A.J. Cole

Cole posted his best ERA (3.81) in his third partial season in the majors, but the advanced metrics suggest he has made only marginal improvements, if any. He had a 5.20 FIP and below-average strikeout and walk rates (19.2 percent and 11.8 percent, respectively). Cole could compete for a job at the back of the rotation or as a swingman, depending on who the Nationals acquire this offseason, but there's little in his track record that suggests he'll have much success if given a job. Cole will be 26 next season and has not impressed at any level since he posted a 3.15 at Triple-A Syracuse back in 2015. In NL-only leagues, Cole has some appeal given the team he's on, but he's a risk even in those settings as his roster spot is far from guaranteed out of camp and could be lost easily if his ERA slides back toward where the estimators say it should be.

Cole finally got a shot at a regular stint in the major league rotation, making eight starts late in the season, but his inability to keep the ball in the park left him saddled with an ugly ERA. The 24-year-old also failed to dominate in Triple-A, and at this point he looks more like a possible reliever in the long run rather than a key rotation component. The issue appears to be with his low 90s fastball, which doesn't have the velocity or movement to get past big league hitters. Cole's slider is a solid offering, and he complements it with a decent curve and changeup, but unless his control with the fastball is impeccable, he's prone to getting hit hard. The Nationals will head into 2017 potentially in need of a fifth starter, and with prospects Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez shipped out of Washington in the offseason, Cole could push for a rotation spot. If he fails to impress in spring training, Cole may fill a swing-man role or simply head back to the minors.

Cole made his major league debut in 2015, bouncing back and forth between Triple-A Syracuse and the Nationals and not looking particularly impressive with either club. A tall right-hander with a solid but not dominant repertoire, Cole attacks the strike zone with a low-90s fastball, slider, and curveball, and his 76:34 K:BB ratio in 105.2 Triple-A innings is a better reflection of his upside than his 9:1 mark in 9.1 innings with the Nats. He's also shown a tendency to struggle after a promotion, so his extreme hittability during his brief time in the majors wasn't a big surprise. Washington will be looking to fill a couple of rotations spots in the offseason, but Cole isn't necessarily a lock to even get a chance at one in spring training. He was decidedly passed on the depth chart by Joe Ross last season, and the club could decide they need him in the bullpen instead.

Splitting the season between Double-A and Triple-A, Cole did enough to solidify his status as the likely next Nationals' starting pitching prospect to get the call to the big leagues, posting a combined 3.16 ERA and 1.34 WHIP over 134 innings with a strong 3.5 K/BB ratio. Despite his size, the tall right-hander doesn't have the overpowering raw stuff of fellow Nats prospect Lucas Giolito, which is reflected in Cole's relatively pedestrian 7.5 K/9 rate across the two levels in 2014, but he pounds the zone well with his 92-95 mph fastball while mixing in a slider and curve. His breaking pitches are both works in progress, which could make his transition to the majors a bumpy one. If general manager Mike Rizzo elects to trade one of his soon-to-be free agent starting pitchers, Cole could be at the head of the line for an audition as the new fifth starter.

Re-acquired from the A's last offseason in the Mike Morse deal, Cole put together a sharp 151:33 K:BB ratio in 142.2 innings between High-A and Double-A and vaulted back towards the top of the Nationals' prospect list. He seemed to need a bit of time to adjust to a new level, which means you shouldn't expect him to make much of an impact in the majors for a couple of seasons yet, but Cole's lanky frame, big fastball and curveball/changeup offspeed arsenal can still evoke Justin Verlander comparisons if you catch him on the right day and squint really hard.

Cole pitched very well at Low-A Burlington, but then was absolutely crushed upon promotion to Stockton in the hitter-friendly California League. He started eight games for Stockton with a nearly 8.00 ERA. He was the top pitching prospect acquired in the Gio Gonzalez trade, but the A's turned around and traded him back to Washington in the offseason in the John Jaso-Mike Morse three-way deal. He's still young (he turned 21 in January) and the trade shows the Nationals are still high on his future. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and Washington will likely start him off in Low-A again and bring him through the system slowly.

Cole, a 2010 fourth-round draft pick of the Nationals, pitched better than his line indicated in Low-A Hagerstown. His peripherals were outstanding, 10.92 K/9IP and 2.43 BB/9IP, and his ERA was affected by a low strand rate (63.1 percent) and high BABIP (.342). He features a plus-fastball that sits in the 91-93 mph range, an above average curveball and a change-up. Just 20 years old, Cole was included in the package sent to Oakland for Gio Gonzalez in December. He'll open the season in the hitter-friendly California League, and is likely two full minor league campaigns away from the big league radar.

Cole fell to the fourth round in the draft due to his bonus demands to get him out of a commitment to the University of Miami, but the Nationals took a chance and were able to get his name on a contract. The lanky righty may get a "projectable" label from scouts, but he's already capable of topping 94 mph with his fastball, has a nasty power curve when he doesn't overthrow it and has even shown a feel for a changeup, which is an excellent starting point for an 19-year-old. He's a long way from the majors, but if he fills out and refines his arsenal Cole will some day be a force at the top of the Washington rotation.