Braves Off Season Outfield Options

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May 15, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers left fielder Kyle Blanks (88) bats during the game against the Cleveland Indians at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Filling in the Blanks.

A buy low candidate that I’ve not heard mentioned is Kyle Blanks. Blanks wasn’t a can’t miss prospect, he was selected in the 42nd round of the 2004 draft (1241st overall) by the Padres; he was 17 at the time He actually attended year of Junior college before beginning his professional career in 2005 and worked his way up to the Padres spending spent a year at each level arriving in San Diego in 2009.

Drafted as a first baseman and the Padres had Adrian Gonzalez filling that role but they made room for Blanks in the outfield because of his bat. From 2005 through his 2009 AAA season his lowest OPS was .836 in 2006 (A ball). In 54 games for the Padres he posted a .250/.355/.514 with 10 homers, 9 doubles and 22 RBI splitting time between his natural position (first base 8 games) and the position he was learning left field (the outfield, 18 in left and 22 in right).

The 2010 season saw Blanks get only 120 PA with the Padres in April and May and he eventually had TJ surgery at the end of July. He returned to the Padres on July 22 of 2011 and posted a .229/.300/.406/.706 line with 7 homers in 170PA. He lost the 2012 season to shoulder surgery and by the time he returned in 2013 Yonder Alonzo was settled in as the Padres first baseman.

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Blanks posted a .256/.318/.425/.743 line with 8 homers in just 259 PA before going on the DL with achilles tendonitis. He returned in in September but the achilles flared up again and he got little playing time. In March of 2014 he was traded to Oakland for a couple of minor league players. He played in 21 games for Oakland slashing .333/.446/.489/.935 before a grade 2 calf strain eventually cost him the rest of the season.

This season he signed as a free agent with the Rangers and when Mitch Moreland went down played in 18 games mostly at first base posting a .313/.352/.522/.875 line with three homers and eight doubles. Once Moreland returned and Josh Hamilton was healthy he returned to Round Rock. The Rangers had three other first basemen with an OPS greater than Blanks .990 and he played in only 18 games. After the AAA season Blank decided to have surgery on the Achilles tendon that had been a niggling injury for the last 18 months.

When healthy Blanks has been an above average defender in left and his bat has always been solid. The surgically repaired elbow has caused no further issues and if the elective achilles surgery should end the ongoing issues he’s had with those and his calf. At 29 years old is young enough to be a buy low candidate that can fill a corner outfield slot, backup Freddie Freeman at first base and provide a right hand hitting power bat for a few years. He certainly worthy of a minor league contract with an invite to spring training if the ankle are ready or simply a minor league deal if he has to report to spring training late.

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