I was trying to figure out how is range dipped at 2B if he plays SS all the time.

he does have some value to us but I wonder if anyone else would want him?

BP translates Barden’s AAA line to a Major League EQA of .240, which is equal to Brendan Ryan and at least 10 points better than all our other middle infielders.

So even if Barden’s defense at short isn’t quite there, why not run him out there at second base? He’s clearly worth a roster spot over Kennedy at this point, especially since he at least provides the possibility of playing some shortstop.

He’s a utility man in the sense that he’s willing to stand at various positions without getting too mad at the manager. Still, I’m certain he could outhit Kennedy without committing murder to the Cardinals’ defense. I have to say that it’s nice to be talking about guys in the minors as potential legitimate fill-ins rather than just a guy to call up b/c someone got hurt, as Memphis has been for some years now.

He was the best defensive 3B in the PCL last year. Don’t know how he does at short, but I could see him being a nice Spiezio-type corner utility player, especially if his bat continues to come back to where it looked earlier in his milb career.

I have always heard good things about his defense. He can hit so if you put that all together at SS or 2B he could be a valuable utility guy or maybe even a starter.

From what I saw of his splits this year he is hitting both lefties and righties.

I’ve seen Barden play a few times this season, and he’s always looked competent if not exceptional. He looks sure of himself and can turn a smooth double-play, but I doubt his range is quite what you’d like from a SS. He reminds me of somebody like Mark DeRosa.

trade bait, or hold him until next year when Iz2 and Miles come off the books?

Barden’s break or range to either side didn’t look so good. He also made one backhanded play that looked clumsy, probably because of his footwork. He missed on dives, one to each side. Good strong accurate throws, though. I hope I caught him on the wrong night.

Perhaps he IS being groomed as a utility player. I’d say Ryan’s defense at shortstop is considerably better, but hey, there’s a definite sample size caveat here.