Jace Peterson was named the starting second baseman after an impressive showing in spring training. It was an up-and-down ride for the 25-year-old infielder who was acquired in the Justin Upton deal, and he figures to have some kind of a role in Atlanta for 2016.
Peterson ended the season with an uninspiring .239/.314/.335 line while playing average defense (-1 DRS). His production was better in the first half (.678 OPS, 88 wRC+) than the second (.614 OPS and a 69 wRC+). He was worth 1.0 WAR.
For a guy who drew rave reviews from the Braves' coaching staff in the spring, his second-half production was rough to see. If he could produce those first-half numbers over a full year, he'd be a worthwhile starter moving forward.
I would imagine Peterson will open the 2016 season as the starter once again. He's cheap and has shown he can handle the position over a full season. It will be interesting to see what adjustments Jace makes over the winter; he'll never be a star, but he represents some stability while the Braves try to fill some big holes elsewhere. John Coppolella has to pick his offseason battles.
Daniel Castro appeared in 32 games and split time between second, third and shortstop. He's just 22 and showed he could be a utility guy off the bench next year. The glove is already there, but it's unclear if he'll ever hit enough to be more than a reserve.