Omar Infante

2013

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2012

Infante struggled out of the gate offensively in his first season in south Florida and wound up posting numbers that look more like his Detroit utility player days than the starter he developed into with the Braves. His line drive rate was actually higher than in 2010, however, and his glove work at second base was as good as advertised, so his job is not in jeopardy. There's a better than decent chance he'll be able to bounce back with a .300-plus batting average and some nominal fantasy value this season despite limited output in the power and speed categories.

2011

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel took a lot of heat for naming Infante to the NL All-Star team, but he looked prophetic as the former utility player hit .321 and finished third in the NL batting race. Infante hit .313/.359/.424 with six home runs after the break when pressed into everyday duty after Chipper Jones was lost for the season with a knee injury. He'll begin 2011 as an everyday player as he'll take over second base for Florida after being traded from Atlanta. Infante hit at least .290 in his three seasons in the NL thanks to a good contact rate, but he doesn't draw walks and offers little power or speed. While qualifying at multiple positions (second base, third base, outfield and even shortstop in some leagues) will boost his fantasy value, don't overpay for last year's batting average.

2010

Infante will be the primary utility infielder for the Braves this season. He missed nearly three months after breaking a bone in his hand when he was hit by a pitch (he had the same injury in 2008). He'll qualify at three infield positions and in the outfield in many leagues. He's had a decent batting average the past two years and has some power and could have upside if he's the clear backup to an aging Chipper Jones at third base.

2009

Infante will be the primary utility infielder for the Braves after a decent season with the bat in 2008. Infante didn't play until early May after breaking his left hand before spring training. He got time at three infield positions and left field. He has some power for an infielder, so there's some upside playing behind the oft-injured Chipper Jones at third base.

2008

Infante was never able to work his way back into a starting role with the Tigers after his rough 2003 season, and the Tigers finally cut ties with him in a November deal for Jacque Jones. Three weeks later, he was traded again, this time to fill Atlanta's need for a utilityman. Infante has a little pop, so he's someone to keep in mind if Yunel Escobar or Kelly Johnson struggle.

2007

Infante managed to collect 224 at-bats last season in a utility role with the Tigers. He has a little pop but doesn't do much else offensively to make him a fantasy target. He’s slated for a utility role again in 2007 but he could step in and play regularly if one of Detroit's starting infielders gets injured.

2006

Infante entered last season as Detroit's starting second baseman but his early season struggles gave the Tigers ample reason to trade for Placido Polanco. Infante will have to settle for a utility role this season but still could accumulate significant at-bats. He showed solid power last season but his poor eye at the plate led to a career-low batting average. At only 24, Infante still has time to develop and could be an interesting $1 pick in deep leagues.

2005

After Fernando Vina went down early in the 2004 season with a knee injury, Infante was thrust into the role of starting second baseman and he exceeded all expectations. In fact, he'll enter 2005 as Detroit's everyday second baseman regardless of Vina's health status. Infante also saw significant time at shortstop last year after Carlos Guillen got injured, giving him invaluable positional flexibility. He's still not a household name, so you may be able to steal him in the later rounds on draft day.

2004

Infante is a light-hitting shortstop in a pitcher's ballpark. He is extremely unlikely to put up good offensive numbers. With the acquisition of Carlos Guillen and Fernando Vina, Infante's opportunity for regular playing time has passed.

2003

Don't get too excited about the 19 steals at Triple-A -- Infante was caught 15 times. He's just 21, so the birth certificate says, so maybe he'll be intriguing us in a year or two. Ramon Santiago passed him on the organizational depth chart last year, but there should be room for both of them in Detroit -- it's just a matter of who gets moved to second base.