Josh Rutledge

After an injury to Pablo Sandoval early in the season, Rutledge earned a callup from Triple-A Pawtucket to help provide infield depth. The 27-year-old slashed a serviceable .265/.345/.388 in 28 at-bats in the big leagues before suffering a season-ending knee injury. He also showed his versatility by making appearances at shortstop along with second and third base. He was outrighted to Triple-A Pawtucket after the season. However, the Red Sox reclaimed him in the Rule 5 draft for organizational depth after parting ways with multiple infield pieces. Rutledge has had success in the past hitting lefties, sporting a .313 career average against them, something that could earn him opportunities opposite Boston's other utility man, Brock Holt, who batted just .105 against lefties in 2016. Perhaps Rutledge will carry some AL-only fantasy value.

Rutledge spent time with two organizations in 2015, beginning the year with the Angels before being traded to Boston for Shane Victorino. He never got out of Triple-A while with the Angels but put up serviceable numbers at Triple-A Salt Lake. The Red Sox put him to work immediately at the major-league level, as Rutledge’s versatility – he’s played shortstop, second base and third base during his career – earned him at-bats as injuries hit Dustin Pedroia and Pablo Sandoval. He fared reasonably well, but there simply was no room for Rutledge with the likes of Brock Holt and Travis Shaw filling bench roles, and the Red Sox designated him for assignment in November. After passing through waivers unclaimed, Rutledge was outrighted to Triple-A Pawtucket, where he figures to spend most of the year as organizational depth.

Handed a large chunk of playing time when a torn labrum limited Troy Tulowitzki to 91 games, Rutledge was a colossal disappointment in his attempt to demonstrate that he was a viable replacement option. While he was more detrimental to the Rockies on the defensive end, Rutledge’s .269 batting average, four homers and two stolen bases over 342 plate appearances weren’t particularly encouraging outputs for a bat-first middle infielder. Plate discipline remains the overriding concern for Rutledge, who owns a career 5.4% walk rate and also saw his strikeout rate take a steep hike upward in 2014. The 25-year-old still has time to make the necessary corrections with his hitting mechanics, but the Rockies gave up on the idea of him becoming the heir apparent to Tulowitzki at shortstop and traded him to the Angels. He'll compete for playing time at second base in Los Angeles, but he'll need to improve with the glove to win a sizable role.

Rutledge earned the Opening Day second base job on the strength of his splendid major league debut a season before, but was a bust right from the get-go, earning a demotion to Triple-A in May after struggling offensively and in the field. Though he enjoyed good numbers at Triple-A and eventually found his way back to the Rockies on a couple more occasions, Rutledge was never able to recapture the success he enjoyed in 2012, finishing the season with a dismal .235/.294/.337 line over 314 plate appearances. Although Rutledge’s numbers were down in almost every category, he did raise his walk rate considerably during his trials in the majors and stole 12 bases, putting him at a perfect 19-for-19 on steal attempts for his career. D.J. LeMahieu probably has the inside track for the starting second base job this spring, but Rutledge offers significantly more upside of the two players based on the power potential he brings to the position. It’s certainly within Rutledge’s capacity to reclaim the job if he can meld his newfound plate discipline with the hitting skills he’s previously shown.

With the Rockies struggling to get offensive production at shortstop with Troy Tulowitzki out with a wrist injury, Rutledge received a callup from Double-A Tulsa in July. He exceeded any of the team's wildest expectations early on, batting .345 with seven home runs and five stolen bases through his first two months in the big leagues. Once pitchers started figuring out the book on him, Rutledge was exposed down the stretch, with his low walk rate resulting in a rather ordinary .306 on-base percentage by season's end. Assuming Tulowitzki enters this season healthy, Rutledge will move over to second base full time, giving him eligibility at both middle-infield positions in most leagues. While Rutledge's average may drain some of his value if his lack of plate discipline continues, he has a great chance at reaching double-digit home runs and steals batting near the top of the Rockies lineup.