Back it up: MLB's 'All-Depth' team

February 26th, 2016

The Cubs' surprise re-signing of Dexter Fowler on Thursday created additional depth for a club that already looked quite strong on paper. Even with Chicago trading Chris Coghlan to Oakland on the same day, manager Joe Maddon will have to find at-bats for some combination of Fowler, Jason Heyward, Kyle Schwarber and Jorge Soler.
That certainly is a good problem to have, considering the likelihood of injuries or other obstacles. Things happen, and the more quality options a club has, the better off it will be.
• Cubs OF mix to be sorted out this spring
With that in mind, here is a look at the 2016 MLB "All-Depth" team. To qualify, a player needed to be outside of his team's projected regular starting lineup or rotation, but with some big league experience under his belt.
Catcher: Caleb Joseph, Orioles
Joseph started 93 games behind the plate for Baltimore in 2015 and was slated to be the team's primary catcher in '16 before Matt Wieters accepted a qualifying offer. Over two Major League seasons, Joseph has stopped a stellar 37 percent of stolen base attempts while also rating well as a pitch framer. At the plate, he posted a modest .299 on-base percentage last year but did show some pop with 16 doubles and 11 homers over 355 plate appearances.
First base: Matt Adams, Cardinals
There's still a chance Adams could wind up as the starter ahead of Brandon Moss, but he is coming off a highly disappointing season that included more than three months lost to a quad strain. Even before that, the left-handed batter wasn't enjoying great success with the stick, but Adams hit .287/.327/.474 (121 OPS+) over the previous two years and still is only 27.
Second base: Brock Holt, Red Sox
Holt has turned himself into an indispensable utilityman in Boston, spending time at every position except pitcher and catcher for two straight seasons. He has held his own offensively, too, posting a nearly league-average .280/.340/.380 line (97 OPS+) over that span, with 20 steals. The 2015 American League All-Star should find no shortage of playing time once again this season, despite his lack of a set position.

Third base: Wilmer Flores, Mets
Flores became a Mets hero down the stretch last season, generating an .808 OPS after he was nearly dealt away at the Trade Deadline. When New York replaced Daniel Murphy with Neil Walker, then signed Asdrubal Cabrera, that pushed Flores back into a reserve role, where he should see time at second, third and short. Still only 24, Flores has yet to clear a .300 OBP in the Majors but whacked 16 homers in less than full-time action last year.
Shortstop: Javier Baez, Cubs
Baez could fill in all over the diamond in '16, including in the outfield, but the 23-year-old can handle shortstop. His whiff-heavy profile makes him a risk as a hitter, but the power is tantalizing, and he showed improvement in '15. Baez raked in Triple-A (.324/.385/.527 with 13 homers in 70 games) and continued to produce during a cameo in Chicago. The ZiPS system is bullish on him going forward, projecting a 101 OPS+, 22 homers and 2.3 wins above replacement (over 526 plate appearances).
Left field: Coghlan, A's
The 2009 NL Rookie of the Year revived his career in Chicago over the past two seasons, with a combined 118 OPS+ and 5.7 WAR. He wasn't going to hold a starting job with the Cubs and doesn't appear to have a set one in Oakland either, although A's general manager David Forst said he should get plenty of at-bats as a Ben Zobrist-type utilityman. Coghlan is certainly an asset against right-handed pitchers, whom he's tagged for a .277/.354/.478 line since '14.
Center field: Juan Lagares, Mets
With Yoenis Cespedes ultimately returning, the Mets for now have both Lagares and Alejandro De Aza in reserve. Lagares' tremendous defense helped him pile up 7.0 WAR from 2013-14, according to FanGraphs, before he slid back last year. However, he is now over an elbow injury that affected his throwing and reported to Spring Training about 20 pounds lighter after an offseason of improved nutrition and training. Lagares posted a .771 OPS after the All-Star break, but if his Gold Glove-caliber defense returns, he won't have to hit much to be valuable.

Right field: Soler, Cubs
It's not clear exactly how the playing time will shake out for the Cubs, but Soler likely sits behind Schwarber on the depth chart for now. After a dynamic 24-game debut in 2014, the Cuba native spent time on the DL and managed a modest 97 OPS+ last year. On the other hand, he just turned 24 on Thursday and is coming off a postseason in which he showed his exciting potential by going 9-for-19 with three doubles, three homers and six walks.
Designated hitter: Steve Pearce, Rays
Pearce signed a one-year, $4.75 million deal to come to Tampa, where he should see time at first base and the outfield as well as DH, though he also has tried second and third in his career. The Rays are hoping for a rebound from the right-handed batter, who broke out for the Orioles in 2014 (.930 OPS, 21 homers) but fell off considerably last season.
Right-handed pitcher: Jesse Chavez, Blue Jays
Spring Training rotation battles make picking "extra" starters somewhat difficult, and Chavez is a candidate for the No. 5 spot in Toronto, though he has strong competition in Aaron Sanchez and others. Chavez proved valuable in a swingman role for Oakland the past two years, posting a 101 ERA+ and 3.6 WAR over 62 games (47 starts).
Left-handed pitcher: Alex Wood, Dodgers
The Dodgers have assembled an extremely deep staff, and Wood could wind up on the outside looking in, especially if Hyun-Jin Ryu proves to be healthy. Wood owns an impressive 3.31 ERA over 66 career starts, though the 25-year-old's strikeout rate plummeted last year, and he struggled a bit in L.A. after coming over from Atlanta in a Trade Deadline deal.