Aaron Harang

Signed late in the spring to stabilize an injury-ravaged rotation, Harang was one of the main reasons why the Braves were able to stay afloat throughout much of the season. The right-hander was all but written off following a disastrous 2013 campaign (5.40 ERA), but he dominated in his first five starts for Atlanta, allowing just three earned runs while fanning 33 over 31.2 innings. He gave up nine earned runs in his sixth start, but Harang would right the ship and finish with a career-low 3.57 ERA over 204.1 innings -- his highest innings total since 2007 -- and tied with Julio Teheran for the team lead with 25 quality starts in 33 turns. His 3.57 FIP and 4.03 xFIP suggest it really was not much of a fluke, making it likely he'll receive a nice raise in the $1 million salary he earned in 2015. The Phillies inked him for $5 million in January to chew up innings in the back of their rotation for 2015.

Harang started the season with the Mariners but was released in August after posting a 5.76 ERA over 22 starts with Seattle. He signed a minor league deal with the Mets following his release and pitched fairly well in four starts for them after being promoted. Harang will likely sign a minor league deal with a spring training invite and shot to make a squad. At this stage of his career, he's best served attempting to eat up innings at a near-replacement level clip than anything else. Harang's propensity for surrendering hard contact makes him a liability regardless of where he ends up pitching his home games.

After posting a 3.61 ERA in 2012, Harang now has two straight seasons with 170-plus innings and a sub 3.65 ERA. His strikeout rate held steady at 6.6 K/9, but alarmingly, his walk rate climbed from 3.1 BB/9 to 4.3 BB/9 compared to 2011. He actually pitched better away from Dodger Stadium, but looking forward, fantasy owners probably can't rely on him to allow just three homers in 95.1 road innings again. Unless Harang can turn around his walk rate, an ERA spike in 2013 looks very possible.

Harang enjoyed a bit of a renaissance last season, going 14-7 with a 3.64 ERA in his first year with the Padres. However, if you look closer at his peripherals, you'll still see a pitcher in decline. With a drop in strikeouts and increase in walks, Harang's 2.14 K/BB ratio was the lowest since his major league debut in 2002 and with an FIP a half-point higher, it was obvious that the defense and Petco Park's dimensions were contributors to his base improvement. Now with the Dodgers after signing a two-year deal for almost $12 million, the declining trend should continue and likely be a little more noticeable. Chavez Ravine still plays to a pitcher's favor, but it's certainly not as stifling as Petco.

Harang's final season with the Reds was his worst yet, after the two previous seasons could reasonably be considered disappointing yet unlucky. The veneer of bad luck was stripped away in 2010, with his strikeout rate cratering along with a rising walk rate. Yes, his strand rate was low and his FIP ERA was lower than his actual ERA, but he was also a nibbler that got into trouble once he fell behind and had runners on base. Now in his hometown San Diego, at least Harang can get away from the ballpark that hurt him considerably, though at least in 2010 his road ERA was two runs higher than his home ERA. He's an endgame consideration, nothing more.

Harang went through another snakebit season with the Reds in 2009, at one point going two-and-a-half months without a win, despite improving upon his 2008 qualitative stats (strikeout rate, walk rate, home-run rate, ERA). An emergency appendectomy in mid-August mercifully ended his season, and he's expected to be ready for the start of spring training. He's never fully recovered from the workload sequence in May of 2008 when he relieved on two days' rest and then made his next start on three days' rest. Look for him to improve on 2009's output, though fall short of his 2006-07 peak.

Harang was already having an unlucky season by mid-May when he pitched four innings in relief in San Diego on two days' rest, and followed that outing by making his next start at home against the Pirates on three days' rest. From that point on, his ERA skyrocketed from 3.12 to 4.76 in six weeks, before he finally went on the DL with a forearm strain. He came back from the DL after only one rehab start and got torched in his next two outings, fully wrecking his ERA and WHIP. After the damage was done, he actually pitched pretty well down the stretch. His abilities haven't changed, only his health - assuming he reports to spring training fully healthy, expect him to bounce back in 2009.

Harang once again turned in a stellar campaign, maintaining his rate stats across the board while shouldering the same heavy workload. The only significant difference between his 2006 and 2007 seasons is that Harang didn't get hurt by his home park, posting a lower ERA in the Great American Ballpark (3.41) than he did on the road (4.06). Because of his team and his ballpark, Harang is undervalued in many leagues.

Harang is former assistant GM Brad Kullman's legacy to the Reds' organization. When the Reds fired Jim Bowden as their GM just before the trade deadline a few years back, Kullman was directed to dump payroll for pitching prospects, and was able to land Harang for Jose Guillen. Harang led the NL in wins, was second in the majors in strikeouts, and third in the majors in innings pitched. He had a distinct reverse home/road split (4.61 ERA and 20 homers allowed in 113.1 innings at home; 2.98 ERA and eight homers allowed in 121 innings on the road), which unfortunately probably won't change much so long as he's in Cincinnati.

Harang not only secured a spot in the starting rotation for the Reds, but also was their best pitcher in 2005. The drop in walks and homers allowed despite pitching 50 more innings, all while in a hitter-friendly ballpark, were particularly impressive. The best news for the Reds is that Harang is still young enough to have some room to improve.

Under the Reds' former organizational philosophy, Harang represented the typical starting pitcher that they were able to afford, before they blew that mindset out with the signing of Eric Milton. Harang represented a low-risk, low-yield approach that generally kept the team profitable, perhaps even competitive under the right circumstances, but out of the playoffs. With the team's revamping over the offseason, Harang will compete with Brandon Claussen, Luke Hudson and Josh Hancock for one of the final two spots in the rotation.

Harang showed glimpses of potential after his trade to the Reds, much as he had done with the A's before. He'll likely begin the season in the rotation, and has a chance to stick there. While there might be a perception that he's been around for a while, he still has only pitched the equivalent of one full season in the majors, meaning there's room for improvement.

Seven shutout innings and 10 strikeouts in his debut last May prompted a bidding war in many leagues, but it all went downhill from there. To be fair, his last outing of the season added three-quarters of a run to his ERA, and he had a 3.53 ERA before his final three appearances. The A's solid front of the rotation resulted in infrequent work for Harang, which couldn't have helped. He and Ted Lilly are expected to fill the last two spots in the Oakland rotation, though there's some competition for Harang's spot if he struggles. Spring training performance will be a huge factor in his roto value in 2003.