Gerardo Parra

By batting average, Parra is a serviceable piece against righty pitchers. Parra has hit higher than .295 in three of the past four seasons against righties. That is about where his offensive value ends as, despite the high average, Parra has been a below-league-average offensive contributor against righties in three of the four past seasons. The power is now purely gap power as he rarely reaches the fences. If you loved owning James Loney 10 years ago, here is your chance to relive those glory days. Parra could land with a club and play on the strong side of a platoon while hitting in the bottom of the lineup because all he is bringing to the table these days is an empty average and a handful of steals. That's assuming the hitting holds up. He has always had favorable home parks and has been terrible on the road. We do not yet know where his new home will be. Unless it is somewhere that favors lefties, he should be a fall-back plan rather than a target.

At the outset of 2017, Parra was expected to serve as the Rockies' fourth outfielder, but injuries prevented David Dahl from suiting up for the big-league club all year, opening up more playing time than expected for the veteran. After carrying a sub-.700 OPS during the second half of May, Parra started to heat up at the plate before a quad strain landed him on the DL in early June. Once he returned in July, Parra started 63 of the Rockies' final 74 games, hitting .303/.337/.437 with four homers in the second half while playing half his games in the most hitter-friendly park in baseball. Not surprisingly, his OPS at home (.872) was considerably higher than his mark on the road (.708). Parra is still an above-average defender in the outfield, but he hurt his hand early in spring training, and that could allow Dahl and Raimel Tapia to take on larger roles.

The initial returns on Parra's three-year pact with the Rockies leave something to be desired. Many fantasy owners were hopeful that the Gold Glover would get a boost in his offensive numbers given his new hitter-friendly home, and although his .805 home OPS did give this claim credibility, a putrid .532 OPS on the road put a damper on his season. The 29-year-old ended up posting the lowest batting average of his eight seasons in the big leagues, while also posting a horrific 9:73 BB:K ratio. He dealt with a number of injuries during the season that limited him to just 102 games, including a sprained ankle and a strained hamstring, so some of his struggles could be chalked up to that. However, his BABIP dipped below .300, and considering his lack of patience at the plate, Parra will have to bounce back in a big way if he wants to warrant his large contract and hold more than a fourth-outfielder role.

Parra was involved in a midseason trade for the second season in a row, moving from the Brewers to the Orioles. There was a huge juxtaposition between Parra's time with each team, as he slashed .328/.369/.517 with Milwaukee and .237/.268/.357 with Baltimore. His power/speed combo was a tick above his career norms in what was a contract year, with the 14 homers representing a new career high and his second double-digit homer season in the last three years. Parra, who played all three outfield positions last season, can be a full-time contributor or an ideal fourth outfielder. Although he has been an above-average fielder in his career, Parra had a negative UZR at each position he played in 2015. After signing a three-year, $26 million deal with the Rockies in January, Parra's stock is on the rise. He's expected to play primarily in left field with Corey Dickerson traded shortly after his signing was made official.

After spending five and a half seasons with the Diamondbacks, Parra was sent to the Brewers last season at the trade deadline. He settled into a part-time outfield role in Milwaukee, primarily splitting time with Khris Davis in left field. Parra’s defense remained excellent, but he finished the 2014 campaign with the lowest OPS of his career. Parra and Davis figure to share the left field duties for the Brewers again in 2015, which will limit Parra’s fantasy utility.

Parra came out of the gates hot last season, hitting seven of his career-high 10 home runs in the first half of the season. In the second half, he quickly regressed to close to his pedestrian career averages in both average and power. His true value is in his defense, which aided his outstanding 4.6 WAR, but unfortunately that does not show up in most fantasy leagues. He is arbitration-eligible and also a potential trade piece, but if he ends up back in Arizona, a base line expectation for his performance seems very clear.

Parra showed improvement against lefties in 2011, but he regressed back toward his career norms last season and looks to be better suited for platoon work as a heavily used fourth outfielder than an everyday player. Defensively, he's an asset capable of playing all three outfield spots, but there are still some questions about his ability to develop additional power at the plate as he's never hit double-digit homers as a professional in the D-Backs' organization. With the trade of Chris Young to Oakland, Parra could see a larger role in 2013, although it's expected that Adam Eaton will compete to handle the majority of playing time in center field this season. As a result, another 400 at-bat season from Parra seems like the most likely outcome.

Although Parra hasn't provided the power most teams look for from their left fielder, he continues to improve offensively and managed to capture a Gold Glove with his outstanding defense in 2011. In addition to cutting back on his strikeouts, Parra increased his walk rate and was much better against left-handed pitching than he was in his first two seasons in the big leagues. While Parra is a good contact hitter with the ability to use all fields, D-Backs hitting coach Don Baylor has worked with him to develop more pull power. Perhaps a 15-20 homer season down the road is attainable, but fantasy owners should look to him for double-digit steals given his success rate on the basepaths with the opportunity to rack up runs scored if he gets another look near the top of the batting order. That said, the Diamondbacks' signing of Jason Kubel clouds his future - clearly Chris Young and Justin Upton won't be sitting to make room for Kubel, so Parra will likely serve as the fourth outfielder in 2012 barring a trade.

Once upon a time, Parra was considered a top prospect in the D-Backs' system. Just 23, he's already being labeled as a fourth outfielder with limited offensive upside. Defensively, he helps himself by displaying both the range and the arm needed to handle all three outfield positions, but it's his surprising shortcomings at the plate that have left keeper league owners disappointed. Struggles against left-handed pitching have led to a platoon stamp, and there seems to be little weight given to his .285/.327/.416 line against righties the past two seasons. Consider Parra as an endgame plug-in for NL-only leagues that require the use of five outfielders, as there still is some growth potential here.

Parra erupted at Double-A Mobile to start the season, hitting .355/.448/.477 in 107 at-bats before getting the surprise callup to Arizona when Conor Jackson came down with Valley Fever and Eric Byrnes was slumping. Despite skipping Triple-A and being just 22 years old, Parra held his own during his rookie season. Long term, Parra's home appears to be in left field, but he showed a very strong arm and is capable of playing in center or right when needed. The biggest questions regarding his future right now are whether he'll develop enough power to be an everyday player and if he'll figure out lefties to the point where he'll avoid having to sit against them (.220/.250/.220 in 100 at-bats). He figures to be a fourth option in the crowded Arizona outfield to begin 2010, but an early-season slump could earn him a ticket for some time at Triple-A Reno.

Parra made the transition from High-A Visalia to Double-A Mobile last season and held his own with a .275/.341/.419 line in 265 at-bats after being promoted. Through his first three minor league stops, Parra has shown good plate discipline (.362 OBP) and promising speed on the basepaths. Considering his progress as a 21-year-old, there's still plenty of time for him to develop additional power, as he's lacked the pop necessary to occupy a corner outfield spot at the major league level. Despite the lack of home runs, Parra possesses very good bat speed and the ability to hit the ball to all fields. Even though his stock has dipped during his progression through the minors, trades have depleted Arizona's stockpile of minor league talent and Parra will likely see Triple-A at some point in 2009, with an eye towards breaking in with the D-Backs in 2010.