Eric Young

Young eventually found a home in 2017 as a member of the Angels, where he spent approximately two-thirds of his season as an extra depth option at Triple-A Salt Lake. He showed a surprising amount of pop between the two levels, swatting a career-high 12 homers last season, and providing his typical speed, with a 20-for-27 mark on the basepaths for the Bees and a 12-for-15 mark during his time with the Halos. Young will turn 33 in May, and at this stage of his career, there is little reason to think that his path to playing time will be any different in 2018. It's important to note that he hasn't played the infield since 2014, which further limits his chances to pick up plate appearances when injuries strike. If he signs with another club before spring training, Young will likely compete for a job as a non-roster invite.

Young began the year in the Brewers organization, spending the entire season at Triple-A until a waiver trade to the Yankees on the last day of August. The speedy outfielder put up modest numbers at the plate in the minors, but he immediately joined the big league club after being traded for the final month. He was limited to just one at-bat in that stint and served primarily as a pinch runner, though he had just one steal to show for it. Now a member of the Angels organization, Young hasn't hit well enough - he hasn't hit higher than .263 at either the majors or minors since 2012 - to attract much consideration for a major league role, although the 31-year-old's elite speed could help him move into a reserve role at some point in 2017.

Young suffered a hamstring injury during the first half of 2014 and fell out of the Mets' regular mix for playing time. He was afforded just 84 plate appearances after the All-Star break. When he found his way into the lineup, Young continued to pile up stolen bases at an elite clip, but his batted ball profile shifted and he posted a career-high 63.1% groundball rate last season. Further, his ability to leg out infield hits slipped, although it may have been the function of the aforementioned injury. After signing with the Braves on a minor league deal in February, Young's value will hinge entirely on the volume of playing time he's able to secure over the course of the season. Typically, his defensive limitations beyond playing a competent left field are a hindrance to his volume of at-bats, but the Braves may give him the Opening Day nod in center field while Melvin Upton recovers from a foot injury in April.

After hitting .316 in 174 at-bats in 2012, Young hit just .242 with 33 strikeouts and six RBI last season for the Rockies. He was designated for assignment on June 12 and was traded to the Mets six days later for Collin McHugh. New York got the better end of the deal, as Young was a godsend as a leadoff hitter and catalyst for the offense. After starting his time with the Mets on a tear, Young returned back to earth and struggled with strikeouts. Despite that, he still posted 46 steals, 35 of which came with the Mets. Young will likely serve as the fourth outfielder, but he could also enter the mix at second base if Daniel Murphy is traded.

Young made the case that he was more than a speedy, switch-hitting utility man when injuries ravaged the Rockies' outfield, putting together a ridiculous .406/.449/.609 line as a regular in August before succumbing to a season-ending oblique strain. In spite of the encouraging sample, Young enters this season likely to return to his old utility role given the team's glut of intriguing outfield options. However, the team's desperate need for pitching may prompt the team to trade Young or another outfielder, which would surely improve Young's outlook while making him an excellent contributor in the steals and runs departments. In any case, look for his batting average to come down as his BABIP normalizes down from its .361 mark of last year.

As cheap speed options go, it's tough to beat a 27-for-31 mark on the basepaths over 77 games. Unfortunately, Young doesn't have a clear-cut role entering spring training and while the ongoing vacancy at second base could be a fit, he will open the season with outfield-only eligibility in most leagues. In addition to an impressive 1.006 OPS at Triple-A Colorado Springs last season, Young increased his walk rate with the Rockies to a career-high 12 percent. The speed and on-base skills are present, but he'll turn 27 in May and the Rockies may end up parting ways with him before giving him an opportunity to play regularly.

Young started the season in the minors, but was quickly called up when Clint Barmes struggled out of the gate. He was only able to steal four bases before a stress fracture in his lower leg sidelined him until mid-August. When he came back he picked up where he left off, stealing 13 bases in 38 games. He's extremely fast, but still learning the art of basestealing as evidenced by getting caught stealing six times over 23 attempts. His plate discipline needs work, but given enough at-bats, he should help any owner in need of speed.

Put simply, Young has speed and lots of it. He represented the Rockies in the 2009 Futures Game, and set the Sky Sox's single-season record for stolen bases (58) and runs (118) last season. He strikes out too much, and his wheels did not translate to big league steals immediately (four steals in eight attempts), but he's dangerous enough on the basepaths to put him on your sleeper radar. A second baseman by trade, the Rockies gave him looks in the outfield last season, opening the door to multiple positional eligibility this season.

If you squint, you see his dad, a sparkplug second baseman who gets on base and runs like the wind. Clear-eyed, the younger Young's flaws show: he doesn't play defense well and he lacks dad's power and polish. The Rockies need a second baseman, though, and if Young can win the job, he could steal a ton of bases, which is what matters. If Willy Taveras can steal 68 with a .308 OBP, Young could steal 80.

Young played a full season at High-A Modesto and led the California League with 73 stolen bases. His plate discipline took a step back last year as he struck out once every 5.14 at bats (compared 6.42 in 2006). That said, he is a decent hitter with good pop and great speed. He should get an opportunity at Double-A in 2008. He'll have to improve his contact rate and fielding before he gets an opportunity at the big league level.