Silvino Bracho

His 3.99 xFIP suggests Bracho is ready for a more regular role in the Arizona bullpen, but the right-hander still has a ways to go in terms of figuring out big-league hitters. The 25-year-old improved dramatically from his 2016 sample, adding more than four strikeouts to his K/9 (10.9) while shaving his walk rate to just 3.1 BB/9. However, home runs were a huge problem both in the majors (2.18 HR/9) and at Triple-A (2.04 HR/9). He threw his changeup far more often in 2017 (27.2 percent, up from 9.8 percent), and while that helped him improve against lefties, Bracho still gave up a lot of hard contact to righties. His track record portends regression with his walk rate in 2018, and if that happens, it was would probably offset improvement with the home-run rate to a great extent. Bracho will have to earn a roster spot in spring training.

Bracho was one of many Arizona relievers to struggle last year. The young righty posted a 7.30 ERA (7.04 FIP) across 24.2 innings, and the results were only moderately better in 33.2 innings at Triple-A. Those stats were a far cry from 2015, when he posted sub-2.00 ERAs at both the Triple-A and MLB levels. So what happened to Bracho last year? The most noticeable change was a drop in his strikeout rate. After easily posting double-digit K/9s at the highest levels of the minor leagues and in 13 appearances with the Diamondbacks in 2015, Bracho saw his mark drop to just 6.2 in the majors last season. His average fastball velocity was basically the same in 2015 and 2016 (92.9 versus 92.7 mph), but his fastball usage declined and his swinging-strike rate plummeted. He will have to earn a spot in the Opening Day bullpen.

The 5-foot-11 righty has specialized in missing bats as a professional, boasting incredible strikeout rates in the minors, and fanning 17 in 12.1 innings last season for Arizona. On the surface, his numbers give him the look of a future closer, but he averaged 92.9 mph on his fastball last year, and relies more on deception and locating his fastball up in the zone to get his strikeouts, so the repertoire is not that of a typical high-strikeout closer. He should slot nicely in the middle of Arizona's bullpen this year, and could move up the pecking order for saves, but Daniel Hudson is probably a better speculation play behind Brad Ziegler entering the season.