Tyler Clippard

Following a couple shaky seasons, Clippard had to impress to maintain a spot in the majors in 2019, and he responded with a strong 2.90 ERA and 0.85 WHIP. The right-hander battled pectoral issues at the beginning of the season, but was effective serving as a late reliever in Cleveland's bullpen. Although Clippard's average fastball velocity dipped to 90.0 mph last year, he still recorded a 26.6 K% and also showed better control, recording a career-best 6.2 BB%. Relievers are volatile and this level of success is likely unsustainable as he enters his age-35 season, especially as a flyball pitcher in this heightened home-run environment. He signed with the Twins in free agency, moving onto his 10th different major-league organization. Clippard's relatively low fastball velocity will likely prohibit him from competing for the closer role.

Coming off the worst season of his career, Clippard needed to earn a major-league roster spot last spring, which he did, breaking camp with the Blue Jays, his seventh organization since 2015. The journeyman righty rebounded, fanning 85 in 68.2 innings and racking up 15 holds and seven saves along the way. He was the first option to fill in for the suspended Roberto Osuna in early May but was removed from closing duties after blowing a pair of saves later in the month in rather unsettling fashion, allowing a total of six runs in those appearances. An injury to new closer Ryan Tepera opened the door for Clippard to post another handful of saves, but he spent most of the season working in a setup role. After sporting his highest strikeout rate and lowest walk rate since 2011, Clippard should again find work as a setup man, garnering the occasional save opportunity.

Clippard wound up being a part of three different bullpens over the course of the season. He began the year in pinstripes as the primary seventh-inning reliever for the Yankees, but lost that role during the summer after serving up seven homers in 36.1 innings. He was then dealt to the White Sox as part of the return for Todd Frazier, and Clippard thrived in his new home. Although he only made 11 appearances on the south side of Chicago, the right-hander shined to the tune of a 1.80 ERA. This led the White Sox to flip him to Houston, where his struggles returned in the form of a 6.43 ERA across 14 frames. Clippard has excellent strikeout statistics, but his awful control and propensity for giving up home runs doomed him in 2017. He remains unsigned as of press time.

For the second season in a row, Clippard benefited from a midseason trade to New York, though this time he landed with the Yankees and not their crosstown rivals. The 31-year-old lowered his ERA nearly two full runs after being shipped away from Arizona and posted a strong 10.3 K/9 between the two stops. Walks and home runs both remained an issue though, as Clippard gave up double-digit homers for just the second time in his career -- a problem he may continue to deal with pitching in hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium. Despite those issues, the second half of the season should provide plenty of encouragement after a first half that saw Clippard post what would have been the worst ERA and WHIP of his career since moving to the bullpen. He will help set up in front of Dellin Betances and closer Aroldis Chapman in 2017.

The Mets acquired Clippard from the A's in July and much like fellow acquisition Addison Reed, his numbers improved in New York, although a spike in HR/FB (9.4%, compared to a career 8.2% mark) made him more susceptible to the long ball. With consistent flyball tendencies, Clippard is best suited for a cavernous home park, however the D-Backs inked him to a two-year deal this offseason, so he will have to make do in a cramped home environment. His control appeared to erode in the first half of the season with Oakland (12.6% BB%), but the 7.5% walk rate he delivered after the trade was more in line with his 2011-2014 marks with the Nationals and he still misses bats at a steady clip (21.3% K%). Moreover, Clippard has been one of the most durable and consistent relief arms in the game over the past five seasons, holding the opposition below the Mendoza Line on an annual basis. He could be in the mix for saves if Brad Ziegler falters, but Clippard is a better bet for holds than saves in 2016.

Since moving to the bullpen in 2009, Clippard has been almost without question the most consistent and valuable middle reliever in baseball, posting a combined 2.64 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 10.4 K/9 and .179/.266/.318 slash line allowed over 453.2 innings. His lack of save opportunities has usually kept his fantasy value low, a situation that may finally change following a January trade to Oakland. However, Clippard's ability to consistently miss bats while pitching significant innings puts him at the top of the heap regardless of his role when it comes to those high-strikeout setup arms who slip through the cracks at most draft tables, but become invaluable midseason pickups. Batters have shown no signs of figuring out his low-90s fastball/changeup combo so far, and he's remained amazingly durable despite his workload. With A's closer Sean Doolittle expected to miss the start of the season with a rotator cuff injury, Clippard is the favorite to step into the ninth-inning role in Oakland to begin 2015.

Clippard's nasty changeup propelled him to a ridiculous .170 BABIP, but given that it's the second time in three seasons he's had a sub-.200 BABIP, it's maybe less ridiculous for him than it would be for most other pitchers. His declining strikeout rate (9.3 K/9, the first time in four seasons he's been below 10.0) is a concern as well, and even if the Drew Storen trade rumors pan out, Clippard is still stuck behind Rafael Soriano in the Nats' bullpen pecking order. He's a big-name setup man, but Clippard's reputation and price tag may start to outpace his production in 2014.

After Drew Storen went under the knife and a series of other candidates faltered, Nats manager Davey Johnson finally gave Clippard a chance to close and the stalwart setup man did not disappoint. An over-reliance on his normally lethal changeup led to some September struggles though, opening the door for Storen to reclaim his job and sticking Clippard back into his usual high-strikeout eighth-inning role heading into 2013. At the very least, Clippard now has the 'established closer' badge on his profile, so if he gets dangled as trade bait, Clippard won't be the closer of last resort. Alas, with the Nats signing Rafael Soriano, the chances for Clippard closing are a lot slimmer now, outside of a trade to another organization.

Clippard heads in 2012 as the Nationals' top setup man after a terrific 2011. His strikeout rate dropped from 2010 despite a higher swinging strike percentage, but more importantly he lowered his walk rate from 4.06 BB/9IP in 2010 to 2.60 in 2011. Don’t expect another season with an ERA below 2.00, as he was lucky in stranding runners (95 percent), and he is an extreme flyball pitcher (60 percent rate). His devastating change-up gives him a reverse platoon split, but his workload over the last two seasons should be cause for concern.

To say that Clippard had a good fantasy season would be an understatement: 11 wins and triple-digit strikeouts for a reliever who probably lasted until the endgame of most drafts and auctions makes for a massive ROI. The increase in his workload is cause for a little concern, but barring injury his fastball/changeup/slider arsenal should keep him among the elite setup men in the game. Depending on how cautious the Nationals want to be in throwing Drew Storen into the ninth-inning fire, Clippard could even work his way into the closer picture. Those strikeouts and potential saves won't come as cheaply in 2011, however.

The Nationals moved Clippard to the bullpen full-time in 2009 and he blossomed, dominating Triple-A before getting called up in June and looking very good as a multi-inning reliever. Long relief seems like a very low-leverage spot for a pitcher with Clippard's ability to miss bats, but given the uncertainty in the Nats' rotation it might be the most useful role they can give him, at least in the short term. He's not likely to be the second coming of Mike Marshall, but the innings and strikeouts could make him more valuable in fantasy terms than your average middle man.

Clippard's control wasn't really good enough for Triple-A, much less the majors, but his strikeout rate move back towards the 9.0 K/9IP mark that he maintained and lower levels and he'll still just be 24 this season. He relies far more on deception than raw stuff, so an adjustment period wasn't a shock, but it's time for him to consolidate what he's learned and carve out a regular spot in the Nationals' rotation.

With a plethora of young, right-handed starters ahead of him on their organizational depth chart, the Yankees shipped Clippard to Washington for reliever Jonathan Albaladejo during the winter meetings in December. Given that he was able to make his major-league debut as a 22-year-old -- starting six games for the Yankees nonetheless -- he should be a good fit in his new home as a No. 3 or No. 4 starter.

Regarded as the next major-league ready starter behind top-prospect Philip Hughes, Clippard will likely spend the 2007 season at Triple-A after a strong 2006 campaign at Double-A Trenton. He'll turn 22 before spring training and should continue to open some eyes for owners in minor league drafts after racking up 175 strikeouts in 28 starts last season. In his four-pitch repertoire, Clippard uses a plus-curveball and a good change-up to keep hitters off balance, while maintaining good control, with 2.98 walks per nine innings.

Clippard had a nice year at Single-A Tampa in 2005 and has emerged as the Yankees' second-best pitching prospect behind Philip Hughes. The 169/34 K/BB ratio is impressive, and while Clippard doesn't have the raw stuff that Hughes does, he has a good feel for what he's doing on the mound. He's worth a look late in minor league drafts.