Diamonds In The Rough

I'm reviewing players who are owned in less than 5% of Yahoo leagues. There are some surprisingly good players who are better or have more potential than players far above them. So if you're in a deeper league and looking for a good free agent to sign, stop by here and I'll update the list every week or two during the season.

Catcher:

John Baker-Flor-4% last year he posted a line of 299/392/447 in 197 AB's (AVG, OBP, SLG) and had even better numbers in AAA. He's starting and hit 370/442/478 in the spring as of 4/1. He's one player I can almost guarantee won't remain on this list for long!

First Base:

Travis Ishikawa-SF-4% raked in AAA last year (310/370/737), performed well in a trial with SF last year (271/333/448) and is starting. A 316/350/632 spring for a 25 year-old starter is intriguing. Like Baker, he won't stay on this list for long. They're just a little unknown and that will change once the season starts.

Nick Johnson-Wash-2% Often injured, missing all of 2007 and most of 2008, but he can hit and he's still only 30. His last full season, in 2006, he scored 100 runs and hit 290/428/520. He's healthy (at least for now) and batting sixth in a preety good Washington lineup.

Chad Tracy-Ariz-1% Like Johnson, has battled injuries for a while, so he's flying under the radar. His career numbers are 285/343/461 and he's only 29. Also like Johnson, his last full season was in 2006, posting a 281/343/451 mark. The year before was 308/359/553. He's batting 386 in the spring as of 4/4 with a 444 OBP and is starting at 1B.

Nick Prado-Atl-1% In 228 AB's last year he hit 320/377/461. Playing time is the main issue here. He is eligible at 1B, 2B, and 3B and can fill in for the oft-injured Chipper Jones among others. If he's starting, his value should skyrocket. Right now, he's one to own in deep leagues and a name to remember should he grab hold of a starting job again.

Second Base:

Asdrubal Cabrera-Clev-3% Only 23, starting, and a player on the rise. Hit 320/398/464 in the second half after recovering from some injury issues and looked good in the minors previously. It's not out of the question that he approaches his second half numbers over a full season. If he even gets close, he's a huge bargain. Also eligible at shortstop.

Emilio Bonifacio-Flor-2% Batting leadoff and can help in steals (he stole a total of 102 bases between 2006-2007 in the minors). The question here is will he hit enough? 302/348/387 in AAA last year but struggled in the majors. Still, he has some potential and should improve at age 23, so if you need help in steals you could gamble on him.

Third Base:

Scott Rolen-Tor-4% Okay, he's 34 and injury prone. That's the bad news. The good news is he's healthy and hitting 417 this spring as of 4/3. Last year he hit only 262/349/431, but maybe he has one more great year left in the tank. As recently as 2006 he posted a line of 296/369/518, so if he come anywhere near that he'll provide good value. Another gamble and one to monitor as the season opens. My guess is he plays great for the first half or so then slides as the season wears on.

Andy LaRoche-Pitt-2% Always put up great numbers in the minors and was a heralded prospect and a key component of the Jason Bay trade. He was dreadful last year. The again, he was only 24. He's starting and stiull offers plenty of upside if he figures things out. I wouldn't grab him right away. Just watch and see if he gets off to a good start unless you want to roll the dice.

Shortstop:

Brandon Wood-Ana-2% yeah, he's not starting and hasn't produced at the big league level. His minor league numbers are enormous though. Last year he hit 296/375/595. Not bad for a player eligible at both 3B and SS. Needs to find his way into the lineup somehow AND produce. A longshot, but one to watch just in case, as his upside is tremendous.

Nomar Garciaparra-Oak-2% You know the drill with Nomar. You also know his upside if he can somhow stay healthy. He should play half to 2/3 of the time unless he really gets hot, which is possible. Of course, it's also possible he pulls a hammy on opening day. Just remember that he's capable of big numbers.

Outfield:

Ben Francisco-Clev-3% Put up excellent numbers in AAA and had a solid rookie year in 2008, with a line of 266/332/438. He's 27 and on the rise, starting, and batting 364 thgis spring as of 4/1. He's another player who's relatively unknown right now but won't stay that way for long.

Dexter Fowler-Col-2% A top prospect after posting 329/413/519 335/431/515 seasons in AA the last two years. The question is his playing time and if he'll produce right away. The talent is definitely there already.

Michael Cuddyer-Minn-2% Injured for much of last season and, like most players on the Twins, underrated to begin with. In 2007 he hit 276/356/433 and the year before 284/362/504. This spring as of 4/3? 317/358/525. He's starting most nights and is another who will jump off this list quickly.

Top Five Players Whose Value Should Rise:

1.Baker
2.Cuddyer
3.Tracy
4.Johnson
5.Ishikawa

Coming up next: Pitchers (and plenty of them)