Matt Bush

Bush will reportedly enter the year in the mix for saves in the Rangers' bullpen. The 36-year-old righty has a career 3.45 ERA, but his ERA has steadily climbed in each of his four MLB seasons. He sits in the mid-90s with his fastball but does not generate a high amount of groundballs (career 40.5 GB%). Additionally, he has just 11 career saves, so Greg Holland and Joe Barlow have the experience edge and Spencer Patton has him beat in terms of recent track record. Bush would need to be added to the 40-man roster, which could be a factor when deciding which player becomes the closer.

Bush debuted in the majors as a pitcher with Texas in 2016, more than a decade after he was drafted as a shortstop with the No. 1 overall pick by San Diego. He finished with a sparkling 2.48 ERA and 0.94 WHIP that season and looked primed to make good after a long, troubled road that included a three-year prison sentence for driving under the influence with serious bodily injury. His encore to 2016 was a disappointment as Bush lost the closer role and ultimately underwent surgery to repair the AC joint in his right shoulder. He continued to struggle to begin 2018 before being shut down with an elbow strain. After a few failed attempts to ramp back up, Bush was diagnosed with a partially torn UCL. While he did not have Tommy John surgery, he did undergo a surgical procedure to treat the issue and is expected to miss the first half of 2019 as a result. Bush will need to reestablish himself yet again before we can entertain him as a fantasy option.

A popular closer-in-waiting heading into 2017, Bush took over the ninth inning less than a month into the season, but his campaign was derailed by shoulder and knee issues. The shoulder was something the Rangers had to manage throughout the year -- he was first treated with a cortisone injection just 10 days into the campaign -- and arthroscopic surgery was ultimately deemed necessary to repair the AC joint. His knee was injured in a collision with teammate Joey Gallo in August. The 2004 No. 1 overall pick threw with impressive velocity despite the shoulder problems. The Rangers plan to give Bush a look in a starting role in the spring and perhaps an assignment to the rotation would give Bush a quicker path to return to fantasy prominence after losing the closer job, but we'd feel much better about his chances of staying healthy if he were to remain in the bullpen.

The No. 1 pick in the 2004 draft resurfaced as a relief pitcher in 2016 and delivered stellar numbers, including an 8.9 K/9 and a 2.0 BB/9. Those are closer-like peripherals, and Bush flashed them most of the time in high-leverage spots. The demise of Shawn Tolleson opened the door for Bush, who clocked in with a 97.0 mph average on his four-seam fastball. Sam Dyson built up a decent leash on the closer role, but Bush probably ranks only behind Jeremy Jeffress on the depth chart for save speculation. Bush's ratios and strikeout potential can improve any deep fantasy club's pitching staff, and he's a gem in holds leagues. Adding closer opportunities to his skills could make the 31-year-old a highly valuable asset in all formats.

After signing a minor league deal with the Rays, Bush appeared in 36 games at Double-A Montgomery posting a 4.83 ERA with a 1.437 WHIP. The former No. 1 overall pick from the 2004 draft has seen his once promising career derailed by an elbow injury along with off-field issues. Now 25, he possesses little upside although his 77 strikeouts in 50.1 innings is likely enough for him to catch on with another club if the Rays don't re-sign him.

Bush struggled at Single-A in 2005, showing no power, weak on-base skills, less speed than expected and even erratic defense. That isn't what you want from a first-round pick, let alone the first overall pick in the 2004 draft. Bush is young enough to rebound, but right now the risk of this pick being a complete bust is fairly high. There are even rumors that he might be converted to pitcher if his bat doesn't come around.

The Padres made the young shortstop the first pick in the 2004 draft because he was signable at an inexpensive price and a native of the San Diego area. The local boy makes good marketing angle blew up in their face after an incident in an Arizona nightclub had him facing misdemeanor charges, and his performance subsequent to a team suspension didn't wow anybody. The 19-year-old is too young to be considered a bust, but suffice to say there were better, albeit more expensive, options in the entry draft.

Bush projects as a quality defender with a powerful arm. Solid defensively, his bat is more of a concern as he could be a .290 hitter as a major leaguer, but scouts say his power will be limited to gap range. He's a smart baserunner who accelerates on the base paths, but is not a speed demon and tends to be slow out of the box. As a high schooler he's likely a few years away from being a concern as his bat needs to develop to catch his defensive prowess.