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The purpose of Value Picks is to point out some names that have not been getting the attention they deserve on draft day.

The focus of this article will be finding value at a thin position, second base.

1. Dan Uggla (Atlanta Braves), currently ranked No. 34 by Yahoo Fantasy Baseball

Last Season’s Statistics:

Very impressive stat line for Uggla last year, which left him at No. 18 in Yahoo’s 2010 rankings. In addition to his finish last year, he has now moved into the Braves’ lineup where he should thrive.

Plan on a finish closer to last year’s No. 18 versus the No. 34 Yahoo has tagged him with this season.

2. Kelly Johnson (Arizona Diamondbacks), currently ranked No. 98 by Yahoo Fantasy Baseball

Last Season’s Statistics:

I think Johnson is getting a raw deal, even from Yahoo.

When it comes down to it, fantasy is all about offense, and the stats Johnson put up last year were very solid, especially for second base. The fact that he has his defensive liabilities, while soon to frustrate Diamondback fans on a regular basis, this does not have an impact from a fantasy perspective as long as he keeps his job.

3. Brian Roberts (Baltimore Orioles), currently ranked No. 104 by Yahoo Fantasy Baseball

Last Season’s Statistics:

Admittedly, those stats are probably deserving of a much lower ranking. However, Roberts was injured much of last season and only played in 59 games.

Coming into this season healthy, and with an upgraded lineup around him, it’s not unreasonable to expect a stat line more along the lines of his 2009 season:

Those numbers were strong enough to find him ranked as the 47th best player in Yahoo.

Not bad for a player you will likely be able to grab as late as the 10th round of your draft.

By Brian Holt, Sr. Writer at 4thandHome.com

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The bigger the better, right?

Wrong.

Baseball has always been a game where any talented individual could pick up a bat or glove and show off his skills – despite his size.

Bigger men generally have an advantage in the Major Leagues.  They can throw harder, run faster, and hit more powerful.  They are unique physical specimen, and people marvel at their strength.

Take Prince Fielder, for example.  People are awestruck not only by his size, but his tremendous amount of power.  He can hit a baseball just as far as any in the league, and probably farther.  His size definitely contributes to why he’s a good ball player.

But size really doesn’t matter.  Just look at the careers of these three men who have been gracing the diamond for the past several years, despite their lack of size.

David Eckstein is currently listed at 5’7″ and 175 pounds.  I’ve never stood next to the guy, but I have a feeling that those numbers are pretty generous.  Eckstein has been a thorn in the sides of pitchers ever since he came up in 2001, but it’s not because he can hit the long ball.

It’s because he’s a ball player.

Eckstein has just 35 home runs in his career (if Albert Pujols had that in a single season he would consider it a down year), and has never hit more than 26 doubles in a season.  What makes him so special then?

Here’s your answer: the guy never strikes out and is great at doing the little things in the game.

He’s struck out just 418 times in his career (Mark Reynolds would get that in two seasons), and can be counted on in any situation to lay down a bunt or make a tough defensive catch.

Despite not having a very strong arm, he releases the ball quickly and almost always gets the out.

An All-Star in 2005 and 2006, Eckstein also won the World Series MVP Award in 2006 as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Big award for such a little guy.

Next, we’ll look at the 5’9”, 175 pound Brian Roberts. 

Roberts has been a constant on the Orioles since 2003, and owns a career .283/.355/.419 slash line.  He has proved that he can hit over his career.

He led the league in doubles in 2004 and 2009, hitting 50 and 56, respectively.  His best hitting season came in 2005 when he hit 18 home runs with 73 RBI’s and hit an above average .314.

Despite the nice productivity at the plate, its Roberts’ speed and hustle that makes him such a huge asset to the Orioles.  He stole a league leading 50 bases in 2007 and has 268 in his career.  Add in the fact that he’s only been caught 66 times, and you’ve got yourself a reliable base stealer.

Roberts sports a very respectable .987 fielding percentage, and has never made more than 11 errors in a full season (he made 16 errors in 63 games in 2001). 

He has scored over 90 runs in his career five times, and he was an All-Star in 2005 and 2007. 

Despite the great numbers, Roberts may not be the best small guy in the game today.

The Red Sox’ 5’9”, 180 pounds Dustin Pedroia really packs a punch despite his smaller frame.  His career slash line is .305/.369/.460, and has 54 home runs in his four full seasons in the league.

He led the league in runs in 2008 and 2009, with 118 and 115, respectively.  He also led the league in hits in 2008 with 213 and doubles with 54.

Pedroia is difficult to strike out, he’s never had more than 52 strikeouts in a season, and has more walks in his career (215) than strikeouts (184). 

The infielder is also a superb defender, making only 24 errors over his five year career.  His Gold Glove Award in 2008 recognized his defensive skill.

He’s won more awards than just that Gold Glove.  He was an All-Star in 2008, 2009, and 2010, he was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2007, the AL MVP in 2008, and the winner of the AL Silver Slugger Award for second basemen in 2008.

The man can flat out play, even though he’s a little on the small side.

Baseball really is a game for everyone, and anybody can succeed with a little bit of talent.  Eckstein, Roberts, and Pedroia have clearly been able to harness that talent and compete with the likes of big men Prince Fielder, Pablo Sandoval, and Adam Dunn for spots on Major League rosters.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Even though the Baltimore Orioles have been at the bottom of the AL East and the American League for the past ten years, 2011 will be the year that they shock the baseball world and make the playoffs as the AL wild-card team.

Due to their great off-season acquisitions, the Orioles have become an offensive powerhouse of the American League while at the same time being defensively sound. Under the guidance of Buck Showalter, the Orioles are primed for a playoff berth.

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During my current series, I will be examining the relative strengths and weaknesses of the teams in the American League East, on a position-by-position basis.

The players at each position will be ranked in relation to their peers within the division, with each team being assigned points based on where their player ranks in comparison to the other players. 

Today, the series continues with a look at the second basemen.

The best player will earn 10 points for his team, with the remaining players being assigned points as follows: 7-5-3-1.

At the end of the process, I will accumulate all of the points for each team and create a divisional power ranking.

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Once upon a time Brian Roberts was among the elite second basemen in the game.  Doesn’t that feel like decades ago at this point?  Even before injuries limited him to just 59 games in 2010, Roberts’ star had lost a bit of its shine.

Just look at his stolen base totals in recent years:

• 2007 – 50 SB
• 2008 – 40 SB
• 2009 – 30 SB
• 2010 – 12 SB

The fact that it was back problems that limited him in ’10 only adds to the concern.  Will the injuries continue to plague him and stop him from running as much as he did in the past?  Obviously, without a significant number of stolen bases his value is going to plummet.

Stolen bases aren’t the only source of value for Roberts, though it is probably the biggest.  From 2007-2009 he scored at least 103 runs every season (topping out at 110 in 2009).  How many did he score last season?  Just 28…

The Orioles have made several significant additions this offseason in an attempt to add some life to their offense.  Among those added were Mark Reynolds, Derrek Lee and J.J. Hardy, all with the potential to drive in plenty of runs (despite their various other flaws).  When you add them in with Nick Markakis, Luke Scott, Matt Wieters and others, you have to think that they will be able to score.

The real question is if Roberts will be able to get on base enough to benefit from it.  A .283 career hitter, he hit .278 during his limited run in 2010.  However, if the back injury hurts his speed, will he be able to continually enjoy a BABIP of .315 or better?  If the speed is not quite what it once was, it wouldn’t be a complete surprise to see his average slip.

That means, of the three things he once brought to the table, there is a fairly big risk that he regresses in all of them.  Sound promising yet?

Only twice has Roberts hit over 12 home runs in a season.  With a career HR/FB of 5.5 percent, it actually seems more likely that he hits fewer than 10 home runs then seeing him even come close to his career high of 18 (done in 2005).

As far as RBI go, only twice in his career has he eclipsed 60.  That really shouldn’t come as a surprise, as batting leadoff just doesn’t lend itself to RBI opportunities.  If you are thinking he can help you there, you need to think again.

Obviously, Roberts has proven in the past that he can be among the best second basemen in the league, but those days are likely behind him.  He was relatively unproductive upon returning from a back injury in 2010 (.278, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 28 R, 12 SB in 230 AB) and there certainly is reason to be skeptical of him returning to his glory days.  At 33 years old, they simply could be behind him.

Is Roberts usable?  Absolutely, but with the risk he brings with him he should be considered a low-end option, at best.

What are your thoughts of Roberts?  How good could he be in 2011?  Is he someone you would target on draft day?

**** Make sure to pre-order your copy of the Rotoprofessor 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide, selling for just $5, by clicking here. ****

Make sure to check out some of our 2011 projections:

• Buchholz, Clay
• Butler, Billy
• Choo, Shin-Soo
• Ethier, Andre
• Freese, David
• Hughes, Phil
• Jaso, John
• Johnson, Chris
• Morrow, Brandon
• Reyes, Jose
• Willingham, Josh
• Young, Michael

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The MLB offseason is already in full swing, and many top free agents have already been taken off the board.

So who’s left? And what players might be available for teams that don’t have the pocket change to go out and sign a free agent?

Begin the slideshow to see the top five players available to sign or trade for at each position.

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It’s been nearly 12 hours since the Giants brought the first World Series trophy to San Francisco, but the question that’s on everyone’s mind is who’s next? 

Who will be next season’s Giants?

Who will be the team that defies the odds, utilizes one of the most talented, biggest upside starting rotations, makes the most of a rag-tag roster and seizes their opportunity to turn Major League Baseball on its head?

I’ve got one team in mind. The 2011 Baltimore Orioles.

Believe it or not, this team isn’t as bad as the 2010 66-96 record indicated. They have a new manager who has instilled a new set of beliefs, and for the first time in a very, VERY long time this team is one that believes it can win. And in a division like the A.L. East, that counts for a whole heck of a lot. Just ask the Rays.

And I know it seems like a super long-shot, but keep in mind a few of these things

-this Giants squad spent the first two-and-a-half months of the season alternating between third and fourth place.

-their offensive effort was led by a 33-year old journeyman, Aubrey Huff, who hit .290 with 26 homers and 86 RBI.

-their two-time Cy Young award-winning pitcher had arguably the worst season of his career

-the ranking veteran, Barry Zito, went 9-14 with a 4.15 ERA and worse than a 2:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio

-offensively, the Giants were a middle of the pack team, ranking seventh in the N.L. in average, and ninth in runs scored.

-no team in the N.L. was worse on the basepaths as the Giants stole a league-low 55 bases, and had the worst steal success rate at 63 percent.

-their pitching staff ranked as the third-worst in terms of walks issued, trailing only the Cubs (75-87) and the Brewers (77-85).

So, taking all of that into account, and fully realizing how unpredictable this season has been, let’s examine why, I think, the Orioles have the capability and potential to emerge as the Giants of next season.

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And we’re back. Hopefully the short week didn’t treat you too badly. Good to see the NL finally win an All-Star game, couldn’t believe it has been 14 years since their last win.

But now we get move to one of the most fun parts of the baseball season: the trade deadline.

The waiver wire suddenly gets a big boost in activity as people jump on players who suddenly have value due to the transactions of playoff hopefuls and surrender monkeys.

The position of most impact is relief pitching, as two or three closers always get traded to a contender looking for bullpen help, paving the way for a young up-and-comer to take over ninth-inning duties.

This is a huge opportunity for you save chasers (myself included) to load your bullpens with saves.

We’ll start with four guys who could end up closers before the trade deadline ends then hit some other numbers.

1.50 – ERA for Indians’ set up man Chris Perez since June. We’re starting with him because you need to stop reading and go grab him now if he’s for some reason still available. I’ll explain when you get back.

Ready? Okay, current closer Kerry Wood (he of the 6.30 ERA) recently went to the DL with a blister on his right thumb, making Perez the closer.

Wood has already been on the trading block for quite some time now, and while this injury doesn’t exactly make him more attractive to potential buyers, he will be back from the DL before the deadline and will most likely be moved.

Thus, it can be speculated that Perez’s reign as closer will continue unabated the rest of the season. I dropped Chad Qualls for him without blinking, but that might not be saying much.

6 – Number of earned runs allowed for Evan Meek over 43 appearances this season.

I know I drooled all over him last week, but since we’re talking about set-up men with impending save opportunities, I’m reminding you again to grab him. He’s been fantastic all season and is probably the best guy in this foursome.

Unfortunately, he also plays for Pirates, so keep in mind save opportunities won’t come as frequently.

3.64 – ERA for Brandon League , the man next in line to receive saves in Sea-Town.

The Mariners are sellers once again, and David Aardsma’s name has been thrown around in more than a few scenarios.

There’s no one else in the Seattle pen worthy of taking over the closer’s role, and while the ERA may not look spectacular, but minus a few bad days (four worst outings: 2.2 innings, 13 runs allowed.

Rest of season: 44.1 innings, six runs allowed) League really has been great this season. Pounce as soon as Aardsma gets moved.

21 – Strikeouts for Drew Storen over his first 25 appearances.

This is the biggest long shot of the group, as current closer Matt Capps is still under contract until 2011 and with Tyler Clippard struggling lately the Nats may not want to throw their rookie phenom into fire right away.

But Washington is a seller and Storen’s peripherals along with his future role as dynasty closer means there is at least a slight chance we could see him take over his throne sooner rather than later.

Click and you shall receive more numbers.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

1.                   New York Yankees 61-34

The Yanks has won three straight and is in the midst of a series with the bottom-dwelling Royals. They won their series with the Rays keeping their top spot in the AL East and are 7-3 in the last ten games. The pinstripe superstars will be without Andy Pettitte and A.J. Burnett for the next few weeks.

2.                   Tampa Bay Rays 57-38

The Rays lost a tough series to the Yankees. They are in a series with the Indians after winning their last game against the Orioles. They are 5-5 in the last ten games.

3.                   Texas Rangers 57-40

Nelson Cruz, Molina, and Josh Hamilton have been on hot streaks since the All-Star break. After destroying the Red Sox they are now tackling the Angles. Don’t be surprised if you see the Rangers in the World Series.They are 7-3 in the last ten games.

4.                   Atlanta Braves 56-40

The Braves are sitting on top of the NL East with the best home record in the NL. They are 5-5 in the last ten games.

5.                   San Diego Padres 56-39

The Padres is the top dog in the NL West and is currently in a series with the pitiful Pirates so they should stay there for the time being.

6.                   Boston Red Sox 55-42

The Rangers handled the Sox at Fenway Park. Beckett is set to return but several other starters are still sitting on the DL.

7.                   St. Louis Cardinals 54-43

The Cards ran through the Dodgers to take first place in the NL Central. But they have since lost two straight to the Cubs leaving them only half a game ahead of the Reds. They are 8-2 in the last ten games.

8.                   Cincinnati Reds 53-44

The Reds are only half a game behind the Cards for the top spot in the NL Central. Like the guys they are chasing they get some easy games against the Astros.

9.                   Chicago White Sox 52-42

Gordon Beckham has stepped up in the last week to help the men in black keep the top spot in the AL Central.

10.               San Francisco Giants 54-43

The Giants are 3.5 games behind the Padres in the NL West. They are 8-2 in the last ten games. “Kung Fu Panda” Pablo Sandoval did well last week hitting .308 with six RBI.

11.               Colorado Rockies 51-45

The Rockies are on a three game losing streak and are in the middle of a series with the Phillies.

12.               Los Angeles Dodgers 51-46

They look to fair better than the Rockies this week, so look for them to nip at the Giants for second place. Manny Ramirez is back on the DL.

13.               Minnesota Twins 51-46

The Twins are in a three-way tight race for first place with the White Sox and Tigers in the AL Central. They will cruise against the worst team in baseball, the Orioles this week.

14.               Detroit Tigers 50-44

The Tigers have won two straight and are only two games behind the White Sox.

15.               Los Angeles Angels 51-47

The Angels have a nice record but unfortunately they are in second place and seven games behind the Rangers.

16.               Philadelphia Phillies 50-46

Ryan Howard has been on fire launching balls into the bleachers. The Phillies are currently battling AL Central’s best, St. Louis Cardinals.

17.               New York Mets 50-47

The Mets have lost four straight before finally getting a win against the Dodgers.

18.               Oakland Athletics 48-47

The Athletics are in a tough series against the first place Rangers so it doesn’t look good for improving their record.

19.               Toronto Blue Jays 48-48

The Blue Jays are 13.5 games behind first place in the AL East. Yunel Escobar was doing terrible when he was wearing a Braves uniform. Now that he is sporting a new jersey, he has hit two home runs already.

20.               Florida Marlins 48-48

The Marlins are eight games behind in the NL East. Hanley Ramirez didn’t do well last week posting only a .174 AVG with four hits in 23 at-bats.

21.               Milwaukee Brewers 45-53

The Brewers are 9.5 games behind the Cards in the NL Central. They have won two straight and are currently in a series against the Nationals. Rickie Weeks hit four home runs last week.

22.               Chicago Cubs 43-53

The Cubs are ten games behind the Cards in the NL Central. They are 6-4 in the last ten games.

23.               Washington Nationals 42-55

The Nationals are in last place in NL East. But everyone has forgotten that with the arrival of Stephen Strasburg who has two wins with a 2.31 ERA.

24.               Kansas City Royals 41-55

Zack Greinke is a fantastic pitcher, yet he is 6-9 for the season. That is what it is like to be on the Royals.

25.               Cleveland Indians 41-55

They are sellers in the second half as they match the Royals’ success this season.

26.               Houston Astros 39-57

The Astros are in a series with the Reds. The Phillies are looking to pick up Roy Oswalt, as the Astros have accepted defeat.

27.               Seattle Mariners 37-59

The Mariners seemed to have made all the right moves in the off-season. Now it looks like none of them panned out.

28.               Arizona Diamondbacks 37-60

The Diamondbacks are in last place in the NL West and it doesn’t look like that will change anytime this season. Justin Upton hit two home runs and went .464 AVG last week.

29.               Pittsburgh Pirates 34-62

The Pirates lost two straight games and are in a series with the Padres.

30.               Baltimore Orioles 31-65

Brian Roberts is finally off the DL. That’s the only good news that the Orioles have had in a year.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Baltimore Orioles catalyst 2nd baseman Brian Roberts will be out until Tuesday, June 15th, a major blow considering how important a player he is both on Baltimore’s offense and defense.

He was placed on the Disabled List since April 9th, and has not played in any baseball game since then.

He did resume baseball activities for a while, but will not do any of that until Roberts gets another examination.

With a herniated disk in the back, it has been tough for the O’s star player.

Between injuries and lack of ability on the entire team, they would at least like to compete before they finish with the worst record in baseball.

Making the playoffs at this point seems impossible, so they would at least like to hurt some teams in the playoff race.

No team wants to be the one where other teams say, “It’s an easy win.” But it certainly has been like that for the Baltimore Orioles.

They need Brian Roberts back quickly and fully healthy: soon.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com