Shannon Stewart

Stewart was on his way to showing his subpar 2005 season was an off year before a case of plantar fasciitis in his left foot ended his season in June. It was the second time in three years Stewart lost major playing time to plantar fasciitis, missing nearly two months due to the problem in his right foot in 2004. When healthy, Stewart is almost one-dimensional for fantasy owners with modest power and minimal speed (his 20+ SB seasons are ancient history). He needs to show his poor 2005 season wasn't the start of a decline at the plate, as a decent OBP is his only true asset. He'll need to prove he's healthy in spring training for a shot at a starting left field job once again.

Stewart had the worst season of his career as his ability to get on base fell dramatically without any offsetting gains. Stewart is almost one-dimensional for fantasy owners with modest power and minimal speed (his 20+ SB seasons are a distant memory), so he'll need to return to his .300+ BA to justify a starting OF spot in most fantasy leagues. He missed most of the final month after a shoulder injury, but his subpar season at the plate wasn't due to injury. At age 32, there's reason to think this was an off year and he'll bounce back given his career history, but don't overpay given his limited upside. He'll get paid $6.5 million in the final year of a three-year contract, so the Twins have too much invested in him to think about a replacement unless he really struggles. He'll be the starting left fielder and leadoff hitter.

Stewart continues to be a more productive player in real baseball terms than in fantasy. His high OBA is great for a leadoff hitter, but his days as a base stealer are a distant memory. Stewart missed nearly two months of the season with plantar fasciitis. With nagging hamstring and foot injuries, expect him to DH more this season.

Stewart caught fire after being traded to the Twins and finished fourth in the AL MVP voting after sparking Minnesota to a second half surge to the division title (although we'd argue Johan Santana and an easy schedule were more the cause). A hamstring injury limited him in the first half of the season with Toronto but he still hit .294. After the midseason trade to Minnesota, he hit .327 with a .384 OBA. Despite the MVP talk, for fantasy owners his value fell as his steal totals failed to reach double digits. With his frequent injuries, the steals are unlikely to return. His solid on-base averages will make him a strong leadoff hitter, but his 20+ home run and steal totals are probably a thing of the past. He'll give you a nice average and run totals, but don't expect a major rebound elsewhere.

Continued hamstring problems are going to keep him from approaching 30 steals again. The 21-HR spike in 2000 is screaming “fluke” louder than ever. He's not near the roto player many had hoped for following his first two full seasons in the big leagues. His 4x4 numbers last year (.303 average, 10 HR, 45 RBI, 14 steals) were a career worst. If you can get him for a price based on that production, he's worth a spot as he won't get much worse. But don't pay extra for potential.