Clay Rapada

Rapada earned a major league shot with his fourth different team in 2011, and things weren't much different with Baltimore. Rapada struck out 18 batters in 16.1 innings, but when hitters made contact, the ball went very far. He finished with a 6.06 ERA and a 1.65 HR/9IP. For his career, he holds a 1.37 HR/9IP, and until that is fixed he simply is not a major league quality reliever.

The 29-year-old lefty spent most of the 2009 season with Triple-A Toledo, where he finished 4-2 with a 2.62 ERA and a 46:15 K:BB ratio in 41 relief appearances. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to replicate that success at the major league level. He was traded to Texas in the offseason and will get a shot to win a lefty specialist role, but the change of ballparks won't help his fantasy outlook.

Rapada put up some nice numbers at Triple-A Toledo last season (2.31 ERA, 45:14 K:BB ratio in 35 innings) but couldn't replicate that success in the majors. The Tigers have been looking at free agent left-handed relievers this winter, and since Bobby Seay has one of the two spots for lefties locked down in the Detroit pen, it doesn't bode well for Rapada's chances of opening the year in the majors. Rapada looks deserving of a chance to prove his worth in the majors as a lefty specialist, but it remains to be seen if that will happen in Detroit.

The Tigers acquired Rapada from the Cubs as part of the Craig Monroe deal and he appeared in four games after getting called up in September. Rapada's 8.85 K/9 rate in the minors is a good indicator that he has the stuff to be successful in the majors, but he’s always had problems with walks. The Tigers will give Rapada an opportunity to compete for a bullpen job as a lefty specialist in the spring.

Rapada dominated Double-A hitters in a relief role last season, striking out 45 and walking just 10 in 44 innings. Upon promotion to Triple-A, he struggled with his command a bit, walking 15 in 24 innings. He'll battle with Roberto Novoa and Michael Wuertz this spring for one of the Cubs’ final bullpen spots.