Justin De Fratus

De Fratus received his first extended opportunity in the majors last season and performed admirably. His 8.1 K/9 is not near the double-digit marks he posted during his time in the minors, but that indicates there is some room for improvement this year. His fastball averaged 93 mph, and he can pump that up to the mid-90s when he needs to add something extra. His walk rate was higher than expected, but he has shown better control in the minors, giving hope that he will be able to bring his rate down as he gains more experience. He will likely enter the year as one of the top setup options out of the Phillies' bullpen and could be next in line for saves behind closer Jonathan Papelbon.

The Phillies had hoped De Fratus could be a part of their bullpen last season, but elbow soreness that developed before spring training ended up sidelining him until mid-July. The team believes that by shutting De Fratus down early, they avoided a serious injury. He looked good at Triple-A when he finally got to pitch, and earned a promotion to the majors in September. He'll have an opportunity to earn a bullpen job this spring.

De Fratus finished last season in the Philadelphia bullpen after receiving a cup of coffee in September. He moved through Double-A and Triple-A posting K/9IP rates of 11.35 and 12.29 respectively. He was able to cut down a bit on his walks with the move to Triple-A after struggling a bit with his control at Double-A. The Phillies believe De Fratus, whose fastball sits in the mid-90s, has the stuff to close games later in his career, but he doesn't figure to see any save chances while Jonathan Papelbon is in Philly. He'll compete for a bullpen job this spring.

De Fratus, an 11th-round selection in the 2007 draft, split last season between High-A Clearwater and Double-A Reading. His combined 1.94 ERA and a 71:16 K:BB ratio across the two levels helped him earn a 40-man roster spot with the Phillies this winter and the team is expected to give De Fratus a chance to compete for a bullpen spot in camp. De Fratus, whose fastball sits in the mid-90s, has the stuff to close games in the majors, but it will probably be a few years before he's in a position to garner any consideration for such a role.