Joe Boyle

The 6-foot-7 Boyle has always had loud stuff, but he didn't have good enough command to even project as a ninth-inning arm, let alone a starter. The Reds traded him to Oakland at the deadline for Sam Moll, and Boyle surprisingly went on to not only reach the majors, but have some success. He was good one time through the lineup against the Padres and then logged wins against the Tigers and Angels in late-September. Boyle's fastball averaged 98 mph and he can touch 100 mph. His upper-80s slider gives him a second plus pitch, and he threw his third-pitch curveball 10 percent of the time. His command woes (17.8 BB% in the minors last year) could resurface in spring training and prohibit him from even making the rotation, but Boyle has much better pure stuff than most Athletics pitchers. His home park makes him a viable home streamer, but it will be difficult for him to log wins given his projected pitch inefficiency and lack of run support. Read Past Outlooks