Romine made at least one appearance at every position besides catcher in 2016, including double-digit games in center and at all four infield positions. His versatility allowed him to reach 194 plate appearances in 109 games, hitting .236 with two home runs, 16 RBI and 21 runs, while adding eight steals. He finished the season with a below average walk rate, contact rate, batting average on balls in play and just about every other offensive statistic. His value for the Tigers did not come at the plate, however. His versatility and ability to play multiple positions well defensively paid off for Detroit, as he finished 2016 with a .977 fielding percentage and six defensive runs saved. At 30 years old, a 2017 offensive breakout seems unlikely, though Romine will probably once again find a role as a utility man, which will earn him a fair amount of plate appearances.

Romine delivered a solid performance off the bench as a super utility man in 2015. He spelled off every player around the infield and finished with over 200 plate appearances. His slash line of .255/.307/.315 with two home runs, 15 RBI, 25 runs and 10 stolen bases were fine. But Romine's real value came on the field. He typically came on as a late-inning replacement and finished with a 12 DRS and 0.9 WAR. He'll reprise the role in 2016 and deliver similar production in 2016.

The Tigers acquired Romine from the Angels during spring training last year after it was clear Jose Iglesias would be out long term. Originally thought of as insurance and depth at the shortstop position, Romine quickly carved out a bigger role than expected and ended up in a platoon with rookie Eugenio Suarez for much of the season. As his .554 OPS indicates, Romine didn’t do much damage at the plate, but he provided the Tigers with solid defense at shortstop. The 29-year-old sports a .037 ISO through 403 career at-bats, so he won’t be called on for his offensive skills going forward, but he should earn a role as a utility infielder off the bench given his ability to fill in at second base, shortstop and third base.

Romine began 2013 as organizational depth at Triple-A Salt Lake before an injury to Luis Jimenez gave him a chance to grab the lion's share of playing time at third base in September. Though he posted an adequate .329 OBP in that time, the three doubles he would hit that month would be his only extra-base hits of the season, leaving him with an anemic .028 ISO in 123 plate appearances in 2013. Romine's defensive versatility will give him a chance to make the roster out of spring training, but he's unlikely to see significant playing time, as he has not shown much ability to hit major league pitching at this point in his career.

Romine spent most of the 2012 season at Triple-A Salt Lake City where he produced a .285/.336/.390 batting line with four homers and 23 steals over 388 at-bats. As far as light-hitting utility infielders go, he has excellent plate discipline, but Romine still probably doesn't do enough at the plate to warrant a spot in the starting lineup every day, even if he continues to play steady defense. It's also a bit concerning that his base-stealing hasn't translated to the upper levels of the minor leagues, as he hasn't topped 26 thefts in a season since stealing 62 bases for Low-A Cedar Rapids in 2008. On the bright side, Romine did impress in very limited major league action last year, going 7-for-18 (all singles) at the plate with three walks. Now that Maicer Izturis is off to Toronto, Romine appears to be the top candidate to serve as the Angels' main backup in the infield.

Romine totaled just 15 extra-base hits in 105 games with Triple-A Salt Lake last season, but he posted a .363 OBP and also was successful on 23-of-29 stolen-base attempts. He also recorded just seven errors in those games, so while he may not possess much in terms of power, his other skills could help him earn a utility role for the Angels in the near future.

Romine hit a solid .282 last season, but arguably his most impressive stat was his .370 OBP. Getting on base allowed Romine to steal 21 bases, but he was caught nine times, indicating there is still room for growth in that area. Romine has a shot to begin the season in Triple-A, but don't expect him to make an impact in the big leagues this season given the depth in the Angels' infield.