Brad Peacock

Peacock transitioned back to the starting rotation last year after spending the entire 2018 season in a relief role, though he made just 15 starts before a bout of shoulder inflammation derailed his season. The righty battled the issue for the final three-plus months of the season, resulting in a pair of trips to the IL while limiting Peacock to just six relief appearances in the second half. When healthy, Peacock saw his performance slip; his ERA increased for a third straight season to 4.12, while he posted his worst strikeout rate (9.43 K/9) since 2016. The veteran also showed significant platoon splits, holding righties to a .553 OPS but struggling to a .912 mark vs. lefties. Peacock could challenge for a rotation spot in spring, though at this stage in his career, he seems to fit better in the bullpen -- he posted a 3.27 ERA as a reliever in 2019 compared to his 4.24 mark as a starter.

Peacock had by some measures the best season of his career in 2018, posting career-bests in strikeout rate (35.3%) and walk rate (7.4%) to go along with a 3.46 ERA. His reduced workload made him far less valuable as a fantasy asset, however, as he threw just 65 innings after throwing 132 the previous season and made just a single start (in which he threw just 1.2 innings as part of a bullpen game). At his age, Peacock seems unlikely to transition back to starting, and it's hard to imagine he will be in the closer conversation even if something happens to Roberto Osuna. The veteran's ratios make him a decent, low-risk option in deep leagues, and he's worth keeping an eye on in case he does end up making a temporary return to the rotation, but his ceiling is likely to remain low if he sticks in his current job.

A replacement-level swingman in 2016, Peacock took a massive leap forward last season and established himself as one of the most important arms on a championship-winning pitching staff. In fact, he led all full-season (non-Justin Verlander) Astros pitchers in fWAR with 3.4. He provided stability at the back end of the rotation when injuries hit, posting a 3.22 ERA in 111.2 innings as a starter, and was dominant out of the bullpen (.143/.268/.214). The right-hander saw a big uptick in strikeouts year-over-year, with his strikeout rate jumping three per nine to 11.0 K/9. That spike went hand-in-hand with a massive improvement in the quality of his slider, which was tied closely to the lowering of his arm slot. His walk rate remains high (3.9 BB/9), and he seems unlikely to see a big spike in innings at this point in his career, but his development is legitimate. The innings Peacock gives you should be very good.

A consensus top-100 prospect before the 2012 season, Peacock battled injuries throughout a winding career through the Nationals system before landing in Houston. He yo-yoed back and forth between Houston and Triple-A Fresno the prior three years, and 2016 was no exception. He started 21 games for Fresno, and put up a 4.23 ERA and 1.38 WHIP. He looked good with a 9.2 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9, but he failed to replicate that performance once he got called up to the Astros in mid-August. After a few relief appearances, Peacock got five September starts, which went well until he got shelled for five earned runs in his final outing on Sept. 30. While his 3.69 major league ERA was decent, the signing of veteran Charlie Morton likely cements Peacock's role as a long reliever entering the season. He would need at least a couple injuries ahead of him to find his way to spot starts.

A former top pitching prospect, Peacock has not been particularly effective at the big league level thus far in his career. Unfortunately, recent injuries - including an intercostal strain last April and surgery last August to remove bone spurs in his hip that were pinching a nerve near his spine - have prevented him from improving upon his career 4.69 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 50 big league appearances (41 starts). On the plus side, Peacock is still relatively young (he's entering his age-28 season) and the Astros are confident he'll be healthy for the start of 2016. It doesn't look like a rotation spot will be available, so a move to the bullpen may be in store for the right-hander.

After a rough spring, Peacock opened 2014 in the Astros' bullpen, but the mid-April departure of Lucas Harrell cleared a spot for him in the starting rotation. Peacock struggled, however, going 4-9 with a 4.72 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 4.8 BB/9 and 1.4 HR/9 in 28 appearances (24 starts) for Houston. He struck out batters at a decent clip (8.1 K/9) and did finish the season on a high note with a 2.33 September ERA, but high pitch counts often meant he failed to make it past the sixth inning. With plenty to improve upon, Peacock first has an injury setback to overcome, as he recently underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurs from his right hip, which puts him in danger of missing spring training and possibly even the start of the regular season.

Despite a poor showing at the Triple-A level in 2012, Peacock broke camp as the Astros' fourth starter last season. The 26-year-old struggled mightily out of the gate, posting a 9.41 ERA and 1.91 WHIP during the month of April before he was relegated to the bullpen, and subsequently demoted to Triple-A. Peacock turned things around over 13 starts for Oklahoma City before Houston gave him another shot in the rotation in August. The right-hander finished the season with much better results, including an 8.3 K/9 that far outweighed his ugly 5.18 ERA. While Peacock would benefit from cutting down on his walks (4.0 BB/9) and home runs (1.6 HR/9), plenty of upside remains as he contends for a 2014 rotation spot this spring.

After being included as part of the return in the Gio Gonzalez trade, Peacock was expected to contend for a rotation spot in Oakland. Instead, he spent the entire season as a starter at Triple-A Sacramento, where poor control (4.4 BB/9) and inconsistent results enabled A.J. Griffin and Dan Straily to leapfrog him on the organizational depth chart. While free passes were an issue, Peacock continued to miss bats at an impressive clip (9.3 K/9). Further, he was victimized by a 60.8 percent strand rate and his 4.26 FIP is a better indication of his skill level than last season's 6.01 ERA. A move to the bullpen would increase his chances of contributing to the A's in 2013, but the potential for more long-term value exists if he remains a starter and tries to iron out the control issues at Sacramento again.

Peacock’s stock rose in 2011 after posting a 1.87 FIP and 11.77 K/9IP in 98.2 innings for Double-A. He wasn’t as successful in Triple-A, but his ERA of 3.19 in 48 innings was impressive. He did not miss many bats in his 12 innings with the Nationals (4.5 percent swinging-strike rate), despite featuring a fastball that averaged 92.7 mph, a curveball (74.7 mph) and a decent change-up (82.5 mph). Long term, Peacock could end up as a late-inning reliever, but he should receive an opportunity to earn a spot in the A's rotation after being traded to Oakland as part of the Gio Gonzalez deal in December.

Peacock blossomed in 2010, ripping through High-A with a K/9IP rate north of 10.0 and establishing himself as a very intriguing arm. The Nationals used him out of the bullpen in the Arizona Fall League, and his mid-90s fastball and nasty slider played very well in relief. But if his mediocre changeup catches up to his better offerings he may yet have a future in the rotation.