Drew Stubbs

Stubbs' struggles in his second season with the Rockies resulted in his release and subsequent pick up by Texas in August, where he proceeded to serve as primarily a defensive replacement with just 26 at-bats in 27 games. His numbers outside of his performance at Coors Field have continued to decline and his days of a dark horse 15-homer/20-steal threat aren't coming back. A free agent this winter, Stubbs’ chances of roto relevance for 2016 are minimal at best no matter where he ends up.

For the fifth straight season, Stubbs finished with double-digit contributions in steals (20) and homers (15), but it was the move from Cleveland to Colorado that allowed the outfielder to post a batting average 43 points better than his career mark. The spacious outfield dimensions of Coors Field proved fruitful for Stubbs, who compiled a .356/.388/.611 mark at home, numbers boosted heavily by a .440 BABIP. Unfortunately, the Rockies played half their games on the road, and in those locales, Stubbs was one of the more egregious underachievers (.211/.283/.333) on a team that ranked 29th in road OPS. Stubbs still strikes out too much (career-worst 32.1% K-rate last season) and struggles against right-handers, but his power, speed and elite center field defense make him an ideal daily lineup option when the pitching matchup favors him, especially at Coors. If Carlos Gonzalez can stay healthier this season, Stubbs will see fewer at-bats, but perhaps enjoy greater efficiency as a platoon partner with Corey Dickerson or Charlie Blackmon.

Stubbs failed to steal 30 bases for the first time since becoming a regular in 2010, swiping just 17 bags despite being caught just twice. His OBP (.305) remains poor, but it wasn't significantly better even when he was swiping 30-plus bases annually. The Indians finished fourth in the AL in steals, so it's not as if Terry Francona made it a habit to put up the stop sign on his baserunners. With the addition of David Murphy, the Indians deemed Stubbs expendable and traded to the Rockies in December. His career numbers against southpaws continue to make him useful when deployed properly, and the move back into an extremely hitter-friendly home park helps his chances for a rebound. However, he may struggle to see the playing time necessary to get back to the 30-steal plateau.

What happened to the player that hit 22 homers and stole 30 bases in 2010? If Stubbs was a disappointment in 2011, he was a disaster in 2012, finding a way to hit for less power and average while striking out at the same prodigious 30-plus percent rate. While his defense and baserunning are wonderful, he's absolutely lost at the plate - he's late on fastballs and has no discretion against sliders. Traded to the Indians in December, he will get a fresh start in 2013 and may benefit from moving down in the order against right-handed pitching. Stubbs is already 28 - it's getting late to say "he's young" - this is what he's going to be most likely, absent some miracle change-of-scenery elixir.

After a promising 2010 season, Stubbs really backslid in 2011, striking out a whopping 205 times while hitting for considerably less power. The weight of his mounting strikeout totals (along with the fans and local media turning on him) seemed to take its toll, as his worst two months of the season were in August and September, when he turned in consecutive sub-.600 OPS months. His baserunning skills remained intact, and his defense is still fantastic, so there's a base to work with. Don't write Stubbs off just yet, as many hitters develop in fits-and-starts rather than in a linear fashion, but his star is not as bright as it was a year ago.

Stubbs' 67-percent contact rate last year, resulting in 168 strikeouts, is worrisome, but at least there's a payout that comes with those strikeouts in Stubbs' power and speed. Many observers have compared Stubbs' game to that of Mike Cameron, and the comparison seems apt. He draws walks, plays good defense in center field, and provides both power (22 homers) and speed (30 stolen bases). With his raw speed, Stubbs has the potential to turn in a few 50-steal seasons. As long as you're willing to put up with a lower batting average, Stubbs can provide a lot across the board.

Stubbs is a unique prospect in that when he was drafted in the first round in 2006, many thought he'd project to hit for power, but struggle with his plate discipline. He has evolved in nearly the opposite fashion in the minor leagues, though he hit for power in his brief trial with the Reds at the end of 2009. Be wary, though seven of his eight homers came at home, and his OPS at home was a whopping .450 higher than it was on the road. Expect a bit of a correction in his first full season in the majors.

Stubbs hit for good average while climbing two rungs of the minor league ladder in 2008, but the 2006 first-round pick still isn't hitting for power, combining for just seven homers on the entire season. His defense already rates superbly, and he's a good baserunner, but he still needs to hit for more power and cut down his strikeouts to fulfill the potential the Reds envisioned when they drafted him.

For a player that was the eighth-overall pick in 2006 out of college, Stubbs' season at Low-A Dayton has to be considered a bit of a disappointment. While his walk rate is nice, it's counterbalanced by way too many strikeouts with too little power. Even the 23 stolen bases come with the price of being caught 15 times. In his defense, Stubbs played through a turf toe injury all season. He'll matriculate to High-A Sarasota this year, but it's pretty clear that Stubbs doesn't have the same upside as organization mate Jay Bruce.

Stubbs, the Reds' 2006 first-round pick, is pretty athletic and showed a good walk rate in his professional debut, but there are significant concerns about his contact rate and power. He's going to need some time to fully develop.