Brock Holt

While the counting stats are almost impossibly bad given the run environment in 2019 and the offense he was in, Holt was slightly better than average by real-world measures on a per-plate-appearance basis. His plate-discipline numbers were right in line with his career averages, as Holt struck out a shade under 20% of the time and walked close to 10% of the time. He hit plenty of line drives but very few flyballs despite an increase in his launch angle. There was an opportunity to play more in Boston last year, but Holt missed time due to injury. First it was a cornea injury suffered at the hands of his two-year-old son, and later Holt dealt with shoulder, hamstring and knee issues. Holt makes for a nice bench piece on a contending team, and that seems his most likely role in 2020. Second base has gotten thin, but Holt has little-to-no upside and there are higher-floor players in the endgame as well.

After a case of vertigo derailed his 2017 campaign, Holt responded by putting together one of his best seasons to date. The super-utility man was better than a league average hitter for the first time in his career in 2018 (109 wRC+), hitting .277 with a career-best .774 OPS across 109 games for the Red Sox. He also played a key part for Boston during its World Series run, slashing .259/.375/.519 across eight games and hitting for the first cycle in postseason history. Holt will likely reprise his role in 2019, though he'll be one of the top options to step in at second base if Dustin Pedroia, who played in just three games for the Red Sox in 2018 due to a knee injury, isn't ready for the start of the season. The 30-year-old Holt can chip in with some homers and stolen bases when given consistent opportunities.

Holt experienced symptoms of vertigo in 2017, which caused him to miss most of the first half of the season, and likely impacted his performance once he was able to return in July. The production slipped across the board, as he hit .200/.305/.243 -- low marks across the board compared to his previous three seasons. When healthy, Holt is a backup at multiple spots capable of taking good at-bats, and chipping in with a small handful of homers and steals. Given the uncertainty that accompanies a player with multiple concussions in his recent past, Holt is far from a lock to step in for Dustin Pedroia to begin 2018 while Pedroia recovers from knee surgery throughout the first two months of the season. Holt was a two-win player in consecutive seasons from 2014-2015, but it seems unlikely that he'll earn enough playing time going forward to reach that level again.

After playing every position in the field each of the past two seasons, Holt settled for playing five of the seven in 2016, making the majority of his starts at right field and third base. The super utility man ended his 2016 campaign with a .255/.322/.383 line in 94 games, numbers slightly down from his 2015 All-Star campaign, likely due to the extended time he missed with a concussion. The 28-year-old started all three postseason games for the Red Sox in 2016, batting .400 with a home run and an RBI in the process. Although he isn't an everyday starter at third base, with the departures of Travis Shaw and prospect Yoan Moncada via trade this offseason, it is likely Holt will see a handful of starts at the hot corner, and he could see a great deal of action at third if Pablo Sandoval struggles. Regardless, he will head into the season as Boston's super utility option once again.

On a team loaded with big contracts, Holt was Boston’s lone All-Star in 2015 – a surprising development and a victory for utility players everywhere. For the second straight year, Holt played every position in the field and filled in as a designated hitter as well. His numbers were very similar to his breakout 2014 season. The 27-year-old Holt is entering his prime years, plays multiple positions and has an affordable contract – what’s not to like? In 2016, Holt will fit the same role that he’s held the past two years, but his plate appearances could drop. His path to playing time last season was enabled by a lengthy injury to second baseman Dustin Pedroia as well as health and poor play in the outfield. Given Pedroia’s health and a seemingly set outfield, Holt’s at-bats may begin to dry up.

Holt was a revelation when he burst onto the scene for the Red Sox early in 2014. He filled a hole at third base when Will Middlebrooks got injured and doubled up as the team's best leadoff hitter when Jackie Bradley, Jr. and Grady Sizemore weren't cutting it. Holt continued to hit as injured players returned and Boston made roster adjustments, finding spots for him all over the diamond, making it difficult to know which glove Holt would use on a given night. He was mostly a third baseman, but saw significant time in the outfield. Alas, his hitting took a dive in the second half, when he batted .219/.278/.271 in 213 plate appearances after the All-Star break. There was nothing in Holt's dossier to suggest he'd continue to hit like he did in the first half (.327/.371/.463), but he's been a good hitter throughout his stops in the minors. While outfield playing time doesn't appear to be a likely option for Holt in 2015, last season's experience earned him strong consideration for a utility role.

The Red Sox had plans to make Holt a utility infielder, by expanding his position experience to third base. And he was part of the third-base solution in July and August, after Will Middlebrooks had been sent down to Triple-A and before Xander Bogaerts was promoted. He hit .203 in 59 at-bats, almost 90 points lower than he hit with the Pirates the season before. He was on the 40-man roster when the offseason began, and is the only second baseman, other than Dustin Pedroia, on the 40-man. At this point, he's not a lock to remain on the 40-man or in the organization.

Holt offers tremendous patience and an excellent batting eye at the plate. When he made his September debut, it was as if Pirates observers had never seen a patient hitter before (which is only partially true). The middle infielder split time between three levels in 2012, including Double-A -- where he hit .322/.389/.432, Triple-A (.432/.476/.537 in 95 at-bats) and the majors (.292/.329/.354). Despite his hitting ability, Pittsburgh curiously relegated him mostly to the bench with starting second baseman Neil Walker out. Pirates management cautioned observers about Holt's questionable defense, which was labeled as no better than the fifth-best defensive option at shortstop in September. The 24-year-old infielder will battle for a bench spot in Boston after being sent to the Red Sox as part of the Joel Hanrahan deal in December.