Daric Barton

After a number of years hoping that Barton would be their first baseman of the future, the A's finally punted on the experiment by sending him to Triple-A in May as his batting average fell south of .200. Barton is known for his patient approach at the plate, even leading the American League in walks in 2010. His OBP was the source of his value since he is a power liability at a corner spot, but even that OBP has gone down dramatically the last two years. With the emergence of Brandon Moss last year and Chris Carter also lurking for at-bats at first base, Barton has a long way to go to get playing time in Oakland again.

Barton came crashing back to earth after a league-leading 110-walk season the year prior, hitting just .212/.325/.267 in 236 at-bats before being sent down in late June to rediscover his stroke at the plate. He failed to hit much in limited time with Triple-A Sacramento before undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum. He's expected to compete with Brandon Allen for the first-base job in spring, failing another roster addition by Billy Beane, and each have significant questions based on their recent performance.

Barton managed to appear in all but two games for the A's despite numerous lingering injuries throughout the season including a fractured finger, a strained elbow and knee and quadriceps issues. In what could have been his last chance to earn a spot in the A's lineup, Barton gave the A's everything that could reasonably be expected and more. His 110 walks resulted in a nice .393 OBP, though his power and run production trail most of the AL fantasy elite at first base. He could be in line for a nice bump in runs scored, hitting ahead of offseason additions David DeJesus, Josh Willingham and Hideki Matsui and his seven steals after the All-Star break offer a glimpse of some upside in that category, riding the coat tails of Coco Crisp on some double-steal attempts.

Barton battled leg problems throughout the season, necessitating a DL stint for most of August, but he continued to struggle when healthy. He began the year at Triple-A Sacramento to get full-time at-bats, but hit a pretty pedestrian .261/.386/.458 over 70 games before getting an extended look again in Oakland later in the year. He managed a nice September for the second straight season (.310/.406/.488 in 84 at-bats) but did little else. He turned 24 in August, so the "he's young, the power will come," refrain becomes less and less relevant with each passing season. The A's will likely give him another chance to begin the year, but Chris Carter looms at Triple-A Sacramento.

Barton bombed, beginning the year as a Rookie of the Year candidate only to finish with a terrible .226/.327/.348 line. He wasn't terrible against lefties, and his September (.279/.419/.500) gives him something to build on. There were questions about his power even as he tore through the minors, and they've only grown louder since. The A's will give him another chance, but he's going to need to be much, much better.

Barton enjoyed a nice season at Triple-A Sacramento before getting a September callup. He struggled against lefties at Triple-A (.268/.373/.376 in 157 at-bats), and much of his power came during a torrid June (.657 SLG, 14 doubles) but his major league debut was a smashing success. He ripped off 13 extra-base hits (nine doubles, four homers) in just 72 at-bats and drew 10 walks, resulting in an excellent .347/.429/.639 line. His power stroke has been the only question mark in the past, and there's still some concern as to how he'll handle lefties on a full-time basis in the majors, but there's a ton to like here. He'll be a lineup regular in 2008.

Barton was sidelined for much of the year with a fractured elbow. Prior to the injury, he had just two home runs in 147 at-bats at Triple-A Sacramento, though he did manage a nice 32/26 K/BB ratio. He's playing winter ball down in the Dominican Republic, but had just two extra base hits (both doubles) in his first 63 at-bats. There's a tremendous batting eye here, but he's going to have to develop the power stroke if he wants to make a roto impact at first base.

Barton rolled through High-A Stockton and performed equally as well at Double-A Midland (.316/.410/.491) to close out the year. He continued to show excellent plate patience in the AFL (21 BB in 24 games), though he didn't exhibit a ton of power. If the power arrives, he's a future All-Star even at a tough first base position.

A first-round selection in the 2003 draft out of high school, Barton has been unfazed by professional baseball thus far. After a decent rookie campaign in 2003 he added a dominating performance last year -- slugging .511 and driving in 77 runs in Single-A. He also walked 69 times against just 44 strikeouts. He played just half of the 90 games as a catcher, so he looks destined for a position change. He's destined for a quick rise in the minors after his trade to Oakland in the Mark Mulder deal.

The Cardinals' surprise No. 1 pick in 2003 is a high-school catcher who can hit. He's three years way from sniffing the majors, and is likely to be a third baseman (his position in his senior year) or an outfielder by the time he gets there. Only an option in very deep leagues, but a good one.