Red Sox opening day is less than a week away, which means Brian Daubach has almost survived a spring full of trade rumors that had him landing everywhere from Anaheim to Atlanta.

This spring the Sox have gone about the difficult task of purging the negativity following last year’s implosion and assembling a competitive team of players capable of acting like a cohesive unit. As they tried fitting too many guys into too few positions, a team player like Daubach dropped from starting first baseman to trade bait.

Interim Sox General Manager Mike Port claims Daubach is an important part of the 2002 Sox and he won’t wind up on a plane out of town. While this may be true, it begs the question of why the Sox signed Daubach to a long-term, high-priced contract and then handed the first base job to another high-salary first baseman in Tony Clark.

Brian Daubach isn’t an MVP-caliber player, and he has never won a Golden Glove. That doesn’t mean, however, he hasn’t made significant contributions to the Red Sox organization. Daubach is one of only five Red Sox players who have hit at least 20 home runs each of his first three seasons. That may not sound too impressive, but when the other four are Ted Williams, Tony Conigliaro, Jim Rice and Nomar Garciaparra, the company speaks for itself.

As for his fielding, Daubach has worked hard at that aspect of his game. Last year’s low fielding percentage doesn’t accurately portray the improvements he’s made in the field. If the Sox are intent on using him in a utility role, he is more than capable. He was efficient in 14 outfield starts last season, with a fielding percentage of 1.000. He also offers the Sox the added dimension of handling the emergency catcher role.

There are some knocks to Brian Daubach’s game. He struggles with left-handed pitching, and he is an extremely streaky hitter. While he will suffer through the occasional prolonged slump, Daubach hits anything in sight once he gets hot again. There is also the question of his speed. Ricky Henderson, 43, could lap the bases three times in the time it takes Daubach to make it to first. He never stops hustling, however, and very seldom are power hitters expected to be base-stealing threats.

This off-season, the Sox rewarded Daubach’s efforts by signing him to a contract that improved his base salary by almost 100 percent. Right after that signing, however, the Sox inked injury-prone first baseman Tony Clark to another high-priced contract. Rather than have the first basemen fight for the position, though, the Sox handed the job to Clark and assigned Daubach to the utility role. Daubach was disappointed by the decision, but he accepted it with a promise to play hard no matter where the manager felt he could help the team.

Daubach hasn’t helped himself this spring, posting horrendous numbers at the plate. Part of the problem can be attributed to former manager Joe Kerrigan’s decision to have Daubach change his swing at age 30. Citing his propensity to hit fly balls, Kerrigan had Daubach working on altering the mechanics of his swing. The move proved costly, as Daubach’s confidence was shaken by his poor performance with the new stance. New boss Grady Little allowed Daubach to return to the stance he used for all 22 home runs and 77 RBI last year, but by then he was already off to a bad spring and making Tony Clark look even better.

Beyond the statistics, Daubach brings a much-needed attribute to the Red Sox, and that is a good attitude. Last season, while almost every player on the Sox roster spouted off against coaches, management, teammates and fans, Brian Daubach kept his mouth shut and played baseball. The only person Daubach ever criticized was himself. While star players abandoned the team as though they were jumping from the Titanic, Daubach played hard until the last game.

Daubach wears a scarlet letter of sorts by being one of the replacement players who crossed the picket line during the 1994 players’ strike. He never actually played in a game; however, it is a mistake that follows him.

For his part, Daubach’s chances of ever making the majors were pretty slim; he was all set to play in Japan when the Sox offered him a chance at the pros four years ago.

So Daubach isn’t perfect, and he isn’t the best player on the team, but he is a hard worker, and he always plays with 100 percent effort. The Red Sox might still be looking to deal him, but that could prove to be a costly transaction. With Tony Clark’s long-term health questionable, it’s always good to have a guy like Daubach ready to step up to the plate.