Edgardo Alfonzo

Back problems have rendered him an empty batting average, good for a combined four homers and steals last year. He's not guaranteed a job all year with the Angels, either.

Alfonzo is still a good choice for a solid batting average, but his consistent power numbers of the past are fading. Because he's 31 and still has a bothersome back, he's unlikely to recapture his past RBI totals. Alfonzo will add value with positional flexibility if second baseman Ray Durham's host of injuries return to plague him this year, and he is a decent choice at third base if you've got others on your roster to bolster your power categories.

Alfonzo's numbers are all over the place the last couple of years, but when you look deeper, you see that the entire difference is in his batting average. In 2002, his line drives fell in and he hit .308. In '01 and '03 they didn't, and he hit .243 and .259. He does seem to have changed his approach after 2000, walking and striking out less while hitting for less power. It's not really working, and since his back is reportedly fine, he needs to go back to driving the ball. If you don't mind the risk, take him, but know that last year wasn't a fluke.

Alfonzo rebounded to .308-16-56 in 135 games for the Mets in 2002, but that was still a far cry from the 25 homers and 94 ribbies he delivered for the NL champions in 2000. He's still just 29 as the 2003 season opens, so he's young enough to try to move back to second base if the Giants decide that's where they want him. If the Giants put Alfonzo third in the batting order with Barry Bonds fourth, he'll get a ton of good pitches to hit game in and game out. Alfonzo hasn't been 100% healthy over the past two seasons, but the move to San Francisco now means that he'll get the benefit of Stan Conte, probably the best trainer in the majors. All in all, if both he and Bonds were healthy, we'd project .300-24-85 for Alfonzo batting third in 2003.