Jose Pirela

Despite a breakout 2017 campaign, there were concerns with Pirela heading into 2018, several of which proved prescient. His 13.2% HR/FB mark in 2017 seemed out of whack, especially with Pirela playing home games in Petco Park. Considering he customarily hits flyballs at around a 30% rate, a sharp power drop was feared, and came to fruition. A 4-for-7 stolen-base success rate two years ago limited his 2018 chances as he finished 6-for-9. Further impeding Pirela's 2018 campaign was a big decline in BABIP despite a similar batted-ball profile. Last season was probably Pirela's last chance to show he's more than a utility guy able to play in the infield and outfield. The Padres have a logjam in the outfield and are grooming a Luis Urias/Fernando Tatis Jr. middle infield. Pirela will likely find some playing time, though not as much as the previous two seasons. Even if his average rebounds, there's little category juice.

Pirela is an enigma. After fizzling out with the Yankees, he was non-tendered by the Padres last winter. Pirela ultimately re-signed with San Diego on a minor-league deal and forced his way to the big leagues by slashing .331/.387/.635 in 48 games at Triple-A. To the surprise of many, he carried that success over to the highest level, hitting for impressive power even at Petco Park, which was the second-worst park for home runs (five homers, .196 ISO at home). His strikeout rate was manageable at just over 20 percent and he walked at a useful clip (7.8 percent), with everything totaling up to a 122 wRC+ and 2.1 fWAR in 83 games. Was it a mirage? There are concerns: 31.5 percent flyball rate, 57 percent stolen-base rate and a lack of track record. He will be competing with Franchy Cordero, Alex Dickerson and Travis Jankowski for the starting job in left field this spring, and figures to be the heavy favorite based on last year's success.

Pirela spent most of 2016 on the minor league DL due to plantar fasciitis, but he took a step back at Triple-A El Paso in the 35 games he was able to play, hitting just .248/.295/.387 in his first run in the Pacific Coast League. Much of his value to big league organizations comes with his defensive versatility, though last season at El Paso, he spent more time in the outfield than ever before despite seeing most of his time with the Padres at second base. With the expected return of Cory Spangenberg from injury and the emergence of Ryan Schimpf, Pirela figures to spend the bulk of 2017 in the minors after re-upping with the Padres on a minor league deal this offseason. A right-handed hitter, Pirela has a .301/.352/.428 line over four years at the Triple-A level, but he's posted a .568 OPS in 59 big league games with the Yankees and Padres since debuting in 2014. It's fair to wonder if he will ever hit enough against big league pitching to become more than a part-time player.

Pirela was expected to begin last season as a utility infield option for the Yankees, and perhaps even challenge Stephen Drew for a platoon role at second base, but a concussion suffered in spring training ended up impacting the rest of his season. Once he returned in May, he struggled in the early going before being sent down to the minors, and he continued going back and forth between Triple-A and the majors for the remainder of the season. As he enters his age-26 season, Pirela has impressed at the upper levels of the minors but hasn't been able to translate that level of play to the big league club. The Padres saw something they liked as they traded for him in the offseason and he'll be in the mix for a infield job this spring.

Pirela impressed at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season, putting himself on the radar for the Yankees as a potential fit for a bench role in 2015, and even earning a brief callup in September. Most likely, the organization will address the vacancy at second base via free agency, but the right-handed hitting infielder delivered double-digit homers and steals at Triple-A while splitting most of his playing time between the keystone and left field. Pirela doesn't walk often, but he puts a lot of balls in play and has consistently maintained that profile while ascending through the upper levels of the minor leagues. An Opening Day utility role isn't out of the question, depending on the team's alternatives during spring training.