(*) RELIEVERS: Non-roster invitees, 2016

Relief Pitchers

Doug Dennis

Feb 17 2016 12:03am

(*) RELIEVERS: Non-roster invitees, 2016

Doug Dennis

Feb 17 2016

Every year there is some player who makes a team—and even registers some fantasy baseball impact—from the list of non-roster invitees. These players are almost always a long-shot unless they are a minor-league superstar. And relief pitchers are the longest of long-shots—not so much to make a team, as to have make some kind of fantasy difference. You are only going to find one of the following pitchers in the 2016 Baseball Forecaster. But leaving no stone unturned, here are 10 non-roster invitees to monitor this spring.

We start with five names projected to pitch well when given the chance:

                     IP xERA WHIP  Dom  Cmd HR/9  G/F  BPV     
=============        == ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ===== === 
Weiss (CIN)          15 3.01 1.13 10.2  4.3  1.2 44/36 141
Stammen (CLE)        29 3.48 1.31  7.8  3.1  0.6 50/28 101
Thayer (BAL)         44 3.87 1.23  7.6  2.9  1.0 40/39  82
C.Torres (ATL)       22 3.81 1.32  8.2  2.5  1.2 45/36  82
O'Flaherty (PIT) (L) 22 3.52 1.32  7.4  2.3  0.8 58/24  80

Zack Weiss (RHP, CIN) is the baby of the group and finds himself on a team desperate for relief help. Weiss had an outstanding year at AA-Pensacola. It will require a huge leap to be effective at the major-league level. However, given the Reds utter dearth of left-handed talent, Weiss will get a long look.

After missing 2015 with elbow woes, Craig Stammen (RHP, CLE) is back, presumably healthy. And if he can pitch like he did with Washington before he got hurt, will be a real find for the Indians. Stammen had a sub-3.00 ERA in multiple years of set-up for the Nationals and there is no reason to think he cannot do the same for Cleveland, if healthy. Monitor his spring for strikeouts and walks to make sure he has his command and is having success. It may take him a little while to knock the rust off, but he has had a live arm in the past and can bolster the middle innings if he can hit his projection.

Dale Thayer (RHP, BAL) is a retread who had some very strong years for the Padres, including some short steaks as a fill-in closer. That won't be the case in Baltimore, but Thayer could make the team and have a nice impact behind Zach Britton (LHP, BAL) and Darren O'Day (RHP, BAL). Thayer should compete with Brad Brach (RHP, BAL) among others for a set-up role, and has snuck into higher leverage situations in the past.

After a very strong 2014, Carlos Torres (RHP, ATL) stumbled in 2015 for a strong Mets team who then waived him this winter. Atlanta scooped up Torres after he opted for free agency and his skills appear largely intact. It is hard to pinpoint what went wrong for Torres, but gopheritis at the wrong times appeared to snowball. A new chance on a new team might allow him to return to his 2014 form.

Eric O'Flaherty (LHP, PIT) has pitched well through health issues the past few seasons, but he can have an impact as a second lefty for the Pirates if he can just stay healthy. Whether he can stay healthy is a large large if, however.

Next, here are five names who have been iffy starters or swingmen who might get some better traction as a reliever in 2016:

                     IP xERA WHIP  Dom  Cmd HR/9  G/F  BPV     
=============        == ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== ===== === 
D.Huff (KC) (L)      29 4.34 1.31  4.7  3.0  0.9 44/36  64
Tepesch (TEX)        36 4.39 1.39  5.5  2.0  1.0 44/33  47
Eveland (TAM) (L)    15 4.56 1.40  5.4  1.8  0.6 44/36  38
Narveson (MIA) (L)   36 5.52 2.50  7.3  1.7  1.8 44/36  38
Jh.Chacin (ATL)      44 4.41 1.39  5.9  1.7  1.0 46/33  37

David Huff (LHP, KC) washed out with the Marlins after a subpar showing as a starter/swingman. The projections are pretty ugly as well, with strong command but just a 4.7 projected Dom. But Huff could find a home as a one-inning lefty set-up guy. Huff was generally a wash-out in the deep Dodgers organization, but he was OK for the Yankees in 2013-14. A set role would likely help him, but it will be hard for him just making the Royals talented pen.

Nick Tepesch (RHP, TEX) has been an okay starter with a low Dom for the Rangers before missing 2015 with thoracic outlet syndrome. If he returns healthy, he might stay in the starter role and remain just a tepid end-game option. Or the Rangers may choose to slot him in relief and see what happens. If it is the latter, monitor him for higher velocity and more punch-outs. If he can do that, he can climb the pen ladder in Texas.

Dana Eveland (LHP, TAM) is only 32 years old, although it seems as though he has been in the league forever. Eveland's 5.4 Dom is not so great, but he is a lefty and the Rays have a way of making lefties better than they should be. Getting released by Atlanta mid-season was not a good sign, and this might be Eveland's last shot—and it is likely at the end of the pen in Durham. But you never know, a big spring could lead to something.

The Marlins can really use a lefty reliever to help Mike Dunn (LHP, MIA) and Chris Narveson (LHP, MIA) is the best bet to be that second guy. Narveson really stunk as a starter in New Orleans, and he is not a candidate for saves, but he is likely to rebound in 2016, despite what his projected numbers (built off that handful of lousy starts) say about him. His WHIP and K/BB were quite good in the pen towards the end of the year and he could find new life in the Marlins pen.

Atlanta has really scoured the wires for cheap pitchers who have a chance. Jhoulys Chacín (RHP, ATL) is a tweener as a starter but he may be a guy who gets new life with an extended chance in the Braves pen. If he can lift his velocity with shorter outings and get more strikeouts, he could be a find. He has a decent groundball rate. Watch him for role—if given one-inning chances, keep him in mind as a guy who could climb a short depth chart.

Next week, we look at some solid LIMA options for 2016.

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