MLB spring training battles to keep an eye on

On paper the Yankees are arguably the best team in baseball, and entering 2020 they clearly have a World Series or bust mentality. New York is loaded with offensive firepower, a dynamic rotation led by free-agent addition Gerrit Cole, and the league's best bullpen. Provided everyone gets through March healthy, the only real undecided spot on their 26-man roster is backup middle infielder, with two names in the mix: Tyler Wade and Thairo Estrada. The light-hitting Wade is probably the favorite to win the job, something that, believe it or not, is sort of a compliment to Estrada. The Yankees view the latter as a real prospect and will likely feel he'd be better served playing everyday in AAA. But they also realize Wade is a career .197 hitter in the big leagues, and if Estrada drastically outplays him in the spring he'll be able to steal the spot.

This winter Tampa Bay was able to bring accomplished Japanese star Yoshi Tsutsugo across the Pacific, and while the left-handed slugger is undoubtedly going to get a lot of playing time for them, he'll need to make a good first impression in camp. That's because the Rays also added former Cardinal Jose Martinez in a trade in January. The right-handed hitting veteran struggled last season, but in 2018 he slashed .305/.364/.410 with 47 extra-base hits and 83 RBI. For comparison, last season Tsutsugo hit .272 with 29 homers and 79 RBI for the Yokohama Bay Stars. The fact that the two offensive-oriented players swing from opposite sides of the plate could ultimately lead Tampa Bay into a platoon, but for now both guys are trying to prove they deserve the lion's share of playing time. 

Quality catching is one the scarcest commodities in baseball, and the Blue Jays are incredibly fortunate to have two highly touted young backstops calling the Great White North home. Elmhurst, Illinois, native Danny Jansen behind the plate in the majority of Toronto's games in 2019, and while he experienced some growing pains, he did show some potential as a rookie. In 347 at-bats Jansen hit 13 homers and drove in 43 runs, mostly from the bottom of the 'Jays lineup. His .207 batting average left something to be desired, but defensively he impressively gunned down just about one-third of would be base-stealers. Former Pirates first-round pick Reese McGuire could very well be a better player already though. In a small sample size last season, the 25-year-old hit .299 with 12 extra-base hits in only 97 at-bats, and this competition should be wide open for the next six weeks.

After a winter that included a much-publicized trade with the Dodgers that sent David Price (and more importantly Mookie Betts) to the West Coast, and Rick Porcello signing with the Mets as a free agent, Boston's starting rotation is thin — so thin in fact that MLB.com currently lists only four starters on the Sox's depth chart. Like every team, though, the Red Sox will need a fifth one, and they'll have no shortage of arms competing for the role in camp. Missouri State alum Matt Hall has made 21 big league appearances — all of which came in relief for the Tigers — and owns a lifetime 9.48 ERA. The southpaw's minor league resume as a starter is at least more encouraging than that, but he'll have to pitch awfully well in spring training to prove he deserves the job over right-handers like Hector Velazquez, Chris Mazza, Mike Shawaryn and Ryan Weber. 

Baltimore probably has more undetermined roster spots than any other team, but the area of the club with the most uncertainty is easily the rotation. Lefty John Means was an All-Star as a rookie last season, and the 26-year-old is the only starter the O's can have any realistic confidence in. Veteran Alex Cobb's first two seasons in Charm City have been nothing short of a disaster. Journeyman Asher Wojciechowski has appeared in almost 200 minor league contests, and while he pitched reasonably well for Baltimore in the second half last season, it's still hard to call him a rotation lock. Veteran Wade LeBlanc suffered through a nightmarish campaign in Seattle in '19 but did pitch to a 3.72 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP in 162 innings the year before. In camp on a non-roster invitation, the lefty knows he has to pitch well if he wants to continue his career. The Orioles selected righty Brandon Bailey in the Rule 5 draft, so provided he shows anything in spring training you'd have to believe he'll get an opportunity to avoid being offered back to Oakland. Righties Kohl Stewart, Dean Kremer, Michael Rucker and David Hess, as well as left-handers Ty Blach and Keegan Akin will all also be in the mix in what is best classified as a convoluted mess. 

The defending AL Central champs have a powerful offense that just set the major league record for single season home runs — and got even better with the addition of Josh Donaldson. On the other side of the ball, Minnesota's rotation is top heavy, and the strength of its pitching staff is clearly the bullpen. Left-handed closer Taylor Rogers is terrific. Set-up men Trevor May, Sergio Romo, Tyler Duffy and Tyler Clippard are all reliable. Zack Littell and Cody Stashak both have high upsides as middle relievers. With all of that in mind, seemingly the only spot on Minnesota's opening day roster realistically up for grabs is in the eighth spot in the bullpen. Veteran Matt Wisler owns an ugly 5.20 career ERA in nearly 400 big league innings, but the former starter is certainly capable of saving the bullpen as a long reliever in games when the starter has to leave early. He'll be challenged by fellow righty Fernando Romero, but the Twins could ultimately decide the younger Romero is better served pitching in more high-leverage situations in the minors. 

Entering the 2020 season the White Sox are the most improved team in the American League, and they're hopeful they did enough over the winter to snap a 12-year playoff drought. Their offense received a face-lift in the form of Yasmani Grandal, Edwin Encarnacion, Luis Robert and Nomar Mazara. Veteran lefties Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez have joined the middle of their rotation, and experienced set-up man Steve Cishek should give the bullpen a shot in the arm. Alex Colome returns as Chicago's dynamic closer, and joining Cishek in getting him the ball in the ninth inning will be Aaron Bummer, Evan Marshall, Jimmy Cordero and Kelvin Herrera. But after that, this relief corps has some questions. Lefty Jace Fry walked an absurd 46 men in 55 innings last year. Carson Fulmer has a 6.56 career ERA. Ian Hamilton has made only 10 appearances in the big leagues. Jose Ruiz allowed two base-runners/inning in 2019. Three different teams have given up on Adalberto Mejia in the last calendar year. Bryan Mitchell and Tayron Guerrero are in camp on minor league invites for a reason. Two pitchers from that group will make this team in late March in what should be a free-for-all for most of the next month. 

When Cleveland signed left fielder Domingo Santana on Valentine's Day, it created quite an interesting competition for the last few spots on its opening day roster. Jordan Luplow had been in line to start at position No. 7, but the 26-year-old now finds himself in a little bit of limbo. In roughly half of the Indians games a year ago, Luplow hit .276 with 15 homers in 225 at-bats, but if the team felt he was ready for an everyday role it wouldn't have added Santana. Left-handed hitting Jake Bauers crushed 12 home runs and added 16 doubles in 2019, but both his .226 batting average and .312 OBP left something to be desired. Speedy Greg Allen is a terrific defensive outfielder who can do a lot of things well, but the addition of Delino DeShields puts his place on this team in severe doubt. What the Indians have right now is a case of musical chairs, with three guys for two spots. The most likely scenerio has Bauers beginning the year as the DH with Luplow bringing a power threat off the bench, but if Allen can drastically outplay either in the spring, things will get really interesting. 

Believe it or not the Royals lineup is actually plenty good to keep them in the wild-card race. Hunter Dozier, Jorge Soler and Whit Merrifield are as good as any offensive trio in the big leagues. Veterans Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez are solid complementary pieces. Adalberto Mondesi is an exciting young shortstop who can wreck a game with his speed. Kansas City's issue, though, is going to be on the mound. Career Royal Danny Duffy has spent time on the IL pretty much every year, and while he's generally reliable when healthy, his ceiling is probably that of a third starter. The fact that he's the top starter on this team is worrisome. Brad Keller has upside, but he's a middle-of-the-rotation pitcher at best. Jakob Junis and Mike Montgomery don't make most starting rotations, but they do here. The one area where Kansas City could get an unexpected boon is the fifth starter spot, where righties Jesse Hahn and Glenn Sparkman are due to compete in spring training. In Sparkman, the Royals know what they are getting — and they aren't impressed. In 136 innings last season, he had a 6.02 ERA that was actually just a single point higher than his career average. Hahn, on the other hand, has missed essentially two full seasons thanks to a UCL injury that led to Tommy John surgery. The 30-year-old does own a 4.33 lifetime ERA in just under 300 major league innings, however, and provided he's healthy his upside is clearly higher. 

The Tigers have made it clear their starting third base job is very much up for grabs this spring, with two candidates competing for the opportunity. Switch-hitter Jeimer Candelario has been the regular at the hot corner in Detroit for the last couple of years, but after hitting .203 with eight homers in 335 at-bats last season his hold on the gig is tenuous. Trying to take advantage of the opening is young Dawel Lugo, who hasn't yet gotten a full chance to establish himself at the game's highest level. In 104 career major league games the 25-year-old has hit just .213 with only 27 extra-base hits, but a strong spring could earn him a chance to break through as a potential core player during the Tigers rebuild. 

For reasons much publicized already, the Astros have become public enemy No. 1 in the sport. Their cheating scandal will never be lived down, and there will forever be an asterisk next to their 2017 championship and the two AL pennants they've won in the past three years. That's why in 2020 it's going to be so fascinating to see how good Houston really is when playing the game clean. The Astros are already behind the eight ball in the rotation, as the departures of Gerrit Cole and Wade Miley really hurt. Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke remain a formidable top-end duo, but behind them this starting staff has questions. Lance McCullers Jr. missed all of 2019 recovering from Tommy John surgery but will have to play a key role in this club's success in the upcoming campaign. Jose Urquidy has only nine big league appearances to his name but will be asked to occupy the fourth spot in the rotation. And the fifth starter job is currently wide open with as many as three pitchers hoping to win it in camp. Righty Josh James started most of his minor league career in this organization, but 51 of his 55 major league outings have come in relief. Fellow righty Austin Pruitt made only 10 big league starts during his tenure with the Rays. Lefty Framber Valdez put up a 5.86 ERA for this team in 70.2 innings last season. Talented Francis Martes was supposed to enter the spring as the favorite for the fifth starter job, but a year-long PED suspension pumped the brakes on that. Now Houston will have to hope somebody can step up and not only claim the job but also thrive in it, as the team will need all the help it can get to earn a chance at redemption this October. 

The addition of superstar third baseman Anthony Rendon coupled with the returns of Justin Upton and Shohei Ohtani have the Angels thinking big in 2020. No matter how much offense they're able to produce, however, it won't be enough if the pitching can't keep other teams from doing the same. Los Angeles' rotation in particular has a chance to be a source of significant concern. Left-hander Andrew Heaney endured a frustrating 2019 season that watched him land on the IL twice and finish with an ERA barely south of 5.00. Righties Julio Teheran and Dylan Bundy both ended up in Southern California after their previous teams gave up on them. UCLA product Griffin Canning made 17 starts for the Halos as a rookie last season and showed potential, striking out over a batter/inning, holding the opposition to a .235 batting average and finishing with a 1.22 WHIP. His 4.58 ERA was a little high, but the right-hander should have a firm grip on the fourth spot in this rotation. After that, though, things are unclear. Youngsters Patrick Sandoval, Jose Suarez, Jaime Barria and Dylan Peters are all in the mix to land the final opening in the starting five. 

Oakland has a wide-open second base competition on its hands, and it's going to take the A's most of the next month to sort it out. Franklin Barreto has never really gotten a legitimate chance in the majors, but he's always hit in the lower levels. Young Jorge Mateo has not even gotten an opportunity at the sport's highest level, but just last season he dominated in Triple-A. In 532 at-bats, the 24-year-old hit .289 with 19 homers and 78 RBI while adding 29 doubles and 14 triples. The same can be said for Sheldon Neuse, who crushed 27 homers and drove in 102 runs in Las Vegas. Add former Cub and Astro Tony Kemp and Rule 5 pick Vimael Machin to the mix, and this is going to be an old-fashioned free-for-all. 

Young Ronald Guzman enjoyed a productive rookie season in 2018 that saw him slash .235/.306/.416 with 16 homers and 58 RBI, but the left-handed hitter went emphatically backward a year ago. In 295 at-bats he hit only .219 and even ended up in the minor leagues for about a month. Guzman does have a terrific glove at position No. 3 and may always be a defense-first player, but for him to keep his job the Rangers will have to see his offense at least start closing the gap. Texas would love for him to succeed but did bring in some competition this winter. Sam Travis was acquired from Boston, and while he doesn't have a ton of major league experience, the 26-year-old owns a .285 career minor league batting average. Former Yankee Greg Bird has always had a swing scouts drool over, and he did have some big moments in the Bronx, but in the end inconsistency did him in there. A fresh start may prove to be just what Bird needs, though, and if he has a big spring it could make things interesting for Guzman and the Rangers. 

Seattle didn't intend to have a position battle in right field, but Mitch Haniger's sports hernia has left a gaping hole at position No. 9 on your scorecard. The injury sets up a fascinating camp battle among three rookies who've combined for only 96 major league at-bats. LSU product Jake Fraley is probably the slight favorite to win the job after hitting .298 with 19 home runs and 80 RBI in the minor leagues in 2019. Braden Bishop isn't far behind though, and his .291 lifetime minor league average and 50 minor league stolen bases indicate he could add value to the Mariners offense if given an opportunity. The wild card here is Jose Siri, who was acquired only three weeks ago. The Dominican Republic native is just a couple of seasons removed from a minor league campaign that watched him crush 24 homers and steal 46 bases, and his blend of power and speed could earn him a surprise entry onto Seattle's opening day roster.

The top of Atlanta's rotation is set, with emerging star Mike Soroka leading the staff and 2018 all-star Mike Foltynewicz and young Max Fried backing him up. Veteran southpaw Cole Hamels was brought in as a free agent this winter to help bring stability to the starting five, but disappointingly a shoulder injury will keep him out for the early portion of the season. Entering camp the Braves had planned to have former Seattle superstar Felix Hernandez and in-house candidates Sean Newcomb, Kyle Wright and Bryse Wilson battle for only one open rotation spot. Now there will be two. 

When the defending champs lost superstar third baseman Anthony Rendon in free agency, they aimed high in their efforts to replace him, trying desperately to land veteran slugger Josh Donaldson. Those efforts ultimately proved fruitless when he decided to head back to the American League and join the Twins. Now Washington is left with a plethora of capable options, but the team is not exactly sure what it is doing at the hot corner just yet. Carter Kieboom, the Nats' first-round pick from the '16 draft, has long been considered an elite prospect, and his 2019 minor league season did little to dispel that notion. In 109 games the 22-year-old hit .303 and reached base at a .409 clip while crushing 16 homers and driving in 79 runs. Washington would like him to win the job but is extremely protected if he doesn't. Veterans Starlin Castro, Howie Kendrick and Asdrubal Cabrera are all here, and while one of them will have to start at second base (more likely than not, Castro), the others are perfectly capable of handling third until the youngster is deemed ready. 

The Amazins' imported veterans Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha via free agency this off-season, and while they promised the pair they'd have a role on their pitching staff, they didn't assure them they'd start. New York already has a strong rotation that includes two time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman and Steven Matz, and provided everyone makes it through the next month healthy, there will be only one opening. Porcello struggled to a 5.52 ERA in 174.1 innings with Boston last season, but he's made 27 or more starts for 11 years running, and his durability had to play a part in the Mets' interest. Wacha on the other hand has been bit by the injury bug of late, but he's just two years removed from putting up a 3.20 ERA with a .221 batting average against. New York's battle is less dramatic than other teams' because the loser will still make the team, but it is interesting nonetheless. 

Philadelphia's fifth starter competition is very much a winner take all. The Phillies' starting five is led by Aaron Nola, and the addition of former Met Zack Wheeler really helps this staff. Veteran Jake Arrieta is not as good as he once was, but the 2015 Cy Young winner remains a valuable third starter. Orlando native Zach Eflin showed enough in '19 to garner the fourth slot. After that though, a trio of hurlers who've started a lot of games for this team of late will be fighting for only one empty roster spot. Vince Velasquez has enviable stuff, but he's never really put it all together at the big league level. In 117.1 innings last year the righty pitched to an ERA barely under 5.00 and served up 26 long balls. Fellow right-hander Nick Pivetta lost his rotation spot and was sent to the bullpen relatively early last summer, but he wasn't particularly impressive in either role. In 30 games he finished with an ERA of 5.38 with a WHIP over 1.5. Lefty Cole Irvin struggled mightily as a rookie in '19, but his minor league resume is encouraging. 

When Lewis Brinson arrived in Miami as the centerpiece of the club's blockbuster Christian Yelich trade with the Brewers, he was supposed to take some of the sting away. Yelich was an incredibly talented and homegrown Marlin, and fans were understandably upset after his departure followed the ones of fellow outfielders Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna. That hasn't worked out, as Brinson's two seasons in South Beach couldn't have been more disappointing. In 184 games for Miami he's hit under .200 with only 36 extra-base hits. That's why this spring is likely his last stand. Young Harold Ramirez swung the bat impressively as a rookie in 2019, and while he is more of a corner outfielder, he could get a shot at position No, 8 — as could versatile Jon Berti. A dark horse could be former Milwaukee second-round pick Monte Harrison, who hit .270 in the minors last season and brings a coveted combination of speed/power. If none of the above-mentioned players grabs control of the center field job, the Marlins are prepared to think outside the box. Lifelong infielder Jonathan Villar is prepared to take some reps in the outfield to keep the team's options open, but best-case scenario remains a Brinson breakout. 

How many starting quality outfielders is enough? For a Cincinnati team that went all out this winter to try to snap its long postseason drought, that's the question the Reds will spend most of the next month trying to answer. Former Japanese star Shogo Akiyama came stateside this winter to try his luck at the game's highest level, and after hitting over .300 with more than 20 homers in each of the past three years in the JPPL, he'll almost certainly be starting in center field. Veteran right-handed run producer Nick Castellanos dangled on the open market far longer than expected, and after somewhat surprisingly signing with the Reds he'll certainly play every day in right. Splitting 2019 between the Tigers and Cubs, Castellanos hit .289 with 27 home runs and a major league high 58 doubles, and his addition drastically improves Cincinnati's chances in the Central. In left field, it's at least possible the Reds use a platoon of Jesse Winker and Phillip Ervin, both of whom played pretty well for them a year ago. But don't sleep on young Aristides Aquino, who burst on the scene as a rookie last summer and launched 19 homers and drove in 47 runs in only 205 at-bats. When you consider Nick Senzel, Josh VanMeter and Travis Jankowski could all make a realistic case to be on the opening day roster as well, it becomes even more abundantly obvious the Reds simply have too many options to play out on the grass, and something will have to give in spring training. 

Milwaukee was set to have an incredibly compelling shortstop competition this month, between incumbent Orlando Arcia and newcomer Luis Urias, but we were robbed of that intrigue before it even got underway. Urias, long considered a top prospect in the San Diego organization, came here via an offseason trade and unfortunately promptly broke his hamate bone playing winter ball. The injury is supposed to cost him roughly two months — which pretty much coincides with opening day — but you'd have to think he'll need some minor league time to rehab. That's good news for Arcia who hit only .223 last year and found his hold on the starting job virtually nonexistent. Urias may still swipe the gig eventually, but this is the type of competition that is quite clearly going to have to continue into April. 

St. Louis has an enviable top of the rotation that features young studs Jack Flaherty and Dakota Hudson. Longtime Cardinal Adam Wainwright is no longer an upper-echelon starter, but he'll again occupy a starting spot. Miles Mikolas is currently dealing with an arm injury that is likely to land him on the IL early in the year, which adds further intrigue to the back of the rotation competition. Kwang-Hyun Kim came over from Korea this winter to try his luck at the sport's highest level of competition, and while the versatile southpaw can pitch both as a starter and in relief, the state of St. Louis' rotation would seem to indicate he'll be more needed there. Carlos Martinez was once an ace caliber pitcher for this team before injuries took their toll and landed him in the bullpen, but the energetic righty is hopeful to regain his old role moving forward. While Mikolas' injury probably puts both Kim and Martinez at the top of the list to round out this starting five, that is not a guarantee. Austin Gomber, Daniel Ponce de Leon, Ryan Helsley, John Gant and Genesis Cabrera could all position themselves to steal a spot with a strong spring. 

The biggest question at Cubs camp is quite obviously, who's on second? One of their top prospects, young Nico Hoerner, received his first big league promotion when Javy Baez was injured last September, and he more than held his own filling in at shortstop. In 78 at-bats Hoerner slashed .282/305/.436, and defensively he was very much ready for the big leagues. Now Chicago must decide if he's ready to take over as a permanent fixture on the infield. His performance in spring training will in large part make that decision for the Cubs, as while David Bote does offer a capable alternative, if Hoerner stakes claim to the job over the next few weeks it won't be much of a competition. 

You would think Colin Moran's 2019 season that saw him slash .277/.322/.429 with 13 homers, 80 RBI and 30 doubles would be enough to guarantee him the starting gig again, but you'd be wrong. The new leadership in Pittsburgh has been vocal about third base requiring a spring competition, but it's still hard to envision Moran ultimately losing out. Other options would be defensive minded Erik Gonzalez (who has only six homers in 404 big league at-bats) and versatile utility man Jose Osuna. Regardless of who is at the hot corner, they're undoubtedly only keeping the seat warm for one of the Pirates' best prospects, second generation professional Ke'Bryan Hayes. Scouts rave about the 23-year-old's defense and feel like he could win a Gold Glove right now. As soon as Pittsburgh decides his bat is ready he'll be headed to Western Pennsylvania.

A rotation that has Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler in the top two slots shouldn't be a potential weakness, but that is the case in Los Angeles. David Price, acquired from Boston alongside Mookie Betts, will occupy the third spot, but the rest of the Dodgers starting five leaves something to be desired. Fellow southpaw Julio Urias pitched well for this team last year (albeit mostly out of the bullpen), and he should enter camp with at least a soft hold on one of the final two rotation spots. Veteran Alex Wood made only seven starts in Cincinnati in 2019 and put up a 5.80 ERA. Righty Ross Stripling has a similar story to Urias. He pitched really well for L.A. a year ago but most of that was in relief, and while he would like to start, he may face an uphill battle. Heralded prospect Dustin May made it to the show late last summer but barring something unforeseen he'll begin 2020 in the minor leagues. 

The Padres aggressively pursued Mookie Betts in an effort to close the gap between them and the Dodgers, only to see Los Angeles acquire him and further distance themselves from the entire National League. Even without him though, the Friars have a plethora of options out on the grass. Tommy Pham will play left pretty much every day, but the other two starting gigs are very much up in the air. Newcomer Trent Grisham endured a horrific moment as a Brewer in the wild-card game last October, but he owns an extensive minor league track record and could emerge as a regular in center after going west in a trade. Veteran Wil Myers is vastly overpaid compared to his recent production, but provided he's not traded, his salary guarantees him a place in the competition for a starting spot. Young Franchy Cordero has a world of talent but continues to be held back by injuries. Non-roster invite Juan Lagares is as good a defensive center fielder as there is in today's game, but his bat has always been weak. Prospects Josh Naylor and Taylor Trammell will look to impress in camp as well. 

The issue with the Diamondbacks rotation is a simple numbers game. The addition of future Hall-of-Famer Madison Bumgarner coupled with Robbie Ray not being traded has the Snakes armed with maybe the best left-handed starting pitching duo in the National League. Right hander Luke Weaver was the centerpiece of Arizona's return in the Paul Goldschmidt trade over a year ago, and while he missed roughly half of '19 with a forearm injury, the 2.94 ERA he put up in 64.1 frames guarantees him a slot. After that it's going to be interesting. UNC product Zac Gallen was terrific as a rookie a year ago. So was left-hander Alex Young. Mike Leake has a track record as a veteran innings eater. Merrill Kelly won 13 games and turned in a respectable 4.42 ERA in 32 starts for the Diamondbacks in 2019. Young Taylor Clarke could also be in the convoluted mix. The most likely scenario here probably has Arizona swinging a trade involving one of  its excess starters late in camp to improve another part of the roster.  

Colorado's offense has the potential to be pretty good, as Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, Charlie Blackmon, David Dahl, and Daniel Murphy make up quite a core. The Rockies aren't expected to be a contender in the upcoming campaign, but a surprise breakout season from someone in left field could move the needle on their ceiling. Veteran Ian Desmond hit 20 homers and drove in 65 runs last season, and while he certainly could handle everyday duties again, the Rockies would like to slide him into a part-time role and play him only against left-handed pitchers. That's why this spring left-handed hitters Sam Hilliard and Raimel Tapia will get a long look. Hilliard has tremendous power potential, as evidenced by the 35 minor league home runs he blasted in  2019, but he's inexperienced at the big league level. Tapia on the other hand finally got to play semi-regularly last year and impressed, slashing .275/.309/.415 with 37 extra-base hits. Whoever wins the job will more than likely start in a platoon with Desmond, but a hot start could push the veteran to the bench altogether. 

The Giants have a ton of options at position No. 4, and it may very well take the majority of spring training for them to determine who their starter would be. For most of the winter they seemed poised to give young Mauricio Dubon the opportunity following his impressive cup of coffee with them last September, but a pair of veterans have been brought in recently that put that assumption up in the air. Veteran Wilmer Flores can play all over the infield but his best position is second base. After hitting .317 in Arizona in 2019, he's capable of taking hold of this job as is former White Sox infielder Yolmer Sanchez, who doesn't have the same offensive upside but did win the American League Gold Glove Award at second base last season. Donovan Solano could be a fourth name in this mix, but the veteran will more than likely fill the same utility role he did a year ago.