Kenny Rogers

Rogers missed significant time last season with a blood clot in his shoulder and a sore elbow. He relies on good location, pitching to contact and the strong defense behind him to get his results so if he can avoid injuries in 2008, he could go back to his winning ways. Still, at 43 and with a poor strikeout rate, the margin for error is razor thin for Rogers.

Rogers continues to defy old age and post solid numbers despite peripherals that say he should be getting shelled. The wise vet knows how to pitch to contact, using good location and his defense to get outs. He did have that “pine tar” on his hand in the playoffs, which indicates who knows what about his effectiveness. His success in the postseason could have him on more people's radars in 2007 so it might be best to avoid him on draft day unless he slips into the late rounds. If that happens, take a chance and hope the umps don't pay attention to his thumbs.

Rogers managed a remarkable 3.46 ERA despite terrible strikeout and walk rates. He yielded just three homers in 78 2/3 innings in Ameriquest Field, which kept his home ERA an amazing 2.97 despite allowing 107 baserunners. After his tussle with a local cameraman, Rogers skipped town to Detroit, where a pitcher's park might help him. It's still hard to see him posting another 3.46 ERA at age 41 by flipping the ball up and hoping it's hit at someone.

He'll be the first to admit that those 18 wins were a fluke. Rogers was just 6-6 after the All-Star break to go with a 5.46 ERA. His pitching strategy isn't complicated: he flips it up there and hopes it's hit at somebody. He figures to return to mediocrity.

Rogers put up mediocre numbers with the Twins last season, but pitched enough innings to win 13 games. His numbers should be pretty comprable to the last two seasons, but at age 39 the risk is to the downside.

Rogers picked a heck of a time to post his best season since 1998, as he is a free agent. He posted a remarkable 3.65 ERA at home in 2002, though his second half numbers (4.16 ERA, 1.43 WHIP) paint the more realistic picture here. The strikeout rates continue to show signs of decline. He'll be the 4th starter for the Twins.