Branden Pinder

Pinder leveraged a strong 2014 at the lower levels into beginning the 2015 season with the Triple-A team, where he pitched to a 2.80 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 35.1 innings. Though the big league club rotated several young arms at the back of their bullpen, Pinder quickly established himself as one of the more reliable options after multiple trips back and forth between the majors and minors. The 26-year-old posted a 2.93 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 27.2 innings, but he allowed far too many runners to reach base – he allowed 28 hits and 14 walks en route to a 1.52 WHIP. The righty has a fastball that tops out at around 97 mph, usually sitting more in the 94-95 mph range, and has a slider that works as a legitimate strikeout pitch when effective. He still needs to work on his command a bit, as he owns a career BB/9 of 3.1 across all levels, but he could start out the year in a lower-leverage role out of the bullpen.