In 2017, Houston’s Marwin Gonzalez played the following games at these positions:
- 1B-31
- 2B-22
- 3B-19
- SS-38
- OF-48
In the process, Gonzalez hit .303-23-90 with eight swipes over 455 at-bats and 134 games.
Now, before we determine that Marwin — who per Baseball-Reference has a 162-stat mean of .268-15-56 with a .317 OBP — is the second coming, we should note that even if he delivers that line in 2018, rather a regression from last season, he is a valuable chit to roto teams in deep leagues. More important, with 200-inning starters becoming a rare commodity, Marwin’s ability to productively play all over allows a team like the Astros to carry one more arm as necessary.
While fantasy owners certainly have to contend with squeezing innings, multi-positional players have always been beyond valuable in deeper formats. And, this season, the likes of Joey Gallo, Whit Merrifield, Freddie Freeman, and Alex Bregman, along with Gonzalez, are prime players to exploit both for batting skills and position flexibility.
So, maybe the Marwin/Bregman/Gallo/Merrifield/Freeman cluster are gone as rosters are fleshed out, but who are some of the lesser multi-positional guys who might indeed give a boost and an angle to your squad? Let’s see. (Note: The premise is 15 games played at a position is a qualifier.)
Ian Happ (44 @ 2B, 82@ OF): The Cubs #1 pick in 2015 made his presence known quickly with a .253-24-68 line with eight swipes over just 344 at-bats. Happ, who is ranked #135 per the NFBC ADP, makes a mid-round steal at this point, and if you have him on the cheap in a keeper league, Mazel Tav.
Josh Harrison (83@ 2B, 49@ 3B): Harrison assembled his fourth consecutive year of solid numbers, although there has been a small drop in totals over that period, still delivering a .272-16-47 with 12 steals and 66 runs over 128 games. In a way, Harrison has been the utility guy to have the past five years.
Ryon Healy (39@ 1B, 34 @ 3b): Somehow lost in both the defensive skills of Healy, along with his somewhat surprising swap to Seattle, Healy has had a pair of really strong seasons. After a .305-13-37 2016 over 244 at-bats, Healy showed he was for real in 2017 with a .271-25-78 set of stats. I still have some concerns over his strikeouts (202) to walks (35) as a big leaguer, but Healy seems to make contact so I give him the benefit of the doubt.
Chad Pinder (16@ 2b, 22@ SS, 41@ OF): One of the reasons Healy was moved by Oakland was simply that the team was already loaded with potentially good up-and-comers. Pinder, drafted #2 in 2013 as a shortstop, can indeed play up the middle. But he has a gun, meaning both third and the outfield are reasonable placements depending upon circumstances. Oakland loves moving players around and Pinder should enjoy himself in that role, building upon the 15 homers he belted last year over just 288 at-bats.
Eduardo Nunez (26@ 2B, 16@ SS, 53@ 3B, 20@ OF): The speedy Nunez, who has now played for four teams over eight years, certainly came through with a stellar .313-12-58 year that included 24 swipes. Kind of like Marwin, we should expect a bit of a drop in the average, but the other totals are pretty stable and the swipes could even improve.
Eduardo Escobar (16@ SS, 79@ 3B): Getting the Eduardos out of the way, I give Escobar some grief as the example of the weird 20-homer season of 2017, wherein he hit 21 big flies. Make no mistake, however, as a $1 guy in a deep league, Escobar is beyond valuable, and I am counting on him in my Strat-O-Matic league to help my team to a title!
Rhys Hoskins (27@ 1B, 30@ OF): Hoskins, ranked #47 at the NFBC, is a favorite of drafters for many reasons. Great plate discipline (37 walks to 46 whiffs) and power (1.014 OPS), but slotting/moving the hot prospect around is just an extra added bonus.
Asdrubal Cabrera (32@ 2B, 45@ SS, 44@ 3B): Droobs has hit double-digit homers for the past seven years, playing no fewer than 135 games over any season during this time despite often not having a starting gig on opening day. He is ranked #305 at the NFBC, meaning not a lot of interest.
Wilmer Flores (29@ 1B, 55@ 3B): Droobs’ Mets mate, Flores, like Cabrera, debuted at the age of 21 and has pretty much stuck since. He still has not had a serious chance to play an assigned position every day, but last year his .271-18-52 mark over just 104 games should pave the way for some serious time somewhere.
