Rob Mackowiak

The White Sox didn't need Mackowiak nearly as much as the Pirates always did, only giving him 255 at-bats in 2006 after he averaged 477 the past two seasons in Pittsburgh. He benefited from less work, hitting .290 (a career high) with a .769 OPS. He did most of his work in center field because Brian Anderson struggled, but Mackowiak is better suited for the corner spots and is serviceable in the infield. He'll continue that role in 2007.

Mackowiak is typically a very useful fantasy player -- for about a month or two every season, but no longer. He batted .358 through early June, but then hit at a .247 clip from July to the end of the year. Mackowiak has proven over the course of the last two seasons that he's better suited for a utility role than as a starter. After setting career marks in homers (17) and RBI (75) in 2004, he slumped to nine home runs and 58 RBI last year, respectively. Versatility remains his calling card. Mackowiak played in more than 20 games at three different positions, including third base (65 games), outfield (65), and second base (20). He enters the 2006 season as a likely backup for the White Sox.

Mackowiak went into the 2004 season with the utility label attached to his name. The Pirates fully expected to take advantage of his versatility – he can play all three outfield positions and can line up anywhere but shortstop in the infield – but didn’t expect to see him out there day-in, day-out. Various circumstances however ended up contributing to the fact that he appeared in 155 games, setting career highs in at-bats (491), homers (17), RBI (75) and steals (13). His .246 batting average was nothing to shout about and he whiffed 114 times, so there’s still room for improvement. Ideally, the Pirates prefer to deploy Mackowiak as a super sub, and with the addition of Matt Lawton during the offseason, his role could diminish in 2005, though he will still merit fantasy consideration in NL-leagues where his multi-position eligibility is always a plus.

After an awful start, Mackowiak was sent to Nashville in June. When he came back to the Pirates in late August he was a totally different player, and now figures to get a decent amount of at bats next season as a utility player. In 2003, he appeared at five different positions (RF, CF, LF, 2B & 3B). Versatility is his strongest attribute and he's only a player worth turning to when injuries force him into the lineup on a regular basis.

Mackowiak is a utility guy who played a bit too much outfield in the wake of injuries to Adrian Brown and Armando Rios and lost his middle-infield eligibility in the process. Mackowiak has some skills at the plate and wouldn’t be the worst bench guy in deep leagues. His playing time depends on whether the Pirates find a real center fielder. He’d pick up the slack if they don’t.