Jonathan Aranda

Last year saw Luis Arraez surprise many with his hitting prowess at the plate that helped them, and Minnesota, gloss over his defensive struggles in the field. Aranda is that same story, but at the minor league level. Since graduating from the lower levels of the minors, he has hit .330 in High-A, .325 in Double-A, and .318 in Triple-A over the course of nearly 900 plate appearances with over a .400 OBP. Simply put, the young man can hit and he does so to all fields. He does not have Arraez's same incredible contact rate, but he does share the defensive challenges in that Aranda does not have a full-time defensive home. He lacks the range a modern day second baseman needs with the shift rules in place and he is not terribly quick either. The crowded depth chart in Tampa Bay with many players currently out of options could have Aranda right back in Durham if the club does not trade him first to a club more forgiving of his defensive shortcomings. Read Past Outlooks