Today's Fantasy Rx

Like last year, as I already have covered practically every minor leaguer ready for the majors during our team prospect reviews, instead of providing in-depth commentary on each player today, I'll provide a brief synopsis of what I expect in 2004 from every player at the AA and AAA levels. I won't cover anyone here that spent any time in the majors this season, but I'll give you a quick look at anyone who played above A-ball, listed at the position where he appeared the most.

Minor League Free Agent and AAA/AA First Basemen in the American League

Anaheim Angels
Minor League Free Agents:
Matt Abram, 23, B:R, T:R.
26/132 for .197/.264/.409 with 7 HR, 24 RBI, 19 R, 1/1 SB%,
and an 11:35 BB:K for A Cedar Rapids(Mid).
Appropriate 2004 Role: A-ball reserve.
Long-term Upside & ETA: AA reserve by 2007.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: None.

Jeff Guiel, 29, B:L, T:R.
78/325 for .240/.339/.422 with 13 HR, 48 RBI, 48 R, 3/4 SB%,
and a 48:80 BB:K for AAA Salt Lake(PCL).
Appropriate 2004 Role: AAA starter.
Long-term Upside & ETA: Major league starter by 2008.
2004 Fantasy Potential: Roster filler.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: $10 by 2010.

Prospects:
Mike O'Keefe, 25, B:L, T:L.
116/444 for .261/.357/.390 with 10 HR, 71 RBI, 52 R, 6/15 SB%,
and a 62:71 BB:K for AA Arkansas(SL).
Appropriate 2004 Role: AA/AAA starter.
Long-term Upside & ETA: Major league starter by 2009.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: $15 by 2012.

Baltimore Orioles
Minor League Free Agents:
Carlos Mendez is listed with American League first basemen without PDV.

Juan Diaz, 29, B:R, T:R.
68/248 for .274/.341/.532 with 14 HR, 55 RBI, 22 R, 1/1 SB%,
and a 26:64 BB:K for AA Bowie(EL).
Appropriate 2004 Role: AAAA starter.
Long-term Upside & ETA: Major league reserve by 2005.
2004 Fantasy Potential: Roster filler.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: $5 by 2006.

Chris Lemonis, 30, B:L, T:R.
44/188 for .234/.303/.319 with 2 HR, 34 RBI, 28 R, 1/3 SB%,
and a 17:47 BB:K for AAA Ottawa(IL).
7/34 for .206/.200/.265 with 0 HR, 2 RBI, 4 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 0:3 BB:K for AA Bowie(EL).
Appropriate 2004 Role: AA reserve.
Long-term Upside & ETA: AAA reserve by 2005.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: None.

Hugh Quattlebaum, 25, B:R, T:R.
2/8 for .250/.333/.375 with 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 0:2 BB:K for AAA Ottawa(IL).
14/79 for .177/.283/.190 with 0 HR, 4 RBI, 5 R, 0/1 SB%,
and a 12:11 BB:K for A+ Frederick(Car).
Appropriate 2004 Role: A-ball starter.
Long-term Upside & ETA: AAA reserve by 2008.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: None.

Randy Ruiz, 25, B:R, T:R.
17/68 for .250/.301/.382 with 1 HR, 8 RBI, 7 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 4:24 BB:K for A+ Frederick(Car).
74/239 for .310/.391/.540 with 11 HR, 51 RBI, 33 R, 3/6 SB%,
and a 29:70 BB:K for A Delmarva(SAL).
Appropriate 2004 Role: A+ starter.
Long-term Upside & ETA: AAA reserve by 2007.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: None.

Rob Sasser, 28, B:R, T:R.
33/175 for .189/.230/.269 with 1 HR, 19 RBI, 21 R, 3/3 SB%,
and a 10:30 BB:K for AAA Ottawa(IL).
17/61 for .279/.290/.410 with 1 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R, 4/5 SB%,
and a 1:13 BB:K for AAA Omaha(PCL).
9/40 for .225/.295/.400 with 1 HR, 4 RBI, 7 R, 1/1 SB%,
and a 4:8 BB:K for AA Bowie(EL).
Appropriate 2004 Role: AA/AAA reserve.
Long-term Upside & ETA: AAAA reserve by 2005.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: Roster filler by 2006.

Prospects:
Doug Gredvig, 24, B:R, T:R.
22/100 for .220/.252/.310 with 1 HR, 13 RBI, 5 R, 1/1 SB%,
and a 5:20 BB:K for AA Bowie(EL).
11/40 for .275/.383/.425 with 1 HR, 6 RBI, 8 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 6:6 BB:K for A+ Frederick(Car).
5/21 for .238/.346/.286 with 0 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, 1/1 SB%,
and a 4:4 BB:K for R Orioles(GCL).
Appropriate 2004 Role: A+/AA starter.
Long-term Upside & ETA: Major league reserve by 2008.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: $5 by 2009.

Patrick O'Sullivan, 26, B:R, T:R.
10/40 for .250/.286/.425 with 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 1:13 BB:K for AA Bowie(EL).
16/90 for .178/.200/.322 with 3 HR, 12 RBI, 6 R, 1/1 SB%,
and a 2:31 BB:K for A+ Frederick(Car).
13/41 for .317/.349/.512 with 1 HR, 7 RBI, 4 R, 2/2 SB%,
and a 2:12 BB:K for A Delmarva(SAL).
Appropriate 2004 Role: A/A+ reserve.
Long-term Upside & ETA: AAA reserve by 2007.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: None.

Willis Otanez, 30, B:R, T:R.
13/55 for .236/.333/.291 with 0 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 7:13 BB:K for AA Bowie(EL).
Appropriate 2004 Role: AA reserve.
Long-term Upside & ETA: AAA reserve by 2005.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: None.

Kris Wilken, 24, B:S, T:R.
112/426 for .263/.303/.326 with 2 HR, 43 RBI, 40 R, 5/6 SB%,
and a 26:58 BB:K for AA Bowie(EL).
3/21 for .143/.174/.143 with 0 HR, 3 RBI, 0 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 1:1 BB:K for A+ Frederick(Car).
Appropriate 2004 Role: AA/AAA starter.
Long-term Upside & ETA: AAAA starter by 2007.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: Roster filler by 2008.

Boston Red Sox
Minor League Free Agents:
Sean McGowan, 26, B:R, T:R.
93/299 for .311/.351/.441 with 6 HR, 39 RBI, 41 R, 3/3 SB%,
and a 20:38 BB:K for AA Portland(EL).
24/67 for .358/.411/.507 with 1 HR, 11 RBI, 12 R, 3/5 SB%,
and a 6:7 BB:K for A+ Sarasota(FSL).
Appropriate 2004 Role: AAA starter.
Long-term Upside & ETA: Major league starter by 2007.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: $15 by 2010.

Prospects:
Justin Headley, 27, B:L, T:.L
9/38 for .237/.262/.342 with 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 0:6 BB:K for AAA Pawtucket(IL).
119/457 for .258/.324/.376 with 9 HR, 61 RBI, 69 R, 6/9 SB%,
and a 40:68 BB:K for AA Portland(EL).
Appropriate 2004 Role: AA/AAA starter.
Long-term Upside & ETA: AAAA reserve by 2006.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: Roster filler by 2007.

Julio Zuleta, 28, B:R, T:R.
56/204 for .275/.336/.505 with 12 HR, 49 RBI, 28 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 13:47 BB:K for AAA Pawtucket(IL).
Appropriate 2004 Role: Major league reserve.
Long-term Upside & ETA: Major league starter by 2005.
2004 Fantasy Potential: $5.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: $15 by 2007.

Dustin Brisson, 25, B:L, T:R.
47/211 for .223/.274/.351 with 4 HR, 32 RBI, 23 R, 4/5 SB%,
and a 14:42 BB:K for AA Portland(EL).
32/117 for .274/.360/.462 with 5 HR, 21 RBI, 23 R, 1/2 SB%,
and a 15:22 BB:K for A Augusta(SAL).
Appropriate 2004 Role: A+ starter.
Long-term Upside & ETA: AAA reserve by 2007.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: None.

'03 First Basemen Week continues tomorrow, featuring National Leaguers with Double-digit Positive Draft Value.

Today's Fantasy Rx: Almost all the top first base prospects in the game played below AA this year, and most of the decent upper-level ones, like Graham Koonce, saw time in the majors. Of course, Adrian Gonzalez still possesses as much long-term upside as almost anyone, and he looks like a great sleeper for 2004 minor league drafts. Oakland's Dan Johnson also is the truest Giambi heir remaining in the Athletics' system. If he continues developing at AAA Sacramento next year, he should provide an inexpensive replacement for Durazo or Hatteberg in 2005.