasons, with the totals trending downward each year. He battled forearm issues over the previous two seasons before he suffered a torn ACL last April and was lost for the season. He isn't expected to have any limitations this offseason, and if healthy, will likely break camp with a rotation spot after the Blue Jays tendered him a contract for 2020. Shoemaker pitched well with 1.57 ERA and 0.87 WHIP before suffering the injury, so there is still something here.

Shoemaker is likely motivated to get healthy after watching Nathan Eovaldi get a four-year, $68 million deal just two years removed from his second Tommy John surgery. Shoemaker has not yet needed the same surgery -- each of his past two seasons were cut short by forearm issues. The skills over an abbreviated 2018 were right in line with his 2016 season, a campaign that represents his high-water mark for workload while 2014 is his most productive fantasy season. Shoemaker is what he is: a heavy flyball pitcher who attempts to change eye levels with his fastball and get to his splitter to bury guys. He has historically been prone to the long ball and an elevated ERA, but can be a decent source of strikeouts late in drafts. The Blue Jays brought him aboard on a one-year deal. While he should have a long leash in the rotation with Toronto, the move to the AL East means most mixed-league managers will need to pick their spots with when to deploy him.

Hopes were high for Shoemaker coming off a promising 2016, which ended prematurely after he was hit in the head with a line drive that September. He entered 2017 with a clean bill of health, but only lasted 14 games before leaving his June 14 outing with a sore forearm. After feeling pain in a July rehab start, Shoemaker was shut down for good in August and underwent surgery to release the radial nerve in his forearm. Shoemaker was able to throw in September but did not return. Before getting hurt, Shoemaker was scuffling, mostly a result of an elevated 14.6 percent HR/FB rate, leading to 15 homers allowed in only 77.2 innings for the 31-year-old righty. He also exhibited uncharacteristically poor control, sporting a 3.2 BB/9, his worst mark since his rookie campaign in 2013. With a league-average strikeout rate, Shoemaker needs pinpoint control to counter the inevitable homers allowed as a flyball pitcher. He's earmarked for a mid-rotation spot, and could see a slightly reduced workload if the Angels use a six-man rotation in 2018.

Coming off a disappointing 2015 campaign, Shoemaker stepped back into the spotlight as one of the Angels' better rotation options. Following a horrific month of April, the right-hander posted an excellent 3.10 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 127:20 K:BB in 22 starts thereafter. Unfortunately, his season came to a screeching halt in early September after he was hit in the head by a line drive, keeping him on the shelf for the remainder of the season. The 30-year-old was released from the hospital shortly after the incident and all CT scans came back negative, so he should be good to go for 2017. Shoemaker doesn't overwhelm anyone with his pitch offerings, as his 91.5 mph fastball was actually the fastest rate of his career, but his command and outstanding changeup could help him continue to see success in the Angels rotation and as helpful fantasy rotation depth in mixed leagues.

All eyes were on Shoemaker to see if he could repeat his stellar season as a 28-year-old rookie after six seasons spent in the minor leagues, but aside from a brilliant month of July that saw him post a 1.78 ERA over five games (four starts), he largely struggled, failing to post an ERA under 4.00 in any other calendar month. Shoemaker was in line to see some sort of regression after outperforming nearly all of his career averages in the minor leagues in 2014, but was likely hit a bit harder than expected, as his HR/9 rate ballooned to 1.6 and his K/9 rate fell from 8.2 to 7.7. He was able to rebound a bit in the second half, allowing 18 runs over 44.1 innings while striking out 42 despite missing three weeks in September with a forearm strain. He'll need to find a way to get the home runs under control to realize value as a sleeper option.

After beginning the season as a reliever, Shoemaker seemed unlikely to become a major piece in the rotation in 2014, but he got his chance when Hector Santiago was temporarily removed in early May. The career minor leaguer jumped in with both feet, tallying a 3.38 ERA in four starts. He remained in the rotation through a rough patch in June, and went on to allow just 19 earned runs in 82 innings after July 1. Shoemaker was able to find success in 2014 by combining an above-average strikeout rate (22.8%) with a microscopic walk rate (4.4%). He also kept his HR/9 below 1.00 after struggling with the long ball the previous three seasons in the minors. Shoemaker missed the final two weeks of the season with an oblique strain, but was able to pitch in Game 2 of the ALDS. He could be a steal on draft day if the price remains low based on his less-than-stellar numbers over three-plus seasons at Triple-A Salt Lake.

Shoemaker wasn't expected to be a starter in the major leagues in 2013 when the season began, but an injury to Jered Weaver, combined with the lack of options for the Angels, resulted in the first start of his career against the Mariners in September, where he pitched five innings of two-hit ball, with five strikeouts. Shoemaker had a representative season in Triple-A Salt Lake in 2013, as although he finished with a 4.64 ERA, his K/9 (7.8) and BB/9 (1.4) rates were the best such numbers of his career. The main flaw in Shoemaker's game seems to be a tendency to surrender home runs, as his HR/9 rate of 1.3 was the highest of his career. With the lack of viable options at the back end of the Angels' rotation heading into 2014, however, Shoemaker may be given a chance to secure a role as a starting pitcher in spring training.