What Has Third Base Become?

A-Rod Steals Third on Adrian Beltre in Texas
(Ironic, I know)

The "Hot Corner" has become a position is looked at now almost more than any other position. Why you ask? Well I'll try to inform you. Third has now become a position where you have to field like a shortstop and hit like a first baseman. Before this off season (the year of the closer/first baseman), recent years have shown that third baseman are become more and more coveted by teams. Let's look at some of the recent trends at third. Who plays third base as of right now? Starting off the 2012 season, new third baseman, Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez will now take over third for the Miami Marlins thanks to Jose Reyes filling the shortstop position this off season. The defense on the left side of the field will not be as good as it was in '03 when they won the World Series, but it surely will be an improvement. But wait, who was that guy at third for the Marlins in 2003? Oh right, Miguel Cabrera. Since Prince Fielder has now taken over first for the Detroit Tigers, Cabrera is back to his original position in MLB at third. Want to know something remarkable about Cabrera? He's gained in the realm of 50 lbs from when he left the Marlins in '07. Playing third keeps you agile, and playing first, well look at Fielder. You can get big and still have great defense. So "Miggy" will certainly have to lose some weight to regain some agility and make sure he is able to field the ball well at third. Unfortunately for him, the 2012 Fielding Bible expects him to make plenty of errors throughout the season. So how does the average third baseman stack up to these power figures shifting to third? Unfortunately, he doesn't. How does the Chicago Cubs third baseman Ian Stewart stack up against A-Rod? He doesn't. How does Juan Uribe of the Dodgers compare to Ryan Zimmerman? He doesn't. The idea of a third baseman that can only field is out the door. Mark Reynolds of the Orioles does not have the greatest fielding percentage, but can hit 30 homers in a season. That's what the Orioles wanted, power! After signing Adrian Gonzalez to first base, the Red Sox were forced to move Kevin Youkilis back to third, which his defense lacked, but he still could drive in runs. Phillies fans can remember a time after Scott Rolen, when there was a platooning of David Bell (my favorite, seriously), Abraham Nunez, Wes Helms, and Greg Dobbs. In closing, I just hope that third base can become a position where baseball players can succeed, whether they are amazing fielders or power hitters, third base simply amazes me. In my opinion, there's almost nothing better than an "around the horn" double-play ball.