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Friday, May 12
Former phenom Cruz battles new phenom Wells
Special to ESPN.com
On today's Internet you can search for new jobs with better pay without leaving your seat. But in baseball, you have to find work the old-fashioned way: on the field.
As teams report and full-squad workouts begin, there are position battles at stake and roster spots to be won. A look at 10 key positions where teams have posted "Help Wanted" signs and the finalists for the jobs. 1. Yankees left field: Ricky Ledee vs. Shane SpencerQuite logically, there aren't a lot of job openings with the World Series champions, but left field qualifies as one. Ledee seemed to seize the job in the second half of last year and finished strong (.276, 9, 40), but his 73 strikeouts in 250 at-bats represents a red flag for the Yankees. He needs to be more consistent to win the job outright and avoid a possible platoon situation. Spencer is still searching to find the stroke he showed in the final weeks of the 1998 season when he became something of a cult figure in New York. His 1999 season was marred by injury, including an irregular heartbeat. At 28, time is running out for Spencer. Also, veteran Roberto Kelly, who hit .300 and .323 the past two seasons with the Rangers, is on hand as well. 2. Rangers third base: Mike Lamb vs. Tom Evans
The unexpected loss of free agent third baseman Todd Zeile has left this position vacant for the Rangers. Lamb is the clear favorite here, having come up through the Texas system. Last year, Lamb spent much of the year at Double-A Tulsa, where he hit .324 with 21 homers and 100 RBI in 137 games. It would be asking a lot for him to jump over Triple-A, but the Rangers, with a powerful lineup, have the luxury of giving him time. Evans, who came up with Toronto, played in front of Lamb at Oklahoma, but hasn't showcased the kind of power that Lamb has. Last year, he had just 12 homers in 439 at-bats and has never had more than 17 in his eight-year minor-league career. He is regarded as a solid defensive third baseman, however. 3. Blue Jays center field: Jose Cruz Jr. vs. Vernon Wells
After jumping from Class A to the majors in one season, Wells is unquestionably the Blue Jays' center fielder of the future. But is that future now? Wells hardly looked out of place in his Toronto audition (.261 in 24 games). He is a legitimate five-tool prospect, but he's just 21 and the Jays don't want to rush him and hurt his development. He could be helped by some additional seasoning at Triple-A, but he's also talented enough to win the job in spring training. Cruz has been an enigma since he belted 26 homers in 104 games as a rookie in 1997. The last two seasons, Cruz has been a massive disappointment and was returned to the minors last year in an effort to shake him from his funk. Still, Cruz rebounded with a strong season in winter ball and the Jays are convinced he's finally found himself at 25. 4. Red Sox fifth starter: Brian Rose and others
Pitching coach Joe Kerrigan has made Rose (7-6, 4.87) the early favorite, and there's no question that the organization hopes Rose shows himself worthy. After all, Rose is a Massachusetts native and a former high draft pick. The feeling on Rose is that he needs to stay healthy for an entire season and pitch the way he did last year in May and early June. But there's no shortage of competition for this slot. Far East imports Tomokazu Ohka from Japan and Jin Ho Cho from Korea, each of whom pitched in Boston last summer, will be given serious consideration, and veteran swingman Bryce Florie is in the mix, too. If Jeff Fassero fails to recover from last year's disaster as the third starter, the rotation becomes even more wide open. 5. Angels catcher: Ben Molina vs. Matt Walbeck
Admittedly, there's not much to choose from here. The Angels had plans for Todd Greene to be their catcher for years to come, but an elbow injury put an end to that thinking. Molina impressed the Angels with his play over the final two months (.257), and the hope is that he can hit enough to warrant a full-time spot in the lineup. His defense and arm are considered above-average. Walbeck is with his fourth organization and must shake the tag of career journeyman. He was adequate last year (.240, 3, 22) before turning the reins over to Molina in August. One of these two receivers must show the ability to handle pitchers, particularly since the Anaheim staff will be full of young arms (Ramon Ortiz, Jarrod Washburn, Brian Cooper) in need of guidance. 6. White Sox shortstop: Jose Valentin vs. Mike Caruso
After a strong rookie season that saw him make the leap from Class A to the South Side, Caruso faltered last year. His average dipped 56 points and his on-base percentage was a horrid .280. He was no better in the field, either, where his 24 errors placed him in a tie for second among all American League shortstops. Caruso compounded those errors with a sometimes indifferent approach, enraging manager Jerry Manuel. Valentin, his potential replacement, is not much of a bargain in the field, either, compiling an even lower fielding percentage (.937 to Caruso's .957) but he does have a bigger upside offensively, having averaged 16 homers over the last four seasons, even as his average has plummeted to .224 and .227 the last two years. But with the young Chicago pitching staff, glove work will likely determine the winner this spring. 7. Indians center field: Lance Johnson vs. Dave Roberts vs. Jacob Cruz
With Kenny Lofton (shoulder surgery) sidelined until the All-Star break, the Indians are in search of a temporary leadoff man and fly catcher and Johnson is the clear favorite. At 36, Johnson has become something of a journeyman; this will be his third organization in the last four years. He's not the player he was in 1996, when he was good enough to lead the NL in hits, and durability has been a question over the last few seasons. Still, Johnson's experience gives him an advantage here. Should he stumble, the Indians could turn to either Roberts -- who made his major league debut at 27 last year -- or Cruz, who has shown more power, but is unaccustomed to hitting leadoff. However, don't be surprised if Cruz wins the job. He hit 31 home runs in Triple-A in 1998 and hit .330 in 88 at-bats with Cleveland last year. 8. Mariners closer: Jose Mesa vs. Kazuhiro Sasaki
Mesa tied a club record with 33 saves, but his late-inning appearances were always an adventure, as his 4.98 ERA indicates. The M's wouldn't object at all to moving Mesa, but his salary (two more years for $6 million) makes that unlikely. Sasaki, 31, is Japan's career saves leader, but is less than a year removed from surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow. He convinced the Mariners -- and other interested bidders -- of his readiness with some winter workouts, but he's never faced major league hitters, much less facing them in the ninth inning with the game on the line. He throws a deadly forkball and put up terrific numbers in Japan, but one wonders how much mileage is left in him. 9. Devil Rays outfield: Williams, McCracken, Martinez, Guillen, Trammell
Quinton McCracken missed most of last season after he tore up a knee in May, but is said to be fully recovered. Healthy, McCracken has shown the capability to hit .290 and he did hit 38 doubles two years ago. In fact, McCracken was the team's MVP in its inaugural year. Gerald Williams enjoyed a breakout year of sorts in Atlanta last year, establishing career highs in homers (17) and (68). Interestingly, neither player fits the leadoff mold -- Williams had a .335 on-base percentage last year, while McCracken's career mark is a decidedly mediocre .348. Williams offers far more power while McCracken promises more speed. It's conceivable they could be platooned, with the switch-hitting McCracken hitting lefty against righties, but that would seem a long-shot, since Williams was given a two-year guaranteed deal. If McCracken isn't traded to the Cubs, he could enter the crowded right-field picture. Dave Martinez was last year's regular but hit just six home runs with 66 RBI in 514 at-bats. Bubba Trammell is a certified slugger (.530 slugging percentage last two seasons, but plays the outfield like the DH he was born to be. Former Pirate Jose Guillen is still young (23), but still hasn't developed as a hitter. 10. A's center field: Rich Becker vs. Ryan Christenson
Becker was a late-season acquisition in the A's wild-card push, and performed well, compiling a .395 on-base percentage over the final six weeks. It's time for Christenson, 26, to prove he can play at this level, but there are questions to be answered. The A's tried to give him the job last year, but he hit just .209 in in 106 games before the job went to Becker in August. Of course, by July, this debate may be a moot point, since Terrence Long, the key player in the deal which sent Kenny Rogers to the Mets last summer, is the long-term answer for the A's and may be ready to claim the position for himself.
Sean McAdam of the Providence Journal-Bulletin covers the American League for ESPN.com.
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