Spring Training Job Battles: AL West

Our Spring Training Job Battles series continues with the two West divisions this week. In previous weeks, we covered the AL East, NL East, AL Central and NL Central.

Note: the number in parenthesis is the player's NFBC ADP since 2/1

Houston Astros

Center Field/Left Field: Chas McCormick (158), Mauricio Dubon (578), Jake Meyers (688), Trey Cabbage (740), Joey Loperfido (747), Corey Julks (749)

All indications are that this won't really be much of a competition during spring training and at the beginning of the regular season. McCormick is poised to play every day following a breakout 2023 campaign and the plan is for most of those at-bats to come in left field. Meyers slashed just .227/.296/.382 last season and was left off Houston's ALDS and ALCS rosters. His name popped up in trade rumors early on in the offseason, but then in December general manager Dana Brown suddenly committed to Meyers as the club's primary center fielder for 2024. The 27-year-old is an excellent defensive center fielder and it appears that his glove will be enough to give him the first crack at the gig, but it's difficult to imagine him having much of a leash. McCormick is a capable defender himself in center field, but if Houston prefers to keep him in left in the event Meyers stumbles, Dubon looms as next in line. Using Yordan Alvarez more in left field and shifting McCormick to center is also an option, creating more flexibility with the DH possibilities. However, keeping Alvarez healthy trumps that, so it's unlikely to be a full-time solution. Cabbage went 30-30 in the minors last season, but the offseason trade acquisition has major swing-and-miss issues.

Fifth Starter: J.P. France (587), Spencer Arrighetti (741), Ronel Blanco (746), Brandon Bielak (749)

Justin Verlander is slated to begin the season on the injured list after his right shoulder didn't bounce back as hoped during his offseason throwing program. The good news is Verlander is feeling good now and has been throwing off a mound for a while, so the hope is that he won't have to miss too much time. France is working his way back from a shoulder issue of his own, but the club expects him to be ready for Opening Day and it sounds like it will be as a member of the rotation. General manager Dana Brown also mentioned Blanco and Arrighetti as quality rotation depth options, with Blanco likely first in line should France not progress as quickly as hoped. Bielak is out of options, so he'll probably make the team in some capacity. He collected a 3.83 ERA in 15 appearances (13 starts) for the Astros last season, but a 1.53 WHIP and 62:36 K:BB over 80 innings leaves a lot to be desired. That Brown didn't bring his name up when asked about rotation depth suggests he's pegged for long relief.

Los Angeles Angels

Designated Hitter: Brandon Drury (211), Anthony Rendon (532), Jo Adell (649), Aaron Hicks (690), Miguel Sano (748)

Drury and Rendon are both guaranteed everyday playing time, at least while he's healthy in the latter's case. It would make sense for the Angels to give Rendon as many at-bats as possible out of the DH spot in hopes that it will keep him in the lineup. However, it seems as though the intention is to keep him at third base most days as long as his body holds up. Drury, meanwhile, split his time between first and second base in 2023 and actually graded out pretty well defensively at the keystone, although his track record suggests he'll probably be more average to below-average there in 2024. The 31-year-old has experience at multiple other positions, as well, but he might not have to move around too much with super utility player Luis Rengifo already doing that. Adell is out of options and has even less of a path to playing time in the outfield after the Angels brought in Hicks. Perhaps he could settle in at the DH spot, especially given his defensive woes. There's also Sano, who has two 30-homer seasons under his belt but who barely played in 2022 due to injury and not at all in 2023, presumably because no one wanted him. Sano is in camp as a non-roster invitee after losing 58(!) pounds over the offseason. Ultimately, the Angels seem likely to filter many players in and out of the DH spot in 2024 after having dedicated the slot to one guy over the last several years.

Closer: Robert Stephenson (224), Carlos Estevez (271)

This is another one that currently doesn't look to be much, if at all, of a competition. When Stephenson was handed a three-year, $33 million contract by the Angels in January, the assumption from many fantasy players was that he would immediately slide into the closer role for the Halos. After all, he was coming off an absurd stretch for the Rays which saw him post a 2.35 ERA and 60:8 K:BB over 38.1 innings of work, a run that earned the 31-year-old closer money. Additionally, incumbent closer Estevez seemed to be on shaky ground after holding a 6.59 ERA in the second half. However, general manager Perry Minasian said shortly after the Stephenson signing that Estevez remained the favorite to close and that was backed up by manager Ron Washington early on in camp. Since then, Stephenson has developed some shoulder soreness, and while he's resumed throwing, his status for Opening Day is in doubt. So, while Stephenson would certainly appear over the long haul to be a threat to take over ninth-inning duties, it doesn't seem like that will happen anytime soon.

Oakland Athletics

Closer: Mason Miller (247), Lucas Erceg (671), Dany Jimenez (675), Trevor Gott (740)

When the Athletics revealed in December that they planned to shift Miller to a bullpen role to protect his health, the natural assumption was that it would only be a matter of time before he took over closing duties. That's probably still the case (health permitting) but the club does not plan to rush Miller into high-leverage duties, with manager Mark Kotsay saying he prefers to gradually ease the flamethrowing right-hander into late-game spots. General manager David Forst noted ahead of the start of camp that Jimenez has the most closing experience in the Oakland bullpen while also adding that when Gott was signed, the club told him he'd get chances to pitch in high-leverage situations. There's also Erceg, a former position player who has major control issues but who also fanned 68 batters over 55 frames last season. Ultimately, Miller might be the only one in this group capable of producing steady fantasy value, but even then we're still talking about a guy who is a major health risk who will pitch for one of the worst teams in baseball — and again, who will not close right away. Outside of a late-round Miller dart throw, fantasy managers might be best off just avoiding this situation.

Fifth Starter: Joe Boyle (487), Luis Medina (672), Mitch Spence (750), Kyle Muller (751), Joey Estes (undrafted)

The first four slots in the Athletics' rotation look to be spoken for, but there are a host of guys competing for the fifth spot. Medina made 17 starts (and six relief appearances) last season and flashed the upside he's always possessed by collecting nearly a strikeout per inning. The 24-year-old struggled for consistency and strikes, though, and he also exited his most recent Cactus League outing with a knee injury. Muller should make the Opening Day roster in some capacity since he's out of options, but after a dreadful 7.60 ERA and 56:39 K:BB across 77 frames last season, he might be best off in long relief initially. Spence, a Rule 5 pick, also seems more likely for long-relief duty if he sticks around, although he's been given two Cactus League starts already and has turned heads. The most impressive of the group this spring, however, has been Boyle, the 6-foot-7 tall drink of water with a big fastball and big control problems. Boyle threw strikes during a late-season audition with Oakland and has continued to pound the zone so far this spring. His track record (18.7 percent walk rate in the minors) suggests that's unlikely to continue, but he has real upside if he's turned the corner with his control. Boyle looks like the early favorite here.

Third Base/Shortstop: Jordan Diaz (664), Darell Hernaiz (673), Abraham Toro (723), Nick Allen (745), Aledmys Diaz (746), Brett Harris (751)

Jordan Diaz is the leader in the clubhouse in terms of returning starts at third base with 37, although he also made another 23 starts at second base, five at first base and 15 at DH. Considering he's just 23 and has shown some offensive ability, that would seem to be enough to make him the clear favorite to start at the hot corner. However, Diaz really struggles defensively and particularly so at third base. That could open the door for a guy like Hernaiz, who is a natural shortstop but who is seeing increasingly more looks at third base this spring. Hernaiz is just 22 and has not yet appeared in the majors, but he's on the 40-man roster and slashed .321/.386/.456 between Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas in 2023. It seems like his best chance at a starting job is at third base rather than shortstop, where the A's appear to want to give Allen another opportunity. Allen went to Driveline Baseball over the offseason in hopes of adding more thump at the plate and is off to a hot start at the dish this spring. The elder statesman of the group, Aledmys Diaz is a candidate to see starts at both of these positions but could require an IL stint after straining his groin. Toro can't play shortstop and might not have a set starting job anywhere, but as a switch-hitter on a bad team who is capable of handling multiple positions, he could wind up playing a lot.

Seattle Mariners

Third Base: Josh Rojas (599), Luis Urias (667), Dylan Moore (744), Sam Haggerty (751), Brian Anderson (751)

The Mariners had seemingly been set on a combination of Rojas and Urias at the hot corner, but Urias' right shoulder issue has thrown a bit of a wrench into things. He did play his first game at third base this spring on Tuesday after having been limited to DH duty, although the shoulder still isn't 100 percent. Also worth mentioning is that the 26-year-old reportedly showed up to camp "in less-than-stellar shape," which surely didn't endear him to his new organization. All 38 of Rojas' starts for the Mariners after they acquired him via trade last season came at second base, but he's played the hot corner more than anywhere else in the majors and, with Jorge Polanco now in town, it's at third base where Rojas is pegged, perhaps as the starter. The Mariners also added Anderson on a minor-league contract in late February shortly after we found out about Urias' injury, which surely was no coincidence. Anderson has managed just a .680 OPS over the last three seasons, but he's still the most accomplished hitter in this group, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he winds up with a sizable role. Moore and Haggerty are likely to bounce around to multiple positions as usual but could see some action at the hot corner against left-handers.

Texas Rangers

Designated Hitter: Wyatt Langford (145), Ezequiel Duran (337), Justin Foscue (664)

This will be one of the most closely-watched battles of the spring. Seemingly everyone wants Langford to win an Opening Day roster spot, and with his red-hot start to the spring — 6-for-17 with three home runs — he's emphatically stating his case. The only opinion that really matters is that of the Rangers, though, and it's possible they would prefer not to start Langford's clock yet, particularly if he wouldn't be playing the outfield every day (and he presumably wouldn't, given the presence of Evan Carter, Leody Taveras and Adolis Garcia). That said, the Rangers already reportedly considered promoting Langford last year when Garcia got hurt, and they shouldn't have a problem finding a regular spot for him in the lineup between DH and the outfield. Foscue is a nice prospect in his own right and has a lot more minor-league experience under his belt. His ability to play the infield could also come in handy with the status of Corey Seager (groin) and Josh Jung (calf) uncertain. Duran made 21 starts at DH last season and is in the mix there again, but he could also be the Opening Day shortstop if Seager isn't ready.

Closer: Jose Leclerc (229), David Robertson (361), Josh Sborz (661)

Manager Bruce Bochy said at the outset of camp that he was not ready to name a closer, although he indicated he would like to do so before Opening Day. Seemingly, Leclerc should have first dibs. He got off to a terrible start last season but eventually found his footing, finishing with a 2.68 ERA and 67:28 K:BB over 57 innings. Leclerc also notched four saves during the Rangers' postseason run and didn't permit a run in three World Series appearances, which certainly earned him major points in Bochy's book. Sborz also got into Bochy's good graces with his work in the playoffs, having allowed just one run with a 13:4 K:BB across 12 frames. It was Sborz, not Leclerc, who closed out the World Series clincher with 2.1 scoreless innings. There's also Robertson, the 15-year veteran who has by far the most closing experience of the group. Robertson struggled down the stretch last season after being traded to the Marlins, but he pitched well in 2023 on the whole with a 3.03 ERA and 78:25 K:BB across 65.1 frames while collecting 18 saves. Hopefully Bochy will offer some more clarity on this situation before March 28, as whoever closes for the Rangers certainly has the potential to pick up a bunch of saves.

Fifth Starter: Cody Bradford (722), Danny Duffy (751), Adrian Sampson (undrafted)

Eventually, the Rangers will (hopefully) get Jacob deGrom (elbow), Max Scherzer (back) and Tyler Mahle (elbow), but Scherzer is expected back first of the trio and we won't see him until at least June. The first four spots in the rotation are spoken for, but the fifth is up for grabs and Bradford appears to be staking claim to it. The southpaw came into spring training seemingly in the pole position for the gig and has only enhanced his standing in his first seven Cactus League innings, allowing only two runs with a 7:2 K:BB. Bradford was much better as a reliever (2.82 ERA) than a starter (6.95 ERA) in his 20 appearances with the big club last season, but a 26.1 percent strikeout rate and 5.8 percent walk rate as a starter in the minors points to some ability. Duffy hasn't pitched in the majors since 2021, which was also the last time he was used as a full-time starter, but he's being stretched out this spring. Both Duffy and Sampson are in camp as non-roster invitees and look to have an uphill battle on their hands to overtake Bradford.