Donnie Veal

The White Sox called Veal up to serve in short relief in August, and he proceeded to hold MLB opponents to five hits over 24 appearances. He relies heavily on a curveball that opposing batters have trouble putting into play, or even making contact with. He should be in the running for a left-handed specialist role in 2013, but it is unlikely to be a situation that generates much for rotisserie players to get excited about.

The Pirates managed to keep Veal, a Rule 5 pickup, on its roster in 2009 by using 30-day minor league rehab stints and pitching him sparingly in the majors. On the surface, Veal appears to have a tough road ahead of him. His command was non-existent at the big league level. He posted a 16:20 K:BB ratio for the Bucs in 19 games and 16.1 innings. Lefties with mid-90s fastballs are hard to find, however, and an outstanding Arizona Fall League showing could put Veal in the mix for a 2010 roster spot. He went 3-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 21 AFL innings. Perhaps more importantly, Veal posted an impressive 22:7 K:BB ratio. It's hard to imagine Veal gaining consistent control of his pitches, but stranger things have happened.

Veal repeated Double-A in 2008, but once again struggled with his control, issuing 81 walks in 145.1 IP. Veal can miss bats with his low-90s fastball and above-average curve, but until he hones his command, he won't merit a trip to the big leagues. Incidentally, the Cubs left him unprotected this offseason, so he'll try to turn things around with the Pirates -- likely in the bullpen -- in 2009.

After a promising season both at Low-A and High-A in 2006, Veal took a step back during the first half of last year at Double-A, struggling with his command. But after the All-Star break, Veal's numbers improved dramatically across the board - 48:19 K:BB ratio in 46 innings and just three home runs allowed. Veal, who has a low-to-mid-90s fastball and a hard-breaking curve, could wind up in the mix for some starts later in the year if he builds on his strong second half.