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Sam Moll RP | CIN
Rockies' Sam Moll: Added to 40-man roster Friday
Moll was added to Colorado's 40-man roster Friday, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.
The left-hander's stats from 2016 don't really jump off the page, but his mid- to upper-90s fastball paired with his slider have created some intrigue over the past few years. Given that Jake McGee and Chris Rusin are the only lefties in the Rockies bullpen following Boone Logan's departure, Moll's solid mix of pitches could help him land a spot in the big league bullpen at some point this season.
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Yency Almonte RP | LAD
Rockies' Yency Almonte: Added to 40-man roster Friday
Almonte was added to Colorado's 40-man roster Friday, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.
Almonte impressed as a starter as he progressed through the Rockies system in 2016, most recently posting a 3.00 ERA in five starts with Double-A Hartford. The 22-year-old's mid- to upper-90s fastball and hard slider may make him more of a reliever going forward, which actually could help him move up the organizational ladder quickly if he can translate his success to the upper levels of the minor leagues. That being said, he'll likely spend a good chunk of time with Double-A Hartford and/or Triple-A Albuquerque in 2017 as he gears up for big league hitters.
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Austin Voth RP | MIN
Nationals' Austin Voth: Added to 40-man roster
Voth was added to Washington's 40-man roster on Friday, MASN's Dan Kolko reports.
As expected, the Nationals protected Voth from the Rule 5 draft. His minor league numbers are excellent, but it is a No. 5 starter's profile, as his fastball is just average and he lacks a plus pitch. Voth could be used as an emergency big league starter in 2017, although Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and A.J. Cole are all likely ahead of him on the organizational depth chart.
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Lucas Sims RP | CHW
Braves' Lucas Sims: Added to 40-man roster Friday
Sims was added to the Braves' 40-man roster on Friday.
The 22-year-old had a rough stint with Triple-A Gwinnett, but his 2.67 ERA and 10.0 K/9 at the Double-A level opened some eyes in the organization, leading Atlanta to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Sims' nasty fastball/curveball combination could allow him to dominate in a high-leverage role if the Braves decide to pull the plug on developing him as a starter in 2017.
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Caleb Thielbar RP | CHC
Marlins' Caleb Thielbar: Picked up by Marlins
Thielbar's contract was purchased by the Marlins on Monday, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Thielbar spent 2016 playing independent ball and performed quite well, piecing together a 2.39 ERA and 1.02 WHIP across 64 innings pitched in relief. The left-hander has a good amount of big league experience as a member of the Twins bullpen from 2013 to 2015 with some success, but his unimpressive strikeout abilities could limit his ceiling if he sticks with the team out of spring training.
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Tim Adleman RP | DET
Reds' Tim Adleman: In Reds' fifth starter mix
The Reds have four rotation slots essentially locked down, but will have a wide pool to choose among for their fifth starter, of which Adleman is one of those options.
Anthony DeSclafani, Homer Bailey, Dan Straily and Brandon Finnegan are near locks, barring health setbacks, but the team could go a number of different routes with the fifth spot, including signing a veteran free agent to eat innings. Hopefully they can clear the low, low, very low bar set by Alfredo Simon in 2016 in that quest. Adleman turned in a 4.00 ERA in 13 starts with the Reds last year, but his 5.35 FIP ERA is a better indicator of his likely potential.
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Arodys Vizcaino RP | KC
Braves' Arodys Vizcaino: Expected to be ready for spring training
Vizcaino (shoulder) will not pitch this winter, but he is expected to pitch without restrictions in spring training, MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports.
He ended the year on the DL with a shoulder injury, but it sounds like he should be fine for 2017. Jim Johnson and Mauricio Cabrera will likely open the year ahead of Vizcaino in the pecking order for saves, but it is a potentially volatile situation.
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Kenley Jansen RP | DET
Dodgers' Kenley Jansen: Receives qualifying offer from Dodgers
Jansen received a qualifying offer from the Dodgers on Monday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
Jansen posted 47 saves en route to the best year of his career, so it's unlikely that he'll accept the offer given the high demand for elite relievers. However, this move will likely decrease his market value a bit now that teams need to give up a draft pick in order to sign him.
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J.J. Hoover RP | WAS
Reds' J.J. Hoover: Will not return to Reds
Hoover will not be re-signed by the Reds, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
According to general manager Dick Williams, "it's not in the plans to have him [in Cincinnati]". Hoover spent a bit of time as the Reds closer and is still arbitration-eligible, but the fact that he coughed up 28 earned runs in just 18.2 innings pitched could make things difficult for the right-hander this offseason.
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Matt Moore RP | BOS
Giants' Matt Moore: Will have option exercised
The Giants will pick up the $7 million contract on Moore's contract for next season, Jon Heyman of Today's Knuckleball reports.
Moore had some ups and downs after being acquired by the Giants at the trade deadline, but he ended the season on a strong note and will come at a major bargain next year, so the Giants undoubtedly did not have to waste much time deciding on his option. Moore will occupy either the third or fourth spot in what will be a loaded 2017 Giants rotation.