Ivan Rodriguez

The offense is long gone, and his fabled arm behind the plate hasn't been a factor since 2006. All that Rodriguez has left, really, is his reputation and the chase for 3,000 hits (he's 183 shy). With Wilson Ramos and Jesus Flores both looking like they can be contributors, that chase may take him out of DC before it's done.

Rodriguez returned to Texas following a trade from Houston in August and played more than expected, but his career decline continued (.245/.279/.388 with Texas; .251/.280/.382 with the Astros). There's not much left in the tank, but that didn't stop the Nationals from signing Rodriguez to a two-year, $6 million deal which could result in another season of 300-plus at-bats.

After being acquired at the trade deadline from the Tigers for Kyle Farnsworth, Rodriguez struggled to provide the offensive threat the Yankees were seeking behind the plate with Jorge Posada already out for the season. He hit just .219/.257/.323 with two homers and three RBI in 96 at-bats. His best days are behind him at age 38 next season, but he'll have decent value in NL-only leagues since he'll be a help with batting average and power compared to the rest of the catcher pool. However, the Astros have several young catchers behind him, so he could be traded again at the deadline.

Rodriguez’s impatience at the plate has reached alarming levels as he only walked nine times in 502 at-bats last year. He managed to keep his batting average above .280 thanks to his ability to make contact at a decent rate, but Rodriguez has seen his home run numbers decline every year since 2004 and at 36-years-old there is little reason to expect any change to that pattern. Rodriguez has also slowed down on the base paths, swiping only two bags last year after stealing seven or more each of the last four seasons. Despite all the declining numbers, Rodriguez is still one of the better options at catcher in fantasy leagues – just don’t expect the 1999 Pudge.

Rodriguez improved his eye at the plate last season and in turn his average returned to the .300 level after a down year in 2005. Pudge is starting to reach the age when catchers begin to decline but he until he falls off he has to be considered one of the top fantasy catchers available in the American League.

I-Rod showed almost no plate patience last season and his batting average took a hit. He worked on the problem over the offseason and can bump the average up with a return to the K/BB numbers of years past.

Many fantasy pundits predicted that Rodriguez's production would suffer in pitcher-friendly Comerica Park, but Pudge managed to put together one of the best seasons of his career and further established his Hall of Fame credentials. He did show some signs of wear and tear in the second half, however, when his average dropped from .384 at the beginning of July to .334 by the end of the year. While a repeat of 2004's numbers is unlikely for the 33-year-old catcher, he remains one of the top fantasy catchers in baseball.

Away from the forgiving Ballpark in Arlington, his SLG was below .500 for the first time in five years… and that's about the only bad thing you can say about Pudge's 2003. He was the heart and soul of the World Series champs, and his stoning of JT Snow's charge for the plate will be one of the indelible images from this past postseason. At his age though, and with all those innings on him, he'll be a dangerous bet to repeat.

Pudge's heavy workload appears to have taken a toll, as injuries have cut short his season three consecutive years. He came back as good as ever following his back injury, though Texas failed to offer him arbitration after trading for Einar Diaz, so he'll play elsewhere in 2003. It'll be interesting to see where he ends up, though it's hard to see him getting any better away from the Ballpark's friendly environment. A knee injury followed the next year by a back injury doesn't bode well for his long-term durability.