Jeff Kent

Jeff Kent retired and now there's some debate as to whether he's a Hall of Famer. His offensive stats are extremely impressive for second basemen. He hit almost 400 home runs, has over 1500 RBI, and has close to 2500 hits. He passes Ryne Sandberg in practically every major offensive category, even batting average, and I think that most people would agree that Sandberg is the yardstick for greatness among second basemen.
However, Kent and defense didn't really go hand-in-hand. Where Sandberg got 9 Gold Gloves, Kent had zero. And Kent, despite his offensive numbers, only managed 4 Silver Sluggers. That shocked me, but not as much as learning that Sandberg had 7, including 5 straight. Sandberg was also a 10 time All-Star, whereas Kent made it half as many times.
At first blush, Kent looks like a Hall of Famer. I mean, all those home runs, hits, and RBI from a second baseman is something that has to be acknowledged by the Hall, right? But if you look at his All-Star appearances, his lack of Gold Gloves, and his few Silver Sluggers, you start to wonder if he is a Hall of Famer after all. Maybe, on further inspection, Kent is more a product of his era. Kent benefited from smaller ball parks, expansion, and watered-down pitching. I don't hard, it's hard to say.
To be honest, I really can't come to an opinion on this one. Thoughts? I can't make up my mind and could use some help. I think that Ted Keith from SI.com is right -- we need more time to evaluate Kent and compare him to other second basemen from his era, just before, and shortly thereafter.