Andy LaRoche

SS Andy LaRoche has good bloodlines, as his father Dave was a two-time all-star reliever and his brother Adam is one of the Braves' best hitting prospects. Andy went the Albert Pujols route in 2001-02, graduating from a Kansas high school in December so he could enter junior college in what would have been the second half of his senior year. The Padres drafted him in the 22nd round and still control his rights as a draft-and-follow. He's an offensive middle infielder who has power to all fields. Defensively, his hands and instincts are his best assets, and his arm and range are solid at shortstop. The only knocks on LaRoche are that he doesn't run as well as a typical shortstop after having knee problems in the past, and he's committed to Rice and thought to be fairly unsignable.