Manny Delcarmen

With the emergence of several bullpen alternatives throughout the course of the 2009 season, Delcarmen's drop in effectiveness may have gone unnoticed by some. He struck out fewer and walked more batters per nine innings and was eventually dropped to a middle-relief role as Ramon Ramirez and Daniel Bard moved ahead of him. In the offseason, the Red Sox lost free agents Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito, meaning Delcarmen needs to re-establish himself as a reliable seventh-inning guy. The Red Sox point to mechanical flaws in his delivery, which no doubt will be the focus in spring training. Expect Boston to add a few bullpen arms to challenge for spots, so Delcarmen is not assured of an important role heading into the 2010 season.

For the second consecutive season, Delcarmen was an effective setup man for Jonathan Papelbon. Using mostly his mid-to-high 90s fastball, Delcarmen struck out 72 batters in 74.1 innings and was again tough on batters from both sides of the plate. He'll fill the same role this season.

Delcarmen's epiphany came in May when he and Craig Hansen blew an eight-run lead in the ninth inning for Triple-A Pawtucket. From that point on, Delcarmen was unhittable, including his stay in Boston. Lefties and righties had trouble hitting him, and he had 41 K in 44 IP. His mid-90's fastball and ability to miss bats makes Delcarmen an ideal candidate to fill an eighth-inning reliever role for the Sox in 2008.

Delcarmen improved his walk and home run rates in 2006, but was very hittable (.309) all year long. He never developed the kind of consistency coach Terry Francona could rely on in late-inning situations, which is exactly when Boston wants to use him. He's got a good fastball (93-95 mph) and should be an important member of the bullpen, but needs to spot his pitches better.

Delcarmen finally reached the major leagues in 2005 after Tommy John surgery in May 2003 wiped out a year of development. It looks like he's gained velocity on his fastball after surgery, but he still struggles with command, allowing 40 walks in 69 combined bullpen innings at Double-A, Triple-A and the majors. The good news is that he reduced his home run totals, giving up just three last year. The Red Sox have added some veteran arms to the bullpen this winter, so Delcarmen, who has not yet completed a full season at Triple-A, is expected to begin the 2006 season with the Pawtucket Red Sox.

Delcarmen returned last season from Tommy John surgery on his elbow, stunting his development by about a year. His velocity returned, but he struggled with location – not so much in terms of walks, but in homers. The second year back from ligament replacement surgery will give us a better read on Delcarmen. He could finish the season at Double-A Portland.