Dodgers 2014 profile: Juan Uribe, back for more

The redemption story of Juan Uribe in 2013 was remarkable, so much so that he was able to not only play out the entirety of a three-year contract that was maligned from day one, but was also able to re-sign with the Dodgers for two more years.

One year ago, this was unheard of. Uribe was coming off two disastrous seasons, and didn't have a regular job heading into 2013. But a bounce-back year and one NLDS-winning home run later, Uribe is back for more.

In many ways, the concerns with Uribe now are the same as they were when he inked a three-year, $21 million contract heading into 2011:

But what if Uribe isn't an upgrade, or a marginal one at best? Remember, Uribe spent his age 25-28 years hitting .241/.284/.409, a 77 OPS+ with the White Sox. He does have a career on-base percentage of .2998, after all. There is the fear that Uribe could revert to his almost-out-of-baseball status at any time.

Three years later, Uribe's career OBP is .2990, and he's heading into his age-34 season, not his age-31 campaign.

But whether or not Uribe hits, his strength will be with the glove at third base. He was one of the best defenders at the hot corner in baseball in 2013 by most measures and was a finalist for the National League Gold Glove Award at the position. If he can start 120 games and continue to be solid defensively, the Dodgers will be happy with just about anything at the plate.

Unless he repeats 2011-2012 again.

Trivia

Uribe ranks 10th among L.A. Dodgers with 200 starts at third base. If he stays a regular for both years of his contract, Uribe will likely pass Pedro Guerrero for fourth place, at 367 starts.

Uribe in three years has seven stolen bases in eight attempts, the seventh-highest success rate in Dodgers history (minimum eight attempts).

Contract status

Uribe got a $2 million signing bonus in signing his two-year, $15 million contract. He will receive $6.5 million in salary in 2014, the first year of the new deal.

Previous profiles

2013: One more try

2012: Bounceback kid?

2011: The costly upgrade

Stats

2014 outlook

Dodgers third basemen as a whole hit .249/.309/.370 in 2013. Uribe won't start 150 games, but that production seems pretty much in line with Uribe's projections for 2014. I'll guess Uribe makes 122 starts at third base and hits .251/.306/.391 with 13 home runs, and wears at least four outrageous suits on the team plane. What's your guess?