Young Oakland A’s slugger Chris Carter ‘has a chance to be a great all-around hitter,’ A’s assistant general manager David Forst told the Oakland Tribune. Carter is vying for a spot on the A’s 25-man roster, but is more likely to be shipped back down to Triple-A Sacramento for more seasoning. Still, mediocre Daric Barton and oft-injured Eric Chavez are the only two guys standing in Carter’s way for a full-time job. By season’s end, we like his odds of being called up for good. 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.

Dan Uggla, 2B, Florida Marlins
Overview: The preeminent name when it comes to slugging middle infielders … presents a challenge in fantasy: elite power comes with a debilitating batting average at a position with many quality contact hitters … a very consistent producer who has averaged 30 HRs and 90 RBIs in 4 seasons … is a widely discussed trade target who could be shipped out of Florida at any time.
2009 numbers: .243 avg., 31 HRs, 90 RBIs, 84 runs, 2 SBs in 158 games
Key splits and trends: BABIP last season (.277) was the lowest of his career, so expect an uptick in his .243 batting average … hit just .208 against lefties, which was well below his career mark (.241) … started the year in a 31-for-155 slump (.200), but hit a more respectable .262 after the All-Star break.
Strengths: Power, power, power is first and foremost … consistency, though, is a big plus … has produced nearly identical numbers in each of his four seasons.
Weaknesses: Poor batting average hurts even more as a middle infielder … skill set is more indicative of a corner infielder, which presents both positives and negatives.
Bold prediction for 2010: Uggla is wearing a new uniform by season’s end, but with the same results (30 HRs, 90 RBIs).

The culture of the Florida Marlins’ has changed. Mandated by Major League Baseball the players’ union to actually spend some of the money it received through revenue sharing, team ownership has gone out and come to terms on deals with some of its best players.

Ace Josh Johnson got the first chunk of change, a four-year, $39 million deal, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. This week, three other key pieces — Dan Uggla, Leo Nunez and Jorge Cantu — have agreed to deals and avoided arbitration hearings. Read more »

Chris Coghlan, OF, Florida Marlins
Status: Hitting .353 since the All-Star break
Basics: .289 AVG, 7 HRs, 34 RBIs, 6 SBs in 90 games
Key Stats: Has a .391 AVG, 1.000 OPS this month
What to Watch For: Premium contributions - power, speed
Other Notes: Is a nice hitter who has an excellent approach and feel for the strike zone at just 24 years old … have to watch for speed potential; stolen bases will make or break his fantasy value … has walked 41 times to 63 strikeouts and posted a solid .365 on-base percentage … has multiple hits in 18 of his last 30 games, raising his batting average from .241 to its current .289 … has the second-most hits (34) in the National League this month
Verdict: Add him, even in mixed leagues; makes nice contributions across the board

There’s simply no player in baseball, fantasy or reality, like Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez.

He has a rare blend of power, contact, speed and smarts, one that makes him an elite source of five-category production. His ridiculously high batting average (.356) would be incentive enough to use a first-round pick on him; his power stands out in a pool of light-hitting counterparts; he crosses the plate as often as any player in baseball; and his stolen base total is annually among the tops at his position. Read more »

Don’t sleep on Florida Marlins rookie outfielder Chris Coghlan. His numbers since being called up from Triple-A New Orleans haven’t exactly been stunning, but the potential is there and so is the opportunity. Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez has moved the 23-year-old in the leadoff position, and Coghlan has responded.

Whether Coghlan’s growth translates to fantasy remains to be seen. Sure, a respectable batting average and some runs scored are nice, but what is he doing for us in the hard-to-find categories? Coghlan is worth watching because he could, one day, contribute in either home runs or stolen bases.  Read more »

Florida Marlins outfielder Chris Coghlan was a little known commodity entering the 2009 season. Coghlan is a former first round draft choice (36th overall, 2006), who has progressed through the Marlins’ system with relative ease, but nothing about his career statistics has pointed to super stardom.

Coghlan has slowly but surely added some premium tools to his repertoire, most notably at the plate, where he was hitting .344 with 3 home runs and 22 RBIs with Triple-A New Orleans at the time of his May 8 callup. More importantly, however, were his nine stolen bases in 10 attempts - the real key to his fantasy potential. Read more »

Two games represent exactly 1.2345679 percent of a Major League season, but you’ve just gotta take notice of what Florida Marlins third baseman Emilio Bonifacio has done in that amount of time. He leads the majors with three stolen bases, six hits and four runs scored and has even knocked in four runs. Bonifacio may or may not have a ton of staying power, but at this point, just go get him and think about that later.

Bonifacio is a speed threat who qualifies at second base and third base and hits leadoff for a productive offensive team, the type of player that must be added in all leagues. Maybe the kid doesn’t keep setting the world on first with his stick – his minor league numbers were good, not great – but Bonifacio is sure to keep running and wreaking havoc. Read more »

Five-tool players are always appealing in fantasy, especially for youngsters who have sky-high upside. Florida Marlins outfielder Cameron Maybin is as toolsy and talented as any prospect in baseball, but there remains some debate as to just what his ceiling is.

Baseball people have had three seasons to evaluate the 21-year-old’s offensive game, and many are not sold that he can ever put it all together. Strikeouts are still accumulating at an alarming rate, even though Maybin has still been able to flourish in the minor leagues. Read more »

If Atlanta Braves GM Frank Wren has his way, he’ll leave Las Vegas with arguably the best starting rotation in the National League. The rotation already boasts plenty of talent in Jair Jurrens and Jorge Campillo to go along with recently acquired veteran starter Javier Vazquez, who the Braves received via trade from the Chicago White Sox.

Wren appears to be using this week’s Winter Meetings as his early Christmas shopping paradise as he hunts for an ace to lead his rotation according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. In addition to a front-line starter, the Braves are also searching for a power-hitting outfielder to add to their lineup. Read more »