ultimately won by Jayson Nix, who subsequently started the regular season very poorly. With the benching of Nix, Barmes competed with teammates Jeff Baker and Omar Quintanilla for the starting second baseman role. Barmes would win the job. He produced very well as the second baseman, although sustained an injury that put him on the Disabled List for several weeks. Upon his return Barmes continued as the Rockies starting second baseman for the remainder of the season. Barmes walked into Spring Training prior to the 2009 season as the starting second baseman. 2009 season In 2009, Barmes started off the season with the starting job and hit nearly .300. He went into a hitting slump and dropped down to .225, and then jumped on a hot streak and went up to .296 on June 19. He hit 23 home runs on the year. 2010 season Started regularly at 2B for the Rockies but was switched to Shortstop following Troy Tulowitzki's wrist injury. When Tulowitzki returned from his injury Barmes moved back to 2B. Barmes struggled in the second half of the season and was benched in favor of Eric Young, Jr. He spent most of the 2nd half as a defensive replacement. Barmes finished the season hitting .235, 8 HR, and 50 RBI. Houston Astros On November 18, 2010, Barmes was traded to the Houston Astros for Felipe Paulino. He got his first hit for the Astros (a two-run double) on May 3, 2011. Pittsburgh Pirates Barmes signed a two-year, $10.5 million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates on November 21, 2011. On August 12, 2012, Barmes hit his first career grand slam to assist the Pirates in overturning a 5–2 deficit to an 11–5 victory against the Padres. Overall the 2012 season was not a success for Barmes, he batted .229 on 445 at bats with 8 home runs, 45 RBIs, 16 doubles, and one triple. The 2013 season started off on the same route as '12 which eventually led to him being benched in favor of rookie Jordy Mercer. Over the course of the 2013 season, Barmes platooned with Mercer at shortstop. On December 12, 2013, Barmes signed a new one-year, $2 million contract to rejoin the Pirates for 2014 as Mercer's backup. San Diego Padres On December 5, 2014, Barmes signed a 1-year deal with the San Diego Padres. On July 7, 2015, Barmes returned to Pittsburgh to