By Greg Dillard

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Heading into the 2010 offseason, everyone knew the free agent market would not only be focused on ace lefthander Cliff Lee, but two All- Star outfielders as well.

Jayson Werth and Carl Crawford hit the free agent market with high expectations, and both outfielders struck gold with big paychecks and new homes.

After four above average seasons in Philadelphia, Werth entered free agency looking for big money. However, no one expected the Washington Nationals to be players in the Werth sweepstakes. $126 million and seven years later, Werth now calls the nation’s capital and Nationals Park home. There are several precautions before drafting Werth to serve as your middle of the order, right fielder.

First and foremost, Werth bolted Philly, but remains in the ultra competitive National League East. With almost no protection in the Nationals’ lineup, Werth will face the Marlins, Braves, Mets, and Phillies almost 20 times each every year. Clearly, there is an abundance of strong pitching in this division with Ricky Nolasco, Javier Vasquez, Johan Santana, and Mike Pelfrey in the division. Then there’s the all star rotation in Philly that consists of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels.

Facing elite pitching day in and day out won’t be easy for Werth and the Nats. Werth was never the go to go in the extremely powerful Philadelphia lineup, and it will be interesting to see if he can deal with being the “big bat” for Washington.

Then there’s Crawford who despite being courted by the Yankees and Angels, signed a seven year, 142 million dollar deal with the Red Sox. Similar to Werth, Crawford remains in a division that is loaded with talented pitching, but Fenway Park and Boston’s potent lineup make the difference.

Boston manager Terry Francona will most likely choose to bat Crawford third in his lineup, with Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia in front of him. Those two will provide plenty of RBI chances given their speed and ability to get on base. Most importantly, newly acquired first basemen Adrian Gonzalez will bat cleanup after Crawford. Talk about good protection. Opposing pitchers won’t want Ellsbury, Pedroia, and Crawford on the base paths with Gonzales stepping into the batter’s box.

With his speed, power, and the talent surrounding him, Crawford is poised for a big season in Boston. He is a sure bet for your fantasy outfield.