Ronald Torreyes

Can a player hitting .339 in mid-May really be demoted to the minors? The answer may surprise you. In Torreyes' case, he wound up spending roughly two months with the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate. A number of things contributed to this turn of events. First, more highly-regarded young players Didi Gregorius, Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar had the infield on lockdown. There simply wasn't room for Torreyes to play on a regular basis. Second, his batting average was an empty one. He barely walked all season (2.0% walk rate) and didn't hit for power (.090 ISO). After being dealt to the Cubs and then non-tendered, Torreyes signed a one-year deal with Minnesota and will likely open the season in a utility role.

No one would ever confuse him with Derek Jeter, but Torreyes was the Opening Day starting shortstop in 2017, and actually did a more-than-respectable job of filling in for the injured Didi Gregorius in the opening month. The numbers don't exactly jump off the page, but the 25-year-old provided solid defense around the infield and put together quality at-bats en route to a .292 average in 336 plate appearances. The Yankees have traded two of last year's starting infielders, Chase Headley and Starlin Castro, leaving a couple starting jobs up for grabs, but Torreyes is unlikely to seize one. The Yankees have highly-touted prospects in Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres ready for prime time. As a result, Torreyes will likely remain in a utility role in 2018, and he may face an uphill battle in the effort to surpass last season's volume of playing time.

With just eight games of major league experience under his belt coming into the year, Torreyes wasn't expected to have much of an impact with the Yankees last season. After a surprisingly strong start in which he hit .381 over 10 contests in April, the 24-year-old was able to stick around as a utility infield option for the duration of the season. Though his numbers ended up regressing a bit as the year went on, Torreyes provided solid defense primarily at third base and shortstop and was a serviceable bat in the lineup when called upon. With the Yankees looking set to give some of their more highly touted prospects a chance next season, Torreyes could be squeezed out of a role on the big league squad, but he looked like a long shot to make the roster last year as well. Either way, it's likely he'll be used mostly as a utility and backup option if he does crack the 25-man roster.

The 23-year-old Torreyes saw his 2015 season begin in Houston, include a stop in Toronto, and ultimately wind up with the Dodgers who acquired him in June for cash considerations. Torreyes hit .306/.340/.388 in 13 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City and .293/.348/.410 for Double-A Tulsa in the Dodgers organization, earning him a cup of coffee late in the season where he went 2-for-6 with a double. Torreyes stands just 5-foot-10 and is listed at 151 pounds, with his lack of power likely leading to a future as a big league utility man at best. He does show excellent plate awareness (39:28 K:BB last year) and he can run a little while showing good glove work at both second base and shortstop. It's possible Torreyes could earn the last spot on the Dodger bench with a big spring, but more than likely he'll open 2016 in Triple-A and await another opportunity.

Torreyes was a surprise addition to the Astros' 40-man roster this November, protected over the likes of Michael Feliz and Delino Deshields Jr. The 22-year-old Venezuelan second baseman is a lifetime .306 hitter in the minors, and in his first full year in the Astros' system last season, he hit .298 for Triple-A Oklahoma City. Torreyes is versatile on defense with the ability to man the keystone and play shortstop if need be, however his small stature may work against him staying at the latter position for long stretches. He also lacks power, but an excellent batting eye (123 walks compared to 122 strikeouts) and previous success in the minors could land him a utility role with Houston as early as this season.