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Pineda ready to compete for a spot in Yankees' rotation

Michael Pineda hasn't pitched in the majors in two years, so you're excused if you forgot he existed.

But he does exist, inasmuch as anything exists on a metaphysical level, and he's reportedly 100 percent entering spring training.

Michael Pineda (AP Photo)

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Here's a quick reminder of who Pineda is and what he's done, taken from our SP overview:

"Pineda finished [the 2011] season with a 3.74/1.10 line and 9.11 K/9 ratio. He flashed that same ability in his 10 minor league starts last year (3.32/1.11, 9.1 K/9 ratio), which is obviously a good sign."

It should be noted that Pineda's breakthrough 2011 campaign came in Seattle. He was traded the year after and has been in the Yankees' system since.

The 25-year-old righty clearly has talent. He possesses (possessed?) a mid-90s fastball and a mid-80s slider, both of which devastated major league hitters in '11. Those were basically the only pitches he threw that year, so it's no wonder his right arm and shoulder took a beating.

It's possible that Pineda will shy away from throwing as many sliders, which could hurt his value. We saw this happen with Francisco Liriano after his Tommy John surgery in '06, and it wasn't until he started throwing them again four years later that he became an effective pitcher. Fortunately for Pineda, it wasn't his elbow that gave him trouble, but we know it can take time for pitchers to truly trust themselves after serious injuries.

Pineda will also have to contend with a smaller ballpark. He was a pretty extreme fly-ball pitcher in '11, ranking sixth among qualified starters in FB percentage (44.8). That will require an adjustment, especially if his pitches aren't as sharp.

Pineda could go a lot of different ways this year, including to the minors (he still has options left). Even if he makes the rotation, his draft stock won't be very high. It's actually an ideal situation for fantasy owners, who don't have much to lose by taking a shot on him in the late rounds. (We rank him No. 105 among SPs, but that's largely because we don't expect him to make more than 20 starts.)

Pineda should be one of the most-watched players this spring. If he's even close to his '11 form, he'll be a major value-pick. If he's not, well, you can just go right back to forgetting he exists.

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