Billy Butler, 1B/DH, Kansas City Royals -- Butler is another guy to avoid in 2014. Aside from his .286 average, his 78 RBI rank 13th amongst 1B/DH in the American League. He's hit just 14 home runs, which actually hurts you if you are playing him in your first baseman slot considering the power at that position. This has got to frustrate owners, as Butler was coming off a career year, hitting 29 homers with 107 RBI. The risk may not be worth the possible reward with all the other talent at first base.
Mike Napoli, C/1B, Boston Red Sox -- Napoli has set himself up nicely in his contract year, hitting 23 homers and driving in 90 runs, slugging .480 in the process. He will have plenty of potential suitors, but by means of fantasy, he definitely benefited from the green monster in left field. His value doesn't solely depend on where he ends up, he's a strong guy with 30 HR potential, but it will effect it a little bit. He could possibly lose his catcher eligibility as well come 2014, which hurts his versatility.
Jhonny Peralta, SS, Detroit Tigers -- Peralta, who is a free agent after this year, will make his return to the Tigers on Friday. If you remember, he was suspended 50 games for being implicated in the Biogenesis scandal. He had previously started 103 games at shortstop this year, but in lieu of his suspension, the Tigers traded for Jose Iglesias, who has swung the bat well and played stellar in the field. This will result on Peralta playing left field the remainder of the year. Peralta was batting .305/.361/.461 with 11 HR and 54 RBI before his suspension, so it wouldn't be bad to throw him into your lineup to see if he can give you a boost these last couple of days.
Matt Weiters,, C, Baltimore Orioles -- Wieters blasted his 22nd homer of the year, a two-run shot to help Baltimore beat Toronto. He drove in his 77th and 78th runs of the year, ranking him first in that category among AL catchers. He also leads MLB catchers with those 22 dingers. Still, his .234/.286/.419 slashline is very disappointing and hurts his value a lot. For a guy who was ranked around the top 100 in preseason rankings, he was no more than a top 250 player considering he was essentially two-dimensional from a fantasy standpoint. It's alarming though, as Wieters struck out in less than 20 percent of his at-bats and still couldn't manage a better OBP. He'll be someone who people will avoid next season, but could end up being a nice value pick in 2014 if his contact translate into some more hits next season.
Alex Cobb, SP, Tampa Bay Rays -- Cobb was dominant again, pitching a seven inning shut out with four strikeouts and just five baserunners allowed (three hits, two walks). He had given up just one hit before allowing a pair of singles prior to his exit in the eighth. His success put a bit a cloud over the fact that it was Mariano's last game in New York, but he earned his 11th win in his 22nd and final start of the 2013 season. Barring an emergency relief appearance, Cobb ends the year with his aforementioned 11 wins against just three losses. His 2.76 ERA ranks eighth among starting pitchers and since returning from the disabled list, although he has walked batters at a bit higher of a rate (2.7 BB/9 post-ASB), he has just a 2.43 ERA with a .229 BAA (.266 BABIP). As long as he can curb the walks a little bit, he is sure-fire keeper and a top 20 fantasy pitcher.
