Yangervis Solarte

Last offseason, Solarte was dealt from a logjam in San Diego to Toronto. With Devon Travis and Josh Donaldson both missing significant time, Solarte received his usual allotment of action, topping 500 plate appearances for the fourth time in five seasons. Despite a move to a more hitter-friendly venue, Solarte’s slash line dipped across the board as his plate skills declined in tandem with a hard-hit rate falling well below average. Further denting Solarte’s fantasy potential is he doesn’t run. Having second- and third-base eligibility seems nice, but all it really means is Solarte is below average at two positions. His role entering 2019 is unclear after the Blue Jays non-tendered him. Solarte's offense is no longer strong enough to mask defensive deficiencies across the infield. His days as a useful back-end reserve providing roster flexibility are likely over, at least in mixed leagues.

Solarte posted his lowest batting average at the major-league level in 2017, losing more than 30 points off his mark from 2016. He added back to his contact rate, posting the 10th-lowest strikeout rate among qualified hitters (11.9 percent), but the quality of that contact wasn't great. The switch-hitter turned in a modest 31.1 percent hard-hit rate and 3.1 barrels per plate appearance, with his xBA coming in 10 points lower than his actual mark. While Solarte hit more homers than ever, it was a modest number in context with the rest of the league. Solarte will turn 31 in the summer and he's never walked much (7.5 percent career BB%), so while he is eligible at three positions, there's not enough in his offensive profile to justify aggressively targeting him. Toronto traded for him this winter in an effort to add depth around the oft-injured Troy Tulowitzki and Devon Travis. Barring a Josh Donaldson trade, this should lead to fewer at-bats for Solarte in 2018.

Solarte's production reached career-high levels across the board in 2016, as he hit a personal-high 15 homers despite playing just 109 games. Although he struck out at a slightly higher clip (14.2 percent strikeout rate), Solarte's slash line was right in line with his second-half numbers from 2015 (.292/.336/.470), pointing to the possibility of a new baseline going forward. Padres manager Andy Green deployed Solarte as his No. 3 or No. 4 hitter in the majority of his starts, an arrangement that may continue in 2017. The switch-hitting infielder has shown consistent splits against lefties and righties, with a mere 20-point difference in his OPS between them. After appearing in just 15 games at second base last season, Solarte will lose eligibility at the keystone in many leagues to begin 2017, but he has the potential to deliver 20 homers from the hot corner if he pushes closer to the 152 games he racked up in 2015.

Not much was thought of the trade that sent Solarte to San Diego near the trade deadline in 2014 because it was assumed we’d seen his best. After a hot start for the Yankees, he cooled off and never warmed up power-wise for the Padres that season. He was an afterthought in 2015 drafts that ended up being one of the better in-season pickups as he provided good value as a cornerman and picked up middle-infield eligibility during the season. Solarte is a switch-hitter on paper, but the numbers suggest he would be better off focusing on hitting from the left side where he hit .289/.333/.473 versus .203/.275/.271 from the right side of the plate. Solarte’s value is limited because he doesn’t excel in any one area but he does qualify at multiple positions and is likely to once again pick up second base eligibility during the season. He is endgame material in mixed league formats and more desirable in NL-only leagues.

After signing a minor league deal with the Yankees last January, Solarte took full advantage of the opportunity, snagging a utility infield gig from the projected frontrunner, Eduardo Nunez, out of spring training. Earning most of the starts at third base in April and May, Solarte backed up the usage, contending for the AL batting lead for a time before settling for a .299 average, six home runs, 26 RBI, and 22 runs in 174 at-bats after two months. However, a sustained slump soon emerged, triggering a demotion and eventual switch of coasts via the Chase Headley trade with San Diego. Solarte immediately found the National League accommodating, as he was able to maintain a .267/.336/.355 line, while earning 41 starts at third (as well as a handful at the keystone and in left field) across 56 games. Solarte will try to win San Diego's third base job again this spring over Will Middlebrooks and Cory Spangenberg, but he's shown he can be productive in a utility role.