Fantasy utility players

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Roto Rob outlines the top ten utility players heading into the 2009 season with regard to fantasy play. These players will be taken in later rounds of drafts, but can still provide some fantasy impact if they get a chance to play fairly regularly. They're also multiple-position players, so they can really help fill a gap if you suffer an injury. They are:

1. Jed Lowrie, SS/3B, Boston
2. Wilson Betemit, 1B/3B, Chicago White Sox
3. Brandon Wood, 3B/SS, Los Angeles Angels
4. Nomar Garciaparra, SS, Oakland A’s
5. Eric Hinske, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
6. Ian Stewart, 3B, Colorado Rockies
7. Mark Teahen, OF, Kansas City Royals
8. Erick Aybar, SS, Los Angeles Angels
9. Ty Wigginton, 3B/OF, Baltimore Orioles
10. Ryan Freel, OF, Baltimore Orioles

I like the list a great deal, but I think Chad Tracy should be a part of it. He was just coming into his own as a hitter until a knee problem ruined the second half of his 2007 and the first half of his 2008. Now that he's going to be back to form, with eligibility at the corners and potentially the outfield, Tracy can be as big an impact as any of these players.

A trace of the old Tracy

I haven't really looked at the list, but Chad Tracy certainly comes to mind for National League Comeback Player of the Year now that he's back from microfracture knee surgery.

"It scared me; I'll be honest. But I kept pushing ahead, sticking to my rehab, doing everything they told me to do, and I'm fortunate my knee made it back. I'm very close to where I used to be."

Tracy slugged his way through the Diamondbacks' farm system with a high batting average and on-base percentage. At every stop, his managers praised his clutch hitting and ability to spray the ball to all parts of the field.

After hitting .308 with 27 homers in 2005, his second year in the majors, he appeared on the verge of becoming the franchise's foundation. If the Diamondbacks were to make another run at a championship, Tracy figured to be the player leading the way.

But because of the growing discomfort in his knee, which he believed was nothing more than minor tendinitis, and a slew of top prospects, Tracy missed out on his potential stardom.

Tony Clark is his only real competition at first base now that Connor Jackson is in the outfield. Tracy is young enough to find his form and put up some monster numbers. He had a couple of nice years before struggling with the knee problem the last two seasons.

Fantasy Impact: He's a great flier pick in the middle rounds. If he slips outside of a starting spot on draft day, get him before someone else gets wise.