L.A. Left Corner Blues.

In the latest attempt to get something — anything — consistent out of the 3B position, the Dodgers are now trying what most of us would have suspected they should have at the beginning of the season: putting Nomar Garciaparra in the lineup there, starting Friday. It’s a move borne out of equal parts desperation and need for fresh blood — James Loney is hitting too well to be knocked out of the lineup at 1B (plus he’s a better defender) and neither Wilson Betemit nor Tony Abreu have panned out at the corner. Betemit is particularly disappointing as far as the Dodgers are concerned — he was supposed to be on the rise and ready to be a serious contributor after being acquired in a trade with the Braves last season, but has managed either to strike out or knock it out of the park.

Question is, what kind of offensive and defensive consistency are they actually going to get out of Nomar? Dusty Baker tried this with the Cubs when Aramis Ramirez was injured for a few games, and Garciaparra made his share of errors. We are not talking A-Rod here, who, at least this year, is playing like he could get a Gold Glove at 3B for the first time. And it’s not like the move will up the power numbers at the position — Nomar’s 1 measly homer this season is actually making it worse. Abreu started hot, but his average has dropped over 50 points recently, so he’s out, at least for now — and in a lineup where offensive production is not a given, any offense Grady Little can get would be a benefit. The organization is still paying the price for letting Adrian Beltre sign with Seattle after a career year two seasons ago, and while Beltre is actually playing up to potential at times, even his slumping would have been better output than what the Dodgers have gotten the last couple of years from the position.

Not to say that Chone Figgins is anyone’s idea of a great 3B in Anaheim, and if he were still in the slump he was in from the start, I’d discuss him more. However, he’s hitting at a nasty clip, so he’s off the hook for now, especially because there are no power-hitting 3Bs on the trade market right now, unless part of Bill Stoneman’s magic bag of tricks involves not only conning Andy MacPhail and Peter Angelos into coughing up Miguel Tejada, but then being able to convince Tejada to play third.

(Photo: AP/Ross D. Franklin)