Luis Mendoza

As expected, Mendoza opened the 2012 season as the team's primary long reliever, but after a few injuries to the rotation, the 29-year-old right-hander found himself somewhat entrenched as the team's fourth starter. It was an up and down season in which he was almost relegated back to the bullpen on a few occasions, but overall, he made some improvements including the ability to keep the ball in the yard, a slightly improved strikeout rate, and an impressive 52.1 percent groundball rate. His arm truly came alive toward the end of the season as the velocity on his fastball jumped a bit and he closed out the season with five consecutive quality starts. He won't necessarily walk into 2013 with a spot reserved in the rotation, but his late-season surge has certainly earned him another opportunity to compete.