The Diamondbacks Infield Situation

Part 1 of my Diamondbacks 2009 Season Preview is here, in which i took a look at their outfield. This is Part 2, where i will look at their infield.

Much like their outfield going into 2009, there are a lot of questions surrounding the Dback infield this spring. With as many as 7 different people figuring into the equation, it makes for a very confusing situation. Let's start with what we know for sure...

Short Stop:
Stephen Drew cemented himself as the Dbacks SS for the foreseeable future with a very solid 2008 season, including the second half of the season where he was nearly unstoppable. He posted career highs in nearly every statistical category, and was one of only two people in the lineup with any sort of consistency. Combine that with his solid play and good range at SS, and you've got yourself an every day player.

Second Base:
Acquired from St. Louis in the offseason, Lopez figures to be a a fairly constant fixture at 2B this season. He finished with a .283 batting average last season, including .385 in the last 43 games of the season. He's not a power hitter, with only 6 HR's and 46 RBI's, but he had a decent amount of doubles (28). He is also a switch hitter, and this lineup desperately needs left handed hitters. Unfortunately he doesn't appear to be a great defensive player, having lead the majors in errors by a shortstop in 2006, and in 2007 had the lowest fielding percentage of all NL shortstops. Yes, that was as a shortstop, and yes he is playing second base for the Dbacks this season. That versatility (or for the cynics questionable position) is a theme for the Dbacks infield in 2009.

Getting the majority of backup second base time will once again be super-sub Augie Ojeda. Ojeda is considered a utility infielder, and can play 2B, SS, or 3B, though most of his time is spent between 2B and SS. He has spent the ends of the last two seasons replacing an injured Orlando Hudson at 2B, and played and batted well in those stints. He will figure prominently in giving guys days off, and if there are any injuries in the infield.

First Base:
Your starter most likely is going to be Chad Tracy. Tracy is something of an question; A could-be batting title winner who struggles to find a true position on defense and can sometimes struggle from the plate. It's hard to take too much stock from the last two seasons as he has been injured, including microfracture surgery in his knee. His last full season, 2006, he batted .281 with 20 HR's and 80 RBI's. I should also mention he is a left handed hitter, which as noted above this team desperately needs. I think Tracy can be a very productive member of the team if he stays healthy and shows an ability to play a decent 1B.

Your backup is Big Tony Clark once again going into 2009. After trading him away between the 2007 and 2008 season, the Dbacks re-acquired Clark from the Padres towards the end of last year. He is used primarily as a pinch hitter and late inning defensive replacement, as he is good with the glove. Unfortunately, he struggled mightily from the plate after returning to the Dbacks. Going through Spring Training and spending the full season with the Dbacks should allow Clark to return to a solid hitter. Like Lopez, he is a switch hitter.

Conor Jackson needs to be mentioned in the debate about 1B as well. If for some reason his stint in LF does not work out, or if Byrnes warrants a return to the line-up in that position, it pushes Jackson back to 1B, where he spent most of his first few years. Jackson though, prefers LF and plays a better field there in my opinion. If he is kicked back to 1B, Tracy possibly gets moved to our next position...

Third Base:
Your starter, at least to begin the year, is Mark Reynolds. The man everybody loves to hate and hates to love. If Tracy is a question, Reynolds is a downright enigma. He managed to set a MLB record for most strikeouts in a season last year, yet also finished first or second on the Dbacks in HR's, RBI's, walks, and runs scored. And after a stellar second half of the season in 2007 at 3B after being called up from AA, he spent most of 2008 struggling in the field, leading MLB in errors by a SS by a lot.

His ability to hit 450ft HR's is hampered only by his inability to hit anything resembling a breaking ball. By the 2nd half of the season the scouting report on Reynolds was simple: Don't throw him anything fast or straight. He couldn't hit anything else, nor could he lay off anything else. I'm listening to Matt Williams on the radio as i type this, and he had a long conversation about the time he's been spending with Reynolds, both at the plate and in the field. Let's hope the work pays off, as Reynolds could be the power guy the Dbacks are lacking.

So there you have it. While the outfield has 4 players splitting time for three positions, the infield has 7 splitting time for 4 positions. If things go well you've got a solid lineup and a decent field. If things go bad you've got neither. These 7 players may very well decide the fate of the Dbacks in 2009.

Next up this week is a look at the Dbacks starting pitchers, a group that figures to be much more stable than either the infield or the outfield. Stay tuned, and thanks for the support.