Early Predictions for the Winners of MLB's Hottest Spring Position Battles

With most of the offseason transactions now out of the way, it's time to focus on the position battles we will see take place over the next few months. 

Many MLB squads have most of their starting nine ironed out at this point in the winter, but more than a few clubs will use spring training as a battleground to help choose between potential candidates. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Yasmani Grandal in the Matt Kemp trade, but will he or A.J. Ellis be calling the pitches come Opening Day?

Both the Oakland A's and the Atlanta Braves have yet to fully fill out their starting rotations, while the Chicago White Sox still need to decide on a second baseman. 

Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox have a handful of outfielders competing for just two spots. How will the club fill those openings with its crop of current players?

The following slides will try to diagnose a few of the more competitive position battles in the game headed into the spring.

Here we go!

The Los Angeles Dodgers' Catcher

The Candidates

• A.J. Ellis
• Yasmani Grandal

The Skinny

With A.J. Ellis struggling at the dish and with the injury bug last season, the Dodgers' catching job is wide open with both Ellis and the newly-acquired Yasmani Grandal hoping to get the nod. 

Ellis has been a mainstay in Chavez Ravine over the last few seasons, starting behind the plate for most of the past three years. He hasn't knocked the cover off the ball, posting a .238 average and 97 wRC+, but those numbers were diminished by an atrocious 2014. Ellis hit .191 with a .323 OBP last season. 

But the 33-year-old's impact has always extended further than his production at the plate. Ellis has built quite the camaraderie with his pitching staff in L.A., as evidenced by Clayton Keshaw's recent comments about his battery-mate. 

Kershaw told Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times that he thought the Dodgers would "be losing a lot if we let him go" and that "I won't know what I'm going to do if he's not back." 

L.A. listened to its star hurler, avoiding arbitration to sign Ellis to a $4.25 million deal. 

The Dodgers did, however, bring on Grandal when the club decided to part ways with Matt Kemp. At 26, Grandal presents significant upside, despite struggling in 2014. 

The switch-hitter slashed .225/.307/.401 last season. Although Grandal flashed some pop with 15 homers, his 111 wRC+ was hardly spectacular. 

A season-ending knee injury affected him at the plate last season, but Grandal figures to be ready to go for spring training. The Dodgers are hoping that a healthy Grandal will see the catcher return to his previous form at the plate. 

Grandal's also considered one of the better pitch-framers in the game. Mark Simon at ESPN Stats and Info notes that Grandal "rated best in the majors at getting strikes called when he should." 

The Prediction 

By season's end, Grandal will likely be getting the bulk of the work behind the plate for the Dodgers. Expect A.J. Ellis to work primarily with Kershaw due their familiarity and relationship together. 

The Chicago White Sox Second Baseman

The Candidates

• Gordon Beckham
• Emilio Bonifacio
• Micah Johnson
• Carlos Sanchez

The Skinny

The Chicago White Sox have positioned themselves to make a run at an AL Central title this season, but the club will enter spring training with an open competition at second base. 

With the recent signing of Gordon Beckham, the White Sox now have four potential options to fill the opening in the middle of the diamond. Youngsters Carlos Sanchez and Micah Johnson will likely be competing for a roster spot, while Beckham and Bonifacio provide the White Sox with versatility. 

Before the arrivals of Bonifacio and Beckham, general manager Rick Hahn told Danny Hayes at CSN Chicago that there would be "open competition" between Sanchez and Johnson for the job. Hahn alluded to Sanchez's major league experience as in important difference between the two. 

That big league experience is all of 28 games, and Sanchez did little to impress in his cup of coffee with the club to end the season. His .250 average wasn't too bad, but a strikeout percentage of 24 percent might be enough reason to be alarmed. 

Meanwhile, Johnson's pure speed has helped him climb the developmental ranks. MLB.com describes his speed as his "best tool" and that it "grades out at the top of the scale." Johnson has paired that speed with an above-average approach at the plate, fanning only 13 percent of the time at Triple-A last season. 

That approach was on full display last spring, when Johnson singled home a run in a lefty-on-lefty matchup in the clip above.

Beckham provides the White Sox with a veteran presence, capable of playing a multitude of infield spots. But the 28-year-old has yet to live up to his first-round talent, opening the door for either Johnson or Sanchez to win the job.  

The Prediction

If Johnson can prove he's capable of keeping his strikeouts down in spring training, his upside and the alternate dimension he can add to the White Sox lineup should help him clinch the spot. 

The Atlanta Braves' Fifth Starter

The Candidates

• Mike Foltynewicz
• Wandy Rodriguez
• Manny Banuelos
• Chien-Ming Wang
• Eric Stults

The Skinny

The Atlanta Braves may not score that many runs this season, but their pitching staff figures to be among the National League's best. Julio Teheran, Shelby Miller, Alex Wood and Mike Minor will provide the Braves with young, cost-effective pitching production. 

However, with the departures of Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy, Atlanta will have an open spot to fill in spring training at the back of its rotation. President of Baseball Operations John Hart has assembled a group of candidates, both young and old, to compete for that job. 

Hurlers like Wandy Rodriguez and Chien-Ming Wang are years removed from their peaks, leaving the veteran Eric Stults and youngsters Manny Banuelos and Mike Foltynewicz as the most likely to crack the rotation.

Stults was recently signed to a minor league deal, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman. The southpaw enjoyed some success in 2013 with the San Diego Padres, posting a sub-4.00 ERA. But that ERA increased to a 4.30 mark a season ago. 

Banuelos was once considered one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, but injuries and inconsistencies have derailed his career. But at just 23, the lefty can work his way into the rotation if he can flash his previous quality.

The Braves shipped Evan Gattis to the Houston Astros this offseason, bringing back the hard-throwing Foltynewicz in return. The 23-year-old has constantly lit up radar guns in his young career, throwing both a two and four seam fastball in the upper 90s. Those heaters were on display in a four-strikeout appearance against the Cleveland Indians in the video above. 

ESPN's Keith Law believes that Foltynewicz alone is a "more valuable asset" than Gattis. 

The Prediction 

The final spot in the rotation will be awarded to the hurler that pitches the best in spring training, but Foltynewicz's potential pits him as the favorite headed into the spring. 

The Oakland Athletics' Fourth and Fifth Starters

The Candidates

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

The Skinny

Billy Beane went all-in last season, trading for Jon Lester and Jeff Samardzija to bolster his pitching staff for the stretch run. Lester and Samardzija joined Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir to form one of the top rotations in the American League.

Unfortunately for the Oakland A's, that staff was unable to win the AL West. Instead, Oakland collapsed against the Kansas City Royals in the AL Wild Card Game. 

Fast-forward a few months and the A's rotation looks markedly different. Lester and Samardzija hit free agency and ended up in the Windy City, leaving Gray and Kazmir as the only proven commodities in the Oakland staff. 

Jesse Chavez will likely claim the third spot in the rotation, after he posted a 3.45 ERA in 21 starts last season. But the final two spots in the rotation will be up for grabs in spring training. 

One of those candidates, Drew Pomeranz, enjoyed some success in Oakland last year after leaving the Colorado Rockies. The lefty recorded a 2.35 ERA in 10 starts for the A's last season, although his 3.77 FIP muddies the water in terms of Pomeranz's expected production. 

The other favorite to lock down a spot on the staff is Jesse Hahn, who impressed in 12 major league starts with the San Diego Padres last season. The right-hander went 7-4 with a 3.07 ERA and over eight K's per nine innings. Hahn's ground-ball rate was also above 50 percent. 

While Pomeranz and Hahn should end up winning the final spots in the rotation, the pair figures to be pushed by a handful of other candidates. 

Sean Nolin was part of the Josh Donaldson-Brett Lawrie deal and posted a 3.50 ERA in 17 Triple-A starts. Kendall Graveman also came over in that blockbuster, and the right-hander impressed at both High-A and Triple-A with above-average control. Chris Bassitt's arrival in Oakland was due to the Samardzija deal, but the 25-year-old has flashed strikeout potential in the minors  

The Prediction

Pomeranz and Hahn will likely get the nod to begin the season, but the A's used offseason deals to acquire other young low-risk, high-reward hurlers to push for a rotation spot. 

The Boston Red Sox Final Two Outfield Spots

The Candidates

• Rusney Castillo
• Mookie Betts
• Shane Victorino
• Brock Holt
• Allen Craig
• Jackie Bradley Jr. 
• Daniel Nava

The Skinny

The Boston Red Sox were active in free agency this winter, signing both Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval to lucrative contracts. 

It will be Ramirez who will be changing positions, moving from shortstop to play left field at Fenway Park. While Ramirez's bat is too lethal to leave out of the lineup, manager John Farrell won't be limited in his options to complete the rest of the outfield. 

One of those spots will likely be employed by Cuban sensation Rusney Castillo. The Red Sox signed Castillo to a seven-year, $72 million deal last season, and the 27-year-old outfielder did not disappoint in his 40 plate appearances to close the season. Castillo hit .333 with two homers and 163 wRC+. 

The other favorite as we stand today is Mookie Betts, who became one of the few bright spots for the Red Sox in 2014. Betts slashed .291/.368/.444 in 213 at-bats in his rookie year. Even more impressive was Betts' plate discipline, as the speedster walked nearly 10 percent of his at-bats and fanned only 14.6 percent of the time. 

The Red Sox signed Castillo as a center fielder, but Betts is capable of playing there as well. Kiley McDaniel at FanGraphs mentions that Boston could move Castillo to right field:

"

The Sox are still unsure about Castillo defensively and, given the presence of Betts, don't know yet if Castillo will play center field or right field next year. He should be at least average in center next year, but Betts may be a tick or two better, so the assumption is Castillo would be above average on the corner.

"

While Castillo and Betts provide Boston with tremendous upside, the club will be thrilled to have a handful of veteran options as backup plans. 

Shane Victorino has been banged up over the last two seasons, so the role of a fourth outfielder may better suit the 34-year-old at this stage of his career. Allen Craig will likely see a majority of his playing time at first or DH, but the slugger is only one year removed from a 97-RBI, 134-wRC+ campaign in 2013. Daniel Nava has enjoyed success with the Red Sox as well, but Eno Sarris at FanGraphs believes that Nava and Craig could be playing for a roster spot this spring. 

Jackie Bradley Jr. has to prove himself once again after struggling at the dish over the past two seasons, while Brock Holt is probably best utilized as a super-utility man. 

The Prediction 

Betts proved he's ready for the big leagues last year, so there shouldn't be any reason for the Sox to deny him one of the two outfield openings this spring. Castillo is the more likely of the two to be overtaken by one of Boston's other options, but his immense potential should be enough to lock down the final spot.