Jose Valentin

54-Year-Old Second Baseman2B

Free Agent

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.000

RBI

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2024 Fantasy Outlook

There was no outlook written for Jose Valentin in 2024. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.

Bats L

Throws R

40 Man No

DOB 10/12/1969

2BFree Agent

March 31, 2009

Valentin was released by the Mets from their minor-league system Tuesday in a move that likely will end his playing career, the NY Post Mets' blog reports.

ANALYSIS
The Mets had reassigned Valentin to Triple-A Buffalo last week, but Valentin told the team he didn't feel like playing there at age 39. If he is unable to hook on with a team, he could rejoin the club in a coaching capacity on the minor-league level at some point.

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Past Fantasy Outlooks

2008

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2006

2005

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2003

Valentin parlayed a rebound campaign in 2006 into a one-year deal plus an option with the Mets and starting second base job in 2007. He was off to a strong start when he felt a "pop" in his right knee in late-April that turned out to be a partially torn ACL, which sidelined him five weeks. Valentin returned in early June wearing a brace, which limited his range, and just when he started to get comfortable, he bruised his right pinky during the All-Star break and then fouled a ball of his right leg, fracturing his tibia, effectively ending his season. Valentin's $4.3 million option for 2008 would have become guaranteed if he reached 400 plate appearances, but his season was cut short due to the injuries, and the Mets declined their option on him. If Valentin fails to get a contract offer from another team, the Mets may bring him back as a non-roster invitee to spring training.

Injuries scuttled Valentin's 2005 season and he joined the Mets as a non-roster invitee for 2006. Early in the year, it looked like Valentin was done, but manager Willie Randolph gave him a shot in mid-May to replace the ineffective Kaz Matsui at second base and Valentin took the opportunity and ran with it. From May 13 through August 10, Valentin put up tremendous numbers across the board, but from that time on, while his power stayed fairly constant, his batting and on-base averages took a big dive as he finished the year 23-for-113. Those struggles continued into the postseason, capped by his strike out with bases loaded in Game 7 of the NLCS. Valentin re-signed with the Mets and is penciled in as the team's starting second baseman, but temper your expectations.

It's never a good sign for a player's fantasy value when he contemplates retirement during the offseason. Elbow and knee injuries scuttled Valentin's 2005 season, and there's no guarantee he'll be able to bounce back to pre-injury form. Now with the Mets, he'll fill a utility role.

Valentin's home runs keep rising and his batting average and OBP keep falling -- he's become Tony Batista with a better glove. Valentin will likely move to third base with the Dodgers.

Valentin posted his fourth straight season with 25-plus home runs, but his batting average also declined for the fourth straight season -- and he'll be 34 next year. He's a switch-hitter in name only these days, hitting .131/.190/.196 against lefties. A platoon partner might be the only thing that can pull his numbers out of their death spiral.

The Royce Clayton nightmare is finally over in Chicago, and Valentin woke up after being returned to SS for the final quarter of 2002, with an OPS 76 points higher as a shortstop than at the hot corner. His numbers in 2003 should still be in that .260-25-85 range where he has spent the last three years, but there's a better chance now that he'll surpass it slightly (as he did in 2000) rather than falling just shy (as he did in 2001-2002).

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