The wanderings of Brian Dozier

It wasn't that long ago that Brian Dozier was arugably the best second baseman in the game. Coming out of the 2017 season he had averaged more than 30 homers a year over a four-year stretch, he won a Gold Glove ... and he was going into the walk year of his contract, and the Twins were showing little interest in locking him up with an extension.

Today the Twins appear to have been correct in that assessment. Dozier still has some pop, but now it's 20 homers a year, not 30, and with a sharply lower batting average -- not that batting average was ever really his strong suit.

The Twins traded him during the 2018 season to the Dodgers, who expected him to plug second base; they soon shifted to a platoon role for him and let him go after the season. The Nationals signed him, and he opened 2019 as their second baseman, but by the stretch run he was a spare part there as well.

He finally signed a 2020 contract over the weekend, after exhibition games had already begun -- a minor league deal with the Padres. San Diego doesn't have an established second baseman, and he may beat out Jurickson Profar for the job there, but one has to figure he hits camp in Arizona behind Profar.

At least he's got two World Series, and one title, out of his post-Twins wanderings.