Josh Paul

At best, Paul starts the year as the Rays' second catcher. If Shawn Riggans impresses again in the spring, Paul isn't likely to make the Opening Day roster at all. He's your prototypical fungible backup catcher.

Paul was obtained via trade by the Devil Rays. He enters the spring as the likely backup to Toby Hall, and will get the usual Sunday and day-game-after-night-game starts.

The former White Sox catcher was signed to a minor league deal before the start of the 2004 season. At 29, he's had 425 major league at-bats and managed only a .256 average and .676 OPS. He's a bat off the bench if he makes the squad in 2005, but has stiff competition from the brothers Molina. A year spent toiling away at Triple-A seems probable.

Paul is strictly backup/third catcher material at this point. He could catch on somewhere, but it won't be with anyone's roto-squad.

Paul enters the year as the early favorite to win the starting catcher's job, despite the fact that he's never shown a thing in the majors (.259/.316/.364 in 332 at bats over three-plus seasons). Those numbers can't even be considered a disappointment, as they're right in line with his minor league averages. What he does have from a fantasy perspective is speed from a position lacking in it; in fact, with Miguel Olivo, the Sox might have two backstops with double-digit steals in 2003. Just don't expect anything other than that handful of swipes from Paul.