Jacob Barnes

Despite a rough spring, Barnes broke camp in the Brewers' bullpen and picked up an Opening Day save in an extra-inning affair. Barnes was then part of the committee employed by Craig Counsell when Corey Knebel was sidelined. After a couple of blown saves, Barnes was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs and made the trip from the minors to the majors a few times over the course of the summer. After garnering 24 holds in 2017, Barnes was used primarily in lower-leverage scenarios, logging only four holds last season. Persistent control issues combined with a high .325 BABIP led to an excess of baserunners. The previous season, Barnes sported a 26.2 K%, but last year, it was just 21.7%. Counsell runs a fluid bullpen, so Barnes will have a chance to reestablish a late-inning role, but unless he cranks up the whiffs again, his fantasy value will be minimal.

Barnes played a key role out of the Brewers' bullpen a year ago, finishing second on the team in appearances and working in either the seventh or eighth innings for the bulk of the campaign. He will head into 2018 in a similar spot, and there is a chance he could open as the setup man in front of closer Corey Knebel. Barnes was dominant for the first two months last year -- he owned 2.77 ERA at the end of May -- but he faded a bit over the second half in his first full season in the big leagues. Still, he averaged over a strikeout per inning and nearly 97 mph on his fastball, so he will have several likable traits if for any reason he finds himself in the mix for saves in 2018.

Barnes has steadily climbed the Brewers' minor league ladder since being drafted in the 14th round (431 overall) of the 2011 draft. He has consistently posted excellent strikeout rates with decent control and good home run suppression, and that was enough to earn him a June callup. Barnes finished with a sharp 2.70 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 26.2 innings, but he was particularly excellent following the All-Star break. In those final 14 appearances, Barnes allowed just two earned runs for a 1.42 EERA and held opponents to a .239/.271/.283 batting line. His fastball averaged a healthy 95.6 mph and his slider drew whiffs nearly 30 percent of the time. If he can continue to control his slider like he did in 2016, Barnes could have a lengthy future in Milwaukee's bullpen.