Aaron Barrett

Barrett was expected to play a big role in 2015 as a setup man for Drew Storen, but a June biceps strain eventually turned into Tommy John surgery in September and the right-hander was restricted to just 29.1 big league innings on the season. When healthy, he's got a heavy mid-90s fastball and effective slider that can generate groundballs and strikeouts, as his career 1.48 GB/FB and 10.8 K/9 can attest, but the surgery will keep him sidelined until late 2016 as a best-case scenario, and he could end up missing the entire season. The Nationals shipped Storen to Toronto, so Jonathan Papelbon figures to be the closer to start the season, despite an altercation in the dugout with Bryce Harper at the end of 2015 that had many armchair GMs packing his bags for him. Barrett might not be immediately next in line should something happen to Papelbon, but the setup role is certainly up for grabs if he can regain his prior form.

Barrett's first season in a major league bullpen was a relatively successful one, as the right-hander rode his heavy, low-mid 90s fastball and hard slider to a 2.66 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 10.8 K/9 ratio in 40.2 innings. His midseason demotion to Triple-A was as much due to roster constraints, brought on by position player injuries, as it was a reflection on his performance, and Nationals manager Matt Williams showed some confidence in him down the stretch. Rafael Soriano's departure will move Barrett up a spot in the Nationals' relief pecking order, but with Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard still ahead of him on the depth chart, Barrett will likely settle into a seventh-inning role. There's some vulture potential here, but not much more.

Barrett's solid performance as the Nats' Double-A closer earned him a spot on the 25-man roster in the offseason, and his impressive fastball/slider arsenal could give him a chance to see late inning work in the majors at some point. The Nats bullpen is deep, but Barrett should find a home in it sooner or later.