Joe Torre did what Grady Little would not in giving Andre Ethier the full time left field job.

AL Mono-League Options

Kevin Slowey – Starting Pitcher - Minnesota Twins – Slowey had a great season in the minors last year, and exhibited the skill set necessary for success at the major league level.  The only knock on him is his tendency to give up the long ball, but that is par for the course for a fly ball pitcher.  Slowey had an excellent spring, showing good command of all his pitches.  He will only be an average strikeout producer, but he issues very few walks and should be able to maintain an ERA just under 4.00.  All signs point to a breakout this season, so get him now, before everyone else is on to him. 

Andrew Sonnanstine – Starting Pitcher – Tampa Bay Rays - Sonnanstine made his debut with the Rays last season, and pitched better than his statistics indicate.  He is another fly ball pitcher with the tendency to allow the long ball, but he showed improvement in that regard late last season and again this spring.  He has excellent control, does not walk many batters, and should see his ERA drop considerably this season.  If you are hunting for skills, Sonnanstine has plenty to go around.  With the Rays showing marked improvement in terms of both offensive production and defensive prowess, the formula to win some games is in place.  Grab Sonnanstine while he is cheap, because his price tag is only going to rise as the season goes on.

Daric Barton – First Baseman – Oakland Athletics – Daric Barton is the starting first baseman for the A’s this season.  He has torn the cover off the ball at every level of the minors, but he is not known for his power.  The guy is an on-base machine, as it typical of players favored by Billy Beane.  Barton will hit .300+ without blinking, and despite his supposed lack of power, he hit four homers in just 74 at bats last September.  If you play in a league that counts OBP, Barton is someone you want for certain, and don’t be surprised if he shows more power than the touts think.

NL Mono-League Options

Geoff Jenkins – Outfielder – Philadelphia Phillies – Fantasy managers looking at Jenkins stats over the last couple of seasons might be noticing that his power production totals and batting average have declined.  It is also worth noting that his at bats declined since his best production years of ’03-’05.  Some of that is due to some nagging injuries, and some was due to Brewers management taking playing time away from Jenkins to give it to some of their younger developing players.  Now playing for the Phillies, Jenkins has himself in a prime situation for a player with his profile.  He will platoon in right field, playing primarily against right-handed pitchers, against whom he has a .288 career average and 177 of his 212 career homeruns.  He should easily get 450 at bats, about half of which will be at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, one of the best homerun parks in baseball.  He should be able to crank at least 20 round trippers and maintain an average near .285, plenty good enough for deep NL only leagues.

Jair Jurrjens – Starting Pitcher - Atlanta Braves – The Braves acquired Jurrjens in the deal that sent Edgar Renteria to Detroit over the winter.  Jurrjens struggled in his ML debut last fall for the Tigers, looking nothing like the pitcher who dominated hitters in the minor leagues the last two seasons, albeit at the Double A level.  Jurrjens had a solid spring, starting off by getting roughed up in his first outing, then putting together a string of 8 scoreless innings after that, and finishing with a 3.86 ERA in 11.2 innings of work.  He needs to work on his control a bit, and cut down his walk rate to their previous levels, but he is a good bet to be successful with John Smoltz and Tom Glavine acting as mentors for the young pitcher.  His value is only going to increase as he becomes more successful, so get in now before it’s too late.

Andre Ethier – Outfielder – Los Angeles Dodgers – After a strong showing this spring, Dodger manager Joe Torre waited until the last minute to give Andre Ethier the starting job in left field over the speedy Juan Pierre.  Ethier has excellent patience at the plate and walks almost as often as he strikes out.  He started to show some power last year, hitting 13 home runs in his 447 at bats.  As a full time player this year, Ethier should be poised for a major breakout, as he has the skills to maintain a .300 average along with 25-30 homer upside.  He should be added in all NL only leagues now that he has the full time job, and could even be considered in deep mixed leagues.