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Fantasy Forces:
CF-Johnny Damon (29)- Damon looked like he was going to repeat his bust-out '00 season but wore down with a nagging knee problem.
He was still one of the top leadoff hitters and is a prime candidate to be near the top in hits, runs, steals and average.
SS-Nomar Garciaparra (29)- Garciaparra made a successful return from a wrist injury that hampered him throughout the '01 season and was
one of the top overall producers in baseball. He hasn't shown signs of regaining his 30-homerun stroke but anything is possible and he
should vye for another batting title.
SP-Derek Lowe (29)- Lowe put to rest any concerns about his transition to the rotation. Were it not for a slight falloff in
September, he may have won the Cy Young. As it was he became the third pitcher all-time (with John Smoltz and Dennis Eckersley) to
have seasons of 20 wins and 30 saves. He is legit and should again put up big win totals.
SP-Pedro Martinez (31)- Martinez nearly won his fourth Cy Young award but was again short of healthy most of the season. He
spent most of the year in the low to mid 90s and doesn't seem to have the overall arm strength he used to. If he is pitching, he will
be one of the top producers in the game and a Cy candidate but a bad outing usually means injury so keep an eye on him. He is a big
risk in draft leagues but hard to pass up.
LF-Manny Ramirez (30)- Like Martinez, if Man-Ram is healthy, he will be among the top producers in the game. He won his
first batting title last year despite missing 6 weeks while his AB/RBI ratio tops among major leaguers with 1,000 or more ABs. As is
the case with Pedro, he is hard to pass up in draft leagues but comes with a an injury risk.
Better Days Ahead:
SP-Casey Fossum (25)- Fossum was a reliever for much of last season before getting a chance to start and showed enough to land a
spot in the rotation this year. He has a wide arsenal of pitches and impeccable command but has generally lagged off as the season
wore on. That should be less of a problem each year.
Risky Business:
CL-Alan Embree (36)- Embree steps into the closer role on the heels of Urbina's departure. Walking in unchartered waters,
the lefty has just 6 saves in 9 seasons. He has a bigtime fastball and can be downright nasty but loses command at times and is a
permanent injury risk but a good bet until he gets hurt. Bobby Howry and Chad Fox are options to close should Embree fail. |
Supporting Cast:
OF-Jeremy Giambi (28)- Though he lacks the overall tools of older brother Jason, Jeremy earns his paycheck by getting on base.
He owns a career .381 OBP and is able to hit nearly anywhere in the lineup. With little speed, he can work his way around the bases
one at a time but has the power to clear them all at once. He should see a lot of ABs in a variety of roles.
3B-Shea Hillenbrand (27)- Hillenbrand finally held onto the starting job over the course of a season and responded with career
bests across the board. He tailed off dramatically though after the break, which more likely will be his yearly production level.
He has been the topic of numerous trade rumors and is likely to be moved at some point this year.
OF-Kevin Millar (31)- Millar took perhaps the longest route ever from Miami to Boston as he spent much of the offseason as a
member of the Japanese League. Firmly fixed into Boston's lineup, he provides valuable depth in the outfield as well as a a reliable
bat against both sides of the mound. Him and Giambi will likely eat into each other's playing time but should get a fair amount.
RF-Trot Nixon (28)- After being hyped as a .300/30 type hitter, Nixon has leveled off to a respectable .270/25. He has
continually struggled against lefties and is sometimes too patient, laying off good pitches early in the count while falling in the hole.
He is the starter again but isn't in the Red Sox long term plans.
1B-David Ortiz (27)- Ortiz missed the first 6 weeks following knee surgery but responded with a stellar second half in which he
slugged 15 homeruns in 229 ABs. He has power to all fields but little success against lefties, which is likely to limit his ABs.
He is the primary first baseman however.
C-Jason Varitek (30)- Varitek has gone backwards since his bustout '99 season and has settled in as a .270/15 type hitter.
Not bad but hardly what they envisioned when he was 27. Every year he moves lower down the lineup and this year will probably be the
caboose although he will get more action than most behind the plate.
SP-Tim Wakefield (36)- The knuckle-baller has spent years trying to get back into the rotation on a full-time basis and may
have finally done just that with a dominating July last year. On the season, he allowed the second lowest batting average in the AL
and was 4th in ERA. He is steadily gaining more and more command of his knuckler and is unlikely to duplicate his success of '02.
2B-Todd Walker (29)- Walker comes back to the AL after a 3 year stint in the NL. Losing favor with former Twins skipper
Tom Kelly, he has clearly proved he is a top producer from the pivot and has settled into a comfortable .290s/10 zone. He will hit
second but could also land 6th and will put up good runs and ribbies accordingly.
Past Their Prime:
SP-John Burkett (38)- The Red Sox quickly realized they were fooled by Burkett's comeback season in Atlanta as he sleepwalked
through a horrific second half. He has a year left on his contract but isn't assured of staying in the rotation should his numbers not
warrant it. |
