Brent Lillibridge

Struggles elsewhere on the White Sox's roster opened the door for Lillibridge to play a career-high 97 games, and he put up a .258/.340/.505 line to go with 13 home runs and solid defense around the diamond. There's not much in his resume to suggest that power will continue, but his 50.4 percent flyball rate could help him sustain the increase. However, his batted ball profile and low contact rate (67 percent) point to his .258 average as something of a high end expectation moving forward. He suffered a broken right hand in the closing weeks of the 2011 season, but he should be healthy in time for 2012 and will slot as the White Sox's top utility guy.

Lillibridge played in a career-high 64 MLB games in 2010, but he did not prove himself to be much more than a utility guy. He manned seven positions (including DH) over his 101 plate appearances and only churned out a .224/.248/.378 line. That low on-base percentage meant he was only able to attempt eight steals at the major league level despite nabbing 19 in 49 games with Triple-A Charlotte. Also bad news for Lillibridge is the fact that the White Sox have two other uber-utility guys in Mark Teahen and Omar Vizquel, and both of them are in higher pay grades. He will probably be one of the last cuts of camp, but he has the speed for some cheap steals should he ever receive regular playing time.

Brent Lillibridge broke camp as the team’s infield utility guy, but an 11-for-68 start got him sent down to Triple-A Charlotte by mid-May. Even his speed, his redeeming quality, did not shine through at the major league level, as he only attempted nine stolen bases in 46 major league games. He was a bit more successful on the basepaths with Charlotte (17-of-18), but he worked himself pretty deep into the Ozzie Guillen doghouse. The team added Omar Vizquel in the offseason to serve as a backup infielder, so Lillibridge will likely start the 2010 campaign at Triple-A.

Lillibridge struggled in his first exposure to major league pitching, which has many souring on his once top prospect status. He hit just .156/.182/.188 in the first six weeks of the season at Triple-A and then didn't draw walks or hit with any power when called up when the Braves temporarily needed a shortstop due to injuries. However, Lillibridge has shown good power for a middle infielder in the minors along with a sharp eye at the plate, good range and speed on the basepaths. After being traded to the White Sox, he'll have a better shot at a utility role or even a starting infield job in the majors. He could provide value since his prospect buzz is gone but a strong skill set remains.

Lillibridge, who was acquired last winter from Pittsburgh in the Adam LaRoche trade, is Atlanta's top infield prospect and will likely start the season at Triple-A. He's got good power for a middle infielder, a sharp eye at the plate, good range and a strong arm and speed on the basepaths. There was some thought this offseason that he could win a utility job with the Braves, but the Braves will likely keep him at shortstop after acquiring Omar Infante. Still, if a Braves infielder (especially the oft-injured Chipper Jones) gets hurt, Lillibridge could get regular time in the majors similar to how Yunel Escobar established himself in the majors. He could also be Atlanta's top trade chip with Escobar set at shortstop. Given his ability to steal bases, he'd have fantasy value even in a limited role and is a good reserve or minor league pick as a result.

Traded to Atlanta in January of 2007. Lillibridge put up some sweet numbers in Single-A last year, but at 22 years old it might not have been that impressive. He batted .305 with 13 home runs and 71 RBI but what really stood out was his 53 stolen bases. The Pirates put him on the Double-A Altoona postseason roster to give him some seasoning and he'll likely play there at some point in 2007, if not from the get-go. Lillibridge is one of Pittsburgh's top prospects. How he handles the higher minor leagues in 2007 will go a long way toward determining his future.

Lillibridge was drafted in the fourth round in 2005, from the University of Washington. He is a toolsy shortstop with offensive potential, but he needs to improve his plate discipline and tighten his defense.