Chris Resop

Resop registered four months of 3.00 ERA pitching or better and two months with an 8.00-plus mark in 2011. He's got stuff that might pass for a closer's repertoire but has had lapses of mental toughness. He fits in nicely as a seventh-inning setup man, but his spot in the bullpen isn't set in stone. The Pirates have shown a willingness to build a bullpen from scratch but for now the hard-tossing righty appears safe. Resop posted a 4.39 ERA and 1.478 WHIP in 69.2 innings, striking out 79 batters. Unless holds count in your league -- he had 15 to go along with five blown saves -- then it's safe to pass on Resop.

The Pirates claimed Resop from Atlanta in August, and he surprised the organization with a moving fastball that consistently sat in the mid-90s. He ended up serving as an eighth-inning setup man until a sore elbow limited him to 1.1 innings after Sept. 16. In 22 games and 19 innings with Pittsburgh, Resop compiled a 1.89 ERA with a 1.053 WHIP and .156 BAA. The team thought enough of his late-season performance to place him on the 40-man roster. So long as Joel Hanrahan and Evan Meek are in the Bucs' bullpen, the best Resop can hope for is a fair number of holds. Should anything happen to the late-inning pitchers, however, Resop might finagle himself a few saves.

Resop spent the majority of last season with Triple-A Salt Lake in the Angels’ organization and was claimed off waivers by Atlanta following the season. He doesn’t have overly impressive stats -- 4.57 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 45.1 innings with Salt Lake, but he has at least figured out how to get batters out at the Triple-A level. He'll likely begin the season at Triple-A Richmond before getting a look from the Braves when injuries create the need.

Resop was thought to be a candidate to close for the Marlins in 2006, but his command completely deserted him in the majors. Given the Angels' track record with bullpen reclamation projects and Resop's raw stuff, don't be surprised if he fills Brendan Donnelly's shoes more than adequately.

Resop was lights out for Double-A Carolina, posting a 56/16 K/BB ratio in under 50 innings, but struggled with his control in his first crack at the majors. The Marlins are counting on him to, at worst, be in the set-up mix for them this season, but he's still very raw -- don't be surprised if he continues to have some difficulty with big league hitters.