Home MLB Keeping your options open

Keeping your options open

by Matt Smith

Spring training may be a laid-back affair for the most part, but there are always a few battles for roster positions that bring a bit of tension to the proceedings.

Often reporters are beating down the manager’s door, trying to get him to reveal his hand and tell them who will claim the fifth spot in the rotation or who will start the season in left field. An experienced manager generally frustrates the life out of these scoop-seeking reporters by offering little more than vague cliche answers. They do this because even if they know who they want to be the fifth starter, they are wise enough to realise that the best laid plans can fall apart with one overthrown pitch or slip on the mound.

Bob Geren is in his first Spring training camp as a manager of a big league team (the A’s) and he started off by giving diplomatic, non-committal answers to questions over roster places. The key in Oakland (and in many other cases) is that one position decision has a large bearing on another. First base appears to be a bit of a lottery for the A’s after Dan Johnson’s disappointing 2006 campaign. As the only other real option is the returning non-roster invitee Erubiel Durazo, everything pointed to Nick Swisher manning first base for 2007 which would leave an outfield spot open. Geren kept quiet though and his policy was validated by two recent injuries to Oakland outfielders: Bobby Kielty requiring minor knee surgery, and more crucially Mark Kotsay requiring back surgery that will keep him out of action for three months.

Now it looks like Swisher will be in right field, with Bradley in centre and Shannon Stewart in left. Dan Johnson will probably get a reprieve. No one likes to see a team mate get injured, but injuries create opportunities and Johnson has to grab it with both hands. Had Geren declared Swisher as his starting first baseman a week ago, Johnson’s morale would have gone down the plughole. As he is out of options (i.e. he cannot be sent back to the minors) this would have resulted in Johnson being traded to another club, without a say as to where he went. By keeping his counsel and letting things develop, Geren avoided the difficult position of having to backtrack and hope that Johnson’s confidence could be restored after effectively being told he wouldn’t make the team.

And now there’s a fifth outfielder spot to fight for as well!

Certainties would be great, but they rarely exist in roster construction. The key is to keep your options open so that you can cope as well as possible with anything that develops. The thirty opening day rosters will start to become clear over the next three weeks or so, but the one thing you can be sure of is that there will be a few surprises along the way.

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