Spring position battles should be fierce
Angels shortstop
The contenders: Erick Aybar, Maicer Izturis, Brandon Wood
Heading into Cactus League play, Aybar is the favorite. But, if his struggles persist (he hit only .237 AVG/.279 OBP/.289 SLG with the Angels in 2007, and he put up poor numbers in Dominican Winter League play this off-season), then utility-man Izturis could sneak in. Also a possibility is moving top position prospect Brandon Wood back to short from third base.
Brewers' fifth starter
The contenders: David Bush, Chris Capuano, Manny Parra
Bush has been the Brewers' fifth man for most of the last two seasons, but despite strong command indicators, he put up an ERA of 5.12 ERA in 2007. Obviously, the Brewers are going to need better innings from the five spot if they're going to return to the postseason for the first time since 1982. If Bush struggles this spring, then Capuano, who's coming off shoulder surgery, could step in. Also a possibility is the 25-year-old Parra. Parra has the best stuff of any of the contenders, but Ned Yost may prefer to play the veteran hand. That might be a mistake.
Cubs fifth starter
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| Do the Cubs need a third lefty in the rotation? Sean Marshall hopes so. (Mark Lyons / Getty Images) |
The newly signed Lieber enters camp as the frontrunner, but he'll need to address concerns about his age, lackluster performance in 2007, and recent injury history. As for Dempster, he hasn't made a start since 2005, and he's got a career ERA of 4.99 as a starter. Marshall, meanwhile, figures to be the Cubs' best option. He posted a 3.92 ERA for the Cubs last season, he's got a strong minor-league track record and he's only 25. Still, young players have less margin for error in Spring Training when they're competing with vets, so Marshall can't miss a beat if he's to win the job from Lieber.
Dodgers third baseman
The contenders: Nomar Garciaparra, Andy LaRoche
If common sense prevails, then LaRoche will win this job. The Dodgers' struggled all of last season to get adequate production from third base, and LaRoche gives them their best chance to reverse course in 2008. LaRoche is a career .294 AVG/.374 OBP/.524 SLG hitter in the minors, and last season he was even better than that at Class AAA Las Vegas. Garciaparra, meanwhile, is injury prone, very much in decline, and defensively challenged at the position. Unless LaRoche is in the lineup every day at third, the Dodgers will have trouble competing in the tough NL West.
Indians fifth starter
The contenders: Aaron Laffey, Cliff Lee, Adam Miller, Jeremy Sowers
The Tribe would love for Sowers to step up and take the job, but thus far he hasn't. In fact, Sowers has battled injury in his young career, and he posted a 6.42 ERA in 2007. More to the point, there's some concern over whether a pitcher with Sowers' middling stuff can miss enough bats to survive at the highest level. Lee struggled just as badly as Sowers last season, but his superior stuff may give him an edge going forward. Laffey is in the Sowers mold of soft-tossing lefties, but Miller has one of the best arms in the system. On the other hand, Miller struggled in the minors last season and was even worse in the Arizona Fall League. This one's wide open.
Mariners right fielder
The contenders: Wladimir Balentien, Mike Morse, Jeremy Reed, Brad Wilkerson
Wilkerson heads to Spring Training as the clear favorite, but things could change before Opening Day. After all, let's keep in mind that Wilkerson last season posted an OBP of just .319 despite playing his home games in one of the AL's best parks for hitters, and now he'll be toiling in run-suppressing Safeco. At the very least, he'll need a platoon partner. That likely means part-time duty for Morse or Balentien. As for Reed, a lefty hitter like Wilkerson, he's likely out of luck unless Wilkerson struggles badly in the early going, or gets hurt.
Padres left fielder
The contenders: Scott Hairston, Chase Headley
The Padres badly need a bat to replace the departed Milton Bradley in left, and Hairston and Headley are their best hopes. Last season, Hairston slugged a robust .644 for the Padres, but that was over a span of just 95 plate appearances. So, when viewed in light of his mediocre career numbers, it's clear that Hairston's power spike wasn't the real thing. He's not likely to produce at an adequate level, particularly as a corner outfielder. Headley, meanwhile, has done nothing but hit since being drafted in 2005 as a second-rounder out of the University of Tennessee. Last season, Headley hit .330 despite playing in the Texas League's toughest park for hitters, so he's legit. Headley's a converted third baseman, which means he could endure some fits and starts defensively. Don't be surprised if Headley and Hairston wind up platooning in left.
Red Sox center fielder
The contenders: Coco Crisp, Jacoby Ellsbury
Reportedly, the Red Sox are shopping Crisp, which means the job figures to go to Ellsbury. However, if the Boston front office is unable to consummate a trade before Opening Day, do they give regular duty to Ellsbury, or do they showcase Crisp in the hopes that they can trade him during the season? Ellsbury is modestly better offensively, while Crisp is modestly better with the glove. As such, you might see the Sox play it as they did for part of the postseason — with Ellsbury as the starter and Crisp as his late-inning caddy. Of course, if Crisp is dealt within the next six weeks, then the job is Ellsbury's. On the other hand, if Ellsbury struggles badly in the Grapefruit League, then the Sox may decide that he's in need of further seasoning at the Triple-A level.
Reds center fielder
The contenders: Jay Bruce, Ryan Freel, Norris Hopper
Jay Bruce, the top prospect in all of baseball, will either open the season as the starting center fielder in Cincinnati or as the starting center fielder in Louisville, home of the Reds' Triple-A affiliate. There's little doubt that Bruce deserves the major-league job and would give the Reds' the best chance to win. However, in order to win the battle, Bruce must first best Ryan Freel, who has on-base skills and, to hear the fans and media tell it, enough grit and moxie to choke an Eckstein. In reality, though, Freel isn't the player Bruce is, and he's stretched as a regular. The biggest thing he may have going for him in this battle is Dusty Baker's almost pathological preference for veterans of any shape, size and ability. As for Hopper, he's probably a threat to win the job only in the event of injury.
Yankees fifth starter
The contenders: Ian Kennedy, Mike Mussina
Mussina is the seasoned vet fighting to avoid bullpen detail, and Kennedy is the gifted youngster looking to remind Yankee fans that the organization's crop of young pitching consists of more than "just" Philip Hughes and Joba Chamberlain. If Mussina can capitalize on the success he had last September (3.49 ERA for the month), then he'll have the inside track. On the other hand, Kennedy looked very strong in three late-season starts, and going forward he's got quite a high ceiling. Of course, if Chamberlain opens the season in the bullpen, then they'll be room in the rotation for both Mussina and Kennedy.
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