Rex Brothers

Even after the Rockies signed LaTroy Hawkins last winter ostensibly to be their closer, it was widely assumed that by the end of 2014, the gig would belong to Brothers, who had been exceptional in saving 19 games and posting a 1.74 ERA in place of the injured Rafael Betancourt a season prior. Instead, the hard-throwing lefty was the most disappointing performer in a beleaguered bullpen, as a sizable backslide in both his strikeout rate (8.7 K/9) and control (6.2 BB/9) yielded a bloated 5.59 ERA over 56.1 innings. Finding the strike zone has always been a concern for Brothers, and his steep decline in that area last season creates plenty of doubt that he’ll become the reliable power arm in relief that once seemed to be his destiny. Due to a lack of attractive alternatives, Brothers should find himself in a late-inning setup role again in 2015, but the memory of last season’s struggles will make a possible bid for the closing role a much tougher ascent.

Largely on the strength of a tremendous first half, Brothers was the most dependable member of the Rockies' bullpen last season, finishing with a 1.74 ERA and 10.1 K/9 rate. He would end up attracting most of his fantasy attention after replacing the injured Rafael Betancourt at closer, as the hard-throwing lefty converted 19-of-21 save chances to further supplement his strong numbers. There were still some red flags behind the shiny ERA, however. For all his successes, Brothers continued to experience issues with walks (4.8 BB/9) and benefited from an unusually high 89 percent strand rate. Those blemishes were enough to give the Rockies pause in anointing Brothers as their full-time closer in 2014, with the team ultimately signing LaTroy Hawkins to help out in the ninth inning. Hawkins is set to open the season as closer, but it's apparent the club wants Brothers to handle the role long-term. For that reason, Brothers should still see plenty of ninth-inning opportunities this season and might be able to claim the gig all to himself at some point, if he can further trim his walks.

Brothers continued to demonstrate why he has been touted as the Rockies' closer of the future, riding his mid-to-high-90s fastball to 11.0 K/9 while limiting opposing batters to a .251 average against. Like many of the team's relievers, Brothers had more difficulty at home (5.35 ERA) than on the road (2.23 ERA), but it is hard to quibble over Brothers allowing just five home runs total over 67.2 innings. While Brothers continues to have issues with walks, he is the hardest thrower in the team's bullpen and should become the top choice for save opportunities in the event that Rafael Betancourt gets injured or traded. Until that happens, he will likely serve as the Rockies' seventh-inning man, but do not count on him to luck into eight wins again this season with the rotation being given a longer leash during their outings.

Brothers possesses a filthy high-90s fastball and hard slider combination that should eventually grant him an opportunity as a closer. The next step in his development will be improving his control, as the gaudy Triple-A (14.46 K/9IP) and big league (13.06) strikeout rates he showed last season were somewhat offset by his walk rate (4.82 BB/9IP at Triple-A, 4.43 with Colorado). Barring changes to the roster, Rafael Betancourt will open the season as the ninth-inning option for the Rockies, but Brothers could be waiting in the wings to take over should he falter. Just 24 years old, Brothers is an excellent target for keeper leagues considering that the 37-year-old Betancourt is in the final year of his contract.

Brothers, a 2009 first-round pick, is a lefty with a compact delivery, a live fastball that can touch the upper-90s and a hard slider that sits in the mid-80s. He spent the first part of 2010 at High-A Modesto before moving on to Double-A Tulsa where he posted a 10.6 K/9IP and a 7.04 BB/9IP. His dominance is nothing new as he posted double-digit strikeout rates prior to reaching Double-A. He's not that far off from joining the Rockies' bullpen, but he'll need to address his control issues before that happens. If he does, closing games may not be that far off either.

Brothers is a hard-throwing, left-handed pitcher with the ability to close games. As one of a number of left-handed pitching prospects for the Rockies, Brothers is still learning how to pitch. His arsenal includes a 97-98 mph fastball, a good slider and a changeup – currently a work in progress. There is concern about his arm action and his ability to command his pitches, but his control is improving, and he misses a good number of bats. If his command does improve with coaching and experience, it is likely Brothers can be in the mix for the closer's role by 2011 or sooner.