Michael Choice

Choice earned an Opening Day roster spot and was given a steady supply of playing time when injuries freed up at-bats in the Rangers' DH role, but he hit just .177/.247/.318 with eight home runs over his first 198 at-bats and was sent back to Triple-A. Not surprisingly, he was more than capable of handling Pacific Coast League pitching, posting an OPS (.839) in line with his numbers at the level during his time with the A's organization in 2013. During his time with Texas, Choice showed better plate discipline against lefties, and posted an OPS (.709) more than 200 points above his mark against righties. Now 25, Choice will attempt to prove that he can be more than a fourth outfielder at the big league level, but his path to playing time in 2015 will hinge entirely on the Rangers' offseason additions to the roster following the departure of Alex Rios.

Choice was drafted 10th overall by the A's in 2010 and was thought to be their offensive prospect closest to contributing in the majors. Choice showed a ton of power (scouts cite his quick wrists and great bat speed) in High-A in 2011 with 30 homers in only 467 at-bats. The power has waned some as he has moved up levels (he did have a hand injury in 2012 that caused him to miss time) and he only hit 14 homers in 2013 over 510 at-bats for Triple-A Sacramento, but he has maintained a solid batting average. Choice was dealt to the Rangers (his hometown is Arlington, TX and he also went to college there) in early December and he could have a chance to make the Rangers' roster in spring training and he may quickly become an everyday player in Texas. Moving to the cozy confines of The Ballpark in Arlington and away from O.co Coliseum certainly boosts his power profile and increases his potential value going forward.

Choice was the A's first-round pick in the 2010 draft (10th overall). After tearing up High-A in 2011, he took a bit of a step back in 2012 at Double-A as his power dropped significantly (he did, however, cut down on the strikeouts at the same time) which quieted some of the talk to fast track him to the majors as soon as possible. He is still a crown jewel in the A's farm system and projects as a starter in their outfield for many years, but it likely will be in 2014 instead of 2013 as some had hoped. The glut of outfielders on the roster in Oakland should enable Choice to spend most - if not all - of the season at Triple-A Sacramento.

Choice continued to show legitimate power in his first full professional season, swatting 30 homers as a 21-year-old at High-A Stockton. While the .285/.476/.542 slash line was impressive, he did whiff 134 times in 118 games. As a cautionary tale, Chris Carter posted a .259/.361/.569 line at the same level, same park and the same age in 2008, showing a similar power/strikeout profile (39 homers and 156 strikeouts), and has seen his ascent stall out against advanced pitching. Choice's brief AFL campaign was solid (.318/.423/.667 in 66 at-bats, with just 12 strikeouts), but the true test will come as he faces Double-A pitching for the first time in 2012.

Choice was the A's first-round pick in the June draft out of UT-Arlington and was considered the best pure hitter in college last season. His professional debut was mixed, showing plenty of power (21 of his 29 hits went for extra bases) but also problems making contact (43 strikeouts in 102 at-bats). That's a load of power in a professional debut with wood bats for the first time, and he projects well going forward.