Tim Cooney

Middling pitching prospects in their mid-20s with no projection left are among the most difficult to assess in a dynasty league context. Cooney fits the bill, and he enters his age-25 season with a shot at cracking the Cardinals' rotation out of camp due to Lance Lynn’s offseason Tommy John surgery. His ultimate upside is probably that of a No. 3 starter, and he could be more of a back-end type if he is not incredibly sharp with his command. However, he also has a shot at making 25-plus starts in the majors in 2016, which is something the vast majority of pitching prospects cannot claim. Cooney followed up a 2.74 ERA in 88.2 innings at Triple-A with a 3.16 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 29 strikeouts in 31.1 innings (six starts) with St. Louis before being shut down at the end of the year following an appendectomy. Those six starts represent the high end of his potential going forward.

Cooney proved to be a solid innings eater for Triple-A Memphis, posting a 14-6 record with a 3.47 ERA in 158 innings. The 23-year-old prospect will likely get a shot at the Cardinals rotation this spring but doesn't project to be much more than a back of the rotation starter long term. Given the Cardinals' current rotation depth, it's unlikely that Cooney cracks the rotation. If he does pitch well enough he could earn a long relief role in the bullpen, but the Cardinals may opt to give him another year racking up Triple-A innings. Either way his fantasy contributions will probably be negligible.