Around the Horn: Corner infielders

01/25/2006
ST. PETERSBURG -- Entering the offseason, the status of the Devil Rays' corner infielders was one of the team's great unknowns.
But after a few tweaks, the candidates for the corners in 2006 are clear.
Travis Lee will return as the team's first baseman, bringing with him a magician's glove and a bat that showed great improvement by the end of the 2005 season.
Lee, who had served a stint with the Rays during the 2003 season, spent the 2004 season with the Yankees, but was limited to just seven games and had left shoulder surgery before returning to the Rays as a free agent in 2005.
Lee's 2005 season was a tale of two halves. He started slowly, finishing the first half with a .240 batting average, just two home runs and 19 RBIs, but he rebounded by hitting .306 in the second half with 10 home runs and 31 RBIs.
While Lee's bat was inconsistent, his glove remained a constant. Lee committed just four errors during the season and tied the White Sox's Paul Konerko (.996) for the third-best fielding percentage among American League first basemen behind Mark Teixeira of the Rangers (.998) and Darin Erstad (.997) of the Angels.
Lee made his first error in 170 games on June 19, when he came up eight games shy of the American League record for consecutive errorless games by a first baseman. Lee ranks as Major League Baseball's all-time career fielding percentage leader (.997) among first basemen with 750 or more games played.
Waiting in the wings at first base is Wes Bankston, who hit .292 with 12 home runs and 47 RBIs at Triple-A Durham after hitting .387 with three home runs and 23 RBIs at Class A Visalia.
Incumbent third baseman Alex Gonzalez will not be back with the team, leaving the starting duties to Sean Burroughs, who was acquired during the Winter Meetings in a trade that saw the Rays ship right-hander Dewon Brazelton to the Padres.
Andrew Friedman, the Rays' executive vice president of baseball operations, called the deal a "a classic change-of-scenery trade," adding: "We are excited to have Sean. He fills a need."
Burroughs, 25, was the Padres' everyday third baseman for most of the past four seasons since making his Major League debut in 2002. A career .282 hitter with 62 doubles, 12 triples, 11 home runs and 133 RBIs in 432 Major League games, Burroughs split last season between San Diego (.250, one homer, 17 RBIs) and Triple-A Portland (.290, three homers, 14 RBIs). The ninth overall selection by the Padres in the 1998 First-Year Player Draft, Burroughs led all National League third basemen in 2003 with a .286 average and set career highs in nearly every major offensive category. He batted a career-high .298 the following season.
Burroughs is the son of 1974 American League MVP Jeff Burroughs, who was taken by the Washington Senators with the first pick of the 1969 draft. Jeff and Sean Burroughs are the second father-son tandem to be selected in the first round, behind Tom and Ben Grieve.
"I've seen [Burroughs] in Spring Training with the Padres," said Rays manager Joe Maddon. "I always liked the defensive part of his game. Offensively, his power numbers haven't shown up yet. He's got a great bloodline. I look forward to seeing him on a more consistent basis."
Maddon also likes that Burroughs is a left-handed hitter.
The Rays added to their infield depth by signing free agent Ty Wigginton to a one-year deal on Jan. 10.
Wigginton, who has played every infield position but shortstop, hit .258 with seven home runs and 25 RBIs in 155 at-bats with the Pirates in 2005.
A right-handed hitter, Wigginton will act as a nice complement to the Rays' corner positions since Burroughs and Lee hit left-handed. Wigginton will primarily appear at first, third, as a designated hitter and as a pinch-hitter.
Wigginton, 28, owns a .262 career average with 41 home runs and 180 RBIs over 403 games with the Mets and Pirates.
Utility men Nick Green and Luis Rivas will provide further depth at third. Green started more games (83) at second base than any other position in 2005, but added 11 starts at third base.
Speculation about highly touted Minor League shortstop B.J. Upton moving to third base no longer exists, as the Rays are committed to having Upton start the season at shortstop. Whether that's at the Major League or Minor League level remains to be seen.

Source: http://tampabay.devilrays.mlb.com/