Jose Veras

After blowing his first two save chances with the Cubs, Veras was removed from the closer role before Chicago eventually released him in June. The veteran right-hander, who spent much of the 2013 season in Houston and had free agent talks with the team prior to signing with the Cubs, returned to the Astros shortly thereafter and turned his season around. In 34 appearances -- most of which came in middle relief -- Veras went 4-0 with a 3.03 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 37:16 K:BB over 32.2 innings. The free agent is unlikely to land another closing gig, but he should have no problem finding a team who can balance his career 9.3 K/9 with his poor 4.7 BB/9 in the middle innings of relief.

Veras split his 2013 campaign between the Astros and Tigers, finishing 0-5 with a 3.02 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 62.2 innings between his two stops. Prior to joining Detroit at the trade deadline, Veras was deployed primarily as the closer for the Astros. The 33-year-old reliever racked up a total of 19 saves in Houston and he was able to vulture another two saves as a member of the Tigers. Veras relied heavily on his two best pitches last season, hurling a sinking fastball that hovered in the mid-90s and a spotty curve. His strikeout rate (8.6 K/9) dipped below one whiff per inning for the first time since 2009, but Veras displayed much better control by walking hitters at a career-low clip (3.2 BB/9). The Tigers declined the option on Veras' contract, enabling him to sign with the Cubs in December. He seems like the most likely candidate to close to begin the season, although that could change depending on the performance of Pedro Strop and the health of Kyuji Fujikawa.

Veras spent one season in Milwaukee as primarily a late-inning reliever, but was let go after allowing 61 hits and walking 40 batters in 67 innings. Though Veras was a bit erratic last season, he owns a 3.73 ERA and has struck out 212 batters in 186 innings over the last three years. If Veras can regain his control in 2013 he could be a cheap but effective bullpen option if used correctly. After signing with the Astros in December, Veras could find a path to save opportunities at some point in Houston.

Veras finished second among National League relievers, pitching in 79 games for the Bucs. He has a tight fastball and a big breaking ball but has a tendency to pitch either really well or really poorly, with few outings in between. He'll likely serve as a seventh-inning man in Milwaukee after getting traded to the Brewers for Casey McGehee in December. Veras compiled a team-high 27 holds for the Pirates but also blew seven leads. Opposing batters hit just .206 off of him in 71 innings but he walked 34 hitters. Unless he can better command his pitches he'll never find himself in a prominent bullpen role as anything more than a setup man.

Veras' season started out terribly, as visa issues delayed his arrival in camp and he looked awful in April, but he bounced back nicely after a Triple-A stint. That wasn't enough for the Marlins to bring him back, but he should be able to get a look from someone, as he's only 30 and can still strike out a batter an inning or so. Veras has the skill set to emerge as the closer in an unsettled bullpen after signing with Pittsburgh. However, he'll need to reduce his walks as he had just a 54:29 K:BB ratio last year with the Marlins.

Veras has a live enough arm to get your attention but walks and homers rarely mix well when you're toeing the rubber for a living. He came over from the Yankees in a trade and lived up to his reputation, allowing three homers and 14 walks in 24.2 innings while striking out 22. He'll try to earn a spot at the back of the bullpen, but he doesn't offer any fantasy value.

Veras didn't take long to earn a promotion from Triple-A and he went on to have an impressive 9.83 K/9IP for the Yankees working out of the bullpen last season, but his command was very inconsistent (4.53 BB/9IP). Having allowed seven homers in just 57.2 innings, he'll need to cut back on the free passes in order to minimize the damage from the gopher ball and avoid being bypassed by some of the organizations younger and more highly-touted relief options. Still, Veras will be in the mix to remain in a similar role as long as he has a good showing this spring.

Veras spent most of 2007 on the DL because of bone chips in his throwing elbow, but he'll get a chance to make the leap as a regular contributor for the Yankees in Joe Girardi's new bullpen this spring. Even if he begins the season at Triple-A, Veras will likely get another look in the big leagues sooner than later. He's got set-up man stuff in his arsenal, but he'll need to stay healthy and command his pitches to get a high-profile role in New York.

Veras has the potential to be a viable relief option, after fully making the switch to bullpen work back in 2005. In 50 appearances for Triple-A Columbus, Veras racked up 21 saves. He's shown the makeup to be a closer at the minor-league level, while his stuff has big-league level potential. In 131.2 innings of work over the past two seasons, Veras has racked 146 strikeouts. He's worth watching in case he lands on a team where he'll get opportunities for significant work.