Johan's gone, Matt Garza's gone, and the Twins desperately need Kevin Slowey to pick up some of the slack.

American League Sleepers

Luke Scott, Outfielder, Baltimore Orioles

Like Ryan Church, it is a little strange to include someone who hit 18 homers last season in a list of “sleepers.” However, with the trade to the Orioles, some of you AL-Only players may not be familiar with Luke Scott. What you need to know is that those 18 homers came in only 369 at-bats. Scott has legit power – connecting for 31 homers in 398 at-bats in 2005 at Triple-A. Given the opportunity to play full time in Baltimore, Scott could be in for a breakout season. Since the Orioles recent trade for Adam Jones does not figure to significantly decrease Scott's playing time, I think a .280-25-90 season is certainly within reach..

Evan Longoria, Third Base, Tampa Bay Devil Rays:

If you follow the minor leagues at all, you will probably tell me I am stating the obvious in listing Evan Longoria. However, if you are in the type of league that pays little attention to rookies, this is the pick. While there are rumors that he may start the season at Triple-A getting more seasoning, there is no question that he will be up in Tampa Bay before too long. Once he does, we might be looking at a Ryan Braun type impact. Be patient, and enjoy the ride.

Matt Garza, Starting Pitcher, Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Garza is another pick that you will call me crazy for if you pay attention to the minor leagues. The good people at Baseball America after all listed him as the No. 21 prospect in baseball going into last season. Unfortunately, we live in a world that demands instant results, and Garza has now pitched 133 mediocre innings over two seasons. Traded to Tampa Bay, he will take his place behind Scott Kazmir in the Devil Rays rotation. He is still young, so do not expect the world right away, but a 4.00-4.20 ERA and WHIP of around 1.30 is certainly within reason.

Carlos Quentin, Outfielder, Chicago White Sox

Quentin is one of those players who tore it up in the minor leagues, but has had minimal success in the majors. The Chicago White Sox sent Quentin to Arizona about a month ago to in exchange for Chris Carter, who the Diamondbacks used to acquire Danny Haren from the Athletics. Quentin is currently slated to be the White Sox starting left fielder, and playing half his games at Cellular Field can't hurt his value (although it's not like he was playing in a pitcher's paradise in Arizona). Despite his previous struggles at the major league level, I am expecting a .280-20-80 season, with upside for a .300 average.

Jensen Lewis, Relief Pitcher, Cleveland Indians

Drafted in 2005, Jensen Lewis soared through the Indians system, before the Indians finally called him up for 29 impressive innings last season. Although the Indians bullpen is stacked with potential save candidates (Joe Borowski, Rafael Betancourt, Rafael Perez), the Indians may prefer to keep Betancourt and Perez in their setup roles if Borowski flops, and slide Jensen Lewis into the closer's spot. Even if that is unlikely, Lewis should be a good source for holds (if your league counts them), and can act as a stabilizing force for your WHIP and ERA, albeit in limited innings.

Kevin Slowey, Starting Pitcher, Minnesota Twins

Although Slowey's numbers from 2007 are uninspiring, it is a limited sample size. The Twins love him, enough so that they were willing to move Matt Garza, and slot Slowey as their probable No. 3 starter. His minor league numbers over parts of three seasons are quite impressive (21-12, 1.93 ERA, 0.86 WHIP in 354 innings), so the talent is there. He will turn only 24 early in the season, and with Johan Santana being dealt, there will be more pressure on him to produce, but if he can cut down on the homers (16 in 66 innings last season), a 3.80-4.00 ERA with a 1.30 WHIP and double digit wins is within reach.

Carlos Gomez, Outfielder, Minnesota Twins

Gomez is a little bit less of a sleeper since his trade to the American League, largely because he should be the starting center fielder for Minnesota, rather than a 4th OF for the Mets. There is a lot to like about Gomez, as he stole 12 bases in only 58 games. He is blazing fast, and he should be able to get on base by bunting even if he is struggling. His plate discipline needs improvement, and he is still only 22, but he should be good for double digit steals. He has some power skills, but it is not his primary asset. He may struggle a bit, especially given his age, but be patient. At the very least, as a full time starter, he should collect 20 steals.

Travis Buck, Outfielder, Oakland Athletics

With the trades of Nick Swisher and Mark Kotsay, the Athletics outfield spots are up for grabs. It looks like Travis Buck will get one of those spots. A typical Moneyball-type player, the 24 year-old went through portions of three seasons in the minors with a .398 OBP. Last season, continued that trend with a .377 OBP in nearly 300 major league at-bats. He is not a huge power player, and he is not a huge speed player, but if he gets to play full time, he is likely to hit near .300 with 15 homers, and 75 RBI.

Adam Jones, Outfielder, Baltimore Orioles

Since he has been in the news a great deal with the Érik Bédard trade, it is hard to still classify Jones as a sleeper.  However, if you are in the kind of league that does not pay much attention to minor leaguers, your leaguemates may not be fully aware of how good Jones can be. Ranked No. 28 by Baseball America last year, the 22 year-old Jones has done minimal in his brief 2006 and 2007 major league call-ups, but that should not scare you away. As with most youngsters , his plate discipline still needs work, but the move from Safeco to Camden Yards should help his power numbers.  As an added bonus, he does not appear to frequent strip clubs like his NFL counterpart.  Bottom line:  Jones is a double digit homer and stolen base threat, with fantastic keeper value.

Zack Greinke, Starting Pitcher, Kansas City Royals

The shine has faded from Zack Greinke, who was a Top 20 prospect in 2004 but went through a dreadful 2005 season, followed by only six major league innings in 2006. In 2007, he quietly made his return, appearing in 52 games (starting only 14), but emerged with a 3.69 ERA, and 1.30 WHIP. He is probably going to be a starter all season this year, and there is some risk that he reverts to that terrible 2005, but my hunch is here that he figured it out, with double-digit win possibility, an ERA around 4.00, with a WHIP in the 1.25-1.30 range. He also has some nice strikeout potential.

So there is the list. Of course, there are far more sleepers than this, and depending on your league size, some of these may not even be sleepers. However, grabbing a few of these players should reap benefits, and give you a leg up on the competition, heading into 2008.