T.J. McFarland

Lefty specialists are like fourth-string wide receivers in fantasy football; not usable in the vast majority of settings. McFarland is an especially boring lefty too, as he posted a 4.8 K/9 last year (5.5 K/9 for career). He does a good job of limiting the free passes (2.8 BB/9), and he induces a lot of groundballs (67 percent groundball rate last year), but that's a blessing and a curse in McFarland case. While the grounders help McFarland keep the ball in the park, they also keep him opponents' hit rate high and that's problematic when you allow so many balls in play. He was non-tendered by the Diamondbacks in November, but was quickly brought back on a cheaper big-league deal. McFarland will likely be the No. 2 lefty behind Andrew Chafin to open the season.

In the time since the Orioles kept McFarland on the roster for the entire 2013 season to fulfill his Rule 5 status, McFarland has shuttled back and forth between Triple-A and the MLB club. Despite pitching pretty well in the minors, McFarland struggled with the Orioles, though an xFIP of 4.06 shows it may not have been as bad as it looked. McFarland was pretty good against left-handers as hitters slashed just .232/.267/.317 against him, but right-handers teed off at a .375/.461/.557 clip. McFarland could become a left-handed specialist if Brian Matusz leaves Baltimore. McFarland added three mph to his fastball over the last two seasons to top out in the low-90s. McFarland should continue to start in the minors for the short term, but it remains to be seen if the Orioles have the confidence to start him with the big league club. He seems likely to pitch at both Triple-A and with the Orioles this year unless Matusz is moved.

The Orioles acquired McFarland in the Rule 5 Draft in 2012, keeping him on the roster for all of 2013 and using him again as a reliever for most of last season. McFarland didn't generate many swings and misses (7.8% swinging-strike rate) even in a relief role, but he's an extreme groundballer (61.9% GB%) capable of overcoming the hitter-friendly nature of Camden Yards. He ditched his curveball for a slider last season, and occasionally worked in a change, but McFarland largely pounds the zone with his fastball. With Zach Britton occupying the ninth inning, the Orioles may opt to keep McFarland in the fold as the team's second lefty out of the bullpen to add depth behind Brian Matusz.

The Orioles plucked McFarland from Cleveland via the Rule 5 draft and used him as a mop-up reliever. He had topped out at Triple-A in 2012 as a starter with the Indians and the results were mixed. McFarland held his own in April and May before a couple of implosions, though he seldom pitched in high-pressure situations. McFarland only has three pitches and he is not a hard thrower, so his ceiling seems limited, but he will be converted back to a starting role entering spring training. The Orioles are no longer required to keep McFarland on the MLB roster and his most likely destination is Triple-A for the start of the season.