You may have heard that Astros outfielder Lance Berkman will likey miss the start of next season s he need 5-6 months of rehabd after tearing his right ACL while playing flag football.
While perhaps this opens the door for Richard Hidalgo to return to Houston, it raises this question: what single player can any team out there least afford to lose to injury (i.e., without compensation)? Take into account their ability to replace the player (either with bankroll like the Yankees or with a ready-to-step-in player, perhaps even like Jason Lane in Houston). And don't only consider statistics ... intangibles matter, too. That's what makes this opinion rather than a simple measure of "Above Replacement Level" players.
Question of the Day: What single player's off-season, season-ending injury would most cause you to cringe, "Ouch, their 2005 is over"?
San Francisco: Barry Bonds, natch.
Who else?
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20041108094638999