Emmanuel Rivera

Rivera's path to any fantasy viability took a hit when Arizona traded for Eugenio Suarez during the offseason. It was one thing for Rivera to serve as a backup to an aging Evan Longoria, but Suarez does not need much time off and Rivera could find his path to 300 plate appearances severely challenged as long as he remains with Arizona this season. He can handle both infield corner positions well and being out of options all but assures he remains with a club in that type of capacity for this season. He has never quite shown enough bat to profile as an everyday player and a career .247/.304/.380 line in 740 major league plate appearances reinforces that line of thought. His in-season flexibility is a nice resource for mono leagues but mixed league fantasy managers can safely overlook him

Rivera began the season with the Royals, mostly serving in a reserve capacity but also seeing regular action as an injury replacement. He posted a .246/.294/.414 line in 204 plate appearances before being sent to Triple-A on July 29. Shortly thereafter, he was traded to the Diamondbacks where he finished the season just .227/.304/.424. His season was cut short with a fractured left wrist but is expected to be ready for spring training. Rivera can play both corner infield spots, but both are occupied by established players, so Rivera may see most of his action pinch-hitting against southpaw relievers. He has some pop in the event regular playing time unfolds, but for fantasy purposes, Rivera is still relegated to NL-only duty.