Where does Rickie Weeks fit in with the Diamondbacks?

The Diamondbacks signed former Brewers infielder Rickie Weeks to a minor league deal on Saturday.

Okay. Maybe this signing wasn’t as exciting as the Zack Greinke deal. But Weeks is still somewhat of a household name. He was drafted second overall in 2003 with the Brewers and played in Milwaukee until the 2014 season.

Last year, Weeks was with the Mariners, and failed to produce. In just 37 games with Seattle last season, Weeks batted .167/.263/.25o before being released in June.

This could be Weeks’ last shot to make a major league roster. He obviously won’t be competing for a starting spot, but Chip Hale said on Saturday that he could be in the mix as a backup outfielder. Hale said Weeks will see most of his reps in the outfield, though he will presumably see some at his native second base.

The Diamondbacks already have a crowded middle infield situation between Nick Ahmed, Chris Owings and the newly-acquired Jean Segura competing for starting spots, so it would be difficult for Weeks to carve out a spot there barring injuries. But Weeks could realistically be a fourth or fifth outfielder on the Opening Day roster. He will be competing against guys like Socrates Brito and Peter O’Brien, who have very little major league experience, for one of the last spots on the major league roster

A backup outfield spot could be benificial for both Weeks and the Diamondbacks. He batted .274/.357/.452 in 252 at-bats in a bench role with Milwaukee in 2014, just two years ago. This is more recent than Jean Segura’s last productive season in 2013. So if Weeks can regain his previous form on the bench, he could become a solid pinch-hit option this season. He will need to have a spectacular spring training to make this a reality.