Guillermo Heredia

This player will receive an outlook for the 2021 fantasy baseball season.

After three seasons with Seattle, Heredia joined Tampa Bay as part of a five-player trade last November. The change of scenery did little to wake up his sleepy stick as Heredia posted the lowest batting average (.225) and OBP (.306) of his career. The Cuban outfielder made moderate gains in the power department -- his .137 ISO and 40.8 AB/HR were career bests -- but both marks were below league average and certainly not a worthwhile balance to the spike in his strikeout rate (26.0%). Heredia has also been a negative on the basepaths throughout his career, succeeding in only six of 18 stolen-base attempts. In short, there's nothing Heredia does particularly well offensively, and his defense has failed to make enough impact to justify increased playing time. Heredia was non-tendered by the Rays in December and could struggle to find a new team. Even if he does, he'll be irrelevant in fantasy leagues.

Heredia came to the plate 337 times in 2018, hitting a palatable .236/.318/.342 while filling in at all three outfield positions. He managed to pick up walks (9.5 BB%) while avoiding strikeouts (15.4 K%), but there's just not enough power or speed there to make him an interesting fantasy option. He also doesn't play strong enough defense to where he has a legitimate future as a everyday starter -- his glove graded out as below average by both UZR and DRS. Heredia will be 28 for the entirety of the 2019 season, and it would be a surprise to see him suddenly take a big step forward. His offseason move to Tampa Bay doesn't impact his outlook significantly, as he will once again be confined to a strict short-side platoon role (101 career wRC+ against LHP, 74 wRC+ against RHP).

Heredia's defense was one of his selling points when he came over from Cuba, but it hasn't been good enough to make up for his offensive shortcomings. The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder doesn't have much power in his build yet, and his career 47.7 groundball percentage digs a deeper hole. To be fair, he underwent surgery in October to repair a lesion that caused a dislocation of his left (non-throwing) shoulder. Management implied he might've played through the injury for most, if not all, of the season. Even at 100 percent, he's not a legitimate threat to steal bases, which would at least make up for his modest plate work. The Mariners' acquisition of Dee Gordon to play center field leaves the right-handed bat fighting for scraps, with his best avenue being the bottom side of a platoon with Ben Gamel -- if he stays with the club. Heredia's recovery may seep into the regular season, which would put him further behind in a quest to make the 25-man roster.

A recent legend in Cuban baseball but a fringe prospect for the major leagues, Heredia made his stateside debut in 2016 after signing with Seattle last March. Scouts mostly favor his fielding over his bat, which lends itself more to gap power than the over-the-fence variety. At 26, he has some time to develop into something more than that, and Seattle may let him learn on the job as a backup in the majors. He projects to open the year as Seattle's fourth outfielder, occupying the short side of a right field platoon with Seth Smith. Perhaps AL-only owners can extract some value out of that, but if he falters, Mitch Haniger, Taylor Motter and top prospect Tyler O'Neill will be waiting in the minors to take his spot. The lack of plus speed or plus power make it difficult to justify taking a flyer on Heredia, whose excellent approach and strong defense make him a better real life player than fantasy option.

Heredia was one of Cuba's top players this decade. However, he's struggled a bit his last two years in Cuba, compiling a line of just .255/.376/.349 in 2013-14. Since he's older and has played five seasons in Cuba, he won't be subject to bonus pool limitations for MLB teams signing international talent. He's known for his defense in center field, but doesn't offer much power. Heredia is thought to be MLB ready, but he may need some extended time in the minors given his long layoff since he last played.