A.J. Jimenez

Jimenez suffered through yet another injury-plagued season, something that's quickly becoming a recurring problem for the promising catcher prospect. He played in Double-A and Triple-A last season, hitting a combined .194/.261/.278 line in just 28 games. Jimenez had surgery on his left wrist in June and missed the remainder of the 2015 season, and he has never played in more than 102 games in a minor league season with just 2015 games played over the past four seasons, with a laundry list of injuries that includes Tommy John surgery in 2012. Once one of the team's most promising prospects, he's no longer listed among their top-30 prospects. He's likely to start in Triple-A, but with Max Pentecost and Dan Jansen coming up through the system and Russell Martin signed to a long-term deal, Jimenez's path to the big leagues is exceedingly crowded. Furthermore, he hasn't hit above .260 at any level since 2013, which means that he will need to pick up his production at the plate if he wants to see a role at the major league level.

A 2008 ninth-round pick, Jimenez has done well to advance so far up the Blue Jays’ organizational ladder, finishing 2014 with 58 games at Triple-A Buffalo. His defensive chops are the primary reason he has continued to rise through the minor league ranks. Jimenez hosed 42 percent of would-be base stealers at Triple-A, and figures to be an above-average catcher in all respects defensively. Sadly, the bat lags behind the defensive profile. The 24-year-old slashed .249/.289/.351 with four home runs in 339 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A in 2014. The Blue Jays have clearly taken note of Jimenez’s offensive struggles, signing Russell Martin to a long-term deal this offseason, essentially wrapping up the everyday job behind the plate for the foreseeable future. While Jimenez may carve out a role as Martin’s backup in the coming years, he is unlikely to bring much to the table from a fantasy standpoint.

Jimenez spent most of 2013 with Double-A New Hampshire, slashing .276/.327/.394 with three home runs and one stolen base in 223 plate appearances. He earned a brief promotion to Triple-A Buffalo at the end of the season, indicating that he could open 2014 at the highest level of the minors. While a lack of power limits his upside, Jimenez shows good enough bat control to potentially make it as a backup in the majors. The addition of Dioner Navarro and Erik Kratz during the offseason will likely afford Jimenez to get a full season in as a starter at Triple-A.