From Lee Sinins ...

The Blue Jays signed free agent SS Royce Clayton to a 1 year, $1.5 million contract.

YEAR  AGE RCAA   OBA  SLG   OPS   OWP    RC/G  AVG   HR  RBI   SB   G   TEAM
2004   34  -31  .338  .397  .735  .348   4.48  .279   8   54   10  146  Rockies     
2005   35  -25  .320  .351  .670  .336   3.64  .270   2   44   13  143  Diamondbacks
2006   36  -26  .307  .341  .648  .309   3.46  .258   2   40   14  137  Nationals/Reds
CAREER    -314  .313  .368  .680  .349   3.74  .258 109  711  229 2031
LG AVG       0  .340  .427  .767  .500   5.11  .270 230  994  150
POS AVG   -158  .326  .387  .713  .426   4.40  .266 137  777  178

Clayton could one day be a threat to the modern day record for worst career RCAA, which is about to belong to Neifi Perez.

1    Ski Melillo                -355  
2    Neifi Perez                -354  
3    Tommy Thevenow             -351  
4    Royce Clayton              -314  
5    Bill Bergen                -312  
6    Tim Foli                   -309  
7    Larry Bowa                 -307  
8    Alfredo Griffin            -306  
T9   Ozzie Guillen              -305  
T9   Don Kessinger              -305  

With 13 seasons with a double digit negative RCAA in his 15 year career, Clayton is an excellent bet to tie the record for most career double digit negative seasons in 2007--

T1   Roy McMillan             14  
T1   Rabbit Maranville        14  
T1   Ed Brinkman              14  
T1   Larry Bowa               14  
T5   Don Kessinger            13  
T5   Tim Foli                 13  
T5   Royce Clayton            13  
T5   Luke Sewell              13  
T5   Alfredo Griffin          13  
T5   Ozzie Guillen            13  

Is it a coincedence that they are all shortstops?  Too bad Clayton isn't a better defender which would then make it at least somewhat understandable. I'm wondering if JP doesn't have something else up his sleeve and Clayton may well be the backup infielder and not the starter.

Actually, Melillo was a 2B (I'd never heard of him and had to look that up.) But it is true that traditionally middle infield has been the offensive sinkhole -- before the era of Ripke/Trammell and Sandberg/Whitaker (before that, a little, Morgan) the very best HOF-type middle infielders were glove guys who maybe hit for average, but with rare exceptions, not for power.

So no, not a "coincidence," I wouldn't say.