Randy Winn

Winn's remarkable consistency came to an abrupt end last season, as his .671 OPS was the lowest of his career (he hit .158/.184/.200 against southpaws). He also finished with just two home runs over 538 at-bats, as the 35-year-old is clearly in decline. Winn remains an excellent defender, but since he has only hit 15 homers in one season during his career, he's not a good fantasy bet moving forward. He'll be a reserve outfielder after signing with the Yankees.

Winn ended 2008 with a .306/.363/.426 line. He also hit 10 home runs with 64 RBI and 84 runs scored. His last two seasons have been remarkably similar, but he doesn’t truly excel in any one area. The team is undergoing a youth movement, and Winn is entering the final year of his contract in 2009, so he's likely to be traded at some point.

Winn bounced back from a poor 2006 season and batted .300 with 14 homers and 15 steals last year. He actually had a .324/.377/.496 line after the All-Star break, but that’s unlikely to portend a monstrous 2008 campaign, as Winn’s career OPS stands at .769. Because he doesn’t steal many bases or hit for a lot of power, Winn’s fantasy value is quite limited. He’ll also be batting in one of the very worst lineups in all of baseball and one of the toughest parks for hitters.

Winn had a remarkable 1.071 OPS with 14 home runs in 231 at-bats after joining the Giants during the 2005 season but regressed to his normal .262/.324/.396 line last season. That type of performance is what should be expected out of Winn once again this year. With the Dave Roberts acquisition, Winn’s weak production with the bat will make his contract look even worse in right field. He should again hit at the top of San Francisco's order.

One of the more consistent outfielders in baseball, Winn had the best two months of his life following the trade to the Giants in July, matching his season high in home runs in just 58 games. Even if he reverts to his 2002-04 level, he's a good fantasy player, contributing in four categories.

Winn's two years in Seattle followed similar paths. Both years he's started cold before heating up in the second half. Last season, he hit .308 after June 4 and had an .831 OPS. Moving to center last season to take over for Mike Cameron, Winn had his troubles in the field. He doesn't have great range and his arm isn't strong. He likely will be moved to left so prospect Jeremy Reed can play center. Winn (set to make $3.75 million in 2005) could be shipped to free money for offseason signings. As a fantasy player, he can provide some help in deep leagues, if you can weather his anticipated rocky start to the season.

Winn was one of the Mariners' best hitters down the stretch last season. Two bad months (.242 April, .202 June) obscured an otherwise excellent year, as he hit .324 the rest of the season. Winn moves to center field this season, taking over for Mike Cameron. He struggled in the No. 2 hole last year, but thrived lower in the order. Slightly better numbers are not out of the question, especially if the Mariners improve their lineup, but he should at least meet last year's totals.

Winn will be a nice compliment to Ichiro at the top of the Mariners' lineup. He should be able to see a lot of good pitches in front of Bret Boone, John Olerud and Edgar Martinez and will get his chances of driving in Ichiro or whoever else is on base. A season of a .290 batting average with 10-14 home runs and 65-75 RBIs should be in the cards for Winn, who will not have all the offensive pressure on him that he had in Tampa Bay. He may not have as many stolen bases though, but he should still be in the 20s.