Brandon Moss

An ankle injury landed Moss on the DL for a 25-game stretch during July, but when healthy, his power proved to be valuable to the Cardinals. Over the course of the season, Moss spent time in both right and left field along with first base. However, he had another predictable season at the plate despite the aforementioned pop. When the year came to a close, Moss owned a .225/.300/.484 line, had hit 28 home runs, and had plated 67 runs. This marked the third consecutive season that his batting average was well below .250, and it's becoming increasingly likely that he'll remain a drain in that category going forward. Although his strikeout rate continues to rise, Moss has averaged 69 RBI and 24 home runs over the last three seasons. Moss landed with the Royals over the offseason and seems primed to be their primary DH following the departure of Kendrys Morales.

The Cardinals acquired Moss a day before the trade deadline, and he proved to be a valuable addition for St. Louis as several regulars battled injuries over the final months of the season. He had some struggles early on with the Indians, primarily at home, batting .190/.276/.294 with just two of his 15 homers (with Cleveland) at Progressive Field. Perhaps he deserves something of a pass, having come into camp limited after undergoing hip surgery in the offseason. The home run production tailed off with the move to St. Louis, but Moss' OBP was nearly 60 points higher after the trade as his walk rate jumping back above 11 percent. With the walks come the strikeouts, which keep his average low, but Moss does enough well to possibly push Matt Adams for playing time at first base this spring.

Moss made his first All-Star Game after putting up 21 homers and an .878 OPS prior to the All-Star break. He followed up that first half with a complete disaster of a second half, hitting only four homers and carrying a .584 OPS in 179 at-bats. He also struck out in over 31 percent of his plate appearances after the All-Star break. The powerful Moss even went through an unreal 39-game stretch spanning 123 at-bats in which he did not homer at all. Soon after the season ended, Moss underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip, so it is very possible that the injury contributed to his horrible second half. Moss is expected to start running in January and should be pretty close to ready for the start of spring training. He has genuine power, and if the second-half struggles were due to his hip injury, he could be a nice value on draft day as his performance down the stretch may have soured owners on him. Plus, he will be afforded a fresh start with the move to Cleveland.

Moss followed up his breakout 21 home-run season in 2012 with a 30 home-run campaign in 2013 and finished sixth in the AL with a .522 slugging percentage. The batting average dropped from .291 in 2012 to .256 in 2013 and he struck out 140 times, but Moss ended 2013 with a very strong .859 OPS. The biggest positive is how Moss responded to his struggles in the first half of the season. Moss was hitting .228 at the All-Star break, but turned his year around with a second-half average of .296 and a second-half OPS of .989 (second only to Mike Trout in the AL). Moss struggles against lefties, but the A's sit him in a lot of matchups against them, which will protect his averages. Moss is an extreme flyball hitter and he had the lowest GB/FB ratio in the American League last season. He will begin 2014 as the A's starting first baseman and will play against all righties while providing cheap power in that role.

It is hard to come up with a bigger surprise in MLB last year than Moss. The journeyman turned a hot start at Triple-A (15 homers in 163 at-bats) into significant playing time in Oakland and ended up hitting 21 home runs in only 265 at-bats after hitting 15 in 678 at-bats in his career prior to 2012. He likely worked his way into a starting job to begin 2013, although 26 percent of his flyballs went for home runs in 2012, which will not repeat in 2013. Given the power he displayed in the minors, 20-25 homers are certainly possible as he likely will get more at-bats with the A's this time around. As a result, Moss will make a nice late corner-infield play in deep leagues while most owners consider his 2012 numbers to be a fluke.

Moss hit better than Pittsburgh expected in 2010, but it was for Triple-A Indianapolis rather than the big club. With batting practice power that might even wow Willie Stargell, Moss spent the great majority of last year with Indy, compiling a line of .266/.330/.470 with 22 dingers and an International League-leading 96 RBI. He made a token September appearance with the Bucs, but continued to under-produce with four hits in 26 at-bats. He was let go by Pittsburgh after the season and scooped up by the Phillies soon after. At 27 years of age, Moss has become pigeon-holed as a Quadruple-A player.

The Pirates gave Moss more chances to succeed than perhaps any other player in 2009. Unfortunately, Moss batted under .204 in four of six months and finished with a line of .236/.304/.364. He's out of options and the team has already stated that the left-handed hitting Moss will serve as a fourth outfielder in 2010. Perhaps lowered expectations will snap him out of his funk, but the Pirates aren't counting on it and neither should fantasy owners.

Stuck in an overstocked Boston farm system, Moss found new baseball life in Pittsburgh following a trade deadline deal. He showed glimpses of his power potential -- stroking six long balls in 158 at-bats with the Bucs -- but finished with just a .222 batting average. On the plus side, the left-handed hitting Moss actually hit better against lefties (.266) than righties (.244). If Moss can show that he's fully recovered from the knee surgery that ended his 2008 campaign prematurely, then there's a good chance he sees at least 400 at-bats in 2009 as the team's primary right fielder.

Moss had a nice year in 2007, collecting a World Series share for the Red Sox. He was called up in early September and started a few games when injuries struck Manny Ramirez, Bobby Kielty and J.D. Drew. Going up a level in 2007, he maintained his averages and power. Moss is playing some first base in the Dominican League and could hook on in Boston as the backup to Kevin Youkilis.

Moss struggled early on for Double-A Portland, but finished the season on an up tick, winning MVP honors for the Sea Dogs and in the Eastern League playoffs. He's got an excellent approach at the plate with a nice swing and raw power, which is still developing. His 83 RBI were second in the league. It was the second straight in year in Double-A for the 23-year-old, who should begin 2007 with Triple-A Pawtucket.

Moss had a breakout 2004 season that put him on the organization's radar screen and earned him a promotion to Double-A Portland. Rated as Boston's top outfield prospect by Baseball America, Moss struggled early on at the advanced level. He rebounded during the summer, increasing his home run total but regressed in several areas including RBI, SB, OBP, SLG and OPS. Despite that, he was added to Boston's 40-man roster in the offseason and will likely start the season at Triple-A Pawtucket.

Moss, 21, showed little during his first two seasons before breaking out in 2004, when he was named Single-A Augusta's player of the year. His power numbers took a big leap, knocking in 111 runs between Sarasota and Augusta. He's still a couple of years away, but his outstanding 2004 has put him on the organization's radar.

Moss, the 2002 eighth-round second basemen from Loganville High in Georgia, has been shifted to the outfield. The left-handed hitter is a high-energy player with above-average raw power that has yet to yield much in the low minors. The organization thinks the move will allow him to concentrate on his hitting more and the clock is running out. The 2004 season is a pivotal year as he’ll turn 21 at the end of it, and hasn’t progressed much.