Dan Winkler

Winkler led the Braves in holds in 2018 with 23, nine more than anyone else in the Atlanta bullpen, and also chipped in a pair of saves while blowing only three leads. He made 69 appearances that season. A familiar tale developed last spring, as Winkler struggled to rebound and could not ramp up in time to begin the year with the big-league team. Doing it once is one thing, but a select few have the rubber arm required to make 60-plus appearances year in and year out. He was slowed by elbow soreness and the right-hander was eventually traded to the Giants, only to be designated for assignment by San Francisco a day after the trade. Now with the Cubs on a one-year deal, Winkler will be looking to reestablish himself and earn the trust of new manager David Ross as the season progresses. His chase rates are intriguing, but we need to see more in terms of performance and health.

Winkler had his first full, healthy season in 2018 as a 28-year-old and looked like a quality reliever, posting a 3.43 ERA in 60.1 innings, backed up by a 27.1% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate. He picked up two saves and spent brief periods near the top of the depth chart as Atlanta battled injuries, but he also had rough periods, posting an 18.00 ERA over his last eight appearances and failing to make the Braves' NLDS roster, casting some doubt on his role for this season. Arodys Vizcaino and A.J. Minter will presumably open as the top two ninth-inning options in Atlanta, but Winkler could be the next man up in the case of injury if he can get back to the form he had at the start of last season. Unless he's in the closer conversation, however, Winkler's fantasy relevance will likely be minimal as he worked less than an inning per outing and his strikeout totals aren't elite enough to carry his value on their own.

Winkler missed nearly two full seasons due to a fractured elbow, but he made it back from the 60-day DL in the second half of August and pitched well for the Braves over 16 appearances down the stretch. Before injuries derailed his career with the Colorado in 2014, Winkler was on track to get an opportunity as a big-league starter, as he missed bats at a healthy clip and showed control in the lower levels of the minors. He averaged 93.6 mph with his fastball after returning to the Braves last season, while also mixing in a cutter, slider and changeup. All four pitches graded out as a positive value offerings, and the Braves have a path for Winkler to become a high-leverage solution in the late innings, especially if he continues to miss bats at an elevated clip (34.0 percent K% in 2017). Winkler has slightly more sleeper appeal than Jose Ramirez, as the Braves no longer have a proven veteran closer to turn to if Arodys Vizcaino falters in the ninth-inning role.

Winkler will likely miss the 2015 season after having Tommy John surgery as a member of the Rockies organization in 2014. Despite the expected absence, the Braves selected him in the Rule 5 Draft, which is a savvy move since he can be stashed away on the disabled list for the entire year without being offered back to Colorado. Most likely, Winkler push his way toward the big league roster in Atlanta in the second half of 2016.