Laynce Nix

Nix had 351 plate appearances with the Nationals in 2011 appearing mostly in left field. He is best suited in a platoon situation, as he has shown an inability to hit left-handed pitching during his career with a .227 wOBA. Nix had a hard time lying off pitches out of the strike zone (42.7 percent chase rate in 2011), and can have a hard time making consistent contact (12 percent swinging strike rate in 2011). Advanced metrics indicate he has been an above average outfielder, and he will spend most of his time in left field with the Phillies in 2012 in a platoon role.

Nix was perfectly useful as a platoon partner for Jonny Gomes and left-handed bat off the bench, until he injured his ankle in August and was unable to get to full strength. The Reds non-tendered him at the conclusion of the 2010 season, but there's a chance that they could sign him again at the onset of spring training again, if he doesn't first hook up with another squad.

Nix reflected the Reds' OBP problems last season, hitting .239/.291/.476 with the team. That he played in 116 games with them speaks volumes to either the lack of quality options in the outfield, which is partly true, or the Reds' ability to discern who deserves that playing time. At any rate, he was outrighted off the 40-man roster in November in light of the depth of competition for a corner-outfield job with the team but returned on a minor league contract where he may languish in Triple-A.

Nix spent most of 2007 with Triple-A Nashville before getting a few weeks in Milwaukee during September. He has some power and runs well, but does a poor job of getting on base and it's hard to think of him as anything more than minor league filler or "Quadruple-A" material. The Brewers don't really have a place for him on the big league roster, so he could be deemed expendable this spring.

Nix caught fire after being traded to Milwaukee in July, hitting .412 with seven home runs in 18 games for Triple-A Nashville and earning a call-up to the majors. He was sidelined for the remainder of the season just after getting called up to the big leagues, but made a favorable impression. He put up good numbers in the minors, but hasn't been able to duplicate it in the majors. The Brewers might give him a chance to play center field on a regular basis this year if they don't find one on the free-agent market.

A shoulder injury officially ended Nix's season in July, but his season was spiraling downward long before that. Once thought of as being as untouchable as Hank Blalock and Mark Teixeira, Nix may never develop after a third-straight poor season. His plate discipline continues to be a major concern, and injuries at critical times during his development haven't helped either. The trade for Brad Wilkerson places Nix as Texas' fourth outfielder behind Wilkerson, Kevin Mench and David Dellucci.

Like Hank Blalock the year before, Nix spent most of the season protected from prolonged exposure to left-handed pitching. His introduction to the majors wasn't nearly as smooth as Blalock's, though, as Nix battled through myriad injuries, including a shoulder injury that sidelined him for a full month. A poor 113/23 K/BB ratio in 371 AB shows there's some growth needed, but there's some solid extra-base power hidden behind the .248 batting average. He failed to hit over .255 in any month but April, however, and his post-break numbers (.218 average, .345 slugging) were putrid. There's at least another year of growing pains here.

If Nix is able to handle centerfield defensively, he'll have a pretty nice career ahead of him. He's decidedly less valuable as a mashing corner-outfielder type. In any event, he might get his first taste of Triple-A to start the season, especially if Kevin Mench mends a few fences and gets back in the good graces of Buck Showalter and Company or Texas dips into the free agent pool to sign someone like Ben Grieve.

Texas' best outfield prospect now that Kevin Mench has reached Arlington. Torn thumb ligaments ended his Arizona Fall League season early, but he should be ready for spring training. Expect him to play most of the year at Double-A. If he can bump up his power a notch or two he projects to be a pretty decent prospect. Nix has improved from year-to-year, and might be the solution in centerfield for Texas by 2005.