LAS VEGAS — As one former St. Louis Cardinals shortstop finds a new home — Cesar Izturis has a deal in place with the Baltimore Orioles (see here, and over here at The Baltimore Sun) — the guy who had the job before him is presenting himself to the market from a new angle.

Meet David Eckstein, second baseman.

“He made the move to second there with Arizona at the end of the season and he told me, ‘Hey, I really feel comfortable there,” said Eckstein’s agent Ryan Gleichowski this afternoon at the Baseball Winter Meetings. “He played at second base his entire career until getting to the majors and making the switch to shortstop. He’s excited about looking at opportunities to play there again.”

Five teams have been in contact and expressed some interest in Eckstein. A few teams have talked with him about both middle infield spots, though the majority are intrigued by having him at second base. Gleichowski declined to say the teams.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have approached Eckstein, though they have some parts to move before finding him a spot. Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez are both on the trade block; Wilson has been shopped around for several weeks. If the Pirates move one or both of their infielders, Eckstein would be a ready-made fit for the team. Another team that has courted Eckstein in the past is San Diego and the Padres are in need of a second baseman. A year ago the Padres actually brought up the idea of signing Eckstein to start at second base.

A reunion with Arizona is not of the question, but doesn’t look like the fit right now.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are also in the market for a middle infielder.

And there is this litte tidbit about the Cardinals current shortstop, Khalil Greene, who it turns out could have been the Cardinals future catcher. That’s what Greene’s high school coach told Padres beat writer Tom Krasovic back in 2006:

MIAMI — Back in 1998, when the Padres were destined to go to a World Series, Khalil Greene was choosing shortstop over a big payoff from the St. Louis Cardinals.

“The Cardinals told me that if Khalil would have agreed to switch to catcher, they would have drafted him in the first three rounds and paid him $250,000,” said Brooks Cary, who coached Greene at Key West High. “Khalil said no thanks, if I can’t play shortstop in the big leagues, I don’t want to play in the big leagues.”

Greene went on to Clemson, starting out as a third baseman before moving to shortstop.

Greene had excelled as a shortstop for Key West, a regular powerhouse in Florida’s baseball tournaments. But he was no stranger to catcher, a position he had played in Little League. Padres scouting director Bill Gayton believed Greene could be a terrific catcher, but chose him 13th overall in the 2002 draft as a shortstop.

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