Alex Claudio

The Brewers acquired Claudio from the Rangers in December in exchange for a draft pick and leaned heavily on the left-hander in his first year with the team. He wound up leading the majors in appearances with a career-high 83 and finished the season with a serviceable 4.06 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 44:24 K:BB in 62 innings. Claudio got off to a slow start, allowing five home runs through his first 29 appearances (21.1 innings, 2.1 HR/9) while struggling to a 6.33 ERA over that stretch. He turned things around from there, notching a 2.88 ERA and allowing just three home runs over his next 54 outings (40.2 innings, 0.7 HR/9). Claudio improved against righties in 2019, though they still hit .274 against the southpaw while lefties hit just .218. Claudio doesn't miss many bats, so even when he's pitching well, his value is limited outside of leagues that count holds.

Claudio more than held his own in the closer role down the stretch in 2017, but the lefty didn't get a chance to build on that success as the Rangers tabbed Keone Kela as their closer prior to Opening Day. It proved to be right call as Kela thrived in the ninth inning and built up his trade value while Claudio took a big step back, posting a 4.93 ERA and 1.59 WHIP over the first three months. He was better over the final three months, but not a lot better (4.01 ERA, 1.46 WHIP). Given the lack of strikeouts (career 6.2 K/9), it was always wise to expect regression, but this level of regression was surprising. It speaks to the volatility of relievers, especially with ones who leave a lot up to chance with balls in play. Kela was shipped out at the deadline, and it was Jose Leclerc who stepped in instead of Claudio. The Rangers ultimately shipped Claudio to Milwaukee, where he will likely serve as a specialist.

After Sam Dyson and Matt Bush stumbled in the first half, the Rangers made the peculiar choice to settle on Claudio, who opened the season in long relief, as their ninth-inning man. Though his left-handedness, mid-80s heat and 6.1 K/9 rate made him anything but a typical closer, Claudio got the job done with 11 saves in 15 chances, including four where he recorded four-plus outs. Claudio's prior experience as a long man made the Rangers comfortable using him more frequently than most other closers, with the 82.2 innings he logged trailing only Brad Hand among pitchers who recorded at least five saves. That sizable workload magnified the impact of Claudio's 2.50 ERA and 1.04 WHIP, numbers that could be repeatable given his excellent career 66.7 percent groundball and 1.9 BB/9 rates. It's unclear if Claudio will retain the closing gig heading into 2018, but if the Rangers fail to add an established endgame option before the season, the save chances should be his for the taking.

Claudio split time between Triple-A Round Rock and the majors once again in 2016 after struggling with the big club early on. From April through June, he held an unimpressive 4.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, and 5.5 K/9. He managed to right the ship over the second half of the season, however, posting a 1.87 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. His peripherals also point toward future success, as his 62.7 percent groundball rate and 0.4 HR/9 bode extremely well for a pitcher in a hitter-friendly environment such as Texas' Globe Life Park. Claudio doesn't light up the radar gun by any stroke of the imagination, but his outstanding control (1.7 BB/9) and ability to get left-handed hitters out (.177 BAA versus lefties) should help him compete for a more consistent role in the Rangers' bullpen during his age-25 season.

Claudio was shuttled back and forth between Triple-A Round Rock and the majors numerous times in 2015, pitching 15.2 innings with Texas and another 40 in the minors. Claudio's calling card during his ascent through the minors was his effectiveness against lefties, though he allowed a pair of homers to lefties in just 34 batters faced while with Texas. A shoulder strain put an early end to his season in September, but he's expected to be healthy for spring training, and he will be competing for a spot in the Texas bullpen as a lefty specialist.

The Rangers moved Claudio through four levels in 2014, and he finished the season getting a look in the big league bullpen. He more than held his own, carrying a 2.92 ERA that could have been better if he were less susceptible to hard contact (.389 BABIP). Just 23, Claudio is likely to end up in the bullpen at Triple-A to begin the season, but the Rangers may have a very useful left-handed reliever at their disposal. Claudio has an unusual sidearm delivery from the left side, which has enabled him to dominate against lefties (36.8% K%, 4.4% BB%) during his ascent through the minors. He fanned 40.0% of the lefties he faced during his time with Texas, but his lack of overpowering stuff makes him very vulnerable to righties.