AL Position Battles

White Sox closer

The White Sox traded Sergio Santos to the Blue Jays in December in exchange for prospect right-hander Nestor Molina, so we're looking at an open competition between Matt Thornton, Jesse Crain and Addison Reed for Chicago's closer role.

Reed has the least experience of this trio, but the 23-year-old right-hander has "closer of the future" written all over him. The 2010 third-round pick cruised up the organizational ladder by compiling a sparkling 1.41 ERA and 155/20 K/BB ratio across 108 1/3 innings between four different levels in the minors and allowed one run over 7 1/3 innings while striking out 12 and walking just one as a September call-up last year. His fastball-slider combo could make him a dominant late-game option for years to come.

My guess is that Reed will be closing games for the White Sox before long, but that a veteran like Thornton or Crain will be handed the job to begin the year. Thornton blew four saves last April before being yanked from ninth-inning duties, so I understand the skepticism from fantasy owners, but the southpaw's trade value could get a nice boost if he is successful with a second opportunity. Crain has a 2.84 ERA and a strikeout rate of 8.9 K/9 over the past two seasons, but his shaky command (3.9 BB/9 over the past two seasons) and increasing fly ball rate (49.1 percent last season) could be problematic.

Red Sox shortstop

The Red Sox traded not one, but two shortstops this offseason, first dealing Jed Lowrie to the Astros in December as part of the deal for reliever Mark Melancon and then Marco Scutaro to the Rockies in January in what was essentially a salary dump. This leaves Mike Aviles, Nick Punto and prospect Jose Iglesias among the possibilities at shortstop.

It would seem that this is Aviles' job to lose. Iglesias is an excellent defender, but he needs more seasoning in the minors after posting a woeful .554 OPS at the Triple-A level in 2011. And while Punto managed an impressive .278/.388/.421 slash-line with an .809 OPS over 166 plate appearances last season, we're talking about a guy with a  .249 career batting average and a .652  career OPS. New manager Bobby Valentine appears to value him more as a utility man, anyway.

Avilies doesn't take many pitches (4.2 percent walk rate), but owns a .288 career batting average, makes contact (85.3 percent) and has a little bit of speed and pop. He probably isn't as good a defender as his UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) would have you believe -- he has played just 1,212 innings at the position in the majors, the bulk of which came in 2008 -- but he should at least be competent. With Boston's powerhouse lineup around him, Avilies could actually be a sneaky value pick in mixed leagues which use a MI (middle infielder) spot.

Rays' fifth starter

The Rays gave Matt Moore the Evan Longoria treatment over the winter, signing him to a five-year, $14 million contract with club options for 2017, 2018 and 2019. With his service time no longer an issue, Moore is virtually assured of a rotation spot along with David Price, James Shields and Jeremy Hellickson.

Rays manager Joe Maddon has already dismissed the possibility of a six-man rotation -- something the club utilized for a stretch last year -- so either Jeff Niemann or Wade Davis will be headed to the bullpen to begin the season. That's a pretty nice problem to have.

Davis has been adamant about his desire to remain a starter, but I'm not sure he'll get his wish after putting up a mediocre 4.45 ERA (4.82 xFIP) and 105/63 K/BB ratio over 184 innings last season. Meanwhile, Niemann had arguably his best season in 2011, posting a 4.06 ERA (3.73 xFIP), 46 percent ground ball rate and a 105/37 K/BB ratio over 135 1/3 innings. He deserves to be the favorite right now.

Davis' strikeout and swinging strike rates have declined significantly since he fanned 36 batters in 36 1/3 innings as a rookie in 2009, so it might be worth it to see if he could be more useful out of the bullpen. The Rays didn't deal him for a bat over the winter, but since he's potentially under team control through 2017, he could also be attractive trade bait around the deadline.

Blue Jays' left field

Travis Snider and Eric Thames appear to be two players who are headed in different directions. Snider opened last season as the Blue Jays' starting left fielder, but poor performance and injuries limited him to just 49 games at the major league level. Meanwhile, Thames took advantage of the situation by making a very favorable first impression.

The Jays plan to have Snider and Thames to compete against each other for the starting left field job during spring training, with the loser likely opening the season with Triple-A Las Vegas. A platoon isn't really an option since they are both left-handed hitters.

Snider has regularly mashed minor league pitching, but the 2006 first-round pick owns a lousy .248/.307/.423 batting line and a 26.9 percent strikeout rate over 877 plate appearances in the majors. Thames didn't show much patience in his first taste of the big leagues last season (5.8 percent walk rate), but he collected 41 extra-base hits (12 homers), 37 RBI and 58 runs scored in just 95 games.

Snider is still only 24 years old, so he's far from a lost cause at this point, but I suspect he'll be the choice to start the season in the minors. He could really benefit by just staying healthy for a full season, no matter where he's playing. Thames could be a really nice sleeper in AL-only and deeper mixed leagues if he bats No. 2 in front of slugger Jose Bautista on regular basis, though the right-handed hitting Ben Francisco will likely get most of the at-bats against left-handed pitching.

The beginning of the exhibition schedule is mere days away, so here's a look at some position battles in the American League. This isn't intended to be a comprehensive list, so stay tuned for our player news page for all the latest developments.

I previewed some position battles in the National League two weeks ago, which you can find by going here, but keep in mind that everything I wrote about the Astros' closer job is irrelevant since Brett Myers is now expected to take the job. Thanks a lot, guys.

One excellent way to weigh your options with these various position battles is by picking up Rotoworld's Online Draft Guide. It includes over 900 player profiles, customizable and printable cheat sheets, depth charts, projected lineups, positional tiers and much, much more. Get prepared. Draft day will be here before you know it.

Yankees' fifth starter

Yankees manager Joe Girardi indicated Tuesday that CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda are the only starting pitchers locked into rotation spots, but it's pretty hard to believe that Michael Pineda and Ivan Nova won't also be there. With A.J. Burnett now in Pittsburgh, that leaves Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes vying for the final spot.

Garcia might look like the favorite on paper after posting a 3.62 ERA and 96/45 K/BB ratio over 146 2/3 innings with the Bombers last season. However, his velocity dropped for the third straight year and his strand rate (77.1 percent) was well above his career average and the league average. The Yankees brought him back on a one-year, $4 million deal over the winter, but he looks like a poor bet for a repeat.

Hughes is coming off a disappointing year in which he posted a 5.79 ERA and 47/27 K/BB ratio across 74 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old right-hander hit the disabled list last April with what was described as a dead arm, but he regained some velocity in the minors and compiled a 4.48 ERA and 44/23 K/BB ratio over 64 1/3 innings after being activated from the disabled list in July. Hughes reportedly dropped 20 pounds over the winter and while he's far from a lock to bounce back to his 2010 form, he's at least coming to camp motivated.

Part of me wonders whether the Yankees will go the safe route with Garcia since he has virtually no experience out of the bullpen (two relief appearances over his entire 13-year career), but it's probably unlikely unless Hughes' fastball is M.I.A. once again. I'd much prefer Hughes over Garcia based on upside and Girardi seems to be leaning the same way via some of his early comments down in Tampa. If Hughes ultimately gets the nod, he'll be worth a late-round flier in most mixed formats.

Athletics' closer

The Athletics traded Andrew Bailey to the Red Sox in December and rumors of a potential acquisition of Rangers' right-hander Koji Uehara failed to progress, so the club's closer job is expected to come down to a four-way battle between Grant Balfour, Brian Fuentes, Fautino De Los Santos and Joey Devine.

A's manager Bob Melvin has called Balfour and Fuentes "obvious candidates," which makes sense given that they have the most experience of the lot. Balfour only has 10 career saves to his name, but owns a miniscule 2.38 ERA and 115/37 K/BB ratio across 117 1/3 innings over the past two seasons. Fuentes has 199 career saves, but his velocity has declined in each of the past three years and he averaged just 6.5 K/9 in 2011.

I shouldn't have to explain in great detail why Devine is a poor fit. The 28-year-old right-hander finally made it back to the big leagues last season, but remains a tremendous health risk. The A's would be fortunate if he avoids the disabled list, so asking him to close games seems like a bit much. De Los Santos is the obvious long-term answer here. The 26-year-old right-hander reaches the mid-to-high 90s with his fastball and averaged 11.61 K/9 over 33 1/3 innings at the major league level last season, but he also averaged 4.59 BB/9 and walks were an issue for him in the minors. He's probably not ready yet.

Balfour and Fuentes could see their trade value increase with a move to the closer role, so I suspect one of them will ultimately get the nod. Balfour would be much easier to swallow in fantasy leagues. However, I wouldn't grab either until the late rounds of mixed league drafts. De Los Santos is one to keep an eye on for the second half of the season.

Indians' third baseman

When Indians' general manager Chris Antonetti said last month that Lonnie Chisenhall and Jack Hannahan would compete for the starting third base job during spring training, my first thought was that he was just trying to keep one of his young players motivated. However, with Manny Acta's recent declaration that he won't make a decision until late in the spring, it's increasingly clear that this is a legitimate position battle.

There's no doubt that Chisenhall is the third baseman of the future, but he was probably rushed to the majors last year. The 22-year-old showed good pop with 20 extra-base hits (seven homers) in 223 plate appearances, but his 49/8 K/BB ratio indicates that his plate discipline needs some work. Hannahan is an excellent defender, which is a nice luxury with such a ground ball-heavy staff, but his .675 OPS is obviously nothing to get excited about from a fantasy perspective.

I'd still target Chisenhall in AL-only leagues, but it's not impossible that he'll be sent down to Triple-A Columbus in order to continue his development. Remember that Opening Day rosters often come down to a roster crunch, so naming Hannahan the starter and sending Chisenhall to the minors could enable the Indians to carry a non-roster invitee like Jose Lopez as a right-handed bat off the bench. But let's hope Chisenhall hits enough during spring training to render this whole conversation moot.

White Sox closer

The White Sox traded Sergio Santos to the Blue Jays in December in exchange for prospect right-hander Nestor Molina, so we're looking at an open competition between Matt Thornton, Jesse Crain and Addison Reed for Chicago's closer role.

Reed has the least experience of this trio, but the 23-year-old right-hander has "closer of the future" written all over him. The 2010 third-round pick cruised up the organizational ladder by compiling a sparkling 1.41 ERA and 155/20 K/BB ratio across 108 1/3 innings between four different levels in the minors and allowed one run over 7 1/3 innings while striking out 12 and walking just one as a September call-up last year. His fastball-slider combo could make him a dominant late-game option for years to come.

My guess is that Reed will be closing games for the White Sox before long, but that a veteran like Thornton or Crain will be handed the job to begin the year. Thornton blew four saves last April before being yanked from ninth-inning duties, so I understand the skepticism from fantasy owners, but the southpaw's trade value could get a nice boost if he is successful with a second opportunity. Crain has a 2.84 ERA and a strikeout rate of 8.9 K/9 over the past two seasons, but his shaky command (3.9 BB/9 over the past two seasons) and increasing fly ball rate (49.1 percent last season) could be problematic.

Red Sox shortstop

The Red Sox traded not one, but two shortstops this offseason, first dealing Jed Lowrie to the Astros in December as part of the deal for reliever Mark Melancon and then Marco Scutaro to the Rockies in January in what was essentially a salary dump. This leaves Mike Aviles, Nick Punto and prospect Jose Iglesias among the possibilities at shortstop.

It would seem that this is Aviles' job to lose. Iglesias is an excellent defender, but he needs more seasoning in the minors after posting a woeful .554 OPS at the Triple-A level in 2011. And while Punto managed an impressive .278/.388/.421 slash-line with an .809 OPS over 166 plate appearances last season, we're talking about a guy with a  .249 career batting average and a .652  career OPS. New manager Bobby Valentine appears to value him more as a utility man, anyway.

Avilies doesn't take many pitches (4.2 percent walk rate), but owns a .288 career batting average, makes contact (85.3 percent) and has a little bit of speed and pop. He probably isn't as good a defender as his UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) would have you believe -- he has played just 1,212 innings at the position in the majors, the bulk of which came in 2008 -- but he should at least be competent. With Boston's powerhouse lineup around him, Avilies could actually be a sneaky value pick in mixed leagues which use a MI (middle infielder) spot.

Rays' fifth starter

The Rays gave Matt Moore the Evan Longoria treatment over the winter, signing him to a five-year, $14 million contract with club options for 2017, 2018 and 2019. With his service time no longer an issue, Moore is virtually assured of a rotation spot along with David Price, James Shields and Jeremy Hellickson.

Rays manager Joe Maddon has already dismissed the possibility of a six-man rotation -- something the club utilized for a stretch last year -- so either Jeff Niemann or Wade Davis will be headed to the bullpen to begin the season. That's a pretty nice problem to have.

Davis has been adamant about his desire to remain a starter, but I'm not sure he'll get his wish after putting up a mediocre 4.45 ERA (4.82 xFIP) and 105/63 K/BB ratio over 184 innings last season. Meanwhile, Niemann had arguably his best season in 2011, posting a 4.06 ERA (3.73 xFIP), 46 percent ground ball rate and a 105/37 K/BB ratio over 135 1/3 innings. He deserves to be the favorite right now.

Davis' strikeout and swinging strike rates have declined significantly since he fanned 36 batters in 36 1/3 innings as a rookie in 2009, so it might be worth it to see if he could be more useful out of the bullpen. The Rays didn't deal him for a bat over the winter, but since he's potentially under team control through 2017, he could also be attractive trade bait around the deadline.

Blue Jays' left field

Travis Snider and Eric Thames appear to be two players who are headed in different directions. Snider opened last season as the Blue Jays' starting left fielder, but poor performance and injuries limited him to just 49 games at the major league level. Meanwhile, Thames took advantage of the situation by making a very favorable first impression.

The Jays plan to have Snider and Thames to compete against each other for the starting left field job during spring training, with the loser likely opening the season with Triple-A Las Vegas. A platoon isn't really an option since they are both left-handed hitters.

Snider has regularly mashed minor league pitching, but the 2006 first-round pick owns a lousy .248/.307/.423 batting line and a 26.9 percent strikeout rate over 877 plate appearances in the majors. Thames didn't show much patience in his first taste of the big leagues last season (5.8 percent walk rate), but he collected 41 extra-base hits (12 homers), 37 RBI and 58 runs scored in just 95 games.

Snider is still only 24 years old, so he's far from a lost cause at this point, but I suspect he'll be the choice to start the season in the minors. He could really benefit by just staying healthy for a full season, no matter where he's playing. Thames could be a really nice sleeper in AL-only and deeper mixed leagues if he bats No. 2 in front of slugger Jose Bautista on regular basis, though the right-handed hitting Ben Francisco will likely get most of the at-bats against left-handed pitching.