Corey Patterson

Patterson still can steal bases effectively, but he never learned how to take a walk, and at age 31, it's doubtful he's ever going to pick up that skill. Now with the Blue Jays, it's unlikely he'll play as often as he did with the Orioles in 2010 after Felix Pie got hurt. Instead, he projects more as a fourth outfielder and pinch-runner, if he even wins a roster spot out of spring training.

Reds manager Dusty Baker did a lot of things right in 2008. He quickly settled on Joey Votto as the better first base option over Scott Hatteberg. He remained patient with Edwin Encarnacion's defensive shortcomings and deep slumps. He even did well not to build up the pitch counts of Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez. But he still couldn't help himself when it came to playing "his guys," like Paul Bako and especially Corey Patterson. Patterson somehow found a way to get 366 at-bats, 143 of them in the leadoff spot, where he hit .182/.217/.322 and scored just 17 runs in 35 games. Patterson may have borne more than his share of the blame for the Reds' woes in 2008, but that's because his presence at the top of the order so clearly stood out for its inappropriateness.

If you take Patterson for what he is at face value, he can be useful. He'll hit the occasional homer to go along with his reliable stolen bases. Just don't expect him to take a walk or hit lefties on a recurring basis. As of press time, Patterson remained a free agent, having to wait for the bigger-named center fielders to sign first before resolving his 2008 destiny.

Patterson had a fantasy All-Star season in 2006 after being plucked off the scrap heap by the Orioles, finishing the season with a .276 average, 16 homers, 53 RBI, 75 runs and 45 steals in 54 attempts. The Orioles traded nothing to get him, so all of this production was a tremendous boon for the team, but Patterson does have two main flaws. First, he has an awful career K:BB ratio, but only struck out nine times for every two walks in 2006, good for the second best mark of his career. Patterson’s other major flaw is his inability to hit lefties. He batted .301/.341/.485 with 13 homers and a 65:17 K:BB ratio (3.82) in 342 at-bats against righties, but only hit .207/.238/.322 with three homers and a 29:4 K:BB ratio (7.25) in 121 at-bats against southpaws. Not only did he strike out more than walk against lefties, but he also struck out an astonishing once out of every 4.2 plate appearances against them. The Orioles’ offseason acquisition of the right-handed Jay Payton, who can play center field, suggests that the team might platoon Patterson in center if he continues to be unable to put the ball in play against lefties. Regardless, he still should put up major fantasy numbers again in 2007.

Patterson has gone from top prospect to rising star to major disappointment the last couple years. Deep slumps, frequent strikeouts and an apparent unwillingness to improve landed him in manager Dusty Baker's doghouse and eventually back in Triple-A. When Patterson returned to the majors down the stretch, he reverted to the same bad habits, namely swinging at everything and treating first base like there was anthrax on it. Patterson, still only 26, has decent power, plays a solid center field and is fast enough to steal a bag, so he should get a shot to win the job in Baltimore this spring.

Although Patterson probably made most of his owners happy last season, he didn't grow as a hitter. Not only did he lose .066 off his 2003 OPS, but his plate discipline (if one can even use that term here) improved only slightly, with his strikeout rate actually going up. Moreover, he was incredibly streaky, posting an OPS of .932, .571, .993 and .644 from June to September. He's still young and talented, but be prepared for his batting-average downside and those deep slumps.

Patterson was in the middle of a breakout season when he suffered a 30 percent tear of the left ACL in addition to a torn meniscus last July. Patterson still hasn't shown any plate discipline, putting up those numbers despite a 15/77 BB/K ratio, but that he hit for power and average while playing a very solid center field largely mitigates that one glaring flaw in his game. At press time, Patterson is expected to be healthy for the start of spring training, but we probably won't know for sure until later in the winter. Moreover, it remains to be seen how the knee injury will affect Patterson's running game.

Although it was camouflaged slightly by his 14 homers and 18 steals, Patterson had an abysmal season at the plate in 2002, going .253/.284/.392 in 592 at-bats. The problem was his terrible batting eye - just 19 walks against 142 strikeouts. His defense and enormous physical talent should keep him in the lineup, but until he learns some patience at the plate, his batting average should continue to weigh him down. Still, a 20/20 season is well within reach in 2003 as long as Patterson doesn't slump his way out of the lineup.