Bobby Abreu

Cut loose by the Angels in April, Abreu showed some improvement with the Dodgers, but with an overall line of .242/.350/.342, the clock is ticking on the 39-year-old's career. Abreu can still get on base, but he's not adequate defensively and his power is all but gone. He'll get a minor league contract somewhere, but his fantasy value will be limited unless injuries strike some team's starting outfield or DH slot.

Abreu finished 2011 with a .353 OBP and stole at least 20 bases for the 13th consecutive season, but his OPS fell for the third straight year. He finished the year with a .717 OPS, by far the lowest mark since his rookie season. Abreu started 136 games, including 108 games as the designated hitter last season, but that number figures to drop with the signing of Albert Pujols pushing Mark Trumbo to a utility role. Abreu can still be useful when he gets on base, but his offensive decline and the lack of a regular spot in the lineup will limit his fantasy value.

Abreu posted the ninth 20-20 season of his career last year, but the rest of his offensive numbers fell off thanks to a .255 batting average, his lowest mark since 1997. Abreu is not getting any younger, but the speed/power combination he offers still makes him a worthy fantasy option. Abreu will go a bit lower in drafts this year thanks to his slip in production last season, but he could still wind up being a valuable fantasy player if he can put the bat on the ball a bit more often in 2011. Hopefully, he'll improve against lefties after turning in a .228/.296/.342 line against them over 184 at-bats last season, as the Angels could eventually platoon him if he continues to struggle with southpaws.

Abreu's broad skill set - he hits for average, draws walks, has decent power and steals bases - is helping him to a slow decline through his 30s. He may not match 2009's numbers, as the absence of Chone Figgins should mean fewer runners on base and fewer at-bats against pitchers in the stretch, affecting everything across the board.

While Abreu no longer offers the elite combination of 30-homer power and 40-steal speed, he's still a very consistent run producer heading into the later years of his career. The Yankees chose not to offer him arbitration -- unwilling to risk the possibility that he'd accept -- so they'll get no compensation for his departure and he'll be plying his trade elsewhere when the dust settles at the end of free agency. A career .300 hitter, Abreu still gets on base at a good clip (.371 OBP in 2008) and as long as he doesn't end up in a home park that completely suppresses left-handed power, he's a pretty good bet for another 20-20 season with a healthy number of runs driven in.

Abreu's first full season in the Bronx was his worst offensive output since becoming an everyday player with the Phillies nearly a decade ago. The downturn was due in large part to an early-season swoon - .208/.264/.276 in May (8:20 BB:K) - that had a lasting impact on his plate discipline the rest of the way. Abreu finished 2007 with a .369 OBP, the first time he's been under .400 since 2001. Further, his power appears to have permanently fallen into the 15-20 homer range, as he's gone deep just 31 times over the past two seasons. That said, you can still get 20-25 steals from him and the potent bats around him the Yankee lineup will provide plenty of RBI opportunities.

Abreu failed to reach the 20-20 club last season, snapping a streak of seven consecutive seasons. After being dealt to New York by the Phillies in July, the 11-year veteran regained some of the power that had disappeared following the 2005 Home Run Derby, hitting seven homers in 58 games in the Bronx. Speed continues to be a major asset for Abreu's fantasy owners, as he's reached 30-steals plateau in each of the past three seasons. Surrounded by a plethora of talent in the Yankee batting order, career-highs in RBI and runs scored are well within reach.

Abreu reached the 20-20 plateau for the seventh straight year in 2005 and finished second in the NL with 117 walks. Still, he disappointed by hitting only six homers in the second half (he hit 41 in the All-Star home run derby!). His power was likely sapped by playing through nagging injuries down the stretch. The Phillies tested the trade market for Abreu to secure more pitching, but it would be difficult to replace his production. Wherever he plays, he's got many good years left in him.

Abreu turned his game up a notch in 2004, and may eventually play his way out of the moniker of the most underrated player in baseball. He made his first All-Star team, picked up a Silver Slugger award and set career highs in walks and stolen bases. He and Carlos Beltran were the only players to reach the 30-30 plateau. Abreu is multi-skilled, durable and in his prime: money in the bank.

Abreu hit well for average (.335) and ran well (13 of his 22 stolen bases) over the second half of the season, but his power numbers were down (just six homers after the All-Star break). The decline in power might be due to a sore knee (although that wouldn't explain his SB jump over the second half), or it might be part of a greater trend, as his slugging percentage has dropped every year since 2000. He might be helped by the Phillies' move to a grass field at Citizens Bank Park.

Abreu is a nice five-category guy. He will most likely hit in front of Jim Thome and/or Pat Burrell, so he will not be pitched around. Suffered a drop-off in homers and RBI in 2002, but that had more to do with the poor offense that plagued the team. You can reasonably expect 25-30 steals and over 100 runs.