Phillippe Aumont

Aumont opened last season in the Phillies' bullpen and was given an opportunity to establish himself as one of the team's late-inning relievers. His difficulty commanding his pitches ultimately led to his demotion back to Triple-A, where he questioned the Phillies' handling of him. His lack of progress cutting back on his walks is alarming and calls into question if he will ever live up to his closer-of-the-future tag. The stuff is still there for Aumont to become a dominant reliever, but he will need to start finding the strike zone with more frequency first. He will get a chance to earn a bullpen job this spring, but he could use some additional time in the minors honing his craft.

Aumont made his major league debut last season with the Phillies and flashed some of the stuff that has earned him a "closer of the future" label. Aumont has a mid-90s fastball and a plus curveball which help him rack up the strikeouts, but he still struggles with his command. Very tall pitchers like Aumont, who is 6-foot-7, often struggle to repeat their delivery early in their careers, leading to some wildness. Aumont's 6.9 BB/9 at Triple-A and 5.5 BB/9 in the majors last year show he still has some work to do. He's a candidate for a bullpen job this spring, but with Jonathan Papelbon on board for the next three years, this closer of the future will have to wait awhile for his chance to save games.

Aumont returned to a relief role last season and bounced back after a disappointing 2011 campaign as a starting pitcher. He struck out 78 batters in 53.2 innings between Double-A and Triple-A while holding opponents to a .216 batting average. While Aumont is dominant, he is also a touch wild. His walk rate spiked with the move up to Triple-A, suggesting he could use some more time at that level before he is truly ready for a relief role in the majors. He's been touted as a future closer, but given the Phillies' signing of Jonathan Papelbon to a four-year deal, it seems he'll need a trade to realize that role in the next few seasons.

Aumont was a disappointment in his first season in the Phillies organization. The club opted to move Aumont back to a starting role after he spent 2009 pitching in relief and assigned him to Double-A. After watching Aumont struggle for two months, the Phillies demoted him to High-A Clearwater. The results were a bit better following the demotion, but he continued to issue too many free passes. Aumont still has his mid-90s fastball and a plus slider, but he'll need to start cutting down on the walks to get back on the prospect radar. The Phillies decided to move Aumont back to the bullpen for the 2011 season in order to get him back on track.

Aumont, the Mariners' No. 1 pick in 2007 out of high school in Quebec, converted from starter to reliever last season with encouraging success. He zipped through High-A with a .195 BAA before facing a tougher go of it in Double-A. Still, he struck out 59 in 51 innings combined with a 1.37 G/F. While the move to the bullpen considerably shortened his timetable to the majors, it also made him expendable in a Mariners system stocked with potential closer types, and he was shipped to Philadelphia in the trade for Cliff Lee. The 6-foot-7 Aumont has a 95-mph fastball with great sink, a high-90s four-seam fastball and a plus slider. He could see relief work in Philadelphia as early as this season, almost certainly by next season, with closer-of-the-future on his resume.

Aumont, Seattle's No. 1 draft pick in 2007, started his professional career impressively before being shut down in August last year with a sore elbow. In 55 innings at Low-A Wisconsin, Aumont posted a 2.6 K/BB ratio and a 8.15 K/9IP with a 2.75 ERA. The 6-foot-7 Aumont has a 95-mph fastball with great sink and a high-90s four-seam fastball. The Mariners will continue to refine his mechanics and his off-speed pitches, but health is the most important factor. If all goes well, Aumont should see Seattle in a few years.

Seattle's 2007 first-round pick, Aumont is more thrower than pitcher at this point. The Canadian is a giant at 6-7, 225, with a mid-90s fastball but shaky command and erratic mechanics. The Mariners pondered him playing in the Arizona Fall League, but instead allowed him to represent Canada in the international World Cup in November. He pitched just two innings, though, on a 20-pitch count in his only appearance, giving up two hits against Cuba. His potential is immense but he needs time to put it together.