Mark Trumbo

Trumbo's performance when on the field in 2018 constituted a mini-bouceback, but his season was bookended by a pair of lengthy DL stints. He missed all of April with a quadriceps strain and then the final five-plus weeks with a knee injury that ultimately required surgery (to repair cartilage). In between, Trumbo slugged .452 with a .191 ISO, up from .397 and .163, respectively, in 2017. He regained nearly 10 percentage points to his hard-hit rate and was back above league average in terms of wRC+ (107) after posting a career-worst mark of 81 the season prior. Entering his age-33 season, Trumbo's power is no longer elite and his health is a big question mark -- he probably won't be a full go at the start of spring training. He's also UTIL-only now in most leagues after falling one game short of 20 in the outfield, but for a buck or two at the end of an auction, Trumbo could still provide a profit as he's going to play regularly as long as he's upright.

Trumbo had nowhere to go but down in 2017 after leading the majors with 47 homers in his age-30 season, but even most pessimists wouldn't have predicted such a significant collapse as a power hitter. There was no change in Trumbo's plate discipline and no lengthy absence due to injury to explain his home-run drop-off; instead, Trumbo simply drove the ball with less authority. His barrel rate declined steeply from 10.5 Barrels/PA to a more pedestrian 4.8, with his hard-hit rate following a similar trend (39.3 percent to 30.4 percent). Due to his poor outfield defense and on-base skills, Trumbo offers little value from a real-life or fantasy perspective if he isn't consistently slugging, and his struggles last season were further magnified by the league-wide power surge. Under contract for two more years, Trumbo will get a chance to redeem himself as the Orioles' primary DH to open 2018.

Trumbo followed the path first blazed by Nelson Cruz in Baltimore: pull the baseball often and enjoy the spoils of Camden Yards. He more than doubled his home run total from 2015 while setting a career high in homers, runs and RBI. It helped that one of every four flyballs he hit left the yard and that he had a 43 percent flyball rate - both of which were also career bests. That was the source of the statistical improvement in 2016 as everything else was mostly in line with his traditional rates. Even during a rather amazing statistical year, Trumbo's batting average was still just .256. In a thin market, his power awarded him a nice payday to come back to Baltimore, but even though he appears to be locked in as the main DH for the Orioles, some regression should be expected from Trumbo.

After a disappointing season and a half in Arizona, Trumbo was traded to the Mariners in early June last year in a desperation move by then-Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik to kickstart a morbid offense. The plan backfired quickly as Trumbo hit .139 in his first 22 games with a mere two extra-base hits. He eventually found his groove, though, batting .302 with 12 homers and 12 doubles in his final 74 games. But it was too late save Zduriencik's job, and when new GM Jerry Dipoto took over, it was clear the slow-footed, defensively challenged Trumbo would soon be gone. But it couldn't have worked out better for Trumbo, who was shipped in December to Baltimore where he'll play first base and DH. Going from an extreme pitchers' park to one of the league's friendliest hitters' parks, batting in the middle of the lineup and playing everyday, should make at least 30 homers within reach.

The Diamondbacks acquired Trumbo prior to the 2014 season, adding another right-handed power bat behind Paul Goldschmidt. With seven home runs in his first 21 games, Trumbo appeared headed for a third straight 30-homer season, but he ended up in a walking boot for more than a month due to a stress fracture in his left foot, an issue that may have started with plantar fasciitis during spring training. After he returned to the lineup in July, Trumbo hit .243/.302/.385 with seven homers in 67 games, contributing much less than expected to a lineup that was depleted by injuries and trades in the second half of the season. Defensively, he's not a great fit in the outfield, but it's assumed that he will begin his second season in the desert as the starting left fielder, and with a place in the heart of the Arizona batting order. Even if the batting average and on-base percentage leave something to be desired, an offseason to heal and get his timing back could pave the way for a rebound in the power department.

At this point in his career, it's likely that what you see is what you get with Trumbo, as the righty slugger had what is rapidly becoming his typical season in 2013. Trumbo struck out a remarkable 27.1 percent of the time in 2013, but may have counteracted it somewhat by raising his walk rate to a respectable 8.0 percent. As we know by now, however, the story of Trumbo is his big-time power, as he posted an ISO of .219, and hit 34 home runs in 2013. His final slash line still leaves more to be desired (.234/.294/.453), but he did reach the 100-RBI plateau for the first time in his career. Traded to Arizona in December, Trumbo will serve as the D-Backs' regular left fielder and combine with the Paul Goldschmidt to form a devastating duo in the middle of the Diamondbacks' order.

Trumbo's numbers before the All-Star break in 2012: A .306/.358/.609 batting line with 22 homers, 42 runs, 57 RBI, and 65 strikeouts in 288 at-bats. Trumbo's numbers after the All-Star break: .227/.271/.359 with 10 homers, 24 runs, 38 RBI, and 88 strikeouts in 256 at-bats. He didn't hit a lick for two months despite getting regular at-bats, striking out an incredible 67 times in a stretch of 155 at-bats from the end of July to the middle of September. Of course, he was an absolute monster in the first half of the season, which allowed him to finish the year with a .268/.317/.491 line and 32 home runs despite his horrid slump. What's most likely is that the real Trumbo is somewhere between the two different players we saw last year, which means that his 2012 numbers could actually be a decent indicator of what to expect in 2013 despite the wild variations throughout the year. He may never be a player who hits for a high average or draws many walks, but Trumbo still hasn't made the most of his tremendous raw power.

Trumbo began last season as the starting first baseman due to Kendrys Morales' continuing foot problems, but showed he belonged in the majors with 29 home runs and 87 RBI in his debut season. Despite the big power numbers, Trumbo will lose his first-base job in 2012 to Albert Pujols. The Angels will get creative with Trumbo, likely giving him plenty of action as the DH and a few starts in the outfield, while there's also a possibility that he'll get a look at third base, so he should still receive something close to a full season's worth of at-bats. However, he may also now be viewed as a potential trade chip, and his value will be much higher if he winds up as the starting first baseman on another club. While Trumbo has great power, a low walk rate and too many strikeouts resulted in just a .291 OBP last season and he could be a batting average risk.

Trumbo has never really been considered a big-time prospect, but last season's numbers with Triple-A Salt Lake might lead one to think otherwise - a .301 batting average and an impressive 36 home runs and 122 RBI. Trumbo is a free swinger - he struck out 126 times with Salt Lake last season - but he also improved his walk rate and set personal bests in both OBP and SLG. Still, Trumbo is blocked at first base by Kendry Morales, so he is unlikely to see much playing time there in 2011. His best bet for at-bats at the big league level will be in either an experimental outfield role or as the DH.

Trumbo failed to follow up his big 2008 season, seeing his power disappear in the Texas League. He's not going to hit for average, run, or be an OBP guy, and he's limited to first base, so it's mash or die. It is likely that his Cal League season was a fluke.

Trumbo hit .283 with 26 home runs and 68 RBI with Double-A Arkansas last season. He’s got very good power potential, but he’ll have to improve his eye at the plate before being moved up another level. Trumbo will only be 23 next season, so expect him to get another go-round with Arkansas in 2009.