SHORTSTOP - HIROYUKI NAKAJIMA, OAKLAND: It's always difficult to assess how a player's game will translate when he leaves the Japanese League to come to the majors, but Nakajima has been a solid and remarkably consistent all-around player in Japan.
He has a combined .312 average and .867 OPS and has won a pair of Gold Gloves during the past five years. Last season, he batted .311 with 13 homers, 74 RBIs and seven steals. His average and ability to produce runs could make him make him a sneaky top-10 shortstop in AL-only leagues, and he could even merit middle infield consideration in a mixed league.
THIRD BASE - LONNIE CHISENHALL, CLEVELAND: The Indians last season had split third base duties between Chisenhall and Jack Hannahan until the former fractured his forearm in June. Chisenhall sat out from late June to mid- September, so he was limited to 142 at-bats.
Now 24, Chisenhall has the third base job to himself, with Hannahan having signed as a free agent with Cincinnati this offseason. A first-round draft pick in 2008, Chisenhall has high upside. He could hit 20 homers and knock in a decent number of runs in what looks like an improved Indians offense.
OUTFIELD - EMILIO BONIFACIO, TORONTO: Acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins, Bonifacio entered the spring in a battle with free-agent signing Maicer Izturis for the starting second base job. If Bonifacio wins and is the starter for a full season, 40-50 stolen bases would be a possibility, if not a probability.
Even if he doesn't win the starting gig, Bonifacio figures to be a super sub, since he also can play all three outfield positions, as well as shortstop and third base. He was 30-for-33 in stolen base attempts for Miami last year, doing all that running while playing a mere 64 games.
Technically, Bonifacio could be considered No. 2 on the Blue Jays' depth chart at six positions. Although playing time at second base seems the most likely, it's also easy to imagine the Jays souring on incumbent center fielder Colby Rasmus, who has been long on potential and short on results.
OUTFIELD - JUSTIN MAXWELL, HOUSTON: Since the Astros are newcomers to the AL - and since they're likely to lose at least 100 games - many of their players will be overlooked on draft day. Few are likely to be as wrongly overlooked as Maxwell.
Once a top Washington Nationals prospect, Maxwell was a late bloomer because of a long injury history. Last season, though, he quietly broke out with 18 homers and 53 RBIs in just 315 at-bats. Now, the downside: He batted just .229.
A career .217 hitter in 534 big-league at-bats, Maxwell isn't going to suddenly become Tony Gwynn. In fact, he's most likely going to hurt your team's average.
In the last rounds of an AL-only draft, however, you won't find too many players with the 20-25 home run potential that Maxwell possesses.
OUTFIELD - DARIN MASTROIANNI, MINNESOTA: Opportunity is perhaps the biggest factor in major-league production and it looks like Mastroianni is going to be given his chance to shine this season. At 27, he has compiled just 165 major- league at-bats.
With great speed and almost no power to speak of, Mastroianni had been behind two superior players with a similar skill set - Denard Span and Ben Revere. This offseason, Span was traded to Washington and Revere was dealt to Philadelphia.
Mastroianni, who stole 21 bases while being limited to 163 at-bats last season, could end up being the Twins' starting center fielder and leadoff hitter. He may prove to only be a true fantasy asset in the stolen base category, but he could potentially put up a big-time total there.
DESIGNATED HITTER - LUKE SCOTT, TAMPA BAY: Every spring training, you always hear those "He's in the best shape of his life" stories, and they can generally be taken with a grain of salt. Still, here's a guess that Scott's optimism about finally being 100 percent after 2011 shoulder surgery will result in a return toward past form.
From 2008-10, Scott averaged 25 home runs and 71 RBIs. With Baltimore in 2011, Scott had his season cut short by the aforementioned shoulder injury, and he hit just .220 in 209 at-bats. With Tampa Bay last season, he hit.229 with 14 homers and 55 RBIs.
Scott isn't going to ever be a 30-homer, 100-RBI guy, but a late-round DH who delivers something like the 25 homers and 71 RBIs he averaged during his pre- shoulder surgery days would be a good late-round bargain.
