Damaso Marte

Marte missed the second half of last season with a shoulder injury and underwent labrum surgery in October. He'll be out at least until the All-Star break and possibly longer, so there's no need to consider him on draft day. Injuries have limited him to just 31 innings over the past two years.

The Yankees hoped to deploy Marte as a left-handed bridge to closer Mariano Rivera last season, but a shoulder injury disabled him for nearly four months and limited him to just 13.1 innings. He was fully healthy for the postseason, however, and gave the Yankees a glimpse of how effective he can be by posting a 5:0 K:BB ratio and holding opposing batters to a .154 average in eight playoff appearances. He’ll be in the running for the setup role again this year, especially if Phil Hughes stays in the rotation.

Marte was acquired with Xavier Nady from the Pirates at the trade deadline in July to provide stability in the bullpen in front of closer Mariano Rivera. While his ERA spiked to 5.40 after the trade and his command was shaky, the Yankees re-signed him to a three-year, $12 million deal in November. Even though he's tough against hitters on both sides of the plate, Marte's shortcomings are rooted in his inconsistency. He'll once again work out of a set-up role for the Yankees in 2008, but his fluctuating walk rate (4.04 BB/9IP over his career) makes him a bit risky as a staff filler despite his ability to strike out a batter per inning.

Marte didn't throw enough innings in 2007 to have much of fantasy impact, but the numbers he produced in limited action were incredible. The 33-year-old lefty allowed just six hits in 64 at-bats to left-handed hitters. Sometimes it seems like the veteran is wasting away on a team far removed from any postseason hopes. With the Pirates rebuilding, it wouldn't be surprising to see Marte moved to a contender for the right deal. Even if that happens, however, it seems that he's more comfortable in an eighth-inning role than as a closer.

Marte (1-7) got off to a slow start in 2006 due to a spring training neck injury and went downhill from there, failing to record a win until Aug. 22. Somewhat surprisingly, he was used almost exclusively in a set-up role despite bullpen injuries and a background that includes 31 career saves. Due to the increased market value for relievers, it wouldn't be surprising to see Marte flipped for offensive help at some point in 2007. Regardless of the team the 32-year-old plays for, however, he won't rack up the numbers to make him fantasy worthy.

His heavy-ish workload in previous seasons seemed to catch up to Marte, as he dealt with some injuries and saw his performance slip in 2005. It was a personality clash with manager Ozzie Guillen that punched his ticket out of town though; his White Sox career ended up being a nifty piece of work by Kenny Williams, and if his declining K rates are any indication he could be a textbook case of 'skimming the cream'. The Pirates would do well to keep a close eye on his expiration date.

After two all-world seasons Marte fell back to earth in 2004, seeing his home run rate rise and his K rate fall. Given that he's averaged 71 appearances over the last three years he could simply be wearing down -- don't assume he'll rebound.

Once again it was Marte to the rescue when Jerry Manuel lost faith in his closer, but Damaso was even more impressive in 2003, posting a teeny-tiny 1.53 ERA while still striking out more than a batter an inning. With Billy Koch untrustworthy at best, and Tom Gordon signing with the Yankees, 2004 could finally be Marte's chance to close full-time -- and without Manuel peeking over his shoulder second-guessing him as he did with Keith Foulke and Koch.

Marte finished the season as one of three White Sox with double-digit saves, a stat that became meaningless as soon as Billy Koch got to town. There's been some loose talk about trying him in the rotation, but his power lefty repertoire is far better suited for the bullpen. He should be the main portside set-up guy for Koch in 2003.