Scott Hairston

Hairston hit a little better for Washington after coming over from the Cubs, but he still didn't come close to duplicating his 20-homer form from 2012. Don't expect him to have a big role off the Nationals' bench, but he should be a viable option in many instances where the Nats face a left-handed starter, as he's made a career out of hitting southpaws to the tune of an .815 OPS.

Hairston was supposed to be a righty, pinch-hitter off the bench and see most of his starts against lefties. Poor play from the remainder of the Mets' outfield coupled with strong play by Hairston propelled him to a career high in at-bats. Hairston had a career-high 20 homers and 57 RBI, leading to .504 SLG, but those are somewhat offset by his 83:19 K:BB ratio. Hairston continues to murder left-handed pitching, so wherever the free agent ends up, look for him to see most of his action against southpaws.

Hairston saw most of his action as a righty pinch hitter and occasional starter in the outfield last season. He fumbled a few balls in the outfield early on and batted .235, but slugged an above-average .470 and managed seven home runs in just 132 at-bats. Hairston should have a similar role with the Mets again in 2012. Although he struggled against lefties last season, his career .813 OPS against them will likely lead him to a platoon opportunity again during his age-32 season.

Entering his age 31 season, Hairston is what he is: a weak contact and on-base player with limited power and speed. Last season a .236 BABIP depressed his .210/.295/.346 batting line. Still, he struck out nearly a quarter of the time as he fought through a hamstring issue and a crowded outfield for at-bats. Should he remain healthy and find regular playing time, there's still hope that he can produce double-digit homers and steals for only the second time in his career.

Hairston was acquired in early July by the A's, eventually clearing the way for a Matt Holliday trade, but he flopped at the plate as he battled numerous injuries with Oakland. His numbers with the A's (.236/.262/.391) were a marked drop from his half-season with the Padres (.299/.358/.533), and it's very likely that the first half of 2009 will represent his peak. Hairston turns 30 years old in May, and his solid 2009 with the Padres was no different than his 2008 (.248/.312/.479) save for a few extra singles along the way. There's no reason to think he's anything more than a low-average hitter with occasional pop.

Once a highly regarded second base prospect, Hairston looks to be carving out a career as a reserve, as his defensive liabilities and more importantly poor contact and on-base skills relegate him to being a platoon outfielder at best. His high strikeout total depresses his average, but when he does make contact, it is often solid as evidenced by a decent .479 SLG despite calling Petco Park his home. His season was cut short prematurely in late August due to a broken thumb suffered while diving for a ball. He is expected to be fine come spring and should again find a way to garner 300-400 at-bats.

Hairston is projected for a part-time role in San Diego in 2008, depending on the team's offseason moves. He provided the Padres with a boost late last year (.287, eight homers and 20 RBI in 87 at-bats) and has the tools to hit 20 home runs in a season. However, he strikes out a ton (once every four career at-bats) and he is unlikely to occupy an everyday role this year.

Ever since failing in his extended 2004 tryout, Hairston has beaten up the PCL. He's another hitter who the D'backs just don't have space for, and the kind of player who could go from nothing to a very good fantasy value with one trade. He'll work in a reserve role until then.

Hairston's 2005 ended early when he underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. Previous to the injury, he hit well enough at Triple-A and did a good enough job of converting to the outfield to get a chance to stick with the big club this spring in a utility role. He's always hit in the minors, so if he proves that his ugly first stint with the D-Backs in 2004 was the work of a kid who wasn't emotionally ready for the bigs, he could be a steal as an end-game pick.

Hairston had a great chance to nail down a job as a major league regular in 2004 and simply blew it. His bat showed pop and potential, but he had the worst fielding average of any second-base regular in the majors. His poor attitude, including an instance in which he didn't show up for infield practice, did not endear him to many in Arizona's clubhouse. It got so bad that the D-Backs benched Hairston in September in favor of Alex Cintron at second. The D-Backs will move Hairston to right field this spring. Whether he starts the year on the major league roster will depend on his competition and whether he can field the position. You can't ignore his bat in a fantasy league, but Hairston's got to change his attitude a little to keep himself in the majors.

Hairston will likely compete with Matt Kata for the Diamondbacks' second base job in the spring. After a great year at Single-A in 2002, Hairston's numbers dipped a bit at Double-A last year. He lost about four weeks due to back injuries, and rebounded to have a great AFL campaign in the fall. There were whispers about Hairston's supposed poor work habits at times last year, especially in infield drills, so we'll see how he handles major league camp and the pressures of trying to win a job.

Hairston hit a combined .345-22-98 at both Single-A levels in Arizona's chain in 2002. He's got great roto promise as a second baseman that can hit. He held his own in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .255 with three homers in 28 games. Hairston will turn 23 in May, and the D-Backs may slot him as high as Triple-A to start 2003. He's certainly someone to put on your keeper league watch lists.