Felipe Lopez

Lopez was part of the infield rotation in St. Louis and eventually got some full-time work when David Freese had season-ending ankle surgery, but he was unable to repeat his modestly successful 2009 season. He eventually fell out of favor with the Cardinals when he was late for a game and was subsequently released. Boston picked him up late in the season, but that was a move designed to nab a draft pick in the offseason. The Red Sox offered the Type-B free agent salary arbitration with the understanding that he'll decline the offer while seeking a full-time job elsewhere. Lopez can play a number of positions and will likely hook on as a utility guy somewhere, especially if there's a team that believes he can regain his 2009 production (.310/.383/.427).

Lopez had one of the best seasons of his career in 2009 and hit .320/.407/.448 after coming over to the Brewers in a midseason trade. He'll be looking to sign a multi-year deal with some team during the offseason after becoming a free agent. He's bound to have some regression and he doesn't steal many bases anymore, so don't get too caught up in how he finished last season. Lopez is the type of player who could be overvalued in a number of drafts and auctions this spring.

Lopez played parts of three seasons with the Washington, but never hit like he did in Cincinnati. After receiving a much-needed fresh start in St. Louis, Lopez posted a .385/.426/.538 line in 156 at-bats for the Cardinals. His versatility in the middle infield and ability to potentially serve as a table-setter in the leadoff spot make him an intriguing option if he's able to continue his post-Washington resurrection. The Diamondbacks signed him to be their starting second baseman, replacing Orlando Hudson.

Lopez bounced back and forth between second base and shortstop in 2007 and was equally inconsistent at the plate, posting the worst full-season numbers of his entire career. The power he displayed in 2005 with the Reds appears with hindsight to have been purely a product of his environment, and it's hard for him to take full advantage of his speed when he's only getting on base at a .308 clip. Another change of scenery could be coming, but Lopez's stolen-base potential makes him worth owning even if he's still wearing a Nationals uniform come draft day.

Stolen from the Reds in a deal that saw the likes of Royce Clayton go the other way, Lopez showed the same adjustment in his game that Austin Kearns did in swapping the Great American Ballpark for RFK Stadium, but adding walks at the expense of power fit Lopez's game far better. The Nationals will move him to second base to begin 2007 in an effort to get some value out of Cristian Guzman's contract, but assuming the switch doesn't affect him at the plate Lopez should be an effective top of the order weapon and among the N.L. leaders in stolen bases.

Former Reds GM Jim Bowden gets a little validation finally from the deal to acquire Lopez - if you recall, the Reds got him in the four-way trade involving Arizona, Oakland and Toronto. The Reds gave up Elmer Dessens in the deal, who was perceived to be their most reliable starter at the time, but about to get more expensive. Lopez finally came into his own in 2005 and looks to be a fixture at shortstop for the organization for the foreseeable future. Lopez will be especially valuable in NL-only leagues, where few shortstops can match his speed/power potential.

Lopez will compete with Anderson Machado to replace Barry Larkin at shortstop for the Reds. He made some strides over the second half, and he at least offers a semblance of power, a claim Machado can't make.

As Lopez's plate discipline has improved over the last three seasons, the other parts of his game have regressed. He hasn't hit for power the last two years, after showing such promise in that department throughout the minors and in his rookie season with the Blue Jays. Even worse, his defensive play with the Reds was atrocious. To top off an awful 2003 campaign, his season ended in July with an ankle injury. The Reds have question marks at second base, shortstop and third base, yet Lopez hasn't been seriously discussed as an option at any of those positions throughout the offseason.

You have to give credit to Lopez. When he was sent down, he was told to work on drawing walks and cutting down on his strikeouts. He did just that, drawing 29 walks and striking out just 37 times in 173 at-bats at Triple-A. Traded to the Reds in December, he'll apprentice under Barry Larkin and spend some time at second base as well. If his improvement at Triple-A is for real, he can post pretty solid numbers (think 5-7 HRs and 20 steals) as a cheap alternative in the middle infield.