Bartlett getting used to new combos

It was Aki and J.B., J.B. and Aki. Second baseman and shortstop together on the practice fields, together on the spring training stadium infields that dot the Gulf Coast.

That's how Jason Bartlett and Akinori Iwamura forged that important bond during the spring of 2008 when Bartlett arrived in a trade with Minnesota and Iwamura moved from third base to second to clear room for Evan Longoria.

"We had them follow each other around that first spring training when J.B. showed up so they could start developing that one kind of attitude or feeling," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.

This spring it will be J.B. and Ben Zobrist, J.B. and Sean Rodriguez, J.B. and Reid Brignac as Maddon sorts through the options that will lead to a second-base platoon.

Once the season starts, Bartlett will work with two double-play partners.

"It's not optimal to work two second basemen with one shortstop," Maddon said. "But, we're just going to have to figure out how to do that."

Ideally, Maddon said, he would like to have the same two middle infielders throughout the season. But the Rays want Zobrist in the lineup as much as possible, which means the super utility player, who turned into an All-Star during his breakout year in 2009, will see time at second base and right field.

Zobrist played 99 games at second last season when he replaced Iwamura, who missed 81 games because of a knee injury suffered May 24.

"I'm the most comfortable with (Zobrist) out there," Bartlett said. "But I also know what Reid can do, and I'll get to know what Sean can do. It's just something that with games under my belt with them, we'll be fine."

Bartlett is paired with Zobrist during at least the first week of spring training games, because Maddon is going to play Rodriguez with Brignac together, flipping the two between shortstop and second base.

At some point, Bartlett will be teamed with both so they can learn each other's habits.

"The main thing is the ball up the middle," Bartlett said. "I know Aki liked to go behind (second base) and I would come in front. It's just stuff like that. I'm not sure which guy is comfortable coming in and getting that backhand or staying back and letting me come through, but that's something we'll find out, and if we don't get a ball like that (during a spring game), I'll just ask them what they feel more comfortable with."

Maddon believes the double-play combination, or combinations, will work mainly because of Bartlett, who was also an All-Star last summer.

"The big thing is how comfortable is J.B., because you look at a second baseman, the way they feed the ball to you on a double play, whether it's backhand or a flip, all those little things can vary where it can cause a little bit of a timing issue with the shortstop," Maddon said. "And even the communication before the pitch, there's all these little things to be dealt with. On the surface, they don't seem that important, but they really are. It's not optimal from J.B.'s perspective, and I get that, but I know J.B. will figure it out."

Just as he did in 2008 when he was finding his way on a new team while helping a third baseman become a second baseman, Bartlett is confident he will be on half of a strong set of middle infielders regardless of who the other second baseman is on any given night.

"I'm going to know what all three will bring to the table as far as turning the double play, what they like to do, balls up the middle," Bartlett said. "Once I get that down, it really doesn't matter who's out there."