Freddy Galvis

Galvis has now been an everyday player for the past five seasons, and while he contributes across the board, he does not do any one thing particularly well. He is now two seasons removed from a double-digit steals effort, but the 23 homers and 70 RBI last season between two friendly environments in Toronto and Cincinnati were career bests for the versatile infielder. The switch hitter is a better run producer from the left side but a better tablesetter when hitting from the right side against southpaws. Everything in the advanced numbers are bearish on Galvis continuing the production from this past season, though he will remain in a friendly home park after the Reds picked up his $5.5 million club option for 2020. There's a good chance he opens the year as the Reds' starting shortstop, replacing Jose Iglesias.

The durable Galvis has missed only four games since 2016. He's the only player to appear in all 162 games the past two seasons. A below-average hitter, Galvis' volume had made him an asset in deeper formats. His contact is a little better than average, but limited power and speed keep his BABIP, hence overall average, in check. He has reached double-digit homers the last three seasons, with 2016's 20 the outlier as he's swatted 25 total the past two years. In 2018, Galvis snapped a three-year run with double-digit steals, falling a pair short as his success rate fell for the third straight season. Galvis' slick glove has kept him in the lineup despite middling offensive production. Galvis should continue to play close to every day after signing with Toronto, because while his fielding slipped some in 2018, he still represents a significant defensive upgrade over Lourdes Gurriel at the shortstop position.

A surprise 20-homer hitter in 2016, Galvis managed just 12 long balls last season despite playing in all 162 games and logging an additional 39 plate appearances. Galvis added to his walk rate (6.8 percent) and trimmed his strikeout rate considerably (16.7 percent), resulting in a 35-point boost in OBP. However, he posted a bottom-10 hard-hit rate among qualifiers and his HR/FB regressed to its normal level (6.3 percent). He still ran a decent amount, although Galvis' success rate fell in the second half to 66.6 percent (8-for-12). With Cesar Hernandez locked in at second base for now, J.P. Crawford having already arrived and Scott Kingery on his way, Galvis was expendable for Philadelphia. He was traded to the Padres in December, and while that does not help his power outlook, Galvis now stands a great chance of getting to 600 plate appearances for a fourth straight season.

Galvis surprised everyone with a near 20/20 season last year, falling just three stolen bases short of reaching that exclusive club. Don't be fooled; there was hardly any growth in Galvis' game. In fact, he struck out more and walked less while his groundball, line-drive and flyball percentages remained in line with rates from 2015. The noticeable changes were the increased HR/FB rate, which may not be sustainable, and a near six-percent increase in the number of balls he hit to the middle of the field in the second half of the season. He did have favorable splits against righties and awful splits against lefties, but he is unlikely to be platooned to begin the year thanks to his elite defense at shortstop. Whether Galvis moves to a reserve role or over to second base when top prospect J.P. Crawford is deemed ready will depend on if Galvis is still producing at the plate.

The Phillies traded Jimmy Rollins last offseason and turned over shortstop to Galvis. He worked on cutting down on his swing last spring, which seemed to help his offensive game. He got off to a scorching start at the plate, hitting .355 in April before tailing off in May and June. He rebounded in July with an .802 OPS, but finished with a .630 OPS over the final two months of the season. Galvis' best tool remains his glove. His defense will keep his bat in the lineup most days, and if he can maintain the lower strikeout rate he established last season, it won't be unreasonable to expect another season hitting .250 or .260. There won't be much else to go along with that average outside of a few home runs and maybe double-digit stolen bases. Galvis is ultimately just a placeholder at short until top prospect J.P. Crawford is ready for the majors. That might not be until 2017, which would give Galvis another full season as a starter before he likely shifts to a utility role.

Galvis missed a large portion of spring training last year while battling a MRSA infection. When he returned to the Phillies in mid-April, it was clear he did not get the reps he needed in camp as he got off to a 1-for-30 start at the plate. The Phillies sent him to the minors in May where he suffered a fractured left clavicle which cost him two more months of his season. He returned to the Phillies in late August and assumed a utility role with the club. He is a virtual lock to open this season as the team's top utility infielder, but Galvis will have a chance to take over the starting job at shortstop following the trade of Jimmy Rollins to the Dodgers in December. Unfortunately, he has shown little improvement with his offensive game and would likely be a liability to the vast majority of fantasy rosters.

Galvis opened last season with the Phillies in a reserve role, but was sent to the minors in June when it was clear he was not getting enough playing time. Galvis makes decent contact with the bat, but he has a poor eye at the plate and his strikeout rate is too high for a player with minimal power. He has a little speed, but it has not been put to use in his stints in the majors. Galvis' calling card is his top notch defense. He has proven he can play second, third and short in the majors as well as left field. It is a good sign, because he profiles best as a utility infielder, though he could also start at short for a club that wants to focus on defense from the position. Galvis is still young enough to make some improvements at the plate, but there are no signs that a breakout is coming. Subsequently, there are better endgame investments.

Galvis got a surprise opportunity with the Phillies last season with Chase Utley sidelined for the first three months. Galvis' defense was as advertised. He made the move to second with little problem and was one of the best defenders in the league at the position. Unfortunately, he was also one of the worst regulars at the plate. With just over 100 career at-bats at Triple-A there is no doubt Galvis was being rushed in his development last year. He's just 23 years old and his bat had been showing some signs of improvement in the minors, so all is not lost with Galvis at the plate. That said, he doesn't ever figure to hit for power and he also doesn't steal a lot of bases, making his upside at the plate quite limited. A fractured back ended his season prematurely and he tested positive for performance-enhancing substances in June. Galvis returned to action over the winter, playing in his native Venezuela. He may get an opportunity to win a job as the Phillies' third baseman this spring if the team does not bring in a free agent option.

Galvis improved significantly last season, hitting a combined .278/.324/.392 with eight home runs and 23 stolen bases between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He had been considered an all-glove prospect when the season began and now he has shown signs of being something more than that. The offensive numbers aren't overwhelming, but if Galvis can hit around .260 in the majors, his glove is going to keep him in the big leagues for a long time. He will likely open this year back at Triple-A but he could see time in the majors later in the year. He'll need to continue improving with the bat to be of any interest to fantasy owners, however.

Galvis spent his age 20 season at Double-A. Typically, playing at such a level at a young age indicates that a prospect has the potential to be something special. Galvis does have the potential to be special, but unfortunately for fantasy leaguers, Galvis is going to be special with his glove and probably never will be special with his bat. He struggled to stay above the Mendoza line last year and his .222 OBP was horrendous. There certainly is time for Galvis to figure things out with the bat, but expectations for that happening are low. His defense is considered major league ready and the Phillies have added him to their 40-man roster with an eye toward having Galvis fill a utility role in a few years. He's expected to open 2011 back at Double-A.