Casey Kelly

Kelly was a key piece of the trade that once sent Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego to Boston, but his five-year tenure as a member of the Padres organization was riddled with injuries, including a 2013 campaign that was entirely lost to Tommy John surgery. In nine career big league appearances (eight starts), Kelly has shown passable peripherals (7.4 K/9, 2.9 BB/9), but a penchant for giving up home runs (1.3 HR/9). The Braves acquired Kelly as part of a deal in December, and it's likely that he will be given an opportunity to compete for a rotation spot in 2016 if he can avoid the injury bug. Kelly works with four pitches, including a fastball, slider, curveball and changeup, and his best chance of being successful will include keeping the ball on the ground more consistently (career 51.8% GB% in 40.1 MLB innings). There is a good chance that he will never live up to the hype he once received as a prospect, but the rebuilding Braves can afford to see if he's able to deliver on at least a portion of his potential.

Kelly, who missed the entirety of the 2013 campaign due to Tommy John surgery, emerged from last offseason with the hope of pitching in games by the end of April. He was only slightly off with his prediction, taking the mound twice for both High-A Lake Elsinore and Double-A San Antonio in the first half of May on his way to an aggregate 2.21 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 17:1 K:BB in 20.1 innings. However, renewed discomfort in his right elbow wiped away all potential outings after May 19, and he’s now aiming to ramp up his throwing program in advance of spring training. Expect the Padres to exercise caution with Kelly again 2015, but he could emerge to make an impact at some point if he can finally shake the injury bug.

The first signs of elbow trouble arose early in the 2012 season, when an MRI revealed inflammation in Kelly's right elbow. He eventually pitched out the year and even garnered six starts with the Padres in the final month, but during preparation for 2013, a sore elbow again came to the forefront, and Tommy John surgery was soon undertaken. Although there have been no setbacks in his rehabilitation, the No. 3 prospect in the Padres' organization isn't expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, and there's no telling when he'll earn his next major league start.

It was an eventful 2012 season for Kelly as he pitched at Triple-A Tucson, was shut down due to inflammation in his right elbow for over three months, resumed pitching in Rookie League Peoria, and moved up to Double-A San Antonio before finally making his MLB debut in late August. His results along the way in the minors were impressive as he showed elite command of the strike zone and avoided the long ball. The six starts he made in the majors were a mixed bag, but showed that he has the potential to miss bats as he did in the minors and induce groundballs at a high rate, two skills that should help him along in his development. In 2013, expect Kelly to push for a spot in the Padres' rotation as he continues to mature and grow as a young pitcher, but his missed time in 2012 could lead to significant workload restrictions regardless of where he's logging his innings this season.

Obtained in the Adrian Gonzalez deal, Kelly saw some decent improvement at Double-A in 2011. His K/9IP dropped to 6.64 but that was much more in line with his career average. However, he also dropped his walks which allowed his K/BB ratio to remain consistent and he cut his HR/9IP almost in half. The club is helping him make adjustments by raising his three-quarter arm slot just a bit and that seems to be reflecting in his above-average control -- a necessity given that he doesn't blow you away with his fastball which tops out around 93 mph. One final note is that Kelly has always been a two-way player with decent range at shortstop. How long that continues remains to be seen, but it's certainly something to watch as he makes his way through the system.

Try not to pass judgment on Kelly's numbers in 2010. It was the first full season of pitching for the 20-year-old and he's still developing his secondary offerings at an advanced level, given his age. Even as a talented work in progress, the Padres were adamant that Kelly was included as the centerpiece of the trade that sent Adrian Gonzalez to Boston. Kelly showed improvement with his curveball and changeup, while gaining velocity on his fastball. He must learn to harness that velocity while bringing some level of consistency to every outing. Further development is the goal for Kelly in 2011, and he's likely a year or two away from earn his place in the Padres' rotation.

Kelly, Boston's 20-year-old pitcher/shortstop, is the Red Sox's prospect du jour after dominating the Low-A South Atlantic League as a pitcher. He pitched for half the season, then played shortstop for the second half. He played in the Arizona Fall League as a shortstop, but that's because he had reached the innings-limit set by the organization for the year. He's got great control while keeping the ball down in the zone. His fastball right now is in the 88-91 mph range, but it projects into the mid 90s as he continues his development on the mound. He's already showcasing some advanced secondary pitches (curveball, changeup) and just needs to stretch out as a starter. Scouts like him more as a pitcher, and he may feel the same way after his success on the mound. The Red Sox will sit with him during the offseason to map out a plan for 2010, which will definitely include more work as a pitcher.

Kelly got a sniff of Short Season Lowell last year after spending some time in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He prefers shortstop and concentrated on that part of the game while in high school, but the Red Sox see his future as a pitcher. He has a low-90s fastball, a hard curve and a changeup, with good command of all of them. The Red Sox plan to begin him as a pitcher to start the season, then shift him to shortstop once he reaches an innings limit.