Mark Grudzielanek

Talk about consistency, Grudzielanek’s average has hovered around .300 for all but five of his 12 full major league seasons, including .302 at the ripe age of 37 in 2007. He still has a solid glove, committing just six errors at second base last year -- his third-lowest total since sliding over to second in 2000. Still, his age is beginning to show, as he played a career-low 116 games in 2007 due to injury. While his slugging percentage has climbed in recent years, he provides little pop, hitting 13 total home runs in his two years in Kansas City. You can expect more of the same out of Grudzy in 2008, a solid batting average, but not much else.

Grudzielanek has turned in two nearly duplicate seasons playing in 2005 for St. Louis and in 2006 for Kansas City. Considering 2006 was his first season in the American League, that's a nice feat. The greatest difference between the two seasons is that he won his first Gold Glove while committing only four errors and setting the team mark for consecutive games without an error. He'll be back near the top of the order for Kansas City in 2006, which could be a nicer place to be with a group of hot, young bats entering the picture.

A career .287 hitter, Grudzielanek nudged his numbers up a bit in 2005. He was particularly effective in the second half, hitting .316 with an OPS 90 points higher than before the break. As middle infielders go, he's certainly worth a look.

For the second season in a row, Grudzielanek put up passable numbers for a middle infielder, but an inflamed Achilles' tendon limited him to just 257 AB. He'll open as the starter at second base for St. Louis this spring.

Grudzielanek actually had a decent season for the Cubs in 2003, going .314/.366/.416 in 481 at-bats. His numbers were up in part because he drew a few more walks (30 last year as opposed to 22 in 536 at-bats two seasons ago), and a lot more of his hits dropped in (six more in 55 fewer at-bats). Some of this can be attributed to the fact that he got out of Dodger Stadium, a notoriously bad hitter's park with lots of foul ground, so he could repeat his 2003 showing at Wrigley Field in 2004. Still, he still doesn't walk much, he doesn't run much, he doesn't hit for power, and he turns 34 this season. Grudzielanek re-signed with the Cubs in December of 2003 and will be their starting second baseman again in 2004.

Here's a guy without much power who refuses to take a walk, no longer steals bases and no longer has a starting job. Expect him to back up Bobby Hill at second base this season and to exude 'veteran-ness,' a quality which will mysteriously help his team win games, at least according to some old-school management types.