Hector Rondon

Rondon's up-and-down 2018 campaign was nevertheless his best in three years. An 8.68 ERA over his final 11 appearances cost him a spot on the team's ALDS roster, but for much of the season he was an effective option. He led the Astros in saves, picking up 15 after Ken Giles fell out of favor and before Roberto Osuna took over the role. The job should be firmly Osuna's heading into 2019, and Ryan Pressly leapfrogged Rondon at the end of last season. Rondon has averaged less than an inning per appearance for five straight years, so he doesn't offer the workload required to be a fantasy-relevant non-closer. His 26.8% strikeout rate is good but not great. Feel free to ignore him in most formats.

Rondon began the 2017 campaign in a setup role for the defending World Champions, having been usurped of his closer job the previous season by Aroldis Chapman. Before that point, Rondon had allowed just 16 homers in his 225 innings with the Cubs, spinning a 2.68 ERA and 1.07 WHIP during that span. In the time since, the hard-throwing right-hander has surrendered 14 long balls in the subsequent 71.1 stanzas, resulting in a 4.92 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Rondon's strikeout rate remained strong at 10.0 K/9 during that stretch, along with a good 2.9 BB/9. Perhaps he was victimized by an unlucky HR/FB, but the increase in homers is his greatest flaw skills-wise. Assuming the bone chips that caused irritation in his throwing elbow last September are no longer an issue, Rondon has a chance to pitch himself back into a high-leverage bullpen role after he signed with Houston in free agency this winter. It will be interesting to see if he gets an opportunity to push Ken Giles for the ninth-inning role this spring.

Rondon looked to be one of the league's top closers early in 2016, converting his first nine save opportunities while holding 1.04 ERA entering June. He then blew four of his next eight save chances, and once Aroldis Chapman took the closer job, the wheels completely came off for Rondon. His ERA ballooned from 1.70 on Aug. 1 to 3.53 by season's end. Come the World Series, Carl Edwards Jr. and Mike Montgomery were setting up Chapman. Still, Rondon's peripherals were mostly solid, with a .225 BAA and 58:8 K:BB. His downfall was an inflated 1.4 HR/9, due in large part to a 18.2 percent HR/FB. While there's reason to believe Rondon is still an effective pitcher who succumbed to bad luck in 2016, the Cubs traded for former Royals stopper Wade Davis, keeping Rondon in a setup role to start 2017. Still, Rondon's skills make him a logical late-round speculation for saves in deeper formats, considering Davis' health issues last year.

While Jake Arrieta and the young home-run hitters get all the press in Chicago, the underrated bullpen just keeps on chugging away. Did you know that Rondon has saved 59 games in the last two years? He looked good doing it too. It's a simple formula: strong K/BB (4.60 in 2015, 4.20 in 2014), keep the ball in the park (six home runs allowed in last two years), and throw a 96 mph fastball when you need the big K. Manager Joe Maddon tinkered with his bullpen quite a bit last year, even replacing Rondon with Jason Motte and Pedro Strop occasionally, but make no bones about it: Rondon is definitely the man in the ninth inning, and if the Cubs finally win the World Series, don't be surprised to see him on the mound for the final out. He's come a long way from the mediocre Rule 5 draftee taking up space on the 2013 roster.

Rondon was a mediocre reliever as a Rule 5 draftee in 2013, but a variety of circumstances led to him closing games for the Cubs last year and…he wasn't bad. He showed the outstanding control he had earlier in his minor league career, using a 63:15 K:BB ratio to earn his way to 29 saves. Also, with only two home runs given up in 63.1 innings, Rondon limited the damage that can often come when the wind is blowing out in Wrigley. Rondon looks like he'll deservedly head into the 2015 season as the closer, though he could face competition from Jason Motte if the former Cardinal can return to his pre-Tommy John form with his new club.

As a 2012 Rule 5 draftee, Rondon got to spend the entire season on the Cubs' active roster, but a 4.77 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and 44:25 K:BB ratio indicate he's not ready for prime time. Expect the 26-year-old right-hander to spend some time in the minors in 2013.

Rondon's development path hit another bump in the road after returning from Tommy Jon surgery for a pair of relief appearances in September when he fractured his pitching elbow in November pitching in winter ball, sidelining him for another five-to-seven months. The form he flashed as a 21-year-old at Double-A and Triple-A back in 2009 seems like forever ago, and now it's unclear just how much he will have left on the operating table. The once promising prospect needs to get back and stay healthy before resuming what was once a very bright future.

Rondon dominated at Double-A Akron (1.056 WHIP, 9.1 K/9IP in 72 innings) to start the season and earned himself a midseason promotion to Triple-A Columbus. He didn't fare quite as well but still put up some noteworthy numbers (74.1 innings, 83 hits, 64:13 K:BB) as a 21-year-old. He pounds the strike zone with low-90s heat and a developing slider and changeup. The Indians briefly experimented with him in a relief role at Double-A, but quickly moved him back into a starting role and he should spend most of the season in the rotation at Triple-A. The Indians have a host of middling arms competing for rotation spots this spring, but Rondon could kick in the door with a strong spring. Expect some bumpy spots in the road initially if that comes to pass.