Joan Gregorio

The Giants finally made the move that many predicted for Gregorio, converting him from a starter to a reliever in 2015. The results were positive, as batters were hitting just .175 in 28 games against him as a reliever compared to .266 in nine games against him as a starter. The move to a reliever seemed inevitable for the 6-7 righty, as his low release point and lack of strong secondary pitches were not ideal for a starter. Gregorio's strength is his low-to-mid-90s fastball and, if he can control it, he will find himself in the majors soon enough.

Injuries and inconsistent mechanics limited Gregorio to 90.2 innings between Low-A Augusta and High-A San Jose last season, but he pitched well in the Sally League for the second straight second season before struggling in a limited sample against California League hitters. In addition to health, control has slowed Gregorio to this point in his development, but there is little debate that his stuff will be good enough to carry him to the big leagues. His role is to be determined, and his difficulty piling up full-season workloads as a starter will only fuel speculation that a shift to relief work is on the horizon. At 6-foot-7 and 180 pounds, Gregorio has plenty of room to add bulk to his frame, but he already has a low-90s fastball and secondary pitches that can be filthy when his command is on. At age 23, he'll likely begin his 2015 season back in the California League, and his raw potential may lead the Giants to continue with a patient approach in his development as a starter. If he changes roles, Gregorio could move through the minors much more quickly with the potential of becoming a very good late-inning arm.