Jace Peterson

Peterson proved to be a useful bench piece for Milwaukee last season, hitting .247/.348/.367 (good for a roughly average 97 wRC+) in 94 games while appearing everywhere except catcher and center field.

After the Braves declined to tender Peterson a contract, the Yankees scooped him up on a minor-league deal. He then spent two stints with the major-league club in the month of April, getting designated for assignment after each cup of coffee. He wound up finding a more permanent home with the Orioles for the rest of the season, but the results still weren't pretty. When all was said and done, the utility man finished the season with an underwhelming .200/.310/.324 slash line to go with three home runs and 28 RBI. He did supply a bit of value in the stolen-base department (13-for-16 on stolen base attempts), though his inability to hit the ball really limits his upside. After returning to the Orioles on a minor-league deal, Peterson figures to be in the running for a bench spot once again.

Peterson has been unable to lock down an everyday role for the Braves over the past two seasons after racking up 152 games for Atlanta in 2015. He's shown flashes of tools at times, but a lack of efficiency on the basepaths (22-for-37 on stolen-base attempts) has limited his chances to run, as has his modest OBP (career .319) despite his ability to draw free passes (career 10.7 percent walk rate). The Braves declined to tender Peterson a contract in December, making him a free agent, and leading them to look elsewhere for bench help during the offseason. If he ends up inking a deal prior to the start of spring training, it will likely be a non-guaranteed contract, and he could be forced to spend time at Triple-A in order to get another look at the big-league level. Peterson turns 28 in May, making it unlikely that he will garner more than a reserve role as a left-handed bat off the bench capable of handling multiple spots defensively.

Peterson's strikeout and walk rates have improved in each of his first three major league seasons. 100-plus words to go and we're running out of positive things to say about Peterson. He was an asset last year with his .350 OBP and has minor upside in stolen bases, but nothing else about his game adds value. He cannot hit lefties and slots toward the bottom of the lineup without much pop, so his opportunities to produce as well as his past production lack substance. Ideally, he is a reserve player on a team, but for now, he gets the strong side of the platoon, but even that should come to an end once Atlanta finds a better defensive option. Ozzie Albies could come up and take away the playing time at some point in 2017 once he is fully recovered from the elbow injury that ended his 2016 season. Peterson is nothing but a boring plate-appearance hog.

As the Braves' primary second baseman, Peterson played his first full season in the major leagues in 2015. After Peterson struggled with the Padres in his rookie season, the Braves acquired him when they traded away Justin Upton before the 2015 season. Peterson helped fill a definite need at second base and had a fairly productive year doing so. In his 152 games he managed to hit .239/.314/.339 and his bright spot at the plate were 22 doubles and five triples. Peterson doesn't hit for much power but he's a stolen base threat and a guy that gets on base. Peterson is looking to be the frontrunner for Atlanta's starting second baseman in 2016, and he's expected to continue to grow into a threat at the plate.

When a bout of plantar fasciitis forced Jedd Gyorko onto the DL in June, Peterson received a brief audition in the starting role at second base for San Diego. He had hit .303/.382/.454 with seven homers, 42 stolen bases and a 54:58 K:BB rate in 113 games with High-A Lake Elsinore the year before as a 23-year-old, and showed no signs of slowing down upon his promotion to Triple-A El Paso early in 2014 (.354/.455/.585 in May). The results in his time with the major league club were abysmal, however, as he notched just six hits (all singles) and two walks in 58 plate appearances, and the Padres ultimately decided to leave him off their expanded September roster. He did hold onto his 40-man roster spot at the Rule 5 deadline, but the Padres included Peterson as part of the package for Justin Upton in the offseason. After a hot spring, Peterson appears set to open the year as the Braves' primary option at second base. There is some stolen base appeal here, even with his expected spot in the bottom-third of the batting order.

Peterson spent the entire year at High-A Lake Elsinore, posting a .303/.382/.454 batting line with seven homers, 66 RBI, 78 runs, and 42 stolen bases. The former second-round pick of the 2011 draft continues to show off superior speed on the basepaths, succeeding on 132-of-165 attempts during three minor league seasons. Consequently, he's expected to make the necessary jump to Double-A San Antonio.