Jay Gibbons

Gibbons was a nice story for the Dodgers last season after not having had a major league at-bat since August 2007. Nearly three years later, he was scooped up by the Dodgers, who desperate for an outfield bat, gave him semi-regular playing time in August and September to solid results - .280/.313/.507 in 75 at-bats. He'll be in the mix for at-bats as the left fielder in 2011, but offers little fantasy value outside of short-term NL-only play.

Gibbons signed a four-year extension with the Orioles in January 2006 and hasn't hit too well for power since, posting an awful 2007 campaign aided by shoulder woes. The offseason has only gotten worse for Gibbons, with the news of a 15-game suspension for having steroids and HGH delivered to his home. The only positive to come out of that suspension is that the subsequently released Mitchell Report somewhat overshadowed the news of his suspension. He'll miss the first 15 games of 2008.

Gibbons might be a decent fantasy option if he didn't have such a bad back, as the injury prone lefty has only played in 326 games the last three seasons. The good news is now the Orioles have the more athletic Nick Markakis to play right field full time, meaning that Gibbons will likely serve as the designated hitter in 2007, limiting his opportunity for injury. He has played first base in the past, but the similarly defensively challenged (and healthier) Kevin Millar will likely man the corner sack this season. If Gibbons can get healthy and make it through a full schedule, he'll likely bat fifth and hit around 25 homers this season. As such, he might be a nice sleeper pick at the end of deep drafts due to teams passing on him because of his poor stats last season.

Gibbons had an up-and-down season while shuttling between first base and right field. He finished on a tear with a .277 average and 26 homers in 488 at-bats and should put up similar numbers as the Orioles' starting right fielder in 2006.

Gibbons was sidelined for most of 2004 with chronic back and hip injuries. When he did play, he was so limited that he easily put up the worst numbers of his career. Adding insult to injury, Gibbons’ poor season occurred in a contract year and it’s looking more and more likely that the Orioles’ first choice in right field for 2005 will come from outside the organization. If healthy, Gibbons will end up starting somewhere and could be a bargain if other owners have reservations about his 2004 numbers.

Gibbons led the team in HR and RBI in 2003 as Baltimore's everyday right fielder. There's talk of moving him to first base, but Gibbons would prefer to play the outfield. It really doesn't matter where he plays, because he'll get plenty of at-bats in the middle of a offensively maturing lineup. We expect the power numbers to increase as he approaches his peak years.

Gibbons battled a wrist problem for most of the year, but still had 28 HR and 69 RBI. He had surgery to repair the wrist and should be ready for spring training. He needs to learn a little patience at the plate, swinging at the first pitch over 20% of the time. Gibbons received 71% of his AB in 2002 batting fifth as protection for Tony Batista. Unless the O's acquire a big bat, he'll likely remain fifth in the order.