Scraping the Bottom Of The Barrel: AL Outfielders

I'm in an AL only roto keeper league with an auction draft, and one of my favorite strategies is to wait until the end of the draft for some endgame picks at league minimum salary, then deal them as keepers for better players if I'm in contention. Last year I nabbed Melky Cabrera and Brantley, guys like Boesch, Francouer, and Bourjos were some other finds for other teams.

So who are going to be those lucky guys this year? I feel like there are a lot of interesting guys on the scrap heap to choose from.

Travis Snider - May not enter 2012 with a starting role, but still hard not to buy on his potential. He's still young and for what it's worth, displayed surprising baserunning ability. But where's the power? I'm banking on it returning, but he's definitely a high-risk, high-reward guy.

Nolan Reimold - Think he's a pretty fair bet to be solid, but they say he'll be in a platoon... I don't see it lasting. Chavez was a flash in the pan and Reimold could put on a fair power display with a .260 avg and a few SB. Kind of a "safe" pick, as he has little competition and solid skills but modest upside.

Franklin Gutierrez - What was eating him in 2011? Or rather, what was he eating? He's probably fallen entirely off the radar for many after the stomach bug that derailed his season, but when healthy he presents an intriguing power/speed combo, and his great D ensures regular at-bats.

Dayan Viciedo - Put up great numbers in the minors and finally quelling concerns about not succeeding at higher levels due to plate discipline. Still may slip due to ho-hum majors performance, and current lack of a spot until a trade happens. But should be great when he gets his chance, as it should come by June at the latest.

Michael Taylor - Former top prospect had a semi-rebound from his putrid 2010 campaign, still wondering if the power was an illusion all along. He'll get a chance to prove himself in Oakland's void of an outfield though.

Colin Cowgill - He's guaranteed some playing time, and can contribute in speed...but his upside is pretty low.

Alejandro De Aza - Another gamble guy who seems to be pretty polarizing among forecasters. When he came up it was practically a punchline that this no-namer was taking PT from Rios, but looking at the stats more closely, he was actually really good, and it's not inconceivable that he could be a good value due to his high average and steals potential. Question is whether he can sustain it for 2012 or if he's a flash in the pan.

How would you rank them, from best to worst? Discuss.