Mark Kotsay

Kotsay continued to be a below average hitter and fielder, yet he was paid millions of dollars in 2011. At the plate he hit .270/.329/.373 in 233 at-bats and even spent a number of innings in center field. He signed during the offseason with the Padres for $1.25 million and will play a bench role for them in 2012. Considering the cavernous nature of his new home park, there's little to be excited about here given his declining bat.

Kotsay served as a reserve first baseman/DH/right fielder with the White Sox in 2010, but his eight home runs in 327 at-bats were indicative of none of those positions. He should catch on with another team in need of a bench player who can provide some clubhouse leadership, but his days of steady rotisserie production are well behind him.

The White Sox acquired Kotsay as part of a July swap for Brian Anderson, and he played better than he had in his time with the Red Sox. His three home runs in 40 games were more than he had hit in his 158 at-bats for Boston, and his OBP buoyed to a usable .349. Keep in mind the very small sample size and the fact that the White Sox brought him back more for his clubhouse presence than for his contributions at the plate. Kotsay should serve as the team�s backup at first, DH and the corner outfield spots, while also providing a left-handed bat off the bench.

Kotsay finished off the 2008 season with Boston, moving back and forth between right field and first base because of injuries to J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell. He became a free agent after playing a significant role in Boston's playoff run. At 33, Kotsay's production has started to decline and he'll serve as a reserve outfielder and left-handed bat off the bench for the Red Sox. He could still get significant playing time given the injury histories of J.D. Drew and Rocco Baldelli.

Kotsay had his season ruined with continued back problems, hitting just .214/.279/.296 in 206 at-bats. It was a continuation of a rather rapid decline, and there's little reason to think he'll rebound to a level of fantasy significance. However, he'll likely begin the season as Atlanta's starting center fielder. But he could lose the job midseason to Jordan Schaefer.

Chronic back problems continue to sideline him a little more each year, and it's starting to sap his power. He'll hit at the top of the A's order again, which is good enough to give him some marginal value in most leagues, but he doesn't appear the type that will age gracefully.

His OBP plummeted 45 points down to .325, his lowest mark since 1999. The good news, however, is that the power remained. Chronic back woes continue to sideline him on occasion, but he'll remain a staple at the top of the A's lineup.

Kotsay gave the A's exactly what they needed in a leadoff hitter. A .370 OBP in 606 AB should net more than 78 runs with 55 XBH, so there's some untapped value in 5 x 5 leagues if the A's can find another hitter or two behind him. While it's tough to predict an improvement after his best year to date, there's also some upside remaining with a better start than last year when he had a .606 and .725 OPS for the first two months with just 13 RBI and 0 HR.

While he's failed to capitalize on earlier promise, Kotsay, when on his game, is the kind of player who can help you in four or five categories. He was limited to 128 games last year due to a variety of injuries. If healthy, he could return to form as the Oakland center fielder. While his ballpark won't help, we think he'll at least rebound to the levels of his two previous seasons.

For years, roto analysts have predicted a breakout season for Kotsay. He has the talent to give you production in almost every offensive category, and each year he gives us glimpses of what kind of player he can be. Last season was peppered with minor injuries for Kotsay, yet he still posted increases in SLG and OBP over his previous full-season numbers (2000). Kotsay should post another season near the .300 mark, approaching 20 HR and stealing 15 or so bags.