I know, I know. There's no such thing as a sleeper anymore. Still, it's an easy way of describing undervalued players. Here I won't be calling Nelson Cruz a sleeper, but rather, I'll be searching for more of the catatonic variety.
Daniel Murphy – He's never been viewed as an elite prospect, but Murphy impressed with a .397 OBP during 131 at-bats with the Mets last season, leading Jerry Manuel to already name him the team's starting left fielder. He doesn't have a ton of power or speed, but there's a chance he hits atop New York's order, giving Murphy a nice chance of accumulating solid counting stats.
Dallas McPherson – With Mike Jacobs getting traded to Kansas City, there's a corner infield spot wide open in Florida. Gaby Sanchez might be the current favorite, and he'd also qualify as a sleeper if he wins the job during spring training. He posted a .917 OPS with 17 homers and 17 steals at Double-A last season. However, McPherson has more upside, as he clobbered 42 homers in just 127 games at Triple-A in 2008. He strikes out too often, and those gaudy numbers came in a terrific hitting environment, but the former top prospect is just now entering his prime. Few power sources will be available later in drafts.
Clay Buchholz – With Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Dice-K, John Smoltz, Brad Penny and Tim Wakefield, there certainly isn't a clear path to the starting rotation for Buchholz. Moreover, he's coming off an ugly season in which he posted a 6.75 ERA and 1.76 WHIP. However, that did come with 72 strikeouts in 76 innings, and this is a pitcher with a no-hitter already under his belt. Buchholz did finish with a 2.47 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and a 8.96 K/9 IP mark in Triple-A in 2008 and then impressed during the Arizona Fall League, so his upside remains intact. Unlike fellow failed prospect Philip Hughes, Buchholz's velocity hasn't left him, and a refined delivery could lead to big results if he's given a chance this season. Expect it to happen at some point.
Chris Duncan – Since the All-Star break in 2007, Duncan has batted .233 and has become a complete afterthought. It turns out a debilitating back injury was largely to blame, and after it was once feared it could be career-ending, surgery has seemingly fixed the problem, and Duncan enters spring 100 percent healthy for the first time in years. He strikes out too much to be a help in batting average, but this is someone who hit 39 homers over the first 526 at-bats of his career. During his rookie season, he hit .318/.390/.644 against right-handers. He's currently slated for a bench role, but if Skip Schumaker can take over second base, something Tony La Russa is counting on, there should be plenty of at-bats for Duncan this season.
Travis Buck – Buck can't stay healthy, but it's worth noting last year's .226 batting average was accompanied by a .255 BABIP, so he's a much better player when on the field than 2008's stats indicate. He has a career .898 OPS in the minors, and he finished strong last year, hitting .367 over 49 ABs after getting recalled by Oakland in September. Buck should get every chance to be the team's right fielder this season and could be a bargain if he somehow stays healthy.
Part 2 coming soon…