Reiss Knehr

Knehr struggled in his first extended stint at the Triple-A level last season, posting a 6.88 ERA (5.67 FIP) and 1.65 WHIP over 87.2 innings. Both his 1.9 HR/9 and his 13.6% walk rate were higher than what he'd posted in previous seasons, though they were perhaps intertwined -- pitchers can understandably nibble too much when they're getting knocked around, especially in the offense-friendly Pacific Coast League. The right-hander was actually better in five big-league appearances, allowing a reasonable six runs and four walks over 13.1 frames. Knehr bounced between a starting and relief role in the minors and came out of the bullpen in four of his five games with San Diego, with his longest outing being a 4.2-inning relief appearance in his season debut. It's uncertain whether he'll develop a good enough third pitch to survive as a starter, and the Padres so far appear content to use him in a swingman and middle-relief role. Such pitchers serve an important purpose in MLB, but not so much in fantasy.