Steven

Shell

Shell, 22, seems to be coming around lately. Overall, he’s 5-5 with a 5.15 ERA, 99 H and 68/37 K/BB in 87 1/3 IP for Arkansas, but he’s a better prospect than that.

Just like last year, many of the most interesting minor league free agents are choosing to sign with the Nats, a team perceived to have a lot of potential openings. Shell, a former Angels prospect, definitely qualifies, though he’s turned in back-to-back disappointing seasons. Maybe he’ll find himself as a full-time reliever. However, because of the Nationals’ needs, he’ll probably be in the rotation at Triple-A Columbus initially. Brownlie, a one-time star at Rutgers and Cubs’ first-round pick, returned to the minors from indy ball last season and had a 3.17 ERA in 48 1/3 IP for Double-A Akron. Warden, another signing out of the Cleveland system, has a chance to contribute in middle relief right away.

Shell actually pitched a scoreless inning today, but he’s another one of the fall guys after the Nats’ terrible start. Expect some team to pluck him off waivers. He has a 2.45 ERA in 55 innings since debuting last season. Maybe his original organization, the Angels, will want him back.

Though he was off to a rough start this season, Shell has sported a 2.45 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP in 55 innings since his recall last June. He could have easily been the Nats’ top reliever over the rest of the season, but he’ll help another team’s bullpen instead.

Shell, a longtime Angels prospect, will be making his major league debut at age 25. He was mediocre as a starter at Columbus early on, but he had a 1.78 ERA in 36 1/3 innings as a reliever. This is the kind of pitcher the last-place Nationals should be trying in middle relief.

Shell, a former Angels prospect, has been quite a find since signing a minor league deal with Washington. He has a 1.96 ERA in 41 1/3 innings out of the pen, and the stuff is there for him to be a quality setup man going forward.

Shell registered a 3.59 ERA and 51/19 K/BB ratio in 21 appearances for the Mariners’ Triple-A team this year. He’ll turn 28 before the start of the 2011 season and is a longshot for a spot on the Royals’ roster.

Shell, who turns 28 in March, posted a 3.59 ERA and 51/19 K/BB ratio in 21 games (nine starts) this past season with Triple-A Tacoma in the Mariners’ organization. He hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since April 19, 2009 as a member of the Nationals.

Shell inked free agent deal with the Royals this past winter but never climbed his way to Kansas City. The 28-year-old will operate as relief depth for Atlanta.