Yuniesky Betancourt

For all of Betancourt's many shortcomings, consistency is not one of them. He reliably plays poor defense, swings at everything and has moderate power for a middle infielder. Betancourt checked off all three again last season. He'll likely move to a utility role after signing a one-year deal with Kansas City.

Betancourt comes to Milwaukee as a stop-gap shortstop until the Brewers can find a suitable replacement. Both offensively and defensively, Betancourt has plenty of flaws (low OBP, poor UZR), but he doesn't have much competition from within the organization. He'll hit in the bottom third of the order in Milwaukee if the Brewers don't find another solution to replace Alicdes Escobar.

Betancourt was acquired from Seattle in July after Mike Aviles was lost for the year with an elbow injury. The Royals wanted to upgrade their defense and hoped Betancourt's adequate fielding would offset his weak bat. Betancourt will be in a heated battle during spring training with Aviles for the starting shortstop position. The loser could very well slide to the other side of second base depending upon management's decision on trading Alberto Callaspo. Even if Betancourt is a starter, his bat will keep him from being an option in all but the deepest leagues.

Betancourt took a major step backward last season, regressing both at the plate and in the field. He displayed zero patience at bat, seeing a major league-low 3.15 pitchers per plate appearance. He doesn't hit for power (seven HR), doesn't steal bases (four steals in eight attempts), posted the third-lowest OBP in the American League (.300) and grounded into 23 double plays, sixth-most in the AL. Once praised for his glove work, Betancourt made 21 errors last season and was deemed a below average shortstop by nearly all advanced defensive metrics. The organization is bereft of shortstop depth, so if Betancourt isn't dealt in winter, expect to see him back at shortstop for the Mariners. A new approach at the plate and improved concentration in the field would help his stock.

Betancourt is developing into a more well-rounded shortstop. He had the third-most doubles (38) among major league shortstops last season, and only three AL shortstops had more XBH than Betancourt's 49. After a sluggish start, Betancourt hit. 305 and slugged .505 with 26 XBH from late July on, finishing the year with similar numbers as 2006 (.289/.308/.418 vs. .289/.310/.403 in '06). He'd benefit from working the count more, though. Betancourt put into play 27.8 percent of the pitches he saw, easily the highest mark in the majors. In 559 plate appearances, he drew 15 walks for the third-lowest rate in the majors and struck out 48 times for 12th-lowest rate. If he becomes more selective and produces this year like he did toward season's end last year, he'll take big step in his development. Despite make 23 errors, a Gold Glove is probably in his future. Most of his errors were of the throwing variety, which he finally corrected, as he made only four errors in the second half.

Betancourt returns as the Mariners shortstop, where he played more innings last season than any American League shortstop. Despite his 20 errors, Betancourt has a top-notch glove, which should become more consistent with experience. His bat might take more work, though. While he hovered around .300 most of the season, finally settling at .289, he drew a walk just once every 34.35 plate appearances, the second-worst mark in the majors. He doesn't have much power, either, though he hit 28 doubles. Betancourt needs to improve on the base paths, too, after just 11 steals in 19 attempts. He has the speed to add stolen bases to his game.

Betancourt's fielding dazzled everyone last season and earned him the Opening Day shortstop assignment for 2006. His bat is the only remaining question. After starting 2005 at Double-A, Betancourt hit .295 with 30 RBI in 49 games at Triple-A Tacoma. With Seattle, he hit .256/.296/.370 after a late-July call-up. A contact hitter, he doesn't walk (11) or strike out (24) much. If his swing comes around, he'll be a solid everyday player because his glove is already top-notch.

Betancourt is a 23-year-old refugee from Cuba who entered Mexico in the summer of 2003. Up until that time he played both shortstop and second base in the Cuban National League, and the Cuban age 17-18 national team. At 5-10, 190 pounds he’s an athletic player who the Mariners expect to compete as an offensive shortstop immediately with speed and good hands. Early reports have him with a good bat although without a major league power stroke. Not a great deal is known about his development, so don’t expect too much in 2005 and you won’t be disappointed. This seems reasonable given the team’s commitment to Pokey Reese for the immediate future.