Roger Cedeno

Cedeno is the Lonnie "Skates" Smith of our generation, as he is a tremendously weak outfielder who seems to make bonehead plays at the drop of a hat. Cedeno saw his playing time cut substantially early in the year as he struggled both at the plate and on the basepaths. Many scouts have suggested that Cedeno's weight gain, a reported 20 pounds, was the cause of his problems. Mets management would love to find a take for the final two years and $10 million owed on the four-year, $18-million contract he signed in December 2001.

Cedeno had a subpar year in 2002, with final numbers of .260, seven home runs, 41 RBI and 25 steals. He struggled mightily against lefties (.231), at home (.231) and during the day (.217). He did show some spark at the end of the year, hitting .308 in September and October, along with 10 of his RBI and 10 of his steals. The question remains, can he hit only when the pressure is off? Until he demonstrates otherwise, the answer has to be yes, so stay away until the Mets go south for the summer.