The 33-year old Nixon had back surgery in December of 2006, which he blames for a down year with Cleveland in 2007. He was inked to a minor league deal with the D-Backs to fill in for Chad Tracy, who is slated to begin the year on the DL.

Although Nixon has never played a major league game at first base, he will serve as primary backup to Conor Jackson at that position, as well as become the team's primary left-handed bat off the bench until Tracy's return. The team has emphasized that they do not want Nixon to compete for an outfield role, but a strong April may change their minds.