Previewing 10 Heated MLB Position Battles After Pile of Offseason Moves

It sure has been a busy MLB offseason.

Nearly all the impact free agents have signed big-money deals, and teams like the Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres have been ripping off trades at a ridiculous rate. 

All those moves have resulted in rosters around the league looking a whole lot different than they did at the end of the 2014 season. What follows is a rundown of the biggest position battles that have been created by the onslaught of offseason activity. 

Teams like the Padres and the Boston Red Sox simply have way too many outfielders, while the New York Yankees currently have a question mark at second base.

The Oakland Athletics' Starting Rotation

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The Battle

With Jon Lester, Jason Hammel and Jeff Samardzija all having departed this offseason, there are going to be a lot of new names in the Oakland Athletics' rotation in 2015.

Right now, Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir headline the staff, but after that the final three spots are up for grabs. Thanks to general manager Billy Beane's busy offseason of trades, there are all sorts of options on the club's 40-man roster. Here's a look at the arms who will be battling for a starting gig:

• Chris Bassitt
• Jesse Chavez
• Jesse Hahn
• Kendall Graveman
• Sean Nolin
• Drew Pomeranz

Out of all those pitchers, Hahn could be the most promising. Last year, the right-hander posted a 7-4 mark and a 3.04 ERA in 14 outings (12 starts) for the San Diego Padres.

There are also a couple of injured pitchers to factor into the equation. Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin both missed out on the 2014 season with elbow injuries, but they are on track to return to action at some point next summer.

The San Diego Padres' Outfield Situation

The Battle

The San Diego Padres have traded for a whole new outfield. 

This winter, the National League West club has added Matt Kemp, Wil Myers and Justin Upton. As a result, the Padres now have 11 outfielders on the team's 40-man roster.

With Kemp, Myers and Upton slated to start, there are a number of established big leaguers who are going to have to battle for bench jobs if they're not traded between now and the beginning of spring training. Seth Smith, Carlos Quentin, Will Venable and Cameron Maybin have all toppled way down the depth chart this offseason.

The New York Yankees' Second-Base Job

The Battle

It looks like the New York Yankees will be starting a rookie at second base in 2015. 

As GM Brian Cashman explained via George A. King III of the New York Post, Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela are the top top candidates to play that position next season.

The 23-year-old Refsnyder has never played in the big leagues, but he torched the upper minors in 2014. While splitting the season between Double-A and Triple-A, the right-handed hitter batted .318 with an .884 OPS, 38 doubles and 14 home runs. Pirela, who hit .305 in Triple-A last season, has appeared in just seven big league games.

Cashman told King that another player could be added to the mix: "I will evaluate opportunities that present themselves, but clearly if spring training started today that’s the competition."

The Los Angeles Dodgers' Outfield Situation

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The Battle

With Matt Kemp now a member of the San Diego Padres, the Los Angeles Dodgers' outfield picture is slightly less crowded—the key word being "slightly." 

Yasiel Puig and Carl Crawford will occupy two spots in the outfield at Dodger Stadium, but it's yet to be determined just who will be joining them. Top prospect Joc Pederson has the chance to crack the lineup as the club's new center fielder. Plus, veterans Andre Ethier, Scott Van Slyke and Chris Heisey are also in the running for playing time. 

It's difficult to envision how all six of those players will make the Opening Day roster. As a result, it's not out of the question that another trade could be on the way.

The Arizona Diamondbacks' Catching Situation

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The Battle

After trading Miguel Montero to the Chicago Cubs, the Arizona Diamondbacks have just two backstops on the roster in Tuffy Gosewisch and Oscar Hernandez. Gosewisch has racked up just 55 big league appearances, and Hernandez, who the club snagged in the Rule 5 draft, spent last season in Low-A. 

That situation indicates that the D-backs are in a prime position to bring in another catcher before the season gets underway. According to Nick Piecoro of AZCentral.com, GM Dave Stewart identified Dioner Navarro of the Toronto Blue Jays and Alex Avila of the Detroit Tigers as two players the team could look to acquire in a trade.

The Boston Red Sox's Outfield Situation

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The Battle

There are a lot of questions left to be answered when it comes to the composition of the Boston Red Sox outfield for the 2015 season. 

As Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald explains, Hanley Ramirez will be stationed in left field. After that, Shane Victorino, Mookie Betts and Rusney Castillo will be left to battle for playing time in center field and right field. As if that's not a big enough crowd, Jackie Bradley Jr., Allen Craig, Daniel Nava and Brock Holt are also on the roster.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' Catching Situation

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The Battle

After adding Yasmani Grandal in a five-player swap with the San Diego Padres, the Los Angeles Dodgers now have a couple of catchers to choose from. 

Neither Grandal nor A.J. Ellis offered much production at the plate a season ago. The switch-hitting Grandal checked in with a .225 average, but he did manage to connect on 15 home runs. Meanwhile, Ellis swung at a clip of just .191, as a knee injury limited him to 93 games. 

As Pedro Moura of the Orange County Register explains, one option for the Dodgers would be to have Grandal and Ellis share time behind the plate in 2015.

The Tampa Bay Rays' Outfield Situation

The Battle

Even though both Wil Myers and Matt Joyce have been traded away this offseason, the Tampa Bay Rays still have a ton of options in the outfield.

Brandon Guyer, David DeJesus, Desmond Jennings and Kevin Kiermaier all return from a season ago. Plus, the Rays have also added Steven Souza to the roster. Tampa Bay acquired Souza in the club's 11-player, three-team trade with the San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals. 

Last year, Souza had a monster season in Washington's minor league system. In 96 Triple-A contests, the right-handed hitter posted a .350 average with a 1.022 OPS, 25 doubles, 18 home runs and 26 steals. 

The 25-year-old is also capable of making some big-time plays in the outfield. As you can see in the video above, Souza made an unreal catch in the final game of the 2014 season to save Jordan Zimmermann's no-hitter.

The Philadelphia Phillies' Shortstop Job

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The Battle

With Jimmy Rollins' 15-year run with the Philadelphia Phillies now over, the team needs to find a new shortstop. 

Currently, Freddy Galvis has the inside track to winning that job, but GM Ruben Amaro Jr. didn't exactly offer the 25-year-old a vote of confidence.

"Right now, on the surface, it would look like Freddy Galvis would get an opportunity to do that," said Amaro, via Austin Laymance of MLB.com. "Whether he's earned it or not, we don't know. ... But nothing is etched in stone."

Based on Amaro's comments, it sounds like there's an excellent chance that the Phillies will be adding another player to compete with Galvis before Opening Day rolls around.

The Cleveland Indians' First-Base and Designated-Hitter's Spots

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The Battle

Manager Terry Francona is going to have some options when it comes to drawing up his lineup card for the Cleveland Indians in 2015. 

The Tribe has three players—Carlos Santana, Brandon Moss and Nick Swisher—for two spots at first base and the designated hitter's role. It's worth noting that both Moss (hip) and Swisher (knees) are rebounding from injuries.

Plus, Moss is capable of playing in the outfield. Of course Cleveland already has Michael Brantley, Michael Bourn and David Murphy to patrol the outfield.

Note: All stats courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball-Reference.com. All videos courtesy of MLB.com.

If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.