Jason Tyner

Tyner will be in the mix for playing time in left field and DH with the Twins after re-establishing himself as a major league player last season. He famously has no power (no career home runs) but has a good eye at the plate and outstanding speed. Even as a reserve outfielder he can help a fantasy team with steals.

Tyner famously made it all the way from high school to the major leagues without ever hitting a home run, but has enough speed and a decent enough eye at the plate to keep a job at Triple-A. He could get a shot at a reserve role with the Twins if injuries strike, but the lack of power will ultimately keep him from any regular playing time. He'll likely spend all season at Triple-A Rochester.

Tyner, a speedy pull hitter and one-time prospect of the Devil Rays, has spent time with six teams in the last two years. Most recently he was playing for the Indians' Triple-A team in Buffalo before signing a minor league contract with Minnesota in November. There's not much hope of Tyner ever re-establishing himself as a starter in the big leagues, especially with Minnesota's deep outfield talent.

After a 2002 stint with the Rays that was so disastrous it made the Titanic look like The Love Boat, Tyner responded with a respectable 2003 stint in the bigs, given his skill set. We'll see if the Rangers think his on-base skills have improved enough to warrant giving him a fourth/fifth outfielder role.

Tyner opened 2002 as the Devil Rays' regular left fielder, and he was a total bust, hitting only .214 in 44 games (no homers, seven steals, and only seven walks in 175 PA for an awful OPS of .487). He did redeem himself a little at Triple-A Durham, hitting .291 in 88 games (no homers, 20 steals, and 34 walks, by far the best walk rate of his pro career). He may have a shot – and a longshot at that – of a reserve outfield role with the Devil Rays in 2003. If Tyner has really figured it out and successfully recasts himself as an on-base machine (such as consistently posting a .400+ OBA, because he has no power; he's never hit a home run in his pro or high school career), he might be able to help a major league club.