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Jeff Gordon: Changing Places, Gaining Value
Author: Jeff Gordon
Updated: Fri 1/8/2010 6:48 pm
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As players change places during this busy Hot Stove League action, fantasy general managers must adjust their 2010 projections.

New Red Sox third baseman Adrian Beltre is a great example of this. Playing in Seattle, he never came close to matching his breakout 2004 season with the Dodgers – when he swatted 48 homers and drove in 120 runs.

He provided great defense for the Mariners and he gamely played through nagging injuries. But he also declined as a fantasy commodity, in part because of the spacious configuration of Safeco Field.

Looking to revive his offense, Beltre took short money (one year plus a player option) for the opportunity to play half his games in Fenway Park for a powerhouse offense. Coming back from thumb and shoulder surgery last year, he hit just eight homers and drove in just 44 runs in 449 at bats.

During his previous three seasons he hit 76 homers combined. During that span he 27 percent more homers and drove in 35 more runs on the road.

“We think Fenway is a fit for Adrian,” Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein told Yahoo! Sports. “It's hard to emphasize just how much Safeco deflates offensive performance for right-handed power hitters. It's really a tough place to hit. ... left-field, left-center field, center field, even if you hit the ball well to the opposite field it's hard to get rewarded as a right-handed hitter there.”

Here are nine other players who will put up better statistics for their new team:

Roy Halladay, SP, Phillies: Moving from an AL also-ran to the mighty Phillies, he could win 25 games if he stays healthy. He won 53 games during his previous three seasons in Toronto, posting 2.78 and 2.79 ERAs during those last two seasons as a Blue Jays. He gladly signed a shorter-term extension (three years) to play for a good team.

Brad Penny, SP, Cardinals: He got pounded with the Red Sox (7-8, 5.61 ERA in 24 starts), then relocated happily to the NL. His late-season stint with the Giants (4-1, 2.59 ERA in six starts) suggests he will flourish in St. Louis while working with Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan in a pitcher-friendly park. St. Louis expects him to be its No. 4 starter.

Curtis Granderson, CF, Yankees: Moving to this all-star lineup should reverse his three-year batting average decline. Granderson hit just .249 last season after batting .280 in 2008 and .302 in 2007. If he can hit 30 homers, as he did last season in Detroit, he will drive in more than 71 in the New York batting order. Perhaps he will be more patient on this team and cut down on his strikeouts (141 last season!). Yankee Stadium is cozy for lefty batters and manager Joe Girardi will maximize his base-stealing potential.

Nick Johnson, DH-1B, Yankees: Back in ’06, he showed his full power potential by whacking 23 homers and driving in 77 runs while posting a stellar .948 OPS for Washington. Last year the injury-plagued Johnson hit just eight homers for the Nationals and Marlins.  Now he is back with the Yankees playing in a park that suits his stroke. His knack for getting on base (.426 OBP last year) will make him an ideal No. 2 in this ferocious lineup.

Troy Glaus, 1B, Braves: Coming back from shoulder surgery last season, Glaus barely regained enough throwing strength to play third base for the Cardinals. He batted .172 in just 29 late-season at bats. In Atlanta, he can move to first base and concentrate on regaining his power stroke. The year before he smacked 33 doubles and 27 homers while driving in 99 runs for St. Louis.

Brandon Morrow, SP, Blue Jays: In Seattle, he moved back and from the bullpen and rotation. In Seattle, he suffered from the constant comparisons to Tim Lincecum – the pitcher the Mariners passed on to draft him. Now Morrow will finally get an opportunity to develop as a starting pitcher. For the M’s, he had a 8-12 record with 16 saves and 3.96 ERA in three seasons.

Casey Kotchman, 1B, Mariners: He moves from a part-time role in Boston to full-time first base duty in Seattle, where Safeco is kinder to left-handed hitters. Back in 2007, he got 443 at bats for the Angeles and delivered 37 doubles, 11 homers and 68 RBI. He could be a huge bargain in auction leagues or a late pick in AL-only leagues.

Javier Vazquez, SP, Yankees: New York GM Brian Cashman tried to temper expectations for Vazquez after he returned for a second stint with the team. “We’re bringing Javy Vazquez to pitch toward the back end of our rotation,” he told reporters. “We’re not here to say he’s going to win 20 games and lead us.” But Vazquez has knockout stuff, so he could win more than the 15 games he won in Atlanta last season. Opponents hit .229 against him in August and just .196 the rest of the way. And he is durable: Only Randy Johnson struck out more batters during the previous decade.

Garrett Atkins, 3B/1B, Orioles: He collapsed in Colorado last season, hitting just .226 with nine homers and 48 RBI in 126 games. At 30, he is still in his athletic prime. The Orioles believe his batting stroke can be repaired. So Atkins figures to play full-time at one of the corner infield slots. A note of caution: Atkins hit .327 hitter with 48 homers, 264 RBI, a .385 OBP and a .507 slugging percent in 1,356 at-bats at Coors Field. On the road, Atkins hit .252 career average with 50 homers, 215 RBI, a .324 OBP and a .411 slugging percentage in 1,432 at-bats.