Chris Carter

Carter led the National League with 41 home runs and was rewarded by the Brewers with a non-tender. The 41 home runs, unfortunately, couldn't mask the fact that Carter wasn't actually that good at anything else. He struck out a league-leading 206 times, leading to a brutal .222 batting average, giving Carter four consecutive seasons with a sub-.230 average. And while he's capable of taking walks, his .321 OBP was still well below the .347 OBP posted by the average National League first baseman. Carter managed to land with the Yankees on a one-year deal, but a regular role at first base or designated hitter is unrealistic with Greg Bird and Matt Holliday in town and due to his many clear flaws.

Carter enjoyed his best season as a pro with a career-high 37 home runs in 2014, but took a big step backward with the Astros last season. His already poor contact rate dipped another three percent to 61 percent while his strikeout rate rose to 32.9 percent. Carter's walk rate improved to 12.4 percent, but the 29-year-old finished with a lousy .199 average to go along with 24 home runs, losing playing time down the stretch as Houston made its playoff run. His power will always be enticing, but Carter cannot be relied upon as a major league regular if he continues to hit below .200. After being non-tendered by the Astros, Carter was snatched up by a Brewers team that parted ways with Adam Lind earlier in the offseason. This is about as good of a landing spot as Carter's prospective owners could hope for, as he faces laughable competition for regular starts at first base, but all of the previously noted concerns remain.

In his best season as a pro, Carter set an Astros franchise record with seven multi-homer games while blasting 37 overall to finish three shy of Nelson Cruz for the MLB lead. The 28-year-old DH still had issues making contact (64%), which subsequently led to a high number of strikeouts (31.8%), but he actually showed improvement in both areas compared to the year prior. Carter's .227 batting average didn't help his fantasy owners, but that was no surprise and he somewhat made up for it by chipping in five steals. He's not known for his speed, however, so continue drafting him as an elite source of power who will deliver above-average run production, albeit as a risk to your batting average. Keep in mind that Carter will lose position eligibility at first base (14 games played in 2014) and in the outfield (six) in most leagues to begin 2015.

One year after blasting 16 home runs in 67 games for the Athletics, Carter fell one home run shy of the 30-homer mark that some thought he could reach in his first full season in the majors. While Carter's power bat is clearly his biggest asset, he obviously has some liabilities as well, most notably an awful 58 percent contact rate that led to him setting the Astros' single-season record for strikeouts by a batter (212) in 2013. Fortunately, he somewhat made up for his lack of contact with a 12 percent walk rate. He actually led the team in walks (70), home runs (29) and RBI (82). For fantasy purposes, Carter will carry dual-eligibility at first base and outfield, but he figures to spend a lot of time at DH this season as well.

Carter has been a highly touted prospect that A's fans have been waiting for, but he disappointed with an extreme lack of contact in his first two callups. He stuck around longer in 2012 and while he had flashes (16 homers in 218 at-bats) of the prolific power he has flashed in the minors (he averaged 30-plus homers a year in the minors between 2008-10), he ended up platooning much of the last two months and his status for 2013 playing time is up in the air. The A's would be well served to slot Carter in at the DH slot initially to see if his .864 OPS in 2012 with the A's was legit. With their current glut of outfielders after the Chris Young acquisition, Carter will probably be fighting for at-bats, at least while everyone is healthy as the team's fourth outfielder and DH option.

Carter was sidelined with a thumb injury for two months, essentially delaying his season debut until June. His season at Triple-A wasn't anything he hadn't shown before, equal parts power (18 homers in 296 at-bats) and whiffs (85 strikeouts). The A's appear to leaning toward settling Carter in at either first base or DH after a brief trial in the outfield, and they won't hesitate to use him if he shows signs of life at the plate, but it's hard to get excited given his .167/.226/.254 performance in 114 at-bats in the majors thus far.

Carter was shifted to the outfield midseason, and his bat picked up after a slow start at Triple-A Sacramento. He saw some time in Oakland, including an 0-for-33 streak to begin his major league career. His minor-league composite (.258/.365/.529, 73:138 BB:K in 465 at-bats) fit the profile of his prior seasons. The power is for real, but it's hard to project him hitting for much of an average given how often he fails to make contact. His home park isn't going to do him any favors either.

Carter continued to mash in the minors, posting a composite .329/.422/.570 with 43 doubles and 28 home runs in 544 at-bats (most of which were at Double-A). It remains to be seen if his approach at the plate (lots of walks, lots of homers, but even more strikeouts) will translate as he advances; his brief time at Triple-A Sacramento was a mixed bag (.259/.293/.519, four homers and 14 K in 54 at-bats). His brief appearance in the Mexican Winter League did little to answer the question, as he hit just .212/.316/.455 with five of his 14 hits clearing the fence, but also fanning 27 times in 66 at-bats. He'll enter spring training with a chance to earn a spot on the A's roster, but it's far more likely that he'll be sent to Triple-A Sacramento for a few months before the A's consider him for a promotion. The power potential is there, but he wouldn't be the first slugger to flame out against advanced pitching.

Carter showed tremendous power potential (39 homers) and drew 77 walks in 506 at-bats at High-A Stockton, but 156 strikeouts are worrisome. He played in the Winter league in Hawaii (tough gig, eh?) and hit just .228/.386/.380 in 79 at-bats (two homers, 17:28 BB:K ratio). Texas' Chris Davis had immediate success at the big leagues while racking up big strikeout totals in the minors as well, but we'll reserve judgment on Carter until he's able to show good results at Double-A.

Carter made great strides in 2007 as he showed a better approach at the plate and cut down on his strikeouts. There's still some room for improvement but Carter's on the right track after a .291/.383/.522 season with 25 homers as a 20-year old in Single-A. Among the few legitimate offensive prospects in the Chicago organization, he was shipped to the Diamondbacks in the offseason for Carlos Quentin before getting shipped to Oakland as part of the Dan Haren deal. Carter will be among the many young talents that the A's are grooming for the future opening of their new ballpark.