Talented, highly drafted players often get the benefit of the doubt in the majors. That “benefit of the doubt” in real terms means regular playing time, and opportunities for fantasy owners to take a flyer on draft day. The following list is several players who are approaching what could be a make-or-break opportunity during the 2015 season.
Clay Buchholz, SP, Red Sox
The oft-injured Buchholz will be Boston’s Opening Day starter after a strong spring, posting a 22/4 K/BB and 2.84 ERA in five starts. He’s had quite the inconsistent career, and that can’t be made any clearer than looking at his last two seasons with a 5.34 ERA in 28 starts in 2014 but a 1.74 ERA in 16 starts during Boston’s 2013 World Series run. This is obviously a great opportunitiy to buy low, but the hype has been rampant with his great spring.
Aaron Hicks, OF, Twins
Even though Hicks was optioned to the minors, we likely haven’t seen the last of him in Minnesota with the team employing light-hitting Jordan Schaefer as their center fielder to open the season. Hicks has been in the Twins doghouse since they called him up to be a regular in 2013, and he’s hit only .201 in 150 career games. Still, he’s shown that he can take a walk with 60 free passes over that time, and showed real fantasy upside during his minor league career with double-digit homers and 32 steals in 2012.
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Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Orioles
Baltimore still hasn’t settled on a fifth starter, but it’s seeming more likely they will give the nod to Jimenez ahead of Kevin Gausman partially due to the paycheck. Jimenez was a disaster in the first season of a four-year, $50 million contract with Baltimore, though it wasn’t a shock given his declining velocity. He had a enigmatic spring but made a nice run late, and carried a respectable 18/7 K/BB ratio. The O’s will have a tough time coming to terms with a 4.8-plus ERA again, even with the money they’re spending on Jimenez.
Will Middlebrooks, 3B, Padres
After Boston signed Pablo Sandoval, the writing was on the wall for Middlebrooks to find a change of scenery. San Diego got him at a discount after he hit only two home runs in 215 at-bats last season, but Middlebrooks still has 24 career homers in 830 at-bats. San Diego was encouraged by a spring in which Middlebrooks beat out Yangervis Solarte for the starting third base job and hit .353-2-9. However, PETCO Park presents its own share of challenges when the season starts.
Tommy Milone, SP, Twins
Milone beat out Mike Pelfrey for a rotation spot, though both pitchers will start the year in the rotation following the news of Ervin Santana’s PEDs suspension. Milone was awful in six appearances with the Twins last season, but he had a 3.55 ERA in 16 starts with Oakland and has a sub-4.00 ERA for his career. Still, the lefty has very limited margin for error as a soft tosser in a time pitching dominates the game and the Twins are looking at the future. Milone has regularly shown exemplary control, but his problem is keeping the ball in the park. With prospects Trevor May and Alex Meyer waiting in the wings, Milone will need to get off to a good start to keep his rotation spot and stay out of Triple-A again.
Mike Moustakas, 3B, Royals
Kansas City has given the Moose more than his fair share of chances since drafting him second overall in 2007, only to see him continue to regress in the majors. He hit only .212-15-54 last season, and some onlookers would prefer that the Royals give young Christian Colon a chance as a regular given what we’ve seen of Moustakas in his four-year career. With a .668 career OPS, those critics are probably right, but it remains to be seen if the traditionally-minded Royals will have the guts to make a move once and for all.
Juan Uribe, 3B, Dodgers
Uribe is mostly used in NL-only leagues at this point, but he has a regular job in LA by the thinnest of margins. He was outplayed by Justin Turner last season, and the Dodgers have even more options with Alex Guerrero being rostered and high-priced Cuban Hector Olivera behind him when he gets cleared to enter the U.S. Even top shortstop prospect Corey Seager stands as a threat, though the Dodgers would probably prefer not to rush their top prospect. Uribe hit only .234 this spring and probably needs to hit as well as he did last season (.311-9-54) in April to have any chance of maintaining regular playing time.
-Seth Trachtman