Ben Gamel

Gamel owns a minor-league career slash line of .290/.350/.408 in over 3,000 PA over the years, and a .261/.331/.388 line in nearly 1,400 PA at the big-league level. That slash line could work for a middle infielder, but for an outfielder with middling defense who does not steal bases and cannot hit lefties, it is tough to keep in the majors. Gamel was a starter in 2017, but the flaws surfaced with the extra playing time and he has been relegated to platoon work since. Milwaukee non-tendered Gamel in early December, leaving him to find a new home for his bench skills. He is still accepting of his walks, but has seen a large surge in strikeouts the past two seasons without any gains in his production. Perhaps focusing on shortening his swing to leverage his OBP skills against righties could help him land on his feet in another platoon situation.

The Brewers acquired Gamel from Seattle prior to the 2019 season in the deal that sent Domingo Santana to the West Coast. Gamel broke camp as the Brewers' fourth outfielder and filled that role up until August, occasionally seeing time in the starting lineup due to injuries. The outfielder saw his playing time dip following the promotion of Trent Grisham; Gamel spent a week in the minors at the end of August before returning for the final month of the season. Gamel wound up appearing in 134 games (65 starts), slashing .248/.337/.373 with seven home runs and two steals in 356 plate appearances. While Gamel's walk rate sat at a respectable 11.2%, his strikeout rate climbed to a career-worst 29.2%. The 27-year-old outfielder has an option remaining, so an assignment to Triple-A is possible, but it seems likely he opens as the Brewers' fifth outfielder.

Gamel is a good guy off the bench because he has an excellent eye at the plate and can earn a walk. If you are in a deep OBP league, and we're talking deep, Gamel has value. Otherwise, he has none. He cannot hit lefties and is a below-average defender. Those two factors will limit his playing time in Milwaukee. He saw a significant amount of time for a bad 2017 Mariners club, and that is the type of situation he needs in order to get significant playing time again. There is enough offense and baserunning ability to merit a reserve roster spot in deep single-league formats, but the path to value will come from an injury in front of him rather than some hidden power blossoming. There are players with more upside than Gamel, but he could end up with double-digit steals with enough playing time due to his on-base abilities.

Opportunity knocked for Gamel in 2017, and he responded with a surprisingly productive season. A 10th-round pick in 2010, he hit .318 from the time of his callup in late April until the end of July (83 games). Gamel faded in a major way down the stretch with a .198/.236/.335 line over the final two months, and those numbers are probably more indicative of who he is as a player rather than the ones he posted before the break. The 25-year-old turned in middling strikeout (22.2 percent) and walk (6.5 percent) rates, resulting in just a .315 wOBA, and the "expected" numbers from Statcast were ugly (.290 xwOBA, .244 xBA). Gamel was a net negative in the field, and given the fluky nature of his offensive numbers, another season of 500-plus plate appearances is no lock. He may be lucky to get to 400 even, as the Mariners could upgrade in left field at some point and relegate Gamel to a bench role.

Gamel won the International League Rookie of the Year award in 2015 and followed it up with the International League Most Valuable Player award in 2016. In late August, the Yankees wound up trading the potential Brett Gardner clone to the Mariners, who gave him a handful of starts down the stretch. The 24-year-old could eventually club 10 homers and steal 20 bases annually if his skills reach their peak, and the trade helps his avenues for playing time in the immediate future. Seattle will probably allow him to compete for a starting gig during spring training, and Gamel's defensive versatility will help his chances. Those in AL-only leagues should consider stashing him in one of their reserve spots.