Cincinnati Reds outfielder Drew Stubbs got a vote of confidence from Reds’ management last week when starting center fielder Willy Taveras was traded in a four-player deal to the Oakland A’s. Stubbs, 24, quickly moved from the odd man out in the Reds’ outfield to the team’s starting center fielder and a legitimate fantasy sleeper.

Stubbs was a highly touted high school prospect who was billed as a five-tool player entering his career at the University of Texas. The results from his three seasons at Texas never quite matched the hype, but the Reds still saw enough in Stubbs to make him the No. 8 pick in the 2006 amateur draft. Read more »

We will be rolling out plenty of 2010 fantasy baseball coverage in the coming days, weeks and months, but let’s start right here with player-by-player profiles of our rough top 100 preseason rankings. Stay tuned to the site for more player profiles, draft kit information, rankings, sleepers, busts, etc. as Spring Training approaches.

Bobby Abreu, OF, Los Angeles Angels
Overview: Trustworthy and reliable veteran who makes solid contributions across all five standard rotisserie categories … power has been on the decline, but is still a stolen base threat and run producer with 7 straight 100-plus RBI seasons under his belt … is looking for a 13th straight season with at least 150 games played.
2009 numbers: .293 avg., 15 HRs, 103 RBIs, 96 runs, 30 SBs in 152 games
Key splits and trends: Durability and balance have been constants throughout his career … gone are the 30/30 seasons, but he still offers 20/30 potential … faded after the All-Star break, which was counter to previous trends in his career … hit .311 and went 19-for-22 in stolen base attemps before the break, then .273 and 11-for-16 SBAs after it.
Strengths: Speed is his best individual asset, but is rare in that he can drive in runs as well … is a known commodity who plays every day and produces consistent numbers from season to season.
Weaknesses: Is drafted early in fantasy, where more power should be expected from a corner outfielder … is in the twilight of his career with his best days behind him.
Bold prediction for 2010: Not so bold, but all signs point to another season with a .290 avg., 30 SBs and 100 RBIs.