Since several readers voted in favour of keeping Alexis Rios rather than pursuing another outfielder, I thought it'd be a good idea to take a quick look at his career to date.
Rios was drafted out of high school by the Blue Jays with the 19th overall pick in the 1999 draft. He was slow to develop in the minor leagues, struggling to reach base and hitting a grand total of six home runs through his first four seasons (that's 1450 at-bats, folks). His breakthrough season came in 2003 while playing in AA New Haven. It was a truly impressive campaign, as he posted a line of .402/.521/.923 and began to show flashes of power. In fact, Baseball America was so enamoured by Rios' progress that they ranked him the sixth best prospect in baseball entering the 2004 season (he was left off the previous season's top-100 list altogether). However, his performance that season has proven to be the exception rather than the rule. Since then, his OPS has peaked at .721, while his power and plate discipline have yet to develop.
What do you guys think? Was 2003 an aberration, or is there still hope that he'll someday produce at the level many had once predicted?