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Spring training positional battles to watch: NL West
By Dayn Perry | CBS Sports

Spring training is now underway and that means position battles across the league have begun. Sometimes those battles are for a roster spot, other times for a specific role with the team. Picking a winner of those battles based on spring performance is sort of silly, but teams do it all the time. So ...

We're in the midst of looking at the various position battles around the league on a division-by-division basis. We've done the AL East, NL East, AL Central and NL Central, so now it's time to crack open the NL West.


ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: Rotation

The D-Backs may wind up being the worst team in baseball in 2015. In a related matter, the rotation is very much unsettled. Jeremy Hellickson and Josh Collmenter figure to be locks, but otherwise there are no certainties. Contending for the final three spots will be Trevor Cahill, Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster, Chase Anderson, Vidal Nuno and Robbie Ray, most likely. Andrew Chafin and A.J. Schlugel may also be heard from, and top prospect Archie Bradley is in camp on a non-roster invitation.

As you may have surmised given all the names involved, this one's wide open. The real thing to watch is how Bradley's timetable develops, as he's the future of the Arizona rotation. Regardless of how all this plays out in camp, the D-Backs' rotation for 2015 will likely be ... not all that good!


COLORADO ROCKIES: Catcher

Wilin Rosario is the incumbent, but it's no secret the Rockies aren't exactly bullish on his defensive skills. Rosario can hit a little bit, and it's possible that detail at a less demanding position will free up that bat a bit more. Mostly, though, the Rox seem to think that Rosario gives back too much of his value via his catch-and-throw shortcomings. Those considerations may open the job up for Nick Hundley, who was signed as a free agent this offseason. Hundley's certainly a better defender than Rosario, but the issue may be finding another spot for Rosario (or, of course, trading him).

Also in the mix are Dustin Garneau and Audry Perez, minor-league vets who are in camp on NRIs. Michael McKenry is another name. In the end, I would bet on Rosario staying behind the plate for now with Hundley spelling him on occasion and serving as a late-inning defensive replacement.


LOS ANGELES DODGERS: Outfield

Yes, Matt Kemp has been dealt to the Padres, but the Dodgers still have a crowded outfield to sort out. Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier and Joc Pederson will be vying for time. Puig is the team's best hitter, so he's obviously going to be a lineup regular, and Pederson is the lone genuine center fielder of the bunch. That means that the battle likely comes down to Crawford and Ethier for time in left field. On that front, I expect Crawford to be the primary at the position with Ethier seeing playing time beyond the usual standards of a fourth outfielder.

Manager Don Mattingly last season did an excellent job of juggling his abundance of outfielders while keeping discord to a reasonable minimum. By the looks of it, he'll have the same challenge in 2015, absent additional moves. One possibility, of course, is that Pederson looks out of his depth in spring training play and gets assigned to Triple-A for further seasoning. That, however, seems unlikely.


The Dodgers' outfield figures to be crowded once again. (USATSI)


SAN DIEGO PADRES: 3rd Base

As a smaller part of GM A.J. Preller's scorched-earth roster makeover, he brought in third baseman Will Middlebrooks, presumably to challenge semi-incumbent Yangervis Solarte. To be sure, neither player is an optimal regular, but much depends on how Middlebrooks looks after a long run of nagging injuries last season. He has some right-handed pop, and Preller obviously is fond of that particular skill. As for Solarte, he has a broader base of skills than does Middlebrooks, but offensively he grades out as below average for the position. NRI Josh Bell could also be given a look, but serious competition from him seems unlikely.

For what it's worth, the Steamer projection system over at FanGraphs tabs Solarte for a 2015 line of .248/.307/.359 and Middlebrooks for .219/.268/.371. While I'll take the over on Middlebrooks' forecast (provided he's healthy), there are no ideal options here.


SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: Left Field

The champs! There's not a great deal of mystery when it comes to the San Fran roster, but there might be the whiff of a competition in left field. This offseason, the Giants inked Norichika Aoki to a bargain one-year, $4.7 million contract with an option for 2016, so consider Aoki -- with his on-base skills, plus base-running and solid defense -- to be the favorite over Gregor Blanco. Each is left-handed, so they don't match up as platoon partners.

While Blanco certainly has a shot to win the job coming out of camp, he figures to slot in as Bruce Bochy's fourth outfielder. Given the injury history of center fielder Angel Pagan, Blanco may wind up with plenty of playing time even if Aoki prevails.