1. Freddy Sanchez – Giants
2. Ronnie Belliard – Dodgers
3. Clint Barmes – Rockies
4. Kelly Johnson – Diamondbacks
5. David Eckstein – Padres
By far the weakest position in the division, most of these guys can be interchanged. But, I’ll go with Sanchez in first, mostly because of his steady bat. He battled injuries last year, but hit .296 with the Pirates and .284 after being traded to the Giants.
Belliard might not even be the starter, but has to be the early favorite. After being traded to the Dodgers last year at the deadline, he was great. In 21 games, he hit .351 with five homers and 17 RBIs. If given the chance, he can be a pretty good hitter.
Barmes had good power numbers last year with 23 homers and 76 RBIs. But, his .245 average and .294 OBP were terrible. He also struck out 121 times. But, if the Rockies can live with his all-or-nothing approach, he’ll have a spot in the lineup.
Johnson is coming off a down year with the Braves, hitting a measly .224. When healthy, he’s capable of 10-15 home runs and 60-70 RBIs. He doesn’t seem to have the best glove at second, though.
Eckstein is definitely on the downside of his career, as his numbers are pretty much nonexistent anymore. A low OBP and no steals makes him no threat at all.
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