Xavier Paul

Paul caught lightning in a bottle with the Reds over the span of 86 at-bats, many coming off the bench as the Reds' only lefty until roster expansion in September. But this likely was his most optimal outcome and not to be repeated - for instance, he hit .379 on balls in play. You might think that he's worth a look in the endgame in your NL-only leagues based on his results with the Reds, but that last dollar can be spent better elsewhere. There's very little chance he ends up with a starting job with the team or anywhere else.

Unlike 2009, Paul managed to stay healthy for the most part in 2010, but he may have missed his window to be a big league regular after batting .231/.277/.314 in 121 at-bats. Paul did hit .320/.380/.575 in 57 games for Triple-A Albuquerque, but he now has Trayvon Robinson and perhaps 1B/OF Jerry Sands to contend with for future opportunities. The fact that the Dodgers also signed the light-hitting Tony Gwynn Jr. in the offseason speaks volumes about the lack of confidence the organization has in Paul. A change of scenery might benefit both parties.

Paul was limited to just 125 total at-bats due to a staph infection in his leg. He batted .328/.378/.500 in 116 Triple-A at-bats before a late-season cup of coffee with the Dodgers. Paul is excellent defensively and has some skills at the plate, but for the Dodgers, he's likely nothing more than a fourth outfielder candidate for the near term. That's a role he could find himself in for 2010 after Juan Pierre was traded to the White Sox in December.

While the Dodgers' outfield situation is likely to be crowed again this year, Paul established himself as a possible option after having a bit of a breakout in 2008. The 23-year-old hit .316/.378/.463 with 17 stolen bases in 443 at-bats for Triple-A Las Vegas. The nine home runs leave his future as a starting outfielder in doubt, but Paul should be in line for a few at-bats for the big club this year as a No. 4 or 5 outfielder.

Paul makes his 40-man roster debut this year courtesy of a solid season for Double-A Jacksonville where he hit .291/.366/.429 with 11 home runs and 17 stolen bases in 422 at-bats. Paul plays a solid center field, though the fact that he doesn't have any particularly impressive tool probably relegates him to fourth outfielder status. He'll open the year in Triple-A and should make his big league debut at some point in 2008.