Kelby Tomlinson

After his first couple seasons, Tomlinson appeared on his way to carving out a nice little career as a short-end platoon infielder. However, over the past two seasons he's done his best to kill the narrative that he's good against lefties. His batting line against left-handed pitching fell from .306/.367/.361 in 2016 to .270/.371/.324 in 2017. In 2018, that line sunk all the way to .197/.269/.254 as Tomlinson actually ended up with reverse splits over 152 total plate appearances. He struck out more than ever before (23%), walked less than ever (5.9%) and was caught on both of his stolen-base attempts. He's a virtual zero in the power department with just three home runs in 273 career major-league games. Now with the Diamondbacks on a minor-league deal, Tomlinson will have to scratch and claw for a bench spot in spring training.

Tomlinson's calling card has been his ability to hit lefties, but he took a step back in that regard last season with his OPS against southpaws slipping below .700. He continued to get on base at a useful clip against lefties (.371 OBP), but he didn't hit for average and there was a total absence of power. On the plus side, Tomlinson was efficient on the basepaths, going 9-for-10 on stolen-base attempts, and he saw enough time at third base (24 games) and second (20 games) to qualify at two positions entering 2018. He could gain shortstop eligibility as well if Brandon Crawford continues to sit occasionally against southpaws this season. The positional flexibility and speed aren't strong enough selling points in standard leagues, but if you're looking to fill one of your final bench spots in an NL-only league, you could do worse.

Tomlinson started the year in the majors as a backup infielder for the Giants. He suffered a thumb injury in June and was placed on the 15-day DL, but a crowded roster prevented him from getting back to the big leagues until rosters expanded in September. The speedy infielder batted .292 with 13 runs and five steals in 120 plate appearances, but he slugged just .330, showing that he is much more of a contact hitter than a player that can put a charge into the ball. Despite the lack of power, his 2016 totals would have been valuable from a middle infielder if they were prorated over the course of a full season. He also swiped 12 bags in 202 plate appearances with Triple-A Sacramento and is only two seasons removed from a 49-steal minor league season. The problem for Tomlinson is that the Giants have a crowded infield up the middle, so it would take an injury or a trade to open up significant playing time. Barring those unforeseen events, he should resume his role as a backup infielder in 2017.

Joe Panik's placement on the DL with a back injury in early August created an opportunity for Tomlinson, who was a 12th-round pick by the Giants in 2011. Tomlinson had displayed decent contact skills and a proficiency on the basepaths throughout his minor league career, including at the upper levels during the first four months of 2015. While he struck out more often and was only 5-for-9 on stolen-base attempts while with the big club, his audition goes down as a success because he beat up on left-handed pitching (.913 OPS). The power was surprising - Tomlinson has only eight total home runs in five minor league seasons - but the 25-year-old has experience playing shortstop and could be in the running for a utility job this spring.