The 2021 Major League Baseball regular season is a little more than one month away. Teams around the league will use these next five weeks to evaluate their players and eventually finalize their roster. Spring training games don’t count, but they do matter. For many players, spring training is their best opportunity to win a big-league roster spot. It might be their only opportunity, really.
With that in mind, let’s break down 10 important position battles that will take place around the league this spring, with an emphasis on contending teams. These aren’t the only ongoing position battles this spring. Not even close. But they are the most important (and they’re listed alphabetically by team).
Candidates: Sean Newcomb, Touki Toussaint, Bryse Wilson, Kyle Wright, Huascar Ynoa
Center field is a bit up in the air in Atlanta as well, though top prospect Cristian Pache would have to really fall on his face to lose the job to Ender Inciarte at this point. The fifth starter’s job is much more wide open because Mike Soroka is still on the mend following last year’s Achilles injury, and he’s yet to run at full speed.
“Obviously my response to that is I’ll tell you I could be ready to compete right now,” Soroka told the Associated Press when asked whether he’ll be ready for Opening Day, then added, “It’s not where exactly I need to be [when running]. I need to get a little strength so I can come out of the gate hot.”
As an extreme ground ball pitcher, Soroka must be able to field his position and cover first base, so running is important (plus he’ll have to hit this year too). The Braves are not going to push him to be ready for Opening Day. Their priority is making sure he’s ready for October, and if that means getting a late start on the regular season, so be it.
Ian Anderson, Max Fried, Charlie Morton, and Drew Smyly are locked into the top four rotation spots in whatever order. Wright was much better after making mechanical adjustments at the alternate site last year, and Wilson of course had that incredible start in Game 4 of last year’s NLCS. Toussaint and Newcomb in particular seem best suited for the bullpen at this point.
The front runner: Wright. Last year’s adjustments, specifically shifting to the first base side of the rubber and altering his pitch selection, led to real improvement and I think the Braves are ready to give the No. 5 pick in the 2017 draft a longer look. That said, Soroka is on the mend, and Wright will have to pitch well to keep the job with Wilson looming.
Candidates: Daniel Robertson, Travis Shaw, Luis Urias
The Brewers declined Jedd Gyorko’s club option over the winter even though he led the team’s regulars in OPS+ last year, leaving a great big opening at third base. Shaw is back on a minor-league contract and will get every opportunity to win a roster spot this spring, and Urias, a recent top prospect, is probably who the Brewers want at the hot corner given his upside.
“We’re still evaluating that position,” president of baseball operations David Stearns told reporters, including Andrew Wagner of the State Journal, recently. “…This is going to take some time for everyone to find a seat. Sometimes, patience can be a virtue in those scenarios. I’m comfortable that once we get to Opening Day we’re going to have a good grasp on what third base will look like and be pleased with where it is.”
Urias, the centerpiece in the Trent Grisham trade, injured his wrist in winter ball last year and never got going during the regular season, even after the shutdown gave him more time to recover. He is a career .226/.315/.320 hitter in 422 MLB plate appearances but is still only 23, and sending him to Triple-A to begin 2021 wouldn’t be crazy. It might be the best thing for him long-term.
Milwaukee signed only three free agents to major-league contracts over the winter and Robertson was one of them (Brett Anderson and Luke Maile were the others). He had a nice 13-game cameo with the Giants last year and is very versatile, so while he is an option at third base, Robertson is most valuable the team moving all around in a super utility role.
The front runner: Shaw. The offense badly needs a jolt and Shaw will still take a walk and put a mistake in the seats. He gives the Brewers the opportunity to remain patient with Urias and leave Robertson in a utility role.
SOURCE: cbssports.