Now that all the 2007 prospect releases are out, and we are in spring training, I would like to comment on some sleepers and some investment advice about the prospects in those products. While I don’t like to invest in pitchers much, it seems like 2007 was the year of the pitcher. I am going to highlight some of the prospects that I liked out of 2007 both pitchers and hitters.

2007 Bowman Chrome

#BC195 Brett Anderson - I like what I’ve read about Brett Anderson - he has good makeup and also excellent control. He might not be the ace of the rotation, but he has the possibility of being a solid second or third pitcher in the rotation.

#BC220 Jeff Locke - Also another pitcher. I don’t know much about him, but from what I’ve heard, he has some good potential especially in the Braves system. They have one of the best farms in developing pitchers.

#BC210 Chris Carter - traded to the A’s in the Dan Haren deal, he might have a shot to crack the A’s lineup in 2009 as the DH. His defense stinks, so it’s a good thing he got traded to the AL. His pure power potential makes him intriguing.

#BC162 Tommy Hanson - see analysis of Jeff Locke - also a Braves pitching prospect.

Out of the autograph lineup, the ones I like the most for investing are Peter Bourjos (cheap), Wes Hodges (cheap), and Brad Lincoln (cheap). While I like others in the set, I think those 3 are potential sleepers.

2007 Bowman Draft

Here are a couple of regular cards in the set who I feel have potential:

Julio Borbon - he’s been flying under the radar, but he did hit a grand slam during spring training, and he has been compared to Johnny Damon. He has all 5 tools.

Eric Eiland - drafted out of high school, he has all the tools, he just needs to put it all together.

Jason Heyward - he’s not going to be cheap, but he was ranked highly on the Baseball America list. He is going to be a good 3 - 4 years away from the bigs though. I would keep an eye on him during the slow times, for possible steals.

Madison Bumgarner - not cheap, but mid-range. Same as above.

Wendell Fairley - same

Matt LaPorta, David Price, Moustakas, Jarrod Parker - I would sell now for all of these guys just because their prices are really high, and I bet you could pick up again in the winter for much cheaper!

Autograph guys: My sleeper picks are James Simmons (control pitcher for the A’s), Chris Withrow (not so much a sleeper anymore), Justin Jackson (just needs to hit) and Michael Main.

2007 Donruss Elite Extra Edition

Sleepers - Eric Eiland, Julio Borbon, Kyle Lotzkar are all around $5 - $10. Phillipe Aumont is a great pickup if you can get him for less than $20. Also, Brett Anderson is in the set and is relatively cheap.

Sell now - Moustakas, Price, and Wieters (listed at #12 on the BA list)

2007 Bowman Sterling

Kevin Ahrens is a great pickup in this product. He only sells between $10 - $15, and he has great potential. Another sleeper would be Julio Borbon.

Here are other guys who I recommend picking up in the off-season - LaPorta, Heyward, Burgess, Wendell Fairley, Madison Bumgarner, and David Price.

I personally feel that this year’s Bowman Sterling is severely under-priced, and prices will increase in the next few years when more of these players hit the BA Top 100.

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