Luis Avilan

After establishing himself as a reliable bullpen option in the second half of 2016, Avilan struggled to start the 2017 campaign before once again finding his form post All-Star break. Despite posting a 4.30 ERA through the first half of the season, the southpaw finished with a respectable 2.93 ERA thanks to his 1.57 ERA across 23 second-half frames. He spent some time on the disabled list with a biceps injury and shoulder inflammation, the latter of which ultimately kept him off the Dodgers' postseason roster, though it isn't expected to affect his status for next season at all. He won't be in the mix for saves, but his strong strikeout rate (26.8 percent) and solid splits against same-handed hitters last season (.195/.290/.280 in 93 plate appearances) have Avilan positioned to compete for the top lefty setup role.

After two years of mediocre relief pitching, Avilan reestablished himself as a solid bullpen arm for the Dodgers with a strong second half. In 16.2 innings after the break, Avilan put up a 2.16 ERA and .179 slugging percentage against while striking out 24 batters. It took some patience to get there, as he was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City eight different times during the 2016 season, but he eventually showed enough to make the Dodgers' playoff roster. His current arsenal revolves around a low-to-mid-90s fastball and a strong changeup, along with an occasional curveball. His stuff has developed enough that he has more than doubled his strikeout rate in the last three years, going from 13 percent in 2014 to 34.2 percent in 2016. Avilan figures to enter 2017 in a similar role to late last season, but he could eventually work his way into the setup mix.

Avilan was a secondary piece in the blockbuster deal with the Braves that sent Alex Wood, Jose Peraza and Avilan to the Dodgers in July. He ultimately posted a combined 4.05 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 49:15 K:BB in 53.1 innings. Avilan showed improvement in his ability to miss bats, as his K/9 rose year over year from 5.2 to 8.3, while his BB/9 showed a nice downward trend, dropping from 4.4 to 2.5. He throws plenty hard with a 93.5 mph average fastball, though it seems unlikely he'll ever be a closer given his handedness and the fact that he has yet to save a game in his career. Avilan actually posted reverse platoon splits with a .271 batting average against versus left-handed hitters and a .210 mark against right-handers. He will be in the mix for a bullpen role with the Dodgers this spring.

There were some clear indicators that regression was likely for Avilan, namely his .204 BABIP, 4.02 xFIP and 2.2% HR/FB rate from 2013, but the extent of the southpaw's struggles last season was surprising. Opposing lefties hit .264/.350/.379 against Avilan in 2014, up from .144/.219/.163 a year before, and his K%-BB% fell to just 2.1%, from an already-well-below-average 6.2%. He was demoted in mid-July and the Braves ultimately acquired an upgrade in James Russell at the deadline, effectively relegating Avilan to mop-up duty upon his return in August. Thus, while Avilan finished third in the NL in holds in 2013 with 27, his value in leagues that count the statistic has dried up for the most part, though he could return to high-leverage duty if Russell gets injured or struggles.

Avilan stepped up in a big way for the Braves in 2013, after the team's top two lefty relievers, Jonny Venters and Eric O'Flaherty, were lost to Tommy John surgery early in the season. The 24-year-old Avilan held opposing southpaws to a .144/.219/.163 batting line en route to 27 holds, third-most in the National League. He made a team-high 75 appearances, and had a stretch from late May until mid-August where he made 35 consecutive appearances without allowing an earned run. There are, however, indicators that Avilan could be in line for regression in 2014, as he benefited from a .204 BABIP and was relatively lucky with a 83.6 percent strand rate. Lucky, because he didn't display especially overwhelming stuff, with just a 1.73 K/BB ratio and an 8.7 percent swinging-strike rate. Still, Avilan will remain the top lefty option out of Atlanta's bullpen until Venters is healthy, and even when Venters is back, Avilan should continue to rack up a decent number of holds.

Have the Braves struck gold on yet another relief arm? Avilan got his first taste of the majors in 2012, posting a 2.00 ERA in 30 appearances, bolstering a bullpen that already had the lowest ERA in the majors over the last two seasons. Avilan had been working as a part-time starting pitcher the past couple of seasons in the minors, but he seems destined for a full-time relief role. Don't expect Avilan to be quite as good as he showed in 2012. Nothing in his minor league career has suggested he will sustain that level. He posted a major league K/9 of 8.3 in 2012 He had not posted a K/9 that good since his time at Low-A Rome. The Braves' relief pitching is very strong, so it is unlikely Avilan will be one of the top three options out of the bullpen.