Maikel Cleto

The Royals must have seen something in Cleto that went beyond the 6.92 ERA he posted for Triple-A Louisville over 53.1 innings, because when the Cardinals put him on waivers in June, the Royals quickly snatched him up. He went on to make 19 appearances at Triple-A Omaha and actually impressed as he posted a much-improved 3.55 ERA while maintaining a 8.5 K/9. He did, however, see his BB/9 jump to 4.9 and it was evident that he wouldn't advance any further. Should he turn things around, the Royals might find him a steady home, but for now, he is nothing more than bullpen depth for the minor league level.

First the good news: Cleto throws heat, and his strikeout rates are always very good (81 strikeouts in 62.2 innings between Triple-A and St. Louis). He also improved his walk rate over his abysmal 2011 season. The bad news: he's just too hittable. He's only thrown 13.1 innings in the majors, but MLB hitters have hit six home runs off him and are hitting .339. He probably belongs in Triple-A.

Cleto can hit 100 on the radar gun, but like a lot of of other fastball pitchers, he's in the minors for a reason, as he walked 69 in 139 innings in four stops last year. One of those stops was St. Louis, where he made three forgettable appearances. His upside is good, as he struck out more than a batter an inning last year, but if he doesn't get his command problems worked out, he's not going to last long.