Let The Games Begin - Bryan Price

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Bryan Price is looking past Monday's rain to the opening of the exhibition season known as the Cactus League.

 "It's a natural progression, going from bullpens, to live batting practice, to games," Price said. "We have a lot of guys we need to see. We have 64 guys in camp. The front end of spring training is great because the guys we know are on the team, we know what their schedule is,  It is those that are competing to make the club fill in the gaps and that is something that I'm excited about and really looking forward to doing."

Most of the competition will revolve around the pitcher's mound.  There are two permanent and one temporary spots open. Homer Bailey is expected back mid to late April. Eight or nine pitchers begin to compete for those spots, with veteran Jason Marquis getting the start.  Keyvius Sampson, J.J. Hoover, Nate Adcock, Pedro Villarreal, Daniel Corcino and Matt Magil will follow in no particular order.

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Price won't base his decision about who makes the team by statistics which are often misleading in spring training for a variety of reasons.

"You know how it works out here.  Pitchers are going to have those games, the conditions, the hard infield, the light air, the high sky, working with catchers that you're not used to throwing to, all can lead to an environment where runs are scored," Price explained.  "Not to mention the competition out here is outstanding.  We have to do a really good job as a staff in evaluating players on what we see in all different areas, not just in line scores."

"A lot of times if you base it on statistics, a lot of guys you thought were going to make your club wouldn't," Price added.  "I won't say throw statistics out the window, what we have to see is demand, the ability to pitch, get secondary pitches over behind in the count, how they compete, how the hold runners.  We try to find the best guys to make our club."

The starting eight position players aren't facing a lot of competition.  Spots on the bench are open.

"It is not as defined or as clear cut as it's been in years past," Price said.  "It bodes well for the players to come into a team and see spots that are open.  We want to get through spring training injury free but everyone faces the same thing.  It is just as easy to get injured in spring training as it is during the season so, I would expect to see everyone playing hard and feeling like they have a shot to make this ballclub."

Skip Schumaker and Brayan Pena are pretty much inked in for bench roles.

"We will put a lot of thought into Kris Negron as one of those guys, who is an important piece for our ballclubs," Price said.  "He was a surprise last year but would have been a bigger surprise if he hadn't had such a great spring. He played multiple positions, He swung the bat as well as anyone.  He got off to a slow start in Triple A and bounced back.  When he came back (to major leagues), he took advantage of his opportunities. He is probably one of the last guys on that list, who would ever take anything for granted. You certainly like all your guys to all feel like they're competing to make the club.  Certainly, there are guys who know who are going to make the club but we want to see the kind of effort that suggests they are trying to make the club. It bodes well for what we are trying to do as a team and that's play hard."

Chris Heisey is gone, leaving a bench spot open for Donald Lutz, Brennan Boesch, Yorman Rodriguez, Jason Bourgeois and Juan Duran to battle for outfield vacancies.

Ramon Santiago is elsewhere leaving competition for Eugenio Suarez, Ivan De Jesus Jr., Irving Falu, and Josh Satin.