Luinder Avila

Though he's mostly operated as a starter in the minors, Avila made his MLB debut last season out of the Royals bullpen. The 23-year-old pitched well in his limited sample with Kansas City, accruing a 0.93 WHIP and 16:6 K:BB across 14 innings. The Venezuelan native features a four-pitch arsenal headlined by a curveball that he throws at least 40 percent of the time. While the curve generates plenty of swing-and-miss, his mid-90's fastball, sinker and occasional changeup weren't as effective. Avila missed two months last season due to a right shoulder impingement, but was able to overcome the injury last August before making his big-league debut. The right-hander's minor-league numbers don't jump off the page - he produced a 4.54 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 8.4 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 across seven seasons - but most of those appearances were as a starter. It's possible the Royals are transitioning Avila to a relief role, which may yield better results. Read Past Outlooks