Dean Kiekhefer

Kiekhefer unexpectedly made his MLB debut in 2016 when injuries in the Cardinals bullpen made it necessary to bring up another arm. On paper, it's hard to find positive signs from the 5.32 ERA and 1.41 WHIP that were built over 22 innings across 26 games, but there were flashes of promise from the 27-year-old lefty. Of the 46 left-handed hitters he faced, he gave up just five RBI and held them to a .209 batting average. Unfortunately, his stats against righties told an entirely different story. Against 52 right-handed hitters, Kiekhefer's ERA and WHIP shot up to 9.28 and 1.78, respectively, while he managed to pick up a mere two strikeouts. Prior to coming up to the majors, he'd been a surefire reliever at Triple-A Memphis, where he posted a sub-2.60 ERA three straight years, so it's entirely possible that he'll adjust to the higher level. He was claimed off waivers by the Mariners and then outrighted to Triple-A this offseason. Look for him to start the year with Triple-A Tacoma as left-handed relief depth.