Donovan Solano

After four relatively unremarkable seasons in Miami, Solano joined the Yankees' organization on a minor league deal over the offseason. The 28-year-old spent almost the entire season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and hit fairly well, posting a .319 average with 67 RBI before joining the big league team in September. He wasn't overly impressive in that nine-game stint and ultimately elected free agency at the end of the season after being outrighted off the roster. The utility infielder will be 29 years old by the start of the 2017 season, and after performing decently in a somewhat regular role to start his career, Solano hasn't shown much at the plate in the majors over the past two seasons. The clock is likely running out on his chances to win back a major league job, leaving him in an organizational depth once again following a return to the Yankees in January.

Solano once again earned a share of the second base role in Miami during the 2014 season, and finished with totals that were nearly identical to those from his 2013 campaign. Last season, Solano put together a modest .252/.300/.323 slash line over 340 plate appearances while finding his way into the lineup regularly down the stretch. With the Marlins trading for Dee Gordon and Martin Prado, Solano looks set for a utility role this season. Solano's solid defensive work and decent contact rate keep him in the conversation for playing time, but a lack of pop limits his chances to win an everyday role.

Solano got the nod as the Opening Day starter for the Marlins in 2013, but his journey did not exactly go smoothly. He got off to a nice start, batting .278/.333/.324 in 30 games, before hitting the disabled list with an oblique injury in early May. Once healed, Solano took some time to get himself back into an everyday role, but earned the job for the final two months of the season. Solano does a decent job putting the ball in play (84% contact rate) and has the inside track to the Marlins' second base job once again, but he'll be hard-pressed to duplicate the BABIP-fueled .295 average he posted over 285 at-bats in 2011, while Derek Dietrich could prove to be a more viable option to man the keystone.

Solano performed well when given opportunities in 2012, posting a solid .295 average over 285 at-bats while taking over as the Marlins' regular second baseman down the stretch. Though he offers little in the power department, knocking just two home runs on the year, Solano provides defensive versatility and a touch of speed. It's likely that his average last season was buoyed by a fortunate .364 BABIP, but with the Marlins' lack of depth, Solano figures to see plenty of opportunities in 2013. Expectations should be tempered for a guy who has a career .314 OBP over 2,795 minor league at-bats.