Shin-Soo Choo

While he's not quite Nelson Cruz, Choo is also aging quite gracefully. He walked at an 11.8% clip last season, extending his streak of consecutive years with a double-digit walk rate to 15 (so, every single year he's been in the big leagues). His strikeout rate has bumped up the past two seasons, to 25% in 2019, but Choo was still 12% better than league average by wRC+. As the Rangers' regular leadoff man, Choo scored 93 runs, finishing 20th in the AL in that category, and best of all for fantasy owners, Choo was more active on the basepaths than he'd been in a long time, swiping 15 bags in 16 attempts. He had a top-20 hard-hit rate (min. 100 PA), per Statcast, so while the juiced ball may have propped up his power production, Choo did his part in making quality connections. A player in his late 30s is always going to carry collapse risk, but the skills look stable enough to bet on Choo for another year.

Choo’s counting statistics dipped a bit last year, but he still finished with his best OPS since 2015 and his most at-bats since 2013. Most of his damage was done before the All-Star break, when he posted a .911 OPS. He fell off mightily after that, posting just a .645 OPS in the second half. Recent history has taught us that when Choo plays close to a full season, we can bank on a batting average over .260, 20-plus home runs and useful contributions in RBI and runs. He obviously carries an even higher baseline in OBP leagues. With two more years left on his hefty contract, he is in line to open as a lineup fixture again in 2019, getting starts in the outfield corners and at designated hitter. He should also lead off fairly often. Given his contract, Choo should be given a fairly long leash, but if his second-half struggles carry over, the Rangers will eventually start giving his at-bats to younger players.

Choo’s ability to draw walks is his signature skill and the main reason why he has maintained a spot near the top of the order during his tenure with the Rangers. He brings negative defensive value, but the offseason subtraction of Mike Napoli should leave the DH spot open for Choo on a regular basis in 2018, which should aid the Rangers’ run-prevention efforts while improving the historically brittle 35-year-old’s odds of staying healthy for the full season. Even while playing outfield on a part-time basis last season, Choo was fortunate to avoid any significant injuries, allowing him to tie his career high with 22 home runs and amass 96 runs. More surprising was that Choo stole 12 bases last season, after having gone 13-for-22 on attempts the previous three years combined. Given Choo’s place on the aging curve, another double-digit steal season shouldn’t be expected, but he’ll likely be at least a serviceable producer in the other counting categories and warrants a bump in formats that use OBP rather than batting average.

An early-season calf strain, hamstring tightness, a back injury and a broken forearm held Choo to his lowest total in games played since 2007. What was promising, however, was the fact he kept a good pace in home runs and stolen bases when he actually took the field, and he actually posted his highest rate of hard contact (43.2 percent) in what could be considered a significant season of play. Unfortunately, any excitement is kept in check by the fact he turns 35 in July, and the fact that the Rangers may be constructing their new long-term outfield without him. Choo can still take a walk better than most hitters, which keeps him relevant in fantasy leagues that value on-base percentage. But will he have a consistent starting role with Texas? In the late rounds of mixed fantasy drafts, he could find some profit for owners willing to wait him out, but it's going to depend heavily on how much playing time he can earn.

Choo's second season in Texas went far better than his first, though it didn't start out that way. He ended April hitting just .096, was hitting just .221 at the All-Star break, and sat at .249 on September 1. He then proceeded to slash .387/.500/.613 over the final 32 games with six homers and 23 RBI, fueling the Rangers' comeback in the AL West and leading to a decent season all around. His 22 home runs tied a career high, though it's pretty clear that his days of 20-plus steals are a thing of the past with just four steals last year and three in 2013. Still, Choo should provide valuable contributions in the other counting stats while batting near the top of a potent order. There is not a lot of downside at his reduced cost, but the upside is modest as well.

Choo cashed in with the Rangers last December, signing a seven-year, $130 million deal after an excellent one-year pit stop in Cincinnati. In a season where the Rangers were plagued by injuries beginning in spring training, Choo also fell victim to the injury bug. In March, he needed an injection to relieve pain in his left elbow, and his season eventually ended in September with surgery to remove bone spurs from the same elbow. Additionally, Choo hurt his ankle in late April, which required offseason surgery to repair torn cartilage. He attempted just seven steals last season, clearly hampered by the ankle throughout the year, and his power dropped off considerably, presumably a function of both injuries. Choo was scheduled to resume running in November, and is expected to report to spring training healthy. Further, he should benefit from better health of the players around him, specifically Prince Fielder. If the ankle is completely healed, Choo should be a threat for double-digit steals again, and it would hardly be surprising to see him push the 20-homer mark for the fourth time in his career.

Reds general manager Walt Jocketty quietly pulled off a huge trade for the second offseason in a row, landing exactly what the Reds needed in Choo. Slotted at the top of the lineup for virtually every game, Choo had a massive performance in his walk year, getting on base at a .423 clip while posting a 20-20 season. He was miscast as a center fielder, but the Reds easily won the offense-for-defense exchange. One worrisome note -- he has continued to struggle against left-handers since suffering a broken thumb in 2011, and he hit .215/.347/.265 against them last season in 181 at-bats. As a result, Choo does not appear to be far from the point where he will need to be platooned. The Rangers signed Choo to a seven-year, $130 million deal in December, where he will likely slot in as the leadoff hitter for a potent Texas lineup.

Choo rebounded from an injury-riddled 2011 season, but his struggles against southpaws (.605 OPS with two homers in 242 plate appearances) kept his overall numbers down. His ability to draw a walk and swipe a base gives him a boost in most formats, but the Cleveland lineup doesn't figure to help his counting stats. There is some concern about the decline in Choo's power, which was accompanied by the highest groundball rate he's posted in the last six seasons and part of a trend that has seen that rate move upward throughout that span. After being traded to Cincinnati in December, Choo should benefit from a much more hitter-friendly home park (on the eve of free agency next winter), but the Reds are reportedly considering him as an option in center field with Jay Bruce and Ryan Ludwick expected to lock down the corners.

Choo's season essentially came to an end in June with a thumb injury that required surgery. He made it back from the DL, but dealt with an oblique injury from August onward in what was a very disappointing season (.259 average, eight homers, 36 RBI in just 85 games). Choo battled the injury-prone tag early in his career but appeared to have rid himself of that label in the previous two seasons and is a good bet to rebound. He still offers a nice power/speed combination, particularly in formats that reward his patience at the plate. He'll be back as Cleveland's everyday right fielder and should anchor the middle of the lineup alongside Carlos Santana.

Choo set career highs in homers (22), RBI (90) and steals (22) last year, his second straight 20-20 campaign. He even earned a military exemption by winning gold for South Korea in the Asian Games this winter, eliminating the possibility of losing some of his peak years to military obligations back home. He'll anchor the middle of the Tribe lineup again as its everyday right fielder. Expect similar numbers from him at age 28 as the Indians continue their rebuilding efforts around him.

Choo finally shed the "if can stay healthy" tag and built on his breakout season of the previous year (.309/.397/.549) with his first full season, hitting .300 with 20 homers, 86 RBI and 21 steals. He actually held his own against southpaws, hitting .275 in an everyday role. If he hits behind Asdrubal Cabrera and Grady Sizemore as expected he should see plenty of RBI chances. He's in the middle of what should be a nice two-to-three year run.

Choo didn’t join the Indians until the very end of May thanks to elbow surgery but was healthy and productive from that point forward. He hit .343 with 11 homers and 48 RBI in the second half of the season and has finally earned himself the inside track on an everyday job heading into spring. If he can stay healthy and handle southpaws he'll build on last season's breakout campaign.

A crowded outfield in Cleveland landed him in Buffalo for much of the season where he had elbow problems before finally undergoing Tommy John surgery at the end of the year. The Indians hope he'll be back close to full strength by April, but that seems optimistic. The expected departures of Trot Nixon and Kenny Lofton should open up a spot but he'll still have to battle David Dellucci, Jason Michaels, Ben Francisco and Franklin Gutierrez for playing time. With elbow surgery putting him behind to start the season it looks like another uphill battle for the oft-injured Choo. He's still young enough to put up a 10-homer, 20-steal season someday, but he's got to get healthy first.

A prototypical Mark Shapiro find, Choo played extremely well in Cleveland (.812 OPS in 157 at-bats) and became a fan favorite in the meantime. Playing almost exclusively against righthanders, Choo was able to draw walks (17) and put the bat on the ball (39 strikeouts), which will get you playing time in most situations. With the offseason acquisition of David Dellucci, Choo's role for 2007 is still up in the air, but a fourth outfielder job is not out of the question.

After being named the organization's 2004 player of the year, Choo had a disappointing 2005 as his numbers dropped across the board. His power hasn't developed as the Mariners hoped, and he doesn't do enough other things to push himself into Seattle's lineup. His best attribute right now is the ability to draw walks (69 in 115 games at Triple-A Tacoma last season), but unless his power improves that won't be enough. Still, he'll contend for a bench spot in spring training.

Choo was named the organization's 2004 minor league player of the year. After a strong stint in the Arizona Fall League, he'll compete for a spot on the major league squad in the spring, but likely is headed for Triple-A Tacoma. He could get called up at some point this season, though, and remains a good keeper candidate.

Choo is one of the Mariners' Top 10 prospects. He had 40 extra base hits last season at high Single-A Inland Empire and led all Mariners minor leaguers with 13 triples. He could be the Mariners' future in left field. That won't be for a while, though, but he's still a keeper prospect to take a flyer on.