Fred Lewis

Lewis got a fresh start in Toronto and took advantage of the opportunity, swiping 17 bases and scoring 70 runs in 110 games. He became expendable when the Jays acquired Rajai Davis in the offseason and wasn't offered a contract, making him a free agent. Lewis will probably serve as a platoon partner for both Jonny Gomes in left field and perhaps for Drew Stubbs in center field. He'll also get extra duty late as a defensive replacement. His signing hurts both Chris Heisey and Jeremy Hermida.

Lewis turned in an extremely disappointing 2009 campaign, hitting just .258 with four homers and eight steals over 295 at-bats. His line against southpaws was an atrocious .164/.292/.200, with just one RBI all season. Lewis' high strikeout rate finally caught up to him, and he no longer looks like the team's answer in left field. His outlook for 2010 is as the Giants' fourth outfielder.

Lewis finished his first year as a starter with a .282/.351/.440 line. He hit nine homers and stole 21 bases. He struck out 124 times over 468 at-bats, so his plate discipline could really improve. Still, his power/speed combo makes him an intriguing fantasy option. He had surgery on a bunion that ended his 2008 season prematurely, but he'll enter 2009 with the left field job all to himself.

Lewis posted a .287/.374/.408 line in 157 at-bats with the Giants last year. Despite terrific speed, that resulted in just five stolen bases. With the acquisition of Rajai Davis, Lewis is probably nothing more than the team's fifth option in the outfield.

Depending on spring training, Lewis may enter the year as a reserve outfielder. He hit .276/.375/.453 with 18 steals last year at Triple-A Fresno. Already 26 years old, he's looking more like a solid bench player than he does a future regular.

Lewis has a ridiculous strikeout rate for a player who hit seven home runs last year, and unless he cuts down on the whiffs, won't be able to sustain enough offense to reach the majors. He did have a strong second half, and moving from Norwich to Fresno will help him a lot, so look for the hype to start up again around June. He's in line for a job in '07.

Lewis was added to San Francisco's 40-man roster in November. He'll stay in the minors for a year or two more and is coming off his best season.

Lewis was rated as one of the Giants' 10 best prospects by Baseball America for the 2003 season, and he's described as being "as close to a five-tool player as the Giants have in their system". He hit .322 in 239 AB at low-A Salem in 2002, but he showed gap power and good plate discipline (26 walks, .396 OBP, .397 SA despite only one homer). A very fast, very athletic prospect, and the Giants would love to see him develop into the regular centerfielder at Pac Bell Park in 2005 or so. In the meantime, he'll start 2003 at Single-A.