Akinori Iwamura

The Rays asked Iwamura to move from third base to second after the 2007 season, and his successful transition was a key factor in the club's 2008 turnaround. Iwamura's batting line actually dropped a bit in his second year in the majors (losing more than 40 points of OPS), but the Rays more than made up for that offense when Evan Longoria replaced Iwamura at third base. Iwamura faded a bit down the stretch, hitting just .242 in September; and between the World Series and the World Baseball Classic, he won't have much of an offseason, so a slow start is possible.

As expected, Iwamura's home-run power dropped quite a bit in the move from Japan, but everything else went well, as Iwamura showed on-base ability, gap power and great defense at third base. Iwamura did go into a tailspin right after the break (.644 OPS in his first 35 games in the second half), but he finished strong (.293, .832 OPS in his last 36 games). The Rays will try to move Iwamura to second base in spring training to clear room for prospect Evan Longoria at third. That's a tough transition, going against the grain of the defensive spectrum, but the Rays think Iwamura has the range and throwing arm to pull it off.

Iwamura has been Japan's best third baseman over the past few seasons, both offensively and defensively. He hit .311/.388/.543 in 145 games last year, with 32 HR, eight SB on nine attempts, and a 128:70 K:BB in 546 AB. Iwamura has hit 106 homers over the past three seasons. That power likely won't translate well to the majors since his home park in Japan had a very short rightfield porch, but in a gap-friendly park like Tropicana Field, expect Iwamura to put up good batting and on-base averages. His defense will also help the Rays' pitchers tremendously, whether he plays at third base or second.

Iwamura, a left-handed slugger who turned 27 in February, is considered the best third baseman in Japan at the moment. He hit .320/.390/.556 in 2005, with 29 homers in 137 games (down from the 44 he hit in 2004). He won't be able to leave Japan of his own accord until after the 2007 season, but he's one to watch in keeper leagues.