Just a few years ago, the Arizona Diamondbacks possessed one of the top prospects in all of baseball. Archie Bradley rated as MLB.com's ninth-best prospect in 2014 and primed to become of baseball's next top pitchers. Fast forward to now and even after a solid spring, the Arizona Diamondbacks announced Bradley will work out of the bullpen to begin the season.
A short stint in the majors in 2015 proved to be an ugly debut for Bradley. He allowed 36 hits, 23 earned runs and had a 23/22 K/BB ratio across 35 2/3 innings pitched. As a result, Bradley started the 2016 season in Triple-A where he dominated minor league hitters to the tune of a 10.4 K/9 rate, 1.99 ERA and just 26 hits allowed across 40 2/3 innings for Triple-A Reno.
He earned a promotion back to the majors and received an extended run in Arizona's rotation, but once again the results resembled a sunburn. Across 141 2/3 innings pitched with Arizona last season, Bradley registered an abysmal 4.09 BB/9 rate with a 5.02 ERA, 1.02 HR/9 and 154 hits allowed. His issues locating his pitches consistently resulted in countless walks and plenty of hits on a frequent basis.
There is good news for Bradley and reason why it's too soon to give up on the former elite prospect. He developed a slider that he started using in the second half of the season and when paired with a more consistent curveball, it could give Bradley three good pitches when the command is right and he uses them interchangeably.
Then you pair it with some of the hard luck factors, a .338 BABIP allowed to opponents, which strays from career norms that sat sub-.300, and a FIP that indicated Bradley's ERA should have been closer to the low fours. Hits and command proved to be a problem, but some bad luck and balls just finding the right spots sprayed around the field played a supporting role in the ugly season.
It's fair to say Bradley didn't perform well enough to win the final rotation spot. Across 14 2/3 innings, he relinquished 23 hits, 13 earned runs and had a 1.84 WHIP. But he did throw more than 70 percent of his pitches for strikes and Arizona's rotation remains iffy with the likes of Shelby Miller and his injury concerns.
If Bradley can start to miss bats more frequently and start giving up weaker contact out of the bullpen in long looks, he'll receive another opportunity to get in the rotation. But until then, fantasy owners in non-keeper leagues should avoid him. There's just too many other options and sleepers worth stashing over a long reliever who could start a few months from now.