Coats is back with the Rays after spending all of the 2018 campaign with the team's Triple-A affiliate. Across 108 games with Triple-A Durham last season, the soon-to-be 29-year-old hit .247/.293/.448 with 15 homers. Coats hasn't appeared in the majors since a brief stint with the White Sox back in 2016, when he hit .200/298/.340 in 28 games (58 plate appearances).

With Mallex Smith, Kevin Kiermaier, Carlos Gomez and Denard Span assured spots on the Rays' Opening Day roster and utility man Daniel Robertson capable of playing the corner outfield if needed, Tampa Bay didn't have room for Coats. The 28-year-old is expected to open the season at Triple-A Durham after missing the entire 2017 campaign with a torn UCL in his right elbow.

At this point, it seems that Coats is competing primarily with Brandon Snyder for the roster spot, but Micah Johnson is also in the running to a lesser extent. Coats hasn't hit that well this spring (4-for-24, nine strikeouts), but the fact that he bats right-handed is a big selling point given the breadth of lefty options in Tampa Bay's outfield. The 28-year-old will need to show some improvement over the final couple weeks of camp if he wants to claim the spot for his own.

After signing a minor-league deal with the Rays in March of 2017, Coats missed all of last season due to an undisclosed injury. He spent the 2016 season with the White Sox, hitting .330/.394/.519 in 78 games for Triple-A Charlotte but struggling to a .200/.298/.340 line in 28 games for the big club. He'll likely be viewed as organizational depth for the Rays next season.