Jefry Marte

The Angels split Marte's time between Salt Lake City and Anaheim in 2017, before his season was eventually cut short in September due to a foot fracture. There was nothing in his major-league line (.173/.269/.307) that helped his case for a bench spot in 2018, and the team's upgrades since the second half of 2017 will make it even more difficult for Marte to contribute as a player shuttled on and off the roster throughout the upcoming season. Even if he ends up getting a look elsewhere, Marte looks like a Quadruple-A player, and regular duty against top-level pitching would almost certainly make him a liability at the plate. The foot injury should heal in time for the start of spring training, but Marte will need multiple players on the depth chart ahead of him to go down with injuries before he's considered anything more than one of the final options off the bench.

Marte was acquired last winter from the Tigers, beginning the season at Triple-A Salt Lake before getting the call in mid-May only to be sent right back down, returning at the end of the month for the duration of the season. Marte is a third baseman by trade but can dabble at first and corner outfield, increasing the probability he cracks the Opening Day roster. Just 25, the righty has above-average power while hitting sufficient flyballs to take advantage. His contact rate is average, though it would behoove him to draw a few more walks. Heading into the season, Marte isn't ticketed for a starting job, but with the aging and fragile duo of Yunel Escobar and Cameron Maybin slated for third base and left field, respectively, Marte's bat should make its way into the lineup frequently enough to be a sneaky play in AL-only formats. There's a decent chance he takes over at one of the spots regularly, at which point his power makes him mixed-league-worthy, and he could see an uptick in playing time to begin the season with Albert Pujols working his way back from foot surgery.

Marte may never live up to the star potential that he flashed in rookie ball, but he will be a solid role player in the majors. He was signed by the Tigers in 2015 as a minor league free agent and promptly went .271/.337/.497 with 13 homers for Triple-A Toledo prior to his call-up. Marte stuck with the Tigers and delivered a .213/.284/.413 slash line, four home runs and 11 RBI in 80 at-bats while filling in for Miguel Cabrera. His raw power is solid and his knowledge of the strike zone has been growing each season. Marte will likely be a back-up infielder in 2016.