Jared Sandberg

As 2003 dawned, the Devil Rays needed a third baseman, and needed right-handed power hitters; luckily for Sandberg, he was both. However, if you strike out once in every three plate appearances (a ratio Sandberg posted at both Triple-A and the majors last year) while going deep less than once a week, Lou Piniella will likely look elsewhere, and he eventually did, installing Damian Rolls at third and sending Sandberg back to Triple-A. Sandberg will likely get one last chance to show he can hit well enough to keep the third base job in 2004, but with both his homer rates and walk rates declining last year, we don't like his chances as much as we did a year ago.

With 18 home runs in just 358 at-bats, Sandberg was fifth among all AL third basemen in homers per at-bat in 2002. If you take those 18 homers and 54 RBI and project them to a full season, you're now talking 27 homers and 80 ribbies. That's Eric Hinske-Shea Hillenbrand power numbers at a fraction of the price. All of Sandberg's major indicators – OBP, slugging, walk rate, homer rate – improved in 2002 off his 2001 performance, and he'll turn just 25 in the spring. However, he didn't hit in winterball or spring training in 2003, and with the Devil Rays moving Aubrey Huff to 3B, Sandberg was suddenly out of a job. He'll start 2003 at Triple-A and will likely get called up sometime during the season.