Baseball is a weird and confusing game sometimes. Players who have performed greatly for other teams and then signed huge contracts can crumble. Some believe that it is due to the fact that they think they need to do more than what they are capable of. Over the past five years this has been more evident than ever. Players like Josh Hamilton, Albert Pujols and B.J. Upton all proving the big contract can sometimes be lethal. Below is the top ten players in need of a new start. Some for obvious reasons, others due to contract issues. Let’s jump right in.

10. Dan Uggla, Atlanta Braves

Here is a prime example of a guy who just couldn’t stand up to his contract. When he played for the Marlins he never hit less than 27 home runs while batting roughly .270. With the Atlanta Braves he only managed to hit at least 27 home runs once. Obviously 27 homers is good but it has been the batting average and strikeouts that are glaring. Uggla had the third most strikeouts in the National League and broke an Atlanta Braves record for strikeouts in a season at 171. He is arguably in need of a new team more than ever, anything to get him into a different state of mind and scenery.

9. Howie Kendrick, Los Angeles Angels

Here we have the case of a guy who needs a new team but it’s not because of his performance. He batted .297 in 2013 with 13 homers, 54 RBIs and a 3.4 WAR. The reason he needs a trade is because he doesn’t get the respect he deserves from this team and it’s fans. Everyone is so hung up on the big names in LA that they forget about one of the biggest and most underrated pieces to this ball club, Kendrick. For one he is a second basemen with a good glove. The fact that he plays second is a big deal in itself. This position has been very thin in the majors for awhile now. A new look is exactly what this guy needs, in fact he could become a All Star very, very soon. Oh and did I mention that he’s a career .292 hitter.

8. Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies

Why do the Phillies continue to not shop Lee? He is one of the best, veteran pitchers in the game today. The only problem is that he is on a below average team that is aging like milk. His 2013 numbers were amazing so he isn’t necessarily in need of a new start; he just needs a winning team. He won 14 games in 2013 which is good but imagine the number of games he could have won on a good team? His fantasy value would skyrocket and would easily become a top five commodity. He had 24 quality starts in 2013 which is only three less than Cy Young pitcher Clayton Kershaw. This trade is more for fantasy baseball fans than Lee himself, but let’s be honest, Lee would love to be pitching for a good team again.

7. Josh Johnson, Toronto Blue Jays

How dissapointing has Johnson been since leaving the Marlins? Things looked so bright for him and he was looking like one of, if not the best pitcher in baseball. He has not been able to get back into a groove since injury himself in 2011. 2013 was expected to be a comeback year for him but once again injuries sidelined him and it showed. He needs to get back into the National League where he will perform much better.

The Blue Jays do not have a deal set with Johnson so he could sign with any team as opposed to a trade. If this guy can get back to 100 percent for 2014 he could easily win the comeback player of the year award and hold great value in fantasy baseball.

6. Eric Young New York Mets

You might be surprised that this name is showing up on the list. Sure, he is not a fantasy star but he has the potential to become one. He is a speedy, outfielder who can steal a ton of bases. He had 46 stolen bases in 2013 all while scoring 70 runs from the leadoff position. Imagine if he was on a winning team? Those runs scored would go up immensely and the stolen bases would remain the same. The batting average needs a little bit of work but he is now 29 years old and this 2014 season could be his best yet.

5. Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers

Here we have another Uggla like case. Weeks has played well for the Brewers in the past but over the past two seasons he has under performed. It feels like he has became content where he is at and a change of teams would be the perfect change of pace for him. He’s 31 years old so he still has some years left in him but if he stays in Milwaukee things are not going to get better.

4. David Price, Tampa Bay Rays

The trade of Price is more for the Rays organization that anyone. He will become a free agent at the end of 2014 and the Rays just don’t have the ends to afford him. He would likely get traded to a playoff contending team so his stock would not lower whatsoever. He is going to pitch great wherever he is as he is only 28 years old. Think about this; he’s a career 3.19 pitcher with 71 wins and 876 strikeouts. If he was traded to the National League you could see that ERA sneak down into the low twos. The best years are yet to come for Price.

3. Starlin Castro, Chicago Cubs

Castro has had a very Jekyll and Hyde type career in Chicago. His first three years were great as he batted as high as .307. Unfortunately 2013 was a very down year for Castro. Besides the fact that he batted a career low .245, his head was just not in the game. He has developed a reputation of being a hot dogger and being immature. He was pulled from a game in August after he forgot how many outs there were. He is in need of a new team very badly as the relationships he has in Chicago has been tainted. I can almost guarantee that he will not have another season like his 2013 for a very long time. For this to happen he will need a new start.

2. Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins

This is just the case of a great baseball player on a piss poor team. This guy has already hit 117 home runs in his career and he is only 23! In 2013 he was walked 74 times due in large part to the lack of hitters around him. If he was traded to any other team he would be even more valuable than he already is! He would get more chances to hit with runners in scoring position and has the potential to hit 35 home runs, 100 RBIs and 80 walks. His fantasy value would skyrocket if he was traded.

1. Andre Ethier, Los Angeles Dodgers

At the beginning of the 2013 season you might have thought that Ethier was batting .100 if you were talking to Dodgers fans. He was benched for a short amount of time for batting .250… Which is just insane if you ask me. The Dodgers have a lot of outfielders and it seems like Ethier is the odd man out. He is a great baseball player and should be an everyday starter but with Carl Crawford, Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp in the outfield he is likely to get a lot less playing time. Ethier is easily the main fantasy star that needs a new start.