For Better, For Worse

It's a good thing to have a free-agent-to-be on your fantasy team. At least that's the conventional wisdom. Guys in their walk years have a lot of incentive to play hard, to play through pain and to compile statistics. Think about Alfonso Soriano hitting 46 homers in a pitcher's park in Washington last year. Think about Carlos Beltran three years ago parlaying a playoff surge into major bucks. Not everyone has a great season in a walk year, however. The pressure can get to you. Also, free agents are always veterans, so age and nature can take its course at a financially inconvenient time. Let's examine the hitters this week and see which free-agents-to-be are performing above their career levels.

1. Alex Rodriguez , 3B, Yankees : Technically, A-Rod is not a free agent, but he can opt out of his deal and become one this winter. Rodriguez sees the light at the end of the Yankees tunnel and is playing as if a weight will soon be lifted from his shoulders. His 28 HR, 80 RBI and .318 average are wiping away the bad taste of a sub-par 2006. If you picked him up in your draft after Albert Pujols and Jose Reyes , thank your lucky stars.

2. Jorge Posada , C, Yankees : Posada is enjoying one of his best seasons. It is very unusual for a catcher to do this at 35. Posada has cooled off lately, but is still hitting a robust .331. Posada 's season is a great argument for the walk year theory.

3. Ichiro Suzuki , OF, Mariners : Ichiro is hitting .369, just a shade under his career best mark (.372) of 2004. This follows 2005 and 2006 seasons that were good, but not great. The "fantasy Ichiro " was not as productive as some less celebrated outfielders. Not so this season. Ichiro 's RBI totals are up significantly and he is on pace for a career best. The 33-year-old is playing for another big payday in 2008.

4. Aaron Rowand , OF, Phillies : Undrafted in many leagues, Rowand is hitting 26 points above his career average and was one of the best pickups early in the season. His numbers are way up in all categories except for steals, thanks in part to staying healthy. Good timing for Rowand and his financial planner.

5. Kenny Lofton , OF, Rangers : Lofton has played for nine different teams since 2001. Despite concerns about his advancing age, the 40-year-old has 20 steals. Worries about his age have affected his placement in fantasy drafts as well, going undrafted in most mixed leagues. Lofton has gone from one-year contract to one-year contract, bouncing around most recently from Philadelphia to Los Angeles and now to Texas . He has had to prove himself each season because of his age. He has been in a salary drive for several years in a row. He has been a reliable source of steals and has hit around .300 in this period.

Honorable Mention

Mike Lowell , 3B, Red Sox : Also undrafted in most mixed leagues, Lowell has provided a lot of production for fantasy owners quick enough to pick him up. However, he has cooled and may finish with a typical .280, 20-homer-type of season. Lowell is unlikely to stay in Boston next year with Kevin Youkilis ready to slide across the diamond to play third.

Torii Hunter , OF, Twins : Hunter is having another excellent season. It's in line with his production of the past few seasons and he contributes in every fantasy category: 48 runs, 17 homers, 63 RBIs, 11 steals and a .296 average.

1. Andruw Jones , OF, Braves : Jones picked the wrong year to lose his plate discipline. He has been an easy out all season and is barely above the Mendoza line at .201. (His career average is .263.) Jones is only 30, so you would assume that the law of averages should eventually kick in. The pressure of his impending free agency will only get worse, so that law of averages may not kick in until 2008. He's been deadly to anyone who drafted him.