Marcus Giles

Giles had a horrendous 2007 season, compiling a .229 average and losing his starting job to journeyman Geoff Blum during the second half. Giles hit .327 in April and then didn't sniff .230 in any of the season's final five months. The nicest thing we can say is that he managed to steal 10 bases in 420 at-bats. The days of anticipating a 20-20 season from Giles, however, are long gone. He hit just four homers last year and knocked in a meager 39 runs. Giles will probably sign on as a part-time player somewhere, and it bodes well for his productivity that he will leave cavernous PETCO Park.

Giles' career has stagnated at the plate and he might never live up to earlier projections and develop into a fantasy star. After posting 21 home runs and a .842 OPS in 2003, it was thought injuries were all that stopped Giles from becoming a 30-30 star. Giles was limited by a broken collarbone in 2004, but a subpar 2005 season when mostly healthy started to raise doubts. While a nagging thumb injury hampered him in the second half last season, he wasn't much better when healthy in the first half (.719 OPS before the All-Star break). Giles still can hit home runs, has good speed on the basepaths and has a good eye at the plate. But at age 29, it looks like his growth at the plate has stalled and a 15-homer, 15-steal season is more his target. He'll start at second base for the Padres next season after being released by the Braves.

It was thought before last season that only injuries held Giles back from being one of baseball's next superstars. After posting 21 home runs and a .842 OPS in 2003, Giles was limited by a broken collarbone in 2004. However, a return to health last season saw Giles put up numbers that likely didn't meet most fantasy owners' expectations. Giles still can hit home runs, has good speed on the basepaths and has a good eye at the plate. But at age 28, he may just develop into a player who posts 15 home runs and 15 steals at a defensive position, rather than the 30+ home run star some had hoped. Still, this may be the year you get him cheap, and he still has upside given his solid fundamentals.

After a breakout season in 2003, Giles was hitting .339 through May before being sidelined for two months by a broken collarbone. He finished the season strong, slugging .521 in September and still posted a great .378 OBP, but his power was down slightly due to the injury. He should be back to full strength in 2005 and remains a budding superstar.

Giles put it all together last season to become perhaps the most improved player in fantasy baseball and stands as one of the premier second basemen. After struggling with an ankle injury and the tragic death of his infant daughter in 2002, Giles showed improved defense early in the spring and a stronger batting eye at the plate. He's always displayed strong power, so if he can keep drawing walks and avoid problems in the field he'll prove his breakout season was no fluke.

Giles failed to capitalize on his promising rookie season and spent much of last season at Triple-A. He struggled in the field early in the season, and then injured his ankle, which sidelined him for over two months, and then suffered through the tragic death of his infant daughter. Despite his struggles, he still displayed decent power and if he can become more selective he could improve. The Braves had him play outfield and third base in the minors late in the season, so he could factor in at third base if that job is open for grabs.