Red Sox vs the AL East: left fielders
By Conor Duffy
Oct 2, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles left fielder Alejandro De Aza (12) hits a double during the eighth inning in game one of the 2014 American League divisional series against the Detroit Tigers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports
5. Alejandro De Aza, Orioles
De Aza, who had seemingly broken out into being an above-average player after some success with the White Sox from 2011-12, has faded back into mediocrity in recent seasons. He has continued to play everyday, playing in 142 games between Chicago and Baltimore last season, but his star has faded a bit as his slash line dipped to .252/.314/.386 with 8 home runs and 17 stolen bases. He has a bit of the intriguing power-speed combination, but neither are enough to overcome his high strikeout rate, as De Aza struck out 22.5% of the time last season. He’s not an awful player by any means as he brings passable offense and passable defense to the table, but he’s nothing special in one of the most offensively-gifted positions in baseball.