Making the team: Brian Barden

With Spring Training comes a series of no-names and known names in camp vying for a roster spot somewhere -- maybe with the Texas Rangers, maybe in the minors or maybe with another team in need of a fifth outfielder, utility infielder or bullpen arm.

Here are those names for the Rangers.

I've always considered Brian Barden a name. I could have swore he's played a couple of seasons of 100+ games with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Nope. He's played in 119 total games in four seasons between Arizona, St. Louis and Florida. He played a career-high 52 games with the Cards in 2009. So, maybe I was thinking of that lone year.

The irony of his two doubles and three RBI he's already knocked in Spring Training games is that he has four career doubles in the regular season and 14 RBI in 175 career at-bats.

Barden was a sixth-round pick in the 2002 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks out of Oregon State University.

Two years later, he was in Triple A - Tucson and from 2004-06 he hit 101 doubles and drove in 231 runs.

Ready for the bigs, right?

A brief call-up by Arizona resulted in being picked up off waivers by St. Louis. He spent most of 2007 and 2008 in the minors, where he again performed well. When Florida signed him last year, he spent a portion of it in Triple A - New Orleans and hit 14 doubles. Still, when he was called up, he had five hits in 28 at-bats and no RBI.

He was released in June. The Rangers invited him to Spring Training in December 2010.

Barden's biggest attributes are that he's still 29 (30 in April) and that he's proven all he can prove in the minors. It's Majors or bust.

Also, Barden's played every infield position outside of catcher and even a little outfield. He's probably more natural at third base or shortstop.

I definitely see him sticking around if another team doesn't come knocking, although he'll be in Oklahoma City. The Rangers are deep at the designated hitter, third base, utility infield spots and it'll take a lot to get any playing time in the Majors. But it's not out of the question. You can use a guy like Barden. He's a man that's good to have after time.