Spring Training 2016 Position Battles with the Most at Stake

From the chase for the final spot in the Toronto Blue Jays rotation to the free-for-all for playing time in the Los Angeles Dodgers outfield, MLB spring training 2016 is awash with position battles that will have serious October implications.

In order to determine which derbies have the most at stake, we took two key factors into consideration.

First we zeroed in on clubs that are set up to contend in 2016 either because they turned in an impressive offseason or because their core was already in place. Then we focused on the areas where those teams struggled in 2015 and considered which position battles would play the most important role in addressing those weaknesses.

In addition to exploring the fight for the No. 5 spot in Toronto, there's also room on the list for a breakdown of the pursuit for the final berth in one rotation that has been drastically upgraded this winter.

Honorable Mentions

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Omar Infante leads a long list of big leaguers who need a productive spring camp to lock up their job.

After scanning all 30 spring camps, there was an array of battles under consideration for the list that follows. Below are a few of the contests that came the closest to making the grade based on the criteria we just laid out:

• San Francisco Giants Left Field
• Los Angeles Dodgers Second Base
• Washington Nationals Center Field and Left Field
• Minnesota Twins Rotation
• Chicago Cubs Setup Roles
• Seattle Mariners Rotation
• Kansas City Royals Second Base
• Boston Red Sox Outfield

Los Angeles Dodgers Outfield

Ramon Espinosa/Associated Press

The Dodgers would like to see less Yasiel Puig in 2016.

The Field

• Yasiel Puig
• Joc Pederson
• Carl Crawford
• Andre Ethier
• Scott Van Slyke
• Trayce Thompson
• Kike Hernandez

The Derby

You can't say rookie skipper Dave Roberts doesn't have options in the outfield.

As camp fires up in the desert, Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig are the front-runners in center field and right field, respectively. They're the front-runners, but they're also both saddled with serious question marks.

Pederson slogged through the second half of 2015 with a .178 average, and Puig is facing a mandate from the bosses to cut weight following an injury-riddled season.

So far, the Cuban is attacking the challenge.

"This year, 280 [pounds]," Puig joked, per J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News. "I'm so fat."

According to Hoornstra, Puig is aiming to open the campaign at just a tick under 240—after weighing in at 255 last year.

After Pederson and Puig, everyone else will be left to jostle for playing time.

And there are a lot of guys on that list.

Carl Crawford and Andre Ethier are the vets, Scott Van Slyke is the lefty-slayer (.858 career OPS against southpaws), and Trayce Thompson and Kike Hernandez are the wild cards.

The good news for Roberts is that he has all spring to figure out how those six players will fit into three lineup spots.

St. Louis Cardinals 1st Base

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Brandon Moss is one of the Redbirds shooting for a healthy and productive campaign.

The Field

• Brandon Moss
• Matt Adams
• Matt Holliday

The Derby

The battle for first base at Roger Dean Stadium is so crucial, because the St. Louis Cardinals were seriously lacking in the power department in 2015.

Last season, the 100-game winners were No. 25 in MLB in big flies. A strong season from either Brandon  Moss or Matt Adams—the top two contenders for the role—would be an obvious way for the Cards to rocket up the rankings.

The issue for St. Louis is that even if one guy does seize the job, they're both still allergic to lefty pitching. Moss has hit 94 of his 110 homers off right-handers, and Adams owns a .197 average against left-handed pitching.

In other words, the Cards have a major blind spot at first base.

A blind spot that Matt Holliday—the usual left fielder—could help cover. According to Mark Saxon of ESPN, the 12-year veteran will moonlight in the infield this spring.

Arizona Diamondbacks' No. 5 Spot

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

A man without a job, Archie Bradley has nothing to lose this spring.

The Field

• Archie Bradley
• Robbie Ray
• Zack Godley
• Daniel Hudson

The Derby

There's just one spot up for grabs in the Arizona Diamondbacks' new-look rotation, headlined by Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller.

Patrick Corbin slots in as the No. 3 guy, and according to Nick Piecoro of AZCentral.com, Rubby De La Rosa will be the fourth starter. That means Robbie Ray, Archie Bradley, Zack Godley and Daniel Hudson will be left to rumble for the fifth spot.

Ray, who logged a 3.52 ERA in 23 starts in 2015, is a logical option for the final berth, but don't sleep on Bradley.

The right-hander hasn't thrown a big league pitch since June 1 of last summer, but he's still just 23 years old and has no shortage of upside. After all, Bradley is only one year removed from having Baseball Prospectus rank him as the 11th-best farmhand in the game.

Buried on the depth chart, Bradley has nothing to lose and everything to gain during the Cactus League slate. That makes the starter an intriguing arm to watch for this spring.

Houston Astros 1st Base

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

Jon Singleton will be looking over his shoulder this spring.

The Field

• Jon Singleton
• A.J. Reed
• Matt Duffy
• Tyler White

The Derby

Jeff Luhnow, the general manager of the Houston Astros, has no interest in tipping his hand when it comes to the battle royale at first.

"We'll see how it goes," Luhnow said, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. "There will be enough at-bats to give all these players, and ultimately we'll find out who wins the job."

Looking at the above list of contenders, Jon Singleton stands out as the most experienced (114 games over the past two seasons). But after lugging around a .191 average in 2015, he's far from the most intriguing.

The title belongs to A.J. Reed, who took a two-by-four to the upper minors last season. In 135 games between Double-A and Triple-A, the prospect mashed 34 dingers, swung at a clip of .340 and posted a .612 slugging percentage and a 1.044 OPS.

The most compelling reason not to start the year with Reed at first would be to delay his service clock. Ultimately, whoever wins this job will only be keeping the seat warm for Reed.

Toronto Blue Jays' No. 5 Spot

LM Otero/Associated Press

Aaron Sanchez is oozing potential.

The Field

• Jesse Chavez
• Drew Hutchison
• Aaron Sanchez

The Derby

With David Price now leading the line at Fenway Park, there's going to be significantly more pressure on all five starters at Rogers Centre.

Marcus Stroman is the new frontman, and he'll be followed up by Marco Estrada, R.A. Dickey and J.A. Happ—but the No. 5 gig is still TBD, as Jesse Chavez, Drew Hutchison and Aaron Sanchez angle for the job.

Chavez (49 career starts) and Hutchison (71 starts) are the experienced hands, but Sanchez is the guy with out-of-this-world potential.

Last season, the righty threw darts out of the pen (2.39 ERA), and now he's attempting to transition back to the rotation after rising through the ranks as a starter.

The games have yet to begin, but already Sanchez has earned a vote of confidence from a Blue Jays icon.

"Wow, they look like they're ready to start the season, right now, today," team broadcaster Buck Martinez said of Sanchez and Stroman, per Ken Fidlin of the National Post.

Soon enough, Sanchez will have the chance to wow the brass during the Grapefruit League campaign.

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

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