Is Darwin Barney An Everyday Player?

JMWerner

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Darwin Barney is hitting .435 this Spring Training, and this comes on the heels of a solid, if unspectacular, rookie season.

But do you guys think he's really an every day player? After all, he sported a .313 OBP last season.

Here's some evidence to suggest that maybe, just maybe, the Cubs have another Ryan Theriot on their hands, which is useful, just not valuable:

Is Darwin Barney an Everyday Player?
 
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Shawon0Meter

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Coming on the heels of a 71 – 91 record, the team is likely to open with an outfield consisting of three mid-to-late 30s hitters: Alfonso Soriano, 36, Marlon Byrd, 34, and David DeJesus, 32. The franchise’s starting first baseman, Bryan LaHair, is 29-years-old, has less than 200 major league at bats, and profiles more as a platoon player rather than a full-timer. Manning third base will be Ian Stewart, once touted as the number four prospect in baseball that now has a career line of .236/.323/.428. Behind the plate is Geovany Soto, who’s 2008 season (.285/.364/.504) is just a faded memory and has hit .240/.339/.427 since.

The members of the rotation are either old (Ryan Dempster), have limited ceilings (Travis Wood, Randy Wells, Paul Maholm, Chris Volstad), has more than a few questions marks (Jess Samardzija) or likely won’t be around (Matt Garza) during the club’s rebuilding climax. And as for the bullpen, well, Carlos Marmol is maddeningly inconsistent; Kerry Wood, 34, is old and the rest of the bunch is fringe big leaguers for the most part.

All that’s left is shortstop Starlin Castro and his double-play partner Darwin Barney.
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Championship.
 
Mr. Cub

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I like Barney. He is coming into only his second full season in the Majors. I say give him a chance before saying he's a role player. Dude has had an awesom spring so far. And if the stuff he has done in the off-season will help him through the grind of a full schedule we could expect a "Theriot" like or better performance from the guy. I am a Barney supporter.
 

Rice Cube

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Barney is a backup on just about every other team except the Astros. But he's useful for what he's getting paid.
 
Capt. Serious

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Uh yeah it is. Barney's defense isn't that spectacular.
 

ZAN

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Rice Cube said:
Barney is a backup on just about every other team except the Astros. But he's useful for what he's getting paid.
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False. Altuve is a better player than Barney.

We need to stop acting like we expect more from Barney. To be honest, he's ..275-.280 hitting, solid glove, situational hitting second baseman. He's a perfect 2-hitter. We just have nothing else, so we act like we need Dan Uggla type power/run production out there at second.
 
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Rice Cube

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ZAN said:
False. Altuve will be a better player than Barney.

We need to stop acting like we expect more from Barney. To be honest, he's ..275-.280 hitting, solid glove, situational hitting second baseman. He's a perfect 2-hitter. We just have nothing else, so we act like we need Dan Uggla type power/run production out there at second.
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I think for a building/rebuilding team, Barney is fine. He's league minimum and he makes enough contact with the bat that the defenses will at least play him honestly. He's a good enough defender by various defensive metrics and scouting that he can back up both middle infield positions if he weren't starting at second. He is what he is.

If the team were contending, then you'd want to upgrade that position offensively, but the defense is nice to have. If you're not going to outslug the opponent, at least prevent them from scoring cheap runs.
 

DewsSox79

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he is fine for the stop gap/rebuilding team.

no way he is a starter on a contending team.
 

waldo7239117

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He's fine.. Not the starter type, but he's good enough to start. IF he plays like the first half last year.
 
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