Ryan Weiss

Weiss is part of a large group of pitchers returning from overseas this winter, though unlike the rest of them, he's yet to make his big-league debut. He signed with the CPBL's Fubon Guardians two years ago as a 27-year-old after struggling to a 6.72 ERA and 1.80 WHIP across parts of three seasons at the Triple-A level, then moved on to the KBO's Hanwha Eagles five starts later. Weiss took big steps forward in his two seasons in Korea, particularly this past year, where he helped his team reach the Korean Series by posting a 2.87 ERA and 1.02 WHIP across 30 starts, pairing a 28.6 K% with a 7.7 BB%. It was enough to convince the Astros to sign him to a one-year, $2.6 million deal, though that's not a contract which implies the team is committed to giving him a rotation role. He appears lined up to compete for a back-end starter job this spring, but he may fit best in the bullpen, where his fastball and slider could cause problems for righties if his stuff ticks up in shorter stints. Read Past Outlooks