Kevin Brown

After his ALCS blowup, Brown is likely to land on another team come 2005, and clubhouse walls in the Bronx are relieved. Mr. So-Competitive-It's-Scary was OK in 2004, with a 4.09 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, but he's only pitched a full season once in the past four years, and pitchers typically don't get more durable after they turn 40, as Brown will this March.

Brown was able to remain healthy in 2003 and went back to dominating hitters. He was able to log over 200 innings for the first time since the 2000 season. The Dodgers traded Brown to the Yankees to get out from under his contract. If he stays healthy, a big if, he is someone who can anchor your fantasy staff. Three consequences to the trade could shape Brown's season: he'll no longer pitch half his games in an extreme pitcher's park; he'll likely get more run support from the Yankees than he did from the Dodgers; most importantly, as a groundball pitcher, the defensive range provided by Derek Jeter and Alfonso Soriano up the middle will be less than what Cesar Izturis and Alex Cora had behind him in 2003.

This is not looking good. Brown went from being an elite pitcher in 2000 and extraordinarily healthy throughout his career to making just 19 starts in 2001 and then 10 starts in 2002. He'll be 38 on Opening Day and the $45 million he's owed over the next three years is looking pretty expensive.