Detroit Tigers: Who will be the Opening Day Second Baseman?

The heavy favorite to get the first crack at the everyday job at second base is Dixon Machado. The 26-year old is coming off a season in which he played a career-high 73 games. Of those 73 games, 59 came at shortstop or second base to spell Iglesias or Kinsler.

The Venezuelan has always been known more for his defense, hitting just .246 with a .303 on-base percentage in 105 Major League games. Machado is not known for power either, with just 10 career extra-base hits.

Machado showed improvement at the plate last year, hitting a career-best .259. While the sample is small, it gives optimists hope that he can continue to get better with more playing time.

The real value with Machado has always been with his defense. Baseball America rated him as the Best Defensive Infielder and the Best Infield Arm in the Detroit system for three straight years while he was in the minors.

An Iglesias-Machado double play duo could be a great defensive combination. However, if the Tigers are looking to replace Kinsler’s offense, they likely need to search elsewhere.