Steve Delabar

An All-Star selection in 2013, Delabar was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo twice last season, and he did not return when the Jays' roster expanded in September. Walks plagued him at both levels, and he also showed diminished fastball velocity during his time with the Jays, as his average fastball slipped from 94.7 mph in 2013 to 93.3 last season. Even when he was pitching well in 2013, Delabar operated with an elevated walk rate (4.5 BB/9), making his margin for error (or skills loss) very slim. With a bullpen that could feature a few new faces this season, Delabar might have to earn his Opening Day roster spot in spring training.

Delabar was a surprise All-Star selection in 2013 after posting a 1.71 ERA and 12.4 K/9 in the first half of the season. He emerged as one of the better options in a strong bullpen early on, but struggled to a 7.02 ERA over just 16.2 innings in the second half, while missing most of August with a shoulder injury. He still posted an excellent 24:6 K:BB ratio after the All-Star break, so a 2014 return to form wouldn't be surprising. With the exception of closer Casey Janssen, Delabar and Sergio Santos appear to be the top right-handed options out of the Toronto bullpen.

Delabar came over to the Blue Jays for Eric Thames in July as part of the ongoing attempt to rebuild the bullpen. Over 73 major league innings, Delabar's K/9 (12.2) looks great, but he has struggled to keep the ball in the park at times and will miss pitching half of his games in Seattle. Fortunately for Delabar, opposing hitters struggle enough to make contact against him that the elevated home-run rate doesn't render him completely ineffective. It's also worth noting that he was able to trim the home-run rate after the trade, giving up just three of the 12 homers he allowed last season over his final 29.1 innings with Toronto.

Delabar's journey from the classroom to the majors inevitably conjures “The Rookie.” But Delabar, who made his major league debut last season a year removed from coaching high school baseball, should have more staying power than his lightning-in-a-bottle movie-script counterpart. Delabar, 28, pitched in the Padres' system for five years before falling to the independent leagues in 2009 and, after breaking his elbow bone, out of baseball by 2010. The Mariners signed him after seeing him throw in the mid-90s at a tryout last spring. He then worked his way from Single-A to Triple-A Tacoma last season, posting a 0.69 ERA in 10 games at the latter stop with 18 strikeouts in 13 innings before a six-game September stint with the Mariners. Delabar likely will land a relief role in spring training with a chance at late-inning work as the Mariners shed some of their bullpen arms in the offseason.