If you want to find some young sleepers for 2008, look no further than the position players of the Los Angeles Dodgers. This will be a team to watch this offseason, as it will be interesting to see if they unload veterans to clear the path for full-time at-bats for the youngsters. There are some very taelnted players here, and the Dodgers have amassed a core of talent that could make them competitive for years to come. Russell Martin, pretty much the best fantasy catcher on earth, would have been in this category not too long ago. And some of the names below could turn into fantasy studs in 2008.

 

James Loney should be a fixture at first base regardless of offseason moves. He has demonstrated elite ability of late, with a batting average over the last month close to .400. The 23 year-old probably should have had the starting job entering this season, and will be a solid source of power and average next year. Fellow 23 year-old Matt Kemp also appears to have emerged from the scrum of Dodger outfield talent. Kemp is a legitimate power/speed threat already, and his current stats projects to around 25/25 over a full season. While he could use better judgment at the plate (and on the basepaths), and therefore his batting average may take a dip, it should still be a positive asset to your team's avergae. And he is someone that will probably be undervalued next season as his counting stats are repressed due to playing time.

 

Luis Gonzalez has cost Andre Ethier a lot of playing time in Chavez Ravine. While Ethier has been splitting time with Kemp, it is the 40 year-old who has amassed the nearly full-time at-bats. The good news is that Gonzo is a free agent and will likely not be back. The better news is that, after a quality showing as a rookie in 2006, Ethier has come up with a big second half that should earn him full-time at-bats next season.

 

Nomar Garciaparra is the biggest roadblock on the Dodgers roster. He possesses a hefty salary (over nine million dollars). And while he gets hurt a lot, he has also shown the willingness to play through injury. He's a big name who is still marketable in Los Angeles. And he puts up "good enough" numbers (an empty .283 BA) to keep traditional baseball heads happy.

 

This is all very bad news for Andy LaRoche. Adam's little brother is a big-time third base prospect for the Dodgers. But he hasn't had his chance to shine with Nomar around. While the ancient one may be blocking LaRoche's path, if he doesn't get a full-time shot at the hot corner next season, unlike his young peers at other positions, he has no one to blame but himself.  Because he has simply not performed to expectations to date. LaRoche supporters will tell you that he has had a bad back and hasn't gotten enough consistent at-bats with the Dodgers to find a groove. And they could be correct. That's why, even with the probability of Mrs. Hamm being around next season, Andy's probably worth a flier even at a deep position.

 

Lastly, Chin-Lung Hu has been getting a lot of play at shortstop with Rafael Furcal dinged up. He posted a high average in the minors at AA and AAA. But he has struggled in the big leagues offensively, and looked flustered in the field as well. With Jeff Kent and second base and Furcal at shortstop, look for the Dodgers to shop Hu to a team in need of middle infield depth this offseason, or keep him around for depth.