Doug Davis

Davis' 4.12 ERA last season was the byproduct of a fortunate .294 BABIP, but his durability continues to be an asset. Other than missing six weeks for thyroid cancer treatment in 2008, he rarely misses a start and is a good bet for 32-plus starts and 200 innings. While the quality of those innings isn't much above replacement level, it's good enough to keep teams interested in his services as a left-handed presence in the rotation every fifth day. Of the greatest concern is that his walk rate was the highest it's been over the last six seasons (4.56 BB/9IP) and his home-run rate (1.11 HR/9IP) increased as well. Poor command generally leads to a poor WHIP, which isn't tolerable when the ERA hovers just below five. Davis is more valuable to major league teams than he is to fantasy owners, so consider alternatives with higher ceilings.

Davis battled back from early-season treatment for thyroid cancer and finished the season 6-8 with a 4.32 ERA and 1.534 WHIP in 26 starts. That he returned to action just six weeks after having surgery is both a testament to modern medicine and to Davis' incredible drive to get healthy and back into the mix with his teammates. As for the results, Davis produced similar numbers to his first season in the desert, though he cut his walk rate from 4.44 BB/9IP to 3.95 while bumping his strikeout rate to 6.90 K/9IP from 6.73 in 2007. He's firmly entrenched as the only lefty in the Arizona rotation for 2009, so look for more of the same from Davis again this time around.

Look no further that his career numbers: 75-75, 951:569 K:BB and 4.34 ERA to realize that this is as good as it gets with Davis. He reeled off an impressive stretch after the All-Star break where he went 8-1 over a period of 11 starts for the D-Backs, but stay focused on the bigger picture. Davis isn't fooling opposing hitters anymore, as evidenced by his tumbling strikeout rate (down from 8.41 K/9 in 2005 to 7.04 and 6.73 over the last two seasons) and while you'll likely be able to get another 12-14 wins because of the talent around him, it will come at the expense of rocky ERA and WHIP numbers.

After two quality seasons, Davis fell off hard in 2006. He was never able to find the control that helped him become one of the more underrated pitchers in the league. His 1.51 WHIP in 2006 should tell just about the whole story. He allowed 102 walks in 203.1 innings pitched. He pitched more than 200 innings for the third year in a row, though, showing he can still be a durable pitcher. The Diamondbacks are hoping that 2006 was just an off year for the soft-tossing lefty and that he can fit into their rotation behind Brandon Webb.

Davis had a respectable 3.84 ERA and reached 200 K for the first time in his career, but was stung by poor run support and ended up 11–11. Giving up 26 taters didn't help. He's been very consistent over the last few years and it should stay that way. With his talent, but lack of a big name, he could slide down in many drafts and be a good value pick.

Davis was one of the biggest surprise pitchers in 2004. After years of mediocrity, he found the control that he'd been lacking and put together a solid campaign. Davis was able to strike out 166 while going 12-12 with a 3.39 ERA. He will be the number two starter for the Brewers in 2005.

Davis pitched very well for Milwaukee in 2003 after being called up late in the season. He finished 3-2 with a 2.58 ERA in 52 1/3 IP and may have earned himself a spot in the 2004 rotation. Davis isn't overpowering and if he doesn't have his control he will run into trouble in a hurry. But the Brewers don't have a tremendous amount of starting pitching so he could get an opportunity, one that might last longer than at his previous stops.

Davis was never the same after throwing 100, 119 and 113 pitches in his first three starts of the season. Demoted to Triple-A shortly thereafter and was then shut down for good in July with shoulder soreness. He enters spring training with a chance to win a spot in the rotation but faces an uphill battle. There's a lot to like if he can find his cut fastball again. Davis would make an excellent sleeper if he has a good spring.