The Oakland Athletics organization has a lot of depth in the outfield. Full-time jobs are guaranteed for just two players: newly acquired star Matt Holliday and whiff king Jack Cust. The former will be the A’s No. 1 offensive cog in the lineup and should bat third or fourth with plenty of opportunities to drive in runs. The fear, though, is that his offensive ceiling has been overrated by playing in Colorado for his entire career to this point. And Oakland is far from a hitter’s park.

Holliday’s career splits are .357/.423/.645 at home and .280/.348/.455 on the road. Last season, Holliday’s OPS was .892 on the road. In Oakland, only Cust had a slugging percentage more than .390 with 200 or more at-bats. Even if the club’s new slugger does regress to his career road splits both at home and while touring the league, then he is still an offensive upgrade for the club and should drive in his fair share of runs.

Cust’s playing time could be affected by the signing of veteran slugger Jason Giambi, who will spend time at designated hitter and first base. Cust will spend time at designated hitter and left-field. He has some of the most intriguing power in the game but the strikeouts – 197 in 481 at-bats last season – hurt. Cust’s value is also negatively impacted by a low batting average (.239 career) and lower-than-you’d-like RBI totals (159 in the last two seasons) in part because he hit just .231 with runners in scoring position last season.

Someone has to play center-field in Oakland and it will likely be incumbent Ryan Sweeney, who spent 51 games there last season. He is not a ton of help to Fantasy teams because he doesn’t hit for much power (five homers in 2008), he doesn’t run a lot (nine stolen bases), and his batting average is modest (.286). At his best, Sweeney projects to be a 15-15 player.

Both Matt Murton, acquired last season in the Rich Harden/Chad Gaudin trade, and Chris Denorfia are quality fourth outfielders and would have an outside shot of playing everyday for a few teams in Major League Baseball. In 2006 with Chicago, Murton hit .297/.365/.444 in 144 games but he has struggled for playing time ever since, mainly because there has always been someone just a little bit better than him on the roster. The former supplemental first round draft pick (by Boston) deserves at least a platoon role with a career line against southpaws of .311/.382/.484. Denorfia’s career has been derailed by injuries. He’s a grinder-type, though, that doesn’t really help out Fantasy managers very much even when he plays everyday because he projects to hit about 10 home runs, steal 10-15 bases and hit about .270.

Former first round pick Travis Buck could not follow up his breakout 2007 season (.288/.377/.474 in 82 games) because of injuries and general ineffectiveness (.226/.291/.432). If he’s healthy in 2009 and gets some playing time, Buck’s power potential could be of value for the A’s, and Fantasy teams. He is the most deserving of a regular role among the non-guaranteed starters.

Aaron Cunningham made his Major League debut in 2009 after being part of the reward for trading Dan Haren to Arizona last year. Scouts are split on Cunningham’s offensive potential and he could end up having a similar offensive output to Denorfia, by being able to do a little bit of everything but nothing quite often enough to become a Fantasy darling. On the other hand, if everything clicks he has an outside shot of being a 20-20 player.

Players with limited upside who threaten to steal playing time from more productive players include Rajai Davis and Rule 5 draft pick Ben Copeland. Davis does not really belong in the American League as his value lies in pinch running and acting as a defensive replacement late in games. Copeland, selected out of San Francisco, has some intriguing minor league numbers but he projects as a fourth outfielder who can run a little and isn’t afraid to take a walk. But his ceiling is tempered by his lack of power and questionable ability to hit for average.

It will be interesting to see how playing time is handed out in Oakland’s outfield in 2009 with 11 outfielders on the club’s 40-man roster, not including youngster Eric Patterson who split time between second base and the outfield in 2008.

The Boston Red Sox organization may have the best pitching depth in all of Major League Baseball. The veteran starting rotation currently boasts Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield, Brad Penny, and John Smoltz. For those of you counting at home, that adds up to six quality starting pitchers. Six pitchers that could probably be No. 3 starters or better on almost any club in the Majors.

Now to be fair, both Penny and Smoltz come with major questions marks because of their health. Smoltz, 41, will only be available for half a season at best, but he could be a major difference maker in a short playoff series – as either a starter or a reliever. Penny won 16 games in both 2006 and 2007. At the age of 30, he still has the chance to regain his old form if his arm does not fall off. All he really needs to do is stay healthy until Smoltz is ready. Together, Penny and Smoltz make a pretty intimidating two-headed monster.

Wakefield, now 42, had his share of injury woes in 2008 thanks to shoulder problems, but he is a great value at just $4 million and throwing the knuckleball takes less toll on his body than other pitches. He should still be good for 10 wins, 150 innings and possibly 100 strikeouts.

Lester made a valiant return from cancer and provided 33 starts in 2008. In his first full season, he compiled 16 wins, 210.1 innings and 152 strikeouts. The 25-year-old southpaw should be even better in 2009 with a year of experience under his belt.

Matsuzaka, 28, is arguably the most talented and most frustrating pitcher on the staff. He has about six pitches in his repertoire, he gets good movement on all of them and he sits around 92 mph with his fastball. Matsuzaka won 18 games in 2008 but the scary thing is that he should have won even more. If he can learn to trust his stuff and stop nibbling, he could win a lot of games in 2009.

Beckett had some injury concerns of his own in 2008 and won just 12 games after racking up 20 in 2007. He should be a good bet for about 200 innings and close to 200 strikeouts. If you’re looking for Fantasy impact, grab Beckett followed by Lester, Matsuzaka, Penny and Wakefield.

The depth that the organzation has is even more impressive given how Boston acquired the six pitchers above. Lester was a home-grown project, having been selected out of high school in the second round of the 2002 draft. Matsuzaka was an international free agent signing out of Japan. Wakefield was rescued off the scrap heap after Pittsburgh (of all places) gave up on him and released him. Beckett was acquired via a trade with Florida (although Boston gave up Hanley Ramirez for him). Penny and Smoltz were then added via free agency. Good clubs find multiple ways to obtain talent; Boston is quite obviously one of them. And Fantasy Baseball owners can reap the rewards in 2009.

As mentioned in Part 1 of my look at Boston’s starting pitching depth, the organization is blessed with an abundance of hurlers. The club has six veteran pitchers penciled in for five spots in the 2009 rotation. But there are four more talented pitchers standings on the outside edge of the mound looking in: Justin Masterson, Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, and Junichi Tazawa.

Masterson has the best shot at breaking camp with Boston, even if five of the six veteran hurlers are healthy. The right-hander appeared in 36 games with the big club in 2008, including nine starts, and acquitted himself nicely. Armed with a bowling ball that averages around 90 mph, as well as a nice slider, Masterson induces a lot of ground balls (54.3 GB% in 2008). He just needs to show a little more control (4.08 BB/9) and he could be dominating – as long as he has competent infield defence behind him. Masterson likely won’t be a huge asset to Fantasy Baseball owners, unless he wriggles his way into a starting gig because he’s not going to wrestle the closer’s job away from Jonathan Papelbon in the bullpen.

The 2008 season was supposed to be a breakout party for Buchholz, but that obviously did not happen. After making a name for himself in 2007 by throwing a no-hitter in September in just his second big league start, the right-hander (who rarely struggled even in the minors) regressed considerably and posted a 6.75 ERA in 16 games (15 starts). He allowed 93 hits in 76 innings and posted an out-of-character walk rate of 4.86 BB/9. Relegated to the minors for the remainder of the season, Buchholz rebounded which gives hope for 2009 and beyond. He just needs another opportunity, which will not come easily in Boston.

Bowden has quietly crept up the organizational ladder since being selected 47th overall in the 2005 amateur baseball draft. The 22-year-old hurler has a little more youth on his side than Masterson and Buchholz. He also has just 45 innings of experience above Double-A, so more time in Triple-A certainly will not hurt his value. Regardless, he held his own in one emergency big league start so there is no reason to think he won’t be ready if called upon.

Tazawa was Boston’s big international free agent signing this off-season. He was given a three-year, $3.3 million dollar big league contract after signing out of Japan, but the expectation is that he will begin his North American career in Double-A. As a Japanese amateur, there is not a whole lot of concrete data on him but reports suggest he has a low-to-mid 90s fastball and a plus breaking ball. Don’t expect the 22-year-old to surface in Boston for an significant period of time in 2009 but keep him in mind for 2010 and beyond.

From a Fantasy perspective, you have to consider Masterson as having the most impact potential this coming season. Buchholz would be next in line, followed by Bowden and the mysterious Mr. Tazawa. All four pitchers would have a pretty good shot of beginning 2009 in the starting rotation for most other teams in Major League Baseball. Given Boston’s position as a ‘Big Market Team’ you have to be impressed by the fact the club puts so much effort into developing and holding on to the homemade talent.

Unless you are lucky enough to have Joe Mauer or Geovany Soto gracing your Fantasy roster, the catching position can be a bit of a headache. It can even occasionally do more harm than good. As a result, Fantasy owners are always on the lookout for catchers with upside. The Kansas City Royals organization currently has four catchers vying for two roster spots. Incumbents Miguel Olivo and John Buck certainly do not inspire a lot of hope.

Olivo had a respectable season in the American League in 2008 after spending the previous two years with Florida. He had the second highest batting average of his career (.255) but continued to be allergic to walks with just seven (!) in 306 at-bats. He has just 79 walks in 640 career games. On the plus side, Olivo showed a little more power in 2008, while posting a career high in slugging (.444) and his second-best ISO (.190). At the age of 30, the right-handed hitting catcher may be able to sustain this level of offence for another year or two. That said, Russell Branyan had a better contact rate than Olivo last season (68.5% to 66.8%).

Buck has never lived up to his potential due to an inability to make consistent contact (although he bested Olivo at 75.2% in 2008) and to hit for a respectable average. He has a career batting average of .234, but has hit just .223 in the past two seasons. Buck walks a little bit more than Olivo (He at least breaks the .300 OBP mark,albeit barely at .304). The 28-year-old backstop has traditionally provided a little bit of pop at the plate (He hit a career-high 18 home runs in 347 at-bats in 2007) but his slugging percentage was just .365 in 2008, along with an ISO of .141. Buck’s hold on a Major League roster spot should be tenuous.

The team also added ex-Braves prospect Brayan Pena to the 40-man roster this past fall. He still offers some upside even at the age of 26 and with just 71 career Major League games under his belt. In the past three Triple-A seasons, Pena has hit at least .301 and he has not struck out more than 11% of the time. He doesn’t walk either; 10% is the highest rate during that same three-year span. His ability to handle the bat and work the zone (as well as his switch-hitting capability) might make him a nice complement to Olivo.

Former Mets and Tigers backstop Vance Wilson was also brought in on a minor league deal after missing all of 2007 and 2008 due to not one, but two Tommy John surgeries on his elbow. It’s hard to know if he has anything to offer offensively or defensively. Even before the injury, Wilson was a .240-.250 hitter with modest power.

The best pairing of catchers in KC, from an offensive perspective, appears to be Olivo and Pena, but Buck no doubt has the inside track on the second spot because he is due more than $2 million in arbitration. If Pena is given playing time, keep an eye on him.

The Toronto Blue Jays organization has been stockpiling left-handed pitchers in the last couple of seasons, which has created impressive depth. At this point in the off-season, the organization could utilize upwards of 10 southpaws in 2009, should the need arise. With left-handed pitching always in short supply around the Majors, the organization could also use that depth to acquire some much-needed offence.

The majority of the left-handed pitching for the Jays comes in the form of relievers. Those relievers include B.J. Ryan, Scott Downs, Brian Tallet, Jesse Carlson, Fabio Castro, Reid Santos, and Davis Romero. The starting pitchers include youngsters David Purcey, Ricky Romero and Bill Murphy.

From a Fantasy perspective, Ryan is the most likely pitcher to have an impact in 2009. The closer missed almost all of 2007 after having Tommy John surgery but returned for 2008 and saved 32 games in 36 attempts. Despite the save total, Ryan’s stuff did not return to its pre-surgery levels and he lost a couple miles per hour off both his fastball and slider. His command also wavered and his walk rate worsened by more than one walk per nine innings from his days as a dominating reliever. On the plus side, he still saved quite a few games despite not having his best stuff. Ryan is now even further removed from his surgery so there is some hope that he will regain some velocity on his pitches in 2009. If he does, he has the potential to reach the 40-save plateau.

Downs has been a valuable pitcher for the Jays after being saved from the scrap heap prior to the 2005 season. In the past two seasons, the reliever has appeared in 147 games for the Jays and has a FIP of about 3.30 during that time frame. In 2008, the left-hander allowed just 54 hits in 70.2 innings of work and posted rates of 3.44 BB/9 and 7.26 K/9. The former starting pitcher has saved his career with the move to the bullpen but the Jays are considering stretching him out in spring training with an outside chance of giving him a starter’s role in 2009. He’s added 3 mph to his fastball in the past three seasons but he’s also gone from relying on four pitches to two. It will be interesting to see how Downs responds in spring training; he’s someone to keep an eye on.

Both Tallet and Carlson could have significant roles on the Jays in 2009 but neither should have a Fantasy impact.

Among the starters, Purcey figures to have the best shot of beginning the season in Toronto. Last season, the former first-round pick finally improved his command and control enough to pitch at the Major League level. The 26-year-old allowed 67 hits in 65 innings of work and posted rates of 4.02 BB/9 and 8.03 K/9. At 6’5”, 240 pounds, he has a workhorse body and the raw stuff to succeed, as long as he can find the strike zone. With a number of holes in the starting rotation, Purcey will have a great shot at pitching 180-200 innings.

Romero is another former first-round selection that has struggled with consistency in the minors, in part due to a lack of command. He finished the 2008 season in Triple-A and showed enough improvement to give hope that he could contribute at the Major League level in 2009. In seven starts, he allowed 42 hits in 42.2 innings. He posted rates of 4.22 BB/9 and 8.02 K/9. When he’s on, Romero works in the low 90s with a good change-up. His breaking balls are inconsistent but the curveball has plus potential. The 24-year-old probably won’t begin the season in Toronto but he could be racking up big league innings by the end of the season.

Michael Young has requested a trade from the Texas Rangers. This is not good news for Fantasy owners who have Mr. Young on their rosters. A move from the Ballpark in Arlington would certainly affect his numbers. Young hit .305/.362/.441 at home in 2008 – and just .264/.317/.364 on the road. In his career, his splits are: .322/.369/.480 at home, and .279/.323/.404 on the road.

The option of staying in Texas, though, may not be too appetizing either. The shortstop, who had his string of five 200+ hits seasons broken in 2008, has been asked (told?) by Texas to move to third base for the 2009 season in preparation for top prospect (and shortstop) Elvis Andrus. Young – who came up in the Jays system as a shortstop – previously moved from second base to shortstop at the Major League level to help fill the void left by Alex Rodriguez‘ departure from Texas.

Despite his .300 career batting average, Young does not have the power potential traditionally required at the hot corner. His career slugging percentage is .442 but it has been at .418 and .402 in the last two seasons. Young’s ISO has gone from .145 in 2006 to .103 in 2007 to .118 last season. Andrus, with a .073 ISO in 2008 at Double-A, will not help make up for lost power.

Defensively, the move may be wise. Considered a plus defender at shortstop in the minors, Young’s defence was overrated. He has steady hands and converts what he gets to, but his range is below average. At third base, he would have less ground to cover. In the last two seasons, Young has posted UZR rates of -10.1 and -3.9.

Young is also beginning the first year of an ill-advised, five-year contract that will pay him about $62 million (It was originally $80 million but some was handed out as a signing bonus, and some is deferred) despite the fact his overall value as a player – both offensively and defensively – is diminishing. That will make it very difficult for Texas to adhere to the shortstop’s wish for a trade – unless the organization eats a large portion of the contract.

The Los Angeles Dodgers organization has committed to a number of veteran infielders this off-season, including third baseman Casey Blake, shortstop Rafael Furcal, and second baseman Mark Loretta. There are a number of positives that can be taken from those acquisitions, but there are also three negatives: the loss of opportunities for promising young players Chin-Lung Hu, Blake DeWitt, and Tony Abreau.

Hu had a dismal season in Los Angeles in 2008 and he hit just .181/.252/.233 with an ISO of .052 in 116 at-bats. The Dodgers gave up way too quickly on the gifted fielder, who is just 24 years old. He has a solid minor league career line of .299/.344/.422 in more than 2,200 at-bats. Hu also had good bat and strike zone control. He had an overall contact rate of 82.8% and made contact in the strike zone at a rate of 92.9%. Even during his poor season his rates were 8.7 BB% and 19.8 K%, which suggests he was not over-matched. He could stand to get stronger though, with a line-drive rate of just 12%.

DeWitt was not supposed to be anywhere near the Major Leagues in 2008, but he spent just 27 games in the minor leagues. The remainder of his time was spent playing for the Dodgers and filling in admirably at both second base and third base. Despite being rushed, the now 23-year-old infielder hit .264/.344/.383 with an ISO of .120 in 368 at-bats. He posted rates of 10.9 BB% and 18.5 K%. He had a nice eye at the plate and only swung at pitches outside the strike zone 24% of the time. After slumping in June and July, DeWitt improved his game in late August and September and showed that he could make adjustments. The former first-round pick may not have set the world on fire in 2008 but he certainly deserved another shot in 2009.

Abreu missed all of 2008 after undergoing hip surgery in May. In 2007, at the age of 22, he made his MLB debut and hit .271/.309/.404 with an ISO of .133 in 166 at-bats. Abreu maintained that line despite a .301 BABIP. Defensively, he split time between second base, third base and even shortstop.

Of the three veteran signings, the Furcal move makes the most sense, followed by Loretta and then Blake. Furcal is only 31 and still has offensive potential – if he can stay healthy – but he does not utilize his speed like he used to in his prime. You have to worry a little bit about him pulling a Luis Castillo. Loretta, 37, is still a solid contributor and only signed a modest one-year contract. Blake has been consistent in the last few years but at 35 his time is running out and his three-year deal could look pretty bad in 2011.

With the expiration of Loretta’s contract for the 2010 season, DeWitt, Abreu or Hu may have the opportunity to secure another full-time big league gig, but there certainly won’t be room for all three. The Dodgers also have promising shortstop Ivan DeJesus, 21, who hit .324/.419/.423 in 463 Double-A at-bats in 2008.

The signing of former Rays’ outfielder Rocco Baldelli has caused the Red Sox to bump knuckleballer Charlie Zink from the club’s 40-man roster. It’s the first time Zink has been designated for assignment so he will remain in the organization unless another team grabs him on the waiver wire – or trades for him.

It would be a shock if someone does not take a shot at the right-hander. Zink is still young in knuckleball years at the age of 29 and there certainly are not a lot of pitchers that can consistently throw the pitch with any type of success. In 2008 at Triple-A, Zink allowed just 144 hits in 174.1 innings, with rates of 2.53 BB/9 and 5.47 K/9. He’s done a nice job of keeping the ball in the park during his career and he allowed just 13 home runs in 2008 (0.67 HR/9). On the superficial level, he went 14-6 and had an ERA of 2.84 (but a FIP of 3.99). Zink would have received a much larger big league opportunity in 2008 in just about any other Major League organization, but Boston’s starting pitching depth was just too deep.

In his only career MLB appearance, which came on Aug. 12, 2008 against Texas, he allowed eight runs and 11 hits (but just one walk) in 4.1 innings. During that start, almost 73% of his pitches were knuckleballs averaging out at 68.5 mph. He threw 21.4% fastball (at an average of 82.2 mph) and mixed in a few 76 mph sliders. Zink threw a first-pitch strike 60% of the time.

It would be shocking if this was Zink’s one and only MLB appearance. There are a lot of teams out there that could use a fourth or fifth starter with his potential, especially after his solid 2008 Triple-A season and given his unique repertoire. Clubs that should consider Zink include San Diego, Houston, Milwaukee, Texas, and Baltimore.

David Golebiewski took a good look at Jonathan Broxton on Dec. 18, shortly after former closer Takashi Saito was non-tendered by the Dodgers. David concluded – and rightfully so – that Broxton was a no-brainer option to fill the closer’s shoes.

That said, there may be another option in Los Angeles – one who is equally qualified statistically speaking – if he can stay healthy. Hong-Chih Kuo was just as dominating as Broxton in 2008, but he missed more time due to injuries (an on-going theme in his career), including a sore elbow and possible (but unconfirmed) blood clots.

In 2008, Broxton allowed 54 hits in 69 innings, as well as rates of 3.52 BB/9 and 11.48 K/9. He allowed just two home runs, for a measly 0.26 HR/9 rate and stranded 67.7% of base runners. His GB% on batted balls was 44.5%, while his line-drive rate was 23.2.

When facing batters, Broxton pumped in first-pitch strikes 59.7% of the time. When hitters took a swing, they made contact with his pitches at a rate of 71.2%. The right-hander’s biggest nemesis was the left-handed batter. Against left-handers, Broxton allowed a .270 batting average, compared to .181 against right-handers.

Interestingly, in save situations, Broxton had a 4.25 ERA, and allowed batters to hit .234. In non-save situations, he had a 1.91 ERA and had a batting-average-allowed of .196. With runners in scoring position in all situations, Broxton allowed a line of .316/.402/.395.

In 2008, he featured a fastball that averaged out around 96 mph, as well as a slider, and a change-up that he used less than 3% of the time. Kuo, on the other hand, did not throw quite as hard at an average of 93 mph but he used it more than 80 percent of the time. He also showed a slider, curveball and occasional change-up.

Kuo allowed 60 hits in 80 innings pitched in 2008. He also posted rates of 2.36 BB/9 and 10.80 K/9. Kuo allowed just four home runs, good for a rate of 0.45 HR/9. He stranded runners at an impressive rate of 80.4%. He induced ground balls at a rate of 46.4% and gave up line drives at a rate of 19.9%.

While Kuo has better control than Broxton, the command is not always there and the Taiwanese lefty pumped in first-pitch strikes at a rate of 57.6%. Overall, batters managed to make contact against Kuo 74.4% of the time. He was equally successful against both left-handed and right-handed batters with averages-allowed of .202 and .205, respectively.

In save situations, Kuo had a 1.66 ERA and allowed a batting average of .177. In non-save situtions, batters hit .201 against him, while he posted an ERA of 1.70. With runners in scoring position, Kuo posted a line of .179/.247/.298.

Kuo’s season may have been even more impressive if he had stayed healthy. In the first half of the year, he allowed 38 hits in 53.1 innings of work and struck out 63 with 13 walks. In his injury-riddled second half, Kuo allowed 22 hits in 26.2 innings and struck out 33 with eight walks.

If Kuo can remain healthy in 2009 – and that is a big if – the Dodgers organization has a pair of dominating late-game relievers to choose from in save situations. Also on the plus side, the two pitchers can be used for lefty-righty match-ups if the situation warrants such a ploy. Without a doubt, though, opponents are going to have a rough time in 2009 when trailing the Dodgers by three runs or less in the eighth and ninth innings.

With yesterday’s signing of free agent pitcher Carl Pavano, the Cleveland Indians may have finally cut ties with former No. 1 draft pick Michael Aubrey, who was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

The soon-to-be 27-year-old prospect was drafted 11th overall out of Tulane University in 2003 and the Indians obviously had high hopes for the first baseman. His numbers during his final college season were eye-popping: .420/.505/.733 and he also had future Gold Glove written all over him for his work around the bag.

Six years later, Aubrey’s career has been derailed by constant injuries and he appeared in just 15 big league games with Cleveland and all of those came in 2008. This past season, Aubrey set a career high in games played with 112 – surpassing his previous high of 98 in 2004. He split the minor league season between Double-A and Triple-A, but spent the majority of the season at the senior level where he hit .281/.328/.418 with an ISO of .137 in 285 at-bats. During his brief Major League call-up, the left-handed hitter batted just .200 with five walks and five strikeouts.

Aubrey is not a slugging first baseman; he’s probably good for about 15 home runs a season. But he also does not strikeout much and he has the potential to hit for a decent average. Offensively, he could end up mirroring former Red Sox catcher/first baseman Scott Hatteberg, who played his first full Major League season at the age of 27 and went on to have a very nice 14-year career. And Hatteberg was not that great with the leather.

Even at 27, Aubrey is not a lost cause and he would definitely benefit from a change of scenery. He still has value and a team like the San Francisco Giants could benefit from his excellent glove, given the defensive question marks around the infield, especially at the hot corner. Aubrey could also potentially help out Florida and Seattle.

You certainly do not want to go out and nab Aubrey on draft day in your Fantasy Leagues, but he is another young name to add to your watch list, especially if he lands in one of the above mentioned organizations.