Jeremy Guthrie

Guthrie proved to be a serviceable back-end rotation option in 2014, posting a 4.13 ERA that is right in line with his career average. He was able to log a three-year best K/9 rate of 5.5, and demonstrated a better ability to keep the ball in the park with a career-best 1.0 HR/9 mark and 9.4% HR/FB rate. This can be partially attributed to the pitcher-friendly Kauffman Stadium, as Guthrie allowed just nine long balls in his home ballpark, as opposed to 14 on the road. The right-hander's average fastball velocity of 91.7 mph was his lowest mark since 2004 (when he recorded just 11.2 innings in relief), but he successfully placed a greater reliance on his changeup, which he used at a rate of 19.6%, the highest mark of his career. Guthrie remains an option in deeper mixed and AL-only formats, but he is unlikely to strike out enough batters in 2015 to be relied upon consistently.

As expected, Guthrie's numbers came back to earth in 2013, but while he was unable to duplicate his 2012 second half performance, he still managed to post respectable numbers. He's not a strikeout guy by any means, but with a low-90s fastball and a decent slider that clocks in around 83 mph, he induces enough groundballs to keep his ERA in the low 4.00 range. One thing Guthrie can definitely do is eat innings, and with 200-plus innings pitched in four of his last five seasons, he has kept his team in games, allowing him to post double-digit win totals in three of those campaigns. Of course, no owner is looking to run out and acquire a pitcher whose K:BB ratio sits under 2.00 on a consistent basis, but as someone who can dominate right-handed hitting -- career .248 average against -- he makes for a solid bench guy to either stream or use on a short-term basis.

It was a tale of two seasons for the 33-year-old veteran right-hander as Guthrie managed just a 3-9 record with a 6.35 ERA and 1.69 WHIP over 15 starts for the Rockies only to go 5-3 with a 3.16 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over 14 starts for the Royals, which included a 22-inning scoreless streak and one near no-hitter. While escaping the thin air of Colorado obviously helped, it seems that a change in his release point to the center of the rubber was a major factor, something pitching coach Dave Eiland noticed after watching Guthrie flounder during his first two starts in Kansas City. From that point on, he saw both his walk and strikeout rates improve, he induced more grounders and hitters never batted higher than .238 against him from August to the end of the year. With improved command and the fact that he has maintained his velocity over the years, Guthrie, who just signed on for three more years in Kansas City, will be counted on as a key component for the team's rotation in 2013.

Guthrie bore the brunt of a horrible Orioles season, finishing with a 9-17 record, but in reality he wasn't that horrible. His 4.33 ERA was just a touch worse than the league average and he finished just shy of a 2:1 K:BB ratio. Guthrie remains a serviceable starter, and he could pick up some victories if he had anything resembling a supporting cast around him. Durability continues to be one of his greatest strengths, and getting traded to the National League could lead to an uptick in his strikeout rate. Unfortunately, Guthrie remains in a hitter-friendly home park now that he will make half of his starts at Coors Field.

Guthrie quietly put together a very solid season while tying for fifth in the AL in WHIP and winning 11 games on a poor Orioles team. It will be difficult for him to duplicate those numbers, but it is safe to say Guthrie will fly under the radar once again. His biggest drawback in fantasy circles is that he doesn't strike out many batters and getting wins continues to be a challenge for him as long as he remains in Baltimore given the team's offensive woes and rebuilding bullpen.

Guthrie's 2009 numbers were up across the board except in strikeouts, which might be a good thing if he were a hitter. Unfortunately for Guthrie, he regressed significantly across the board. His poor strikeout rate is a sign that it will be difficult for him to pick up the pieces, so don't expect a dramatic rebound in 2010. The good news is that he has remained healthy, but the Orioles hope that with their youth movement coming to a pinnacle, Guthrie will wind up at the back end of the rotation since he's miscast as an ace.

Guthrie was the main reason pitching-wise that the Orioles hovered around .500 through mid-August despite playing in the powerhouse AL East, delivering a near carbon-copy of his surprising 2007 season. Still, he has little chance to win much more than 10 games unless the Orioles provide more run support and better defense behind him. Beyond that, Guthrie doesn't miss many bats (5.66 K/9IP), so fantasy owners should plan accordingly.

If Daniel Cabrera cost Leo Mazzone his job, Guthrie's 2007 performance should have at least given the Orioles reason to pause before letting Mazzone go. A waiver claim from the Indians in January, Guthrie had a pretty nice three-month stretch after moving into the rotation before slowing down in August and then missing time with an oblique injury. Guthrie didn't strike out a ton of batters, but he compensated for that by only 2.41 batters per nine innings. One note of caution - while he faced the Red Sox and Yankees a combined six times, only one of those came in the first half of the year, when he had his better overall numbers. Expect a little bit of regression this season.

As a token call-up last year, Guthrie did what he has always done: struggled mightily. The former prospect will be 28 on Opening Day, with very little upside left. The Orioles, with an unproven staff of their own, might turn to Guthrie with a strong spring, but more likely than not he won’t play a big role in the majors this year.

First-round draft choices get all of the chances. After losing six games in two seasons at Stanford, the Indians made Guthrie their top pick in 2002. Three ugly seasons later, Guthrie has pitched 17-plus innings in the majors and allowed 12 runs. A 5.08 ERA and 152 hits in 136 1/3 innings in Triple-A in 2005 showed a guy not ready for prime time. Turning 27 in April, the future is not looking too bright.

Guthrie, the Indians' first-round pick in 2002, has hit a wall at Triple-A the last two years. He has a good arm and decent control, but has inconsistent mechanics, falls behind in the count and has to come in with a hittable fastball. Cleveland sent him to the bullpen in Double-A toward the end of 2004 and he responded fairly well. He also mildly impressed in his major league debut. Guthrie is already 25, because he went on a Mormon mission for two years, and he has a guaranteed $4 million major league contract. These signs point toward him getting a full shot with the Indians as soon as he figures out Triple-A.

Guthrie, the Indians' first-round pick in 2002, dominated at Double-A Akron in his first professional season, before he was promoted to Triple-A Buffalo and struggled. He needs more seasoning, and perhaps was promoted too soon, but Guthrie's upside is palpable, and it's possible he could reach Cleveland in 2004.