Pat Burrell

Burrell was a complete bust in his first season in a Rays uniform. He batted .221 and only hit 14 home runs, battling a neck injury during the first part of the season. Upon closer examination, most of his home runs hit were against relievers or second-tier pitching. The Rays are reportedly shopping him around in hopes of getting off the hook for his $9 million salary he's owed in 2010. With better options in-house, expect Burrell to be somewhere else in 2010 if they can find a taker.

As is typical with the streaky Burrell, his 2008 season was filled with peaks and valleys, exciting his fantasy owners over one stretch and leaving them disappointed the next. Burrell hit .326 with eight home runs and 24 RBI in April, was mediocre with a .241 batting average, 11 home runs and 24 RBI over May and June, rebounded with a .304, seven-home run and 15-RBI July, only to slump the rest of the season, batting .191 with just seven home runs and 22 RBI the final two months. All in all, it added up to pretty good, yet still frustrating final tally, as he finished with a .250 batting average, 33 home runs and 88 RBI to go along with 74 runs and zero stolen bases. Burrell signed a two-year deal with the Rays in January, while the move to the American League will enable him to work primarily as a designated hitter. Don't be surprised if his power numbers slip a bit as he leaves Citizens Bank Park.

Burrell had a first half to forget about. He hit just .215 with 11 homers and 37 RBI. He was even benched for a period in June because of his poor production. But then Burrell went on a tear in the second half, hitting .295 with 19 homers and 60 RBI after the break to post respectable numbers for the season. Looking at the end of season results, there's plenty to like including a .400 on-base percentage (he set a career-high in walks with 114 and a career-low in strikeouts with 120). More worrisome than anything else are Burrell�s recent foot problems. His health may force him to sit out a game or two per week, but his second half at the plate is more in line with what the Phillies have been hoping to get from Burrell for years.

The Rodney Dangerfield of the Phillies, Burrell put up another decent season (29 HR, 95 RBI, 98 walks) only to be criticized and booed for his weaknesses: hitting .222 with RISP and playing uneven defense. The troubles with RISP were probably a one-year blip -- Burrell still has a higher career average with RISP (.267) than his career batting average of .258. His troublesome right foot might be healed in 2007, helping his defense. GM Pat Gillick shopped Burrell in the off-season, but his full no-trade clause complicated deals. There are still a lot worse fantasy options.

Burrell rebounded with a bang after a wrist injury ruined his second half in 2004. He tied Albert Pujols for second in the NL last year with a career-high 117 RBI. His 99 walks were also a career high. Burrell credited a relaxed approach at the plate, trusting his ability rather than over-analyzing. Manager Charlie Manuel also helped by settling down the clubhouse. Burrell's wrist injury hasn't gone away. He simply has a regimen for playing with it and says the pain is minimal.

Burrell looked to be back on track in the first two months of 2004 (.313 with 10 homers). He slumped to .227 with 14 HR thereafter, caused partly by a sprained wrist in August. He opted not to have surgery. Burrell should rebound to 30 HR, but he is far from a pure hitter. It's hard to see him hitting .280 again unless he cuts his strikeouts.

Burrell suffered through his worst season in his young major league career. Not even dying his hair blonde helped. His decline last year was one of the big mysteries of the season, coming off of a strong 2002 campaign. Even though his strikeout rate is high, plate discipline doesn't appear to be a problem, as his walk rate remained high all year, despite his season-long slump.

Many are predicting a huge season from Burrell whose .920 OPS ranked him 24th in the majors. He'll likely be hitting behind Thome and Abreu and could see his RBI total climb. Burrell is a competitor, playing in 157 and 155 games the last two seasons, respectively. Increased his homers by 10 and RBI by 27 from 2001 to 2002.