Josh Reddick

It will be interesting to see if Reddick maintains his left-handed-hitting side of a right field platoon as he enters the last year of his contract. His defense continues to be an asset as Reddick's nine defensive runs saved tied for third best at the position. At the plate, his average bounced back after a down 2018, but his power dipped in a juiced-ball year. Reddick's OBP suffered with a career-low 6.5 BB%, dropping his runs down considerably compared to his previous seasons with the Astros. If Reddick's offense continues to slide -- his wRC+ has declined the past two seasons -- he may lose playing time to Kyle Tucker. For fantasy, Reddick's lack of power and diminishing run production renders him reserve fodder in mixed leagues. In AL-only, don't assume he'll play as much as the past few years, but don't cross him off your cheat sheet either. His defense will keep earning him playing time.

With a 72-point drop in batting average, Reddick finished with his lowest mark since 2013. That .242 final figure from 2018 ended a five-year run of batting-average improvement for the outfielder and pushed him down in the lineup and significantly impacted his RBI opportunities. The automatic thought would be blaming the drop on a regression in batting average against lefties after the .315 effort Reddick had in 2017, but the .269 average against lefties in 2018 was more than serviceable. The problem was righties as Reddick's average fell 83 points year over year despite a jump in walk rate and only a slight decline in strikeouts. It was the first time in five seasons Reddick failed to hit at least .280 against righties. He was his own worst enemy with a career-high pull rate against lefties, which played right into the shifted defense. This is fixable, so take advantage of the market discount.

Although he did not return to the 30-homer level he reached back in 2012 with Oakland, Reddick had the most complete offensive season of his career in 2017. For the third straight season, he struck out less than 15 percent of the time, and although he hit just 13 homers, Reddick was a doubles machine en route to a career-high total of 34. While he has more power against righties, Reddick held his own against lefties enough to earn occasional starts against them throughout the season, but one year of success after a career's worth of struggles won't be enough for Houston to bank on him in those matchups going forward. All things considered, Reddick does a lot of things well, and he may be slightly undervalued due to his lack of gaudy power and speed contributions. His floor is stabilized by the quality of the bats around him.

Reddick signed a four-year contract with the Astros in November, meaning he'll start 2017 with the fifth different organization of his career. He began 2016 with the Athletics before being dealt to the Dodgers at the trade deadline. Reddick was raking early, hitting .322 with five homers, 18 RBI and 21 runs in 41 games before fracturing his thumb May 19. He returned in late June but was unable to get things going, hitting only .258 with five homers the rest of the way. The left-handed hitter has always scuffled versus southpaws, but 2016 was extreme as he hit a career-low .155 versus left-handers, including just .121 with the Dodgers. The Astros acquired Reddick to balance a righty-heavy lineup, so expect him to play regularly against right-handers while sitting versus most lefties. However, his strong glove may earn him late-game playing time on days he doesn't start. Reddick's power and placement in what should be one of the best lineups in baseball makes him a viable starting outfielder in mixed leagues, just don't count on everyday at-bats.

After a strong second half of 2014, hopes were high for a return to form for Reddick and for the most part, he satisfied those hopes with a solid 2015. Reddick hit 20 homers for only the second time in his career and managed to hit .272, his highest mark in his four years in Oakland. Reddick has changed his approach at the plate and cut his K% down to 11.2 % in 2015. In playing his first full season since 2012, Reddick faded down the stretch, as he hit only .240 with a .733 OPS after August 1st after sporting a .288 average with an .806 OPS in the first four months of the season. The one negative takeaway from Reddick's season was the deterioration of his former Gold Glove defense in right field. Reddick will be slotted into the middle of the order for the A's to start the year and should be a nice source of power, especially if he can avoid a late-season fade.

After hitting 32 homers in a breakout 2012 season, Reddick followed up with back-to-back 12-homer seasons. However, there is no doubt that 2014 was a lot better than 2013, and it was really not far off from 2012 (.763 OPS in 2014 and .768 OPS in 2012). The issue for Reddick the last two years has been an inability to stay healthy. After a wrist injury bugged Reddick for all of 2013, he battled leg issues for much of 2014 and had two different stints on the disabled list for knee injuries. Once Reddick got healthy, he had a strong second half, hitting .299 with an .869 OPS after the All-Star break. Reddick will be the A's starter in right field to start the year -- his 38 outfield assists over the last three years rank second in the American League during that span -- and he could be a nice value if he can stay healthy and continue to build on his second-half success.

After breaking out with 32 home runs in his first year in Oakland in 2012, Reddick had a brutal 2013, hitting .226 with only 12 home runs over 385 at-bats. Reddick crashed into the fence in foul territory in Houston in April and injured his wrist and never seemed to be the same after the injury. He spent nearly four weeks on the DL in May and had surgery on his wrist after the season ended. With health, the power should return for Reddick and his Gold Glove-level defense will keep him in the lineup, but his batting average has to be a big concern for fantasy owners as his breakout in 2012 was underpinned by a .242 mark.

Reddick was acquired in the offseason from Boston in the Andrew Bailey trade and was slotted into the full-time right field job. All Reddick did with the opportunity was hit 32 home runs and win a Gold Glove in right field. Reddick slipped in the second half as pitchers adjusted and had an ugly .215/.256/.391 line after the All-Star break. Much of that was in a particularly miserable September. Reddick will be the starter in right field in 2013 for Oakland and even through slumps, his defense and ridiculous throwing arm will help keep him in the lineup. He certainly has power, and will help you in home runs and hopefully can avoid the late fade in 2013 now that he has a full season under his belt.

Reddick, a former top prospect that now has some tarnish, gave the Red Sox some quality production when called up in June to replace an injured Carl Crawford. He used that hot start to maintain a role as a depth outfielder when Crawford returned and was in the right field mix when J.D. Drew was unavailable. His hitting slipped back to the norm in the final months, though at least Reddick put himself back on the radar. Traded to Oakland in December, Reddick now has a much clearer path to everyday at-bats with his new club and should enter spring training with an inside track to a starting job.

Reddick was a comer in the organization, showing good power at the lower levels and had a tremendous spring training in 2010. It was all looking good for him in April last season, but he started poorly at Triple-A Pawtucket and those problems lingered until a torrid August. Scouts said he looked tentative at the plate, which is surprising because he's such an aggressive swinger. Selectivity at the plate remains an issue and that aggressiveness gets him into trouble against the more advanced pitching. The Red Sox still have confidence in him, but 2010 was a step back for Reddick, and he's moved behind Ryan Kalish as the organization's top outfield prospect. His 2011 outlook really depends on what the Red Sox do in the free-agent market. Reddick could stick as a fifth outfielder, but a return to Pawtucket is likely.

Reddick, 23, has been a quickly rising through the Red Sox's organization and that continued in 2009 when he reached Boston in August and September. An oblique injury marred a quick start at Double-A Portland, costing him the month of May and he struggled to find his timing in June, but he re-established his bat and Boston noticed. Improved pitch recognition and selection, though he still has some work to do in that area, are seen as the keys to his rapid rise within the organization. And the power he showed in A-ball continued in Portland. He'll begin 2010 at Triple-A Pawtucket, but his major league experience in 2009 should make him the first to get the call if Boston is in need of an outfielder.

Reddick touched three levels in the organization, eventually landing at Double-A Portland, after putting up impressive numbers at the hitter's paradise known as the California League (High-A Lancaster). He's a contact hitter with poor plate discipline and some power potential. The club is working on his nutrition habits to beef up his 180-pound frame. He's in the team's future plans and can play three outfield positions. He'll start at Portland where the organization will continue to harp on his patience at the plate and look for those 17 homers in Lancaster to translate.