Sammy Sosa, DH, Texas Rangers

March 23, 2007 @ 16:00:00

By Chris Kolb
Edited by Nicholas Minnix

When the Texas Rangers signed free-agent outfielder Sammy Sosa to a minor league contract early in 2007, many people in the baseball world shook their heads and all but wrote off the former Chicago Cubs outfielder.

A Chance for Redemption

Despite having spent the better part of 1998 chasing then St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire in the race to eclipse former New York Yankees outfielder Roger Maris' hallowed single-season home run record of 61, Sosa seemed washed up when he last played two seasons ago for the Baltimore Orioles. He decided to take a year off from baseball even though he had explored offers from a couple of other major league teams.

Fast-forward to 2007: After batting a sizzling .410 so far this spring, Sosa has earned a spot on the Rangers' 40-man roster and is expected to be on the Opening Day roster for the Rangers as well. All this from a player thought be finished.

If you take a look at Sosa's career statistics, it's relatively easy to see why the Rangers took a gamble on signing him this past offseason.

Table: Sammy Sosa Career Statistics

Year	Team	G	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB
1989	CWS/TEX	58	.257	4	13	27	7
1990	CWS	153	.233	15	70	72	32
1991	CWS	116	.203	10	33	39	13
1992	CHC	67	.260	8	25	41	15
1993	CHC	159	.261	33	93	92	36
1994	CHC	105	.300	25	70	59	22
1995	CHC	144	.268	36	119	89	34
1996	CHC	124	.273	40	100	84	18
1997	CHC	162	.251	36	119	90	22
1998	CHC	159	.308	66	158	134	18
1999	CHC	162	.288	63	141	114	7
2000	CHC	156	.320	50	138	106	7
2001	CHC	160	.328	64	160	146	0
2002	CHC	150	.288	49	108	122	2
2003	CHC	137	.279	40	103	99	0
2004	CHC	126	.253	35	80	69	0
2005	BAL	102	.221	14	45	39	1

Sosa has played in 100-plus games in all but two of his 17 seasons and has hit a combined .274 with 588 home runs and 1,575 RBI in his career. He has demonstrated an ability to hit for power and can provide serious run production as well. Both are attributes that any team would love to have.

A Return to Glory?

While no one is expecting Sosa to put up numbers anywhere close to the ones he has put up in the past, he may be given plenty of opportunities to produce. He will be playing in a Rangers lineup that already features superstar first baseman Mark Teixeira and shortstop Michael Young. He'll also play his home games in one of the most notorious hitters' parks in baseball. When the weather gets warm in Texas, baseballs fly out of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

The plan is that, if Sosa remains with the club, he would serve as the team's designated hitter. He can also occasionally play in left field. One drawback is that the Rangers have a number of players that can fill his role. Outfielders Frank Catalanotto, Jason Botts and Nelson R. Cruz, along with a host of others, were vying for time in the DH role or outfield. Should Sosa falter, the club may not hesitate to give a younger player like Cruz a longer look.

Sosa's negatives have been well-publicized throughout the years, and it's a topic that is likely to be revisited. All of the discussion about possible steroid use and his corked bat incident while playing in with the Cubs could present challenges this season. However, Sosa seems determined to put it all behind him and just play baseball, which is admirable. It's also encouraging for his prospects.

Fantasy Outlook

In fantasy terms, Sosa is somewhat of an enigma right now. It's anyone's guess as to which Sammy Sosa will show up once the season starts. This year's spring training numbers aside, Sosa has not shown that he's capable of returning to his glory days; he is a major risk for any owner thinking of drafting Sosa. His playing time may be limited as well. That being said, Sosa presents a huge opportunity for fantasy owners as well, as he could put up huge numbers this season in an extremely friendly ballpark. The former slugger has only been, at best, a late-round flier pick in mixed league drafts, so owners won't have to spend much on him to take that chance.

Sosa will definitely have his work cut out for him if he wants to put up the kind of numbers that originally made him a superstar in Major League Baseball. As long as he can stay healthy and avoid scrutiny, he has an opportunity to save his tarnished image as well as help his team. He could do that by providing timely power hitting and by driving in runs. Heading into the 2007 season, the Rangers are hoping to see just that. If Sosa's experience and hitting ability return, it may help them compete in the American League West this season.

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Chris Kolb
Chris Kolb has been a KFFL contributor since 2006.

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