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Where Jason's Place is Right Field in Fenway

Looking at old editions of the Baseball America Handbook is pretty fun for the projected lineup feature alone. People love rosterbating with prospects and filling them into slots and while BA probably assumes people don't take these literally, I'm sure some do. They are what they are: a prospective lineup three years in the future if trades and free agency don't occur. That being said, here's a reason you should never try to project a lineup a year into the future, forget about two, three, or four. This is the 2010 projected lineup from the 2007 Handbook:

CA Dioner Navarro

1B Joel Guzman

2B Jorge Cantu

3B Evan Longoria

SS Reid Brignac

LF Carl Crawford

CF Rocco Baldelli

RF Delmon Young

DH B.J. Upton

SP Scott Kazmir

SP Jeff Nieman

SP Jacob McGee

SP Wade Davis

SP Matt Walker

CP Juan Salas

All told, eight of the fifteen are no longer in the organization and only five players project to actually be in the starting lineup or rotation on opening day 2010. I mean, yeah, nobody saw the trade of Delmon coming, or Kazmir being dealt, or Salas turning into Waldo, but that's the thing about rosters: they change, a lot. Don't forget that when you try to figure out how the Rays will sort out the rotational mess in 2012. For all we know, Matt Garza will be a Brewer by then.

Bonus fun:

The 2010 Red Sox starting right fielder was something named Jason Place

The 2010 Yankees starting first baseman? Eric Duncan, released a few weeks ago.

Note: I'm in no way mocking BA. Tasks like these are just impossible and ultimately pointless.