Brian N. Anderson

His chance to be a regular is likely gone. However, he'll have a long career as a defensive replacement thanks to truly excellent glovework in the outfield corners and above-average range in center. AL-only managers will have to roster him; no fantasy value otherwise.

Anderson opened the season as the team's fourth outfielder after Darin Erstad was handed the center field job and saw very limited action before getting sent to Triple-A. He eventually saw his forgettable season end in July with a wrist injury that required surgery to repair some tendon damage. He only managed a .255/.318/.435 line at Triple-A, a far cry from his .295/.360/.469 effort in 2005 that landed him a starting job in 2006. He needs a change of scenery pronto if he's to salvage whatever may be left of his career. With the White Sox making significant upgrades in their outfield over the winter, his future with the organization is cloudy at best.

Anderson entered the 2006 season with the expectation that he'd fight for the Rookie of the Year award. By June, he was fighting just to stay in the big leagues, hitting .167 with four home runs and two steals through two months of play. Manager Ozzie Guillen has challenged him to choose between being a power hitter and getting on base to use his speed. He'll have to figure it out in spring training after an illness sidelined him during winter ball. If Anderson can hit enough, he could eventually win a few Gold Gloves with his combination of range, speed and a decent arm.

Anderson's Triple-A numbers in 2005 (.295/.360/.469 with 16 home runs) mark him as a potential Aaron Rowand clone in the majors -- which is convenient, since the White Sox traded away Rowand to make room for him. He's the favorite to break camp as their center fielder, and should be solidly in the AL Rookie of the Year race if he does.

Anderson ripped through High-A to start the year, but slowed down noticeably after his promotion to Double-A. He'll be 23 this season so for now he's right on schedule, and with the White Sox outfield suddenly much thinner a big first half could put him on the big league map.