By Jim Higgins

Given how visibly a players’ season stats are impacted by one stellar or poor performance this early in the season, it’s always interesting to see which players owners will panic and give up on early in the season.

Knowing that some keeper league owners are already looking ahead to how their squad will look next year, picking up an early struggler that has been dropped by a frustrated owner can provide an instant boost to next year’s team.Here are five of the most dropped players in ESPN, Yahoo and CBS leagues that may be worth adding to your team. I realize many of these players are being dropped in single year leagues and that some of these names may still be on rosters but in leagues where that is the case, these players can be prime trade targets instead.

Jordan Zimmermann (SP) – Tabbed at the start of the year to hold down the front of the rotation until Stephen Strasburg makes it back from TJS, Zimmermann has owners wondering if he’s all the way back from his own TJS. Currently sporting a 1-4 record with a 4.55 ERA and only 14 K in 29.2 IP, looking at his skill set tells us there is more than meets the eye. The K/9 is a lowly 4.2 but because Zimmermann has been limiting the walks, he has a 2.8 K/BB that falls right in line with his career numbers. Zimmermann has also done a good job limiting home runs and his FIP of 3.03 shows he has been the victim of bad luck and bad defense. If either or both of those things turn around, along with his K/9 rebounding back to his previous levels (around 7), this will be a pitcher worth keeping in 2012.

Ian Stewart (3B) – I profiled Stewart on Tuesday and looking at how things are going for him in the minors, the window to buy low may be closing soon. In 27 PA, Stewart is hitting .429 with 2 HR, 12 RBI and he has 6 BB to go with 6 K. Whether this means Stewart will be the 2011 version of Max Scherzer or Alex Gordon is anyone’s guess but if he pulls a Scherzer, the hype machine will pick up where it was before the Spring Training injury occurred.

Angel Pagan (OF) – Building on a solid 2009 to post a .290, 11 HR, 69 RBI, 37 SB season in 2010, owners seem to find Pagan to be somewhat of a fluke given his drop in ownership lately. Sure, Pagan started off slow this season (he’s hitting .159 with only 1 HR, 6 RBI and 4 SB) and is currently on the DL but a .164 BABIP, 12% BB% and 87% CT% scream that Pagan has been a victim of bad luck and you shouldn’t be surprised if the SB and BA return once he is healthy.

Daniel Hudson (SP) – A name that might be surprising to see on this list is Hudson, but given his 1-4 record, 5.64 ERA and 1.38 WHIP, it makes sense to see owners dropping him. I doubt, given how much attention he garnered this offseason, that he’s available in many keeper leagues but now may be the time to nab him at a decent price. Hudson has actually allowed 3 ER or fewer in 3 of his 5 starts and his unsightly WHIP can be partially blamed on a .337 BABIP and a 58% strand rate. His FIP is a solid 3.07 and with his 9.5 K/9 and 2.7 K/BB, we know the skills are there. It’s just a matter of being patient enough for the results to arrive.

Matt Thornton (RP) – Being dropped more and more each time Sergio Santos successfully converts a save, I would strongly advise against completely counting Thornton out as the White Sox closer just yet. Thornton has been victimized by an obscene BABIP (.370), low strand rate (42%) and 33% HR/F rate. Obviously the BB/9 needs to come down from the 6.4 its at now but if Thornton can regain the skills he displayed last year, he should have no problem reclaiming the closer role he had to start the season. And if he can lock down the role without incident once he regains it, he should be able to hold on to it at least through 2012.

By Jim Higgins

In fantasy baseball, timing is everything.

It can be the difference in picking up the next Jose Bautista, or trading Max Scherzer before he gets straightened out in the minors and closes the season on a tear.

For me, my lack of timing prevented me from publishing a post based on what little we knew about Joe Mauer’s trip to the DL when it first happened. That actually ended up being a good thing since most of my conclusions were based on old facts.

In keeper leagues, timing becomes even more critical because your decisions (or lack of) may not only affect your team for the current season, but for years to come.

While I normally preach patience early on, making a couple of moves now could be the difference between contending this year and rebuilding for the future. Hear are five guys you should consider adding in your keeper league for either a title run this year or to a team that’s rebuilding for 2012.

Jed Lowrie (SS) – Lowrie is red hot right now and has hopefully replaced Marco Scutaro as a starter. He has the skills to hold on to the job and provide both power and speed at a shallow position. If you’re in need of help in the infield, this is probably the last chance you have to pick Lowrie up, so hurry and get him now.

Justin Masterson (SP) – Masterson is one of those guys we’ve been waiting to see figure it out and it’s possible he finally has. He has had luck on his side so far this year but he does have a 3-to-1 K/BB ratio, which is the big thing that’s held him back in the past. If he maintains that ratio, he will finally live up to his potential.

Phil Hughes (SP) – Currently at the top of ESPN’s Most Dropped Players list, if the Hughes owner in your league has cut bait early this season, now is the time to swoop in. I have no idea if Hughes will get it together this year but he could easily be this year’s version of Max Scherzer too. If you’re already struggling to stay in contention, this is exactly the type of move player you should be taking a gamble on.

Jonathan Herrera (2B) – Herrera is being added in more and more leagues so if you wait much longer you may not be able to add him. The Colorado infield has been in flux all year and Herrera has most the most of his opportunities by amassing 10 runs and 4 SBs in 34 ABs. He won’t produce at that rate all season but considering he’s fighting guys like Jose Lopez and Ty Wigginton for playing time, he won’t need to in order to secure his playing time.

Jose Contreras (CL) – I realize Contreras is 3 days older than dirt, but I have a feeling he will maintain the Phillies closer job all season and that he could even enter 2012 as the Phillies closer. Given that Philly is one of the best teams in baseball, Contreras will provide valuable saves for without the chaos that comes from owning closers in other pens around the league. He’s definitely not a long-term stalwart but he has value if closes this year and next. Throw in the fact that Brad Lidge likely won’t be around next year and I bet Charlie Manuel would love to have someone at the back of his pen he can trust.

By Jim Higgins

Before the 2010 season began, I ran a series of posts naming one possible keeper candidate from each MLB team. Some of these guys were more obvious than others, but then again, some teams have a lot more talent than others. In the interest of full disclosure, I have decided to recap my calls to see if any of the guys I mentioned actually panned out.

I previously posted my recap of my AL Keepers, and if you want to see the original articles for the NL, here are the links to the East, Central and West.

Kris Medlen – SP – Atlanta
Medlen looked like one of my better calls from the NL until he injured his elbow midseason and now needs the dreaded Tommy John surgery. I would bet Medlen will pick up in 2012 where he left off in 2010, but there is no reason to hold on to him at this point.

Chris Volstad – SP – Florida
Volstad is a guy with talent – too bad he hasn’t brought any of it to the majors yet. The former first round pick in 2005 seems to have settled in as a replacement level pitcher and has no keeper potential. He may be a decent add to fill in an empty roster spot but nothing more.

Ike Davis – 1B – New York
He didn’t spend much time in the minors in his first full pro season and once he got to the majors, he locked down the starting job right away. He may not improve much upon the numbers he posted as a rookie, but considering he is still worth holding on to if you got him cheap before last year. Consider him a young Adam LaRoche and keep accordingly.

Carlos Ruiz – C – Philadelphia
Ruiz didn’t set the world on fire but anyone willing to take a gamble on rostering him was rewarded with a .302 BA, 43 runs and 53 RBIs – not bad for a C that went undrafted in a lot of leagues. Does that mean those numbers are worth keeping? Probably not, unless you are barren at C. And if that’s the case, you could do a lot worse than Ruiz.

Justin Maxwell – OF – Washington
There were a couple of breakout performances from Washington OFs last year, unfortunately Maxwell wasn’t one of them. Maxwell got 104 ABs in the majors and did absolutely nothing with them. Combine that with solid play of Josh Willingham and Roger Bernadina and Maxwell has almost zero fantasy value.

Geovany Soto – C – Chicago
Soto was having a bounce back season until injury cut his season short. Hopefully now that Lou Piniella is gone, Soto will quit losing so much playing time to Koyie Hill and continue to regain fantasy value. In leagues with larger keeper rosters I would advise holding on to Soto if you can, and if you can’t, try trading him to an owner with a need at C.

Jay Bruce – OF – Cincinnati
Given a decent amount of ABs, not only did we see Bruce continue to launch HRs out of the Reds bandbox of a stadium, but we actually saw him put up a decent BA as well. Now, if Bruce can continue to maintain the gains he experienced in BA and OBP, he should continue to be one of the rising stars of keeper leagues.

Bud Norris – SP – Houston
Norris continues to display skills that tantalize (9.3 K/9, 2H GB% of 45%) but as Yoda would say, “control, control, he must learn control.” If Norris can get his walks down from the 4.5 BB/9 he issued last year and continue to increase his GB%, we could be looking at a future keeper league stud. For now, look at other options but continue to keep him on your radar.

Mat Gamel – 3B – Milwaukee
As long as Casey McGehee is in town, Gamel continues to wait for an opportunity. It’s just too bad he exhausted his rookie status in 2010, otherwise he would still be worth stashing on an MiLB or reserve roster. If he’s eligible to remain reserved, I would hold out for one more season. If not, it’s time to cut bait and free up a keeper slot.

Jeff Clement – 1B – Pittsburgh
Probably my worst preseason call (and there were some bad ones). Clement seemed to finally have the perfect scenario for finally breaking out, playing for the woeful Pirates, but as he did in Seattle, he failed to live up to his first round hype. Clement only received 144 ABs, finishing with a .201 BA, 7 HR and 12 RBI – not the type of results you want to be wasting a keeper slot on.

Colby Rasmus – OF – St. Louis
He may be at odds with his real manager, but you don’t need to be at odds over whether you should keep him. With 23 HR, 12 SB and a .276 BA, Rasmus is the type of multi-stat performer every owner could use. Rasmus had a nice growth season in 2010, and if he continues to grow in 2011 and beyond (he will only be 24 next year), he could turn out to be one of the best OFs in fantasy baseball, regardless of where he plays.

Conor Jackson – 1B/OF – Arizona
I was hopeful that the breakout season Jackson looked like he was going to have in 2009 would carry over to 2010, but it never did. The power has vanished, the stolen base opportunities have dried up and the .280-.300 BA is no where in site. Throw in the fact that Jackson now plays in Oakland and there is a good chance most of these numbers don’t return. Maybe an extra year of recovery will do him some good but I wouldn’t bank on it at this point.

Carlos Gonzalez – OF – Colorado
For as bad as the Clement call was, the CarGo call was probably my best call of 2010. Finishing third in the MVP voting, CarGo hit 34 HR, stole 26 bases and put up a .336 BA – probably helping many fantasy owners win leagues in the process. I don’t know if I would expect that type of production from CarGo again but it is possible he has many more 20/20 seasons in him, and that is definitely worth holding on to.

James McDonald – SP – Los Angeles
McDonald struggled out of the gate, failing to make the team in spring training and failing to earn a call up to the majors until after he was traded to the Pirates. Once in Pittsburgh, he put up a respectable 3.52 ERA and 8.6 K/9 but he needs to show some consistency before he earns keeper status. Continue to monitor his progress and if he continues to pitch well early, don’t be afraid to grab him as a potential keeper for 2012 and beyond.

Chase Headley – 3B – San Diego
What Headley failed to display in power, he made up for in early season SBs. He still hasn’t quite lived up to the hype he garnered as a prospect but now that he’s back at his natural position, he seems to be geting closer to getting there. I wouldn’t hold on to him based on his 2010 numbers but if he suddenly develops some power to go with his unexpected speed, he could become a useful fantasy player.

Nate Schierholtz – OF – San Francisco
Like with Washington, I was right in predicting a breakout performance in the Giants OF, I just guessed the wrong guy. Schierholtz had limited ABs and didn’t do a whole lot with them, so I wouldn’t expect anything different anytime soon.

That’s it for the recaps – as you can see it was a mixed bag in terms of finding potential keepers but hopefully you were able to snag at least one or two of the good ones. I’ll definitely do this again for 2011 and hopefully, this time I will find more gems than duds.

By Jim Higgins

Before the 2010 season began, I ran a series of posts outlining one possible keeper candidate from each MLB team. Some of these guys were more obvious than others, but then again, some teams have a lot more talent than others. In the interest of full disclosure, I have decided to recap my calls to see if any of the guys I mentioned actually panned out.

I’ll start with the AL today, and I will post the NL recap later. If you want to go back and read what I had to say, just click on the division: AL East, AL Central, AL West.

Felix Pie – OF – Baltimore
It has never been a question of talent with Pie, it has always been a question of whether he could finally put everything together. After a strong start and an injury, Pie had a typical Pie season. At this point, he is not a legitimate keeper in most formats.

Daniel Bard – RP – Boston
Bard had a strong season but his keeper potential is still in wait-and-see mode. If the Red Sox trade Jonathan Papelbon this offseason – as has been rumored – Bard becomes the closer and is a definite keeper. If the Sox hold on to both Papelbon and Bard, the best play would be to throw Bard back and try to reacquire him in your auction or draft in hopes that Bard finally gets the opportunity to close.

Brett Gardner – OF – New York
Gardner took his top flight speed and turned himself into a fantasy keeper. Add in the fact that he’s hitting at the top of one of the better lineups in the majors and you have a solid contributor in R and SB that probably came at a low cost. That’s exactly the type of guy rebuilders are hoping pans out.

Sean Rodriguez – 2B – Tampa Bay
The impressive power Rodriguez is known for showed up in the spring but disappeared during the season behind inconsistent playing time. Despite plenty of opportunities, Rodriguez never put it all together in his first full season. Rodriguez could still end up becoming a keeper but that’s only if he can lock down a starting gig and get the consistent playing time he needs.

Brett Cecil – SP – Toronto
Cecil quietly put up some solid numbers for the Blue Jays in 2010. And while Ricky Romero made headlines with the way he started the season, Cecil showed just as much potential in his first full MLB season. Cecil still has some work to do, especially since his K/9 in the majors has fallen well short of the ratio he posted in the minors (6.1 in 2010 compared to 9.8 across three levels in 2008), and if you have the roster spot he might be worth taking that gamble on.

John Danks – SP – Chicago
This wasn’t as bold of a prediction as some of the others, but there were questions heading into 2010 about whether Danks was ready to take that next step. Apparently, he was. Anyone who either held on to him or acquired him preseason had to be happy with the return they got and there is no reason not to expect the same performance in 2011. Definitely a strong keeper option.

Justin Masterson – SP – Cleveland
For all of the exciting skills Masterson possesses, he also possesses some major holes in his game and major league hitters exposed those holes in 2010. It appears that Masterson should head back to the pen as his stats deteriorate each time through the lineup and he still struggles mightily against left handed hitters. 2011 could be the year Masterson finally puts it all together, but that’s also what we gambled on in 2010. I’m not making that same bet again.

Scott Sizemore – 2B – Detroit
The AL Central was a rough division for me, and guys like Sizemore are the reason why. Sizemore entered the season with a starting job and plenty of potential, unfortunately he didn’t capitalize on either. Sizemore is still young enough to turn things around but if I were the Tigers, I’d be looking at other options for 2B in 2011. And you should too.

Mike Aviles – SS – Kansas City
If there’s one thing we can count on in baseball, it’s that at some point each season, Aviles will go on a crazy tear and make himself one of the most valuable fantasy players over a 2-3 week span. Now if he could only play closer to that level the rest of the year, he might actually be a player worth considering keeping.

Francisco Liriano – SP – Minnesota
It seems ridiculous to think that people were doubting Liriano before the season but remember that when Joe Nathan went down, Liriano’s name came up as a possible replacement. I bet the Twins are glad they didn’t do that as Liriano finally re-established himself as an ace and posted the best season of any Twins starter. If you were able to get him at a discount before the season, I bet you’re glad you did.

Kevin Jepsen – RP – Los Angeles
My prediction that the Angels bullpen would be a mess actually did come true – it’s just too bad Jepsen was part of the problem. Jepsen had a terrible season and probably pitched himself out of any chance he had to take over the closer’s gig. If the Angels go internal for their new closer, Jordan Walden is likely the front runner after a solid season in the pen.

Jake Fox – 3B/OF – Oakland
The good news for Fox owners is that he added C eligibility to his resume this season. Too bad he doesn’t hit enough, or get enough playing time, to make him worth playing at C. Fox was bad enough that Oakland even traded him midseason to Baltimore, where he continued to struggle despite the better hitting environment. Fox should not be on any fantasy rosters next season.

Brandon League – RP – Seattle
Again, the guess here was that David Aardsma would return to being David Aardsma and that League would get a shot to win the closing job. Well, Aardsma wasn’t that good this year but Seattle stuck with him any way. League could still be a keeper though if Seattle decides to hand him the job as they try to revamp the roster. So I would wait on League if possible and if he gets a closing gig, hold on to him.

Max Ramirez – C – Texas
What better way to end this post than with my worst call of the offseason. All I can say is sorry. Ramirez is a sinking ship and should be avoided by all teams. Too bad that deal with the Red Sox fell through, maybe someone in Boston could’ve fixed him.

That’s it for my AL calls. As you can see there were a couple good pickups in there. Hopefully I did better with the NL, but that’s a discussion for another time.

By Jim Higgins

I don’t like to tinker with my roster a whole lot before the season begins but every once in a while you just have to. At the conclusion of my league’s auction I was feeling really good about my team but the last flier I picked up I realized was just going to eat up space again this year. So I decided to drop that player to pick up Brett Cecil (who I just talked about) and felt like having an extra SP would help me out.

Looking through moves other owners had made, I then realized Cecil was about to hit the free agent pool again.

One of the keys to sustained success in a keeper league is knowing when to dump a player. And fortunately for me, one of the other owners in my league dumped Joe Nathan in my lap. Granted, Nathan is a terrible play for 2010 but looking at Nathan’s value past 2010, he still has the potential to be one of the top closers in the game once he returns.

Sure, I kill a roster spot (a DL slot once the season begins) for all of 2010, but knowing that my team probably is more suited to compete in 2011 rather than in 2010, I think the potential benefits outweigh the current downside. Now, maybe looking at his team, Nathan’s previous owner decided he was contending this year and therefore couldn’t afford the dead roster spot but I personally would disagree with that assessment.

So my advice to current Nathan owners is to hold onto him if you can. If you have no bench or only 1-2 spots then that move has to be made but if it is at all possible, you should seriously consider keeping Nathan. And if he is out on the waiver wire right now? Make room for him – you will be glad you did once he goes back to saving 30+ games in 2011.

By Jim Higgins

NL West | AL West | NL Central | AL Central | NL East | AL East

With less than a week left before the regular season starts, it seems only fitting that I conclude my look at potential keepers for 2011 this week. We will leave off here in the Al East, a division that not only seems to have all the money in baseball, but some intriguing hidden talent as well.

Baltimore – Felix Pie – OF
This will probably be the last chance to get Pie while he is under the radar, especially considering the fact that he has beaten out Nolan Reimold as the starting LF. Now, Reimold is sitting because of some injury woes but after last year’s performance, all Pie really needed was a break to lock down consistent playing time – and now he has it. The HR, RBI, AVG and OPS have all increased with increased PT and in the middle of Baltimore’s lineup, there is another trend up waiting to happen.

Boston – Daniel Bard – P
I have tried to lock up Bard on a number of my teams this year and it seems to me that a lot of people realize this kid not only has the talent to help now, but could end up as a closer in the near future. The 3.65 ERA last year is a little high for a reliever but who can resist adding a P with a K/9 of 11.5? He probably walks a few too many guys right now (09 BB% of 4.0) but he still managed almost a 3.0 K/BB in spite of the high walk totals. As this guy further adjusts he should become more and more dominant, and he is surely displaying skills that will land him a more important bullpen role.

New York – Brett Gardner – OF
In the land of overpaid ballplayers, it is tough to find someone who is undervalued but Gardner is that guy. The Yankees seemed to send a pretty clear message this offseason when they let Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui walk and traded away Austin Jackson. Now its Gardner’s turn to return the favor. Gardner’s biggest asset is his speed and as long as he gets the ABs, he will produce SBs. Just look at his 09 numbers in which he stole 26 bases in 248 ABs – that’s a nice undervalued source of speed.

Tampa Bay – Sean Rodriguez – 2B
Rodriguez is one of those guys from the Adam Dunn-Russell Branyan school of baseball, and at 2B that can be a valuable commodity. At a position where SB and AVG usually dominate, Rodriguez gives you extraordinary power. But be warned, he also strikes out a ton. He has yet to get much of a chance in the majors but seems to have played his way onto the Rays this spring with 6 HR and a .439 AVG in 57 AB this spring. He has also struck out 14 times so the danger is there. Many analysts are calling him this year’s Ben Zobrist and that may not be a bad comparison. Grab him before his value shoots up like Zobrist’s did last year.

Toronto – Brett Cecil – P
The final player in this series comes from Toronto, where the Blue Jays are now trying to fill in the giant hole left in their rotation from the Roy Halladay trade. There are a lot of guys with a lot of interesting stories trying to make the Jays rotation but I think that by the end of the season the best starter in Toronto will be Cecil, a former first round pick. Cecil’s stats were hit and miss last year as he did post a 7-4 record, but it was with a 5.30 ERA and 1.65 WHIP. Looking under the surface though you see that Cecil posted an acceptable 6.7 K/9 and was really done in by the long ball (1.6 HR/9) and an unlucky BABIP (.338). Reverse those two and you should see marked improvement from Cecil. Add in that Cecil will only turn 23 in July, and it seems that he could easily break out.

That does it for this series, and hopefully there is at least one guy on this list that can help you build towards the future. If you have any other players you think will be future fantasy studs, share them in the comments section below. Good luck in 2010.

By Jim Higgins

NL West | AL West | NL Central | AL Central | NL East | AL East

There are less than two weeks until we reach opening day so it is time to go through another division to find potential keepers for 2011. You know the drill, so here are some guys to keep an eye or two on.

Atlanta – Kris Medlen – P
Most of the pitching focus the last two years has been on teammate Tommy Hanson, but Medlen came along far enough last year that he could be a surprise in the Atlanta rotation this year. He should begin the season in the pen but could be the first guy called upon to start. If he can bring the skills he showed out of then pen last year to the spot starts he receives, he could play himself into the rotation.

Florida – Chris Volstad – P
Volstad is another young arm with a bright future who mainly needs to cut down on the walks in order to take the next step. Volstad was also victimized by a 1.6 HR/9 rate which lead to a 5.00+ ERA. Florida always seems to have loads of young talented players ready to break out at any point in time and Volstad should be the next in line.

New York – Ike Davis – 1B
I originally had P Kelvim Escobar pegged for this spot but given his continued injury problems I decided to change to Davis given his youth and the gaping hole the Mets have at 1B. New York really perplexes me if I’m being brutally honest but Davis could be a guy that if he wasn’t picked up in your minor league draft, could probably be nabbed off the waiver wire. It is my guess we will see Davis manning 1B before the end of the season so nab this rising prospect before his bat puts him on the radar of other owners.

Philadelphia – Carlos Ruiz – C
Anytime you can find an undervalued C, you have to pick him up and Ruiz is just that. Looking at C’s that have gone in my leagues, his name is nowhere to be found despite the fact he posted a .355 OBP and .780 OPS in 322 AB in 09. He still has a lot of growing to do but I would rather take a chance on having Ruiz develop while on my bench then having to roster a Molina brother because all of the other C’s in my league have been grabbed.

Washington – Justin Maxwell – OF
The Nationals are a team loaded with potential keeper talent but it seems like a lot of the players have decent followings already so they are hardly flying under the radar. Enter Maxwell, who probably begins the season as the 4th or 5th OF, but has the skills to earn more PT as the season goes on, especially now that Elijah Dukes has been released. In 89 AB last season Maxwell had 4 HR and 6 SB, and I don’t care who you ask, all fantasy owners are always looking for the power-speed combo guys and Maxwell could be one.

By Jim Higgins

NL West | AL West | NL Central | AL Central | NL East | AL East

As we enter the second week of Spring Training, let’s take a look at some guys in the AL Central that could potentially become keepers for the 2011 season. Again, some of these players you may have to trade for but hopefully they come with a low price tag.

Chicago – John Danks – SP
Danks only turns 25 this year but with three full seasons as a starter under his belt, he seems primed to make a move from a solid starter to rotation anchor within the next year or two. He did seem to lose steam as the season wore on but that should only help lower his asking price.

Cleveland – Justin Masterson – P
Masterson started the season off solidly but his surface stats took a big hit once he reached Cleveland. Posting a 1-7 record with a 4.55 ERA in his new home, the biggest question with Masterson is how he will be used. He seemed more effective coming out of the pen for the Red Sox but maybe coming into 2010 with a defined role as a starter will help him properly prepare for the 2010 season.

Detroit – Scott Sizemore – 2B
There has to be something special about this 25-year-old for the Tigers to throw a consistent .300 hitter back on the streets and if your league has the same scarcity perceptions mine does, you will want to nab up Sizemore before anyone can determine if the Tigers are right. He had solid BA and SB numbers in AA and AAA last year and as long as you don’t need him to be a starter this year, he should be a great speculative pick to help build for the future.

Kansas City – Mike Aviles – SS
While there may be more depth at the position than in recent years, I truly believe MI spots are hard to fill on a yearly basis so most of my fliers tend to focus on guys at those positions that I can stash away and Aviles is one of those guys. Injuries derailed his 2009 after 120 AB and while most of them weren’t pretty (only a .183 BA), he did have a strong rookie debut. I don’t believe Aviles will be a .325 hitter again but I do believe he will provide a .280-.290 BA with 15-15 potential. He won’t set the world on fire but that could be useful in your quest to win your league.

Minnesota – Francisco Liriano – SP
Liriano is one of the toughest players to gauge in fantasy – both in terms of production and how others in your league feel about him. The latter is now even tougher given that Liriano is now being mentioned as a darkhorse candidate to fill Joe Nathan‘s role this year. This may make him tougher to get but I do believe he has soured enough owners the last two years that you can get him for below market valuse. But that’s besides the point so let’s keep this to what we know. In 2006, Liriano was as dominant as they come before being derailed by injury. Needing Tommy John surgery, Liriano missed all of 2007 and struggled in three April starts in 2008 before being sent to the minors to regain what he’d lost. He came back with a vengence, going 6-1 over the last two months of the season and giving owners hope for 2009. He then followed that up with a 5-13, 5.80 2009. Give the Liriano owner in your league this history and see if you can’t nab him for low. If this guy turns it around, he could be elite again.

Agree? Disagree? Is there a better candidate we overlooked? Let us know in the comments section below.

By Jim Higgins

NL West | AL West | NL Central | AL Central | NL East | AL East

Here is Part 3 of our look at some potential keepers to pick up for 2011 and beyond. Again, some of these players may be owned in your league but the key here is that you should be able to get them either easily via trade or as an end game pickup.

Chicago – Geovanny Soto – C
One thing I have noticed about a lot of players who were injured in ’09 is that the value they are carrying into 2010 is nowhere close to the value they had going into ’09, and a prime example of that is Soto. This guy was going to be the next great power-hitting backstop but after an injury-riddled sophomore year, his bandwagon is pretty empty. But consider this, he hit 6 HR in June alone and enters spring training 40 pounds lighter than last year. If he is healthy this season he improves upon his rookie power numbers from 2008. Now’s the time to get him before his value soars again.

Cincinnati – Jay Bruce – OF
The good news for Bruce owners is that he has power – the bad news is his average last year was worse than Adam Dunn‘s. Some of Bruce’s BA woes seem to be fueled by a BABIP of .221 so there is some hope that his BA can reach the .260-.280 range, which shouldn’t kill you. Given that he will only be 23 this year, this is the perfect kind of guy to pick up and watch him grow into a potential future star.

Houston – Bud Norris – SP
Young pitching is always a huge gamble but on a team that is getting really old in a hurry, a post hype prospect such as Norris is exactly the guy to target here. Norris wasn’t spectacular in his MLB debut but he has had an extended look and a clear path to playing time. There is no doubt that there will be some growing pains with Norris but the patient will clearly benefit if he puts it all together quickly.

Milwaukee – Mat Gamel – 3B
The Brewers seem to be in the middle of a youth movement in their infield but Gamel seems to be the forgotten man here. Depending on your league rules you may have to acquire and put Gamel on a MiLB or reserve roster depending on where he starts the year. He does possess power at a position that seems to be getting thinner by the year so the benefits of getting Gamel now could be big.

Pittsburgh – Jeff Clement – 1B
In a system rife with young talent, I am reaching deep here and going with a guy who has not come close to living up to the hype that surrounded him as a prospect. Now 27, this may be Clement’s last shot to show something if he wants to be a major leaguer. Clement needs to decide if he wants to focus more on power or contact and live with that choice but there was a reason he was hyped all those years ago and if he can flash that talent again, Clement could be one of the biggest bargains of the last few years in fantasy. Don’t draft Clement but make sure you keep an eye on Pittsburgh to see if he finally gets it.

St. Louis – Colby Rasmus – OF
For some reason I have trouble separating Bruce and Rasmus in my mind and when you look at the stats, Rasmus’ rookie season is eerily similar to Bruce’s. Bruce has a little more power but Rasmus is in the better lineup and should be able to improve his stats just through his natural growth curve. He has low BA/OBP/SLG numbers right now but as he ages he should be able to increase those numbers. Another long term project but there is potential profit to be had.

I will continue to keep this series going and as always, if you have a question about a specific player leave a comment.

By Jim Higgins

NL West | AL West | NL Central | AL Central | NL East | AL East

It’s time for Part 2 in the series of potential keepers you can pick up on the cheap, and this part will focus on the AL West. Again, these are guys that should be easy to get, either via trade or on the cheap at the end of your draft or auction and have the potential to be keepers in 2011.

Los Angeles (or Anaheim if you prefer) – Kevin Jepsen – P
I went back and forth with a couple of players here but I decided on Jepsen for two reasons – Brian Fuentes and Fernando Rodney. I doubt either Fuentes or Rodney finishes the season as the closer and I fully believe Jepsen has the skills to succeed in the closer role, giving him plenty of value and long-term value. Jepsen has a solid K/9 and his undoing last year was an abnormally high BABIP. If that comes back down to a normal level he should post solid rates until he gets the opportunity to close.

Oakland – Jake Fox – 3B/OF
Fox once again enters the season as a talented guy without a full time position. His bat was solid enough last year though to force the Cubs to find ways to get him in the lineup and I think it will be solid enough again to force Oakland to do the same. Fox has plenty of power and hopefully will be able to raise his BA a few points so it won’t completely kill you. The multi-position eligibility is also a big plus, especially when 3B seems to be playing out as a pretty shallow position this season.

Seattle – Brandon League – P
Yes, this suggestion is for another mid-inning closer with no value to start the season. And that is why I am suggesting him. League would’ve been in the saves mix in Toronto if the Blue Jays hadn’t had a ton of other guys like him. Like Jepsen, League had a terrbile ERA last year, especially for a middle reliever, but with a K/9 of 9.2 and a WHIP of 1.24, this guy knows how to get outs. The only guy in his way is David Aardsma, and while Aardsma had one of the more talked about years last year, his track record indicates it could just be a matter of time before League gains more fantasy relevance.

Texas – Max Ramirez – C
The Rangers were another squad with multiple options for this pick but I chose to go with Ramirez because there is no better time to buy him then right now. In fact, if your league has a farm system, this is a guy to stash on it with one of your last picks/dollars. Coming off a wrist injury that seemed to keep him at the Double A level, Ramirez may not stick at catcher for long. Obviously this guy’s bat is more important than anything else and hopefully it will get back on track with the wrist injury healed. Again, he may not have much value in 2010 but if he develops the way many experts thought he would, he could make himself a cornerstone player for 2011 and beyond. Stash him away.