PORT CHARLOTTE
Tonight is the start of something. The Rays play the first of 34 games to get ready for the 162 they will battle through for the chance to win the final 11 — or, if they're a wild card, 12 — postseason games needed to finish the year as champions.
The Rays know mostly what they have, with 20 of the 25 opening-day roster spots, maybe more, seemingly set. What happens over the next five weeks probably won't mean much — unless, of course it does, likely in terms of a significant injury or unexpected trade.
But some players are in certain situations where how they play in the games that don't mean anything could mean everything.
"I don't think it would be smart for us to make judgements on our opening-day roster based strictly off spring training. We won't do that," manager Kevin Cash said Thursday.
"But it is an opportunity for us to get somewhat familiar with some of these guys, especially when you have competitions going on, whether it's in the bullpen or for utility roles. You've got to weigh it, to some degree."
Whose roles could be most impacted by spring performance?
Three players who could play their way out of jobs:
INF Tim Beckham
Banished at the end of last season due to repeated fundamental mistakes, Beckham, because of his bat, is back for a shot at a utility job. But he has to show better defense, a willingness to learn the outfield, and an improved approach and attitude. If not, rookie Daniel Robertson could be in play.
RHP Kevin Gadea
By nature of being a Rule 5 draft pick, Gadea has a default spot since he must either be on the team, waived or offered back to Seattle. With a quality changeup among his impressive tools, he has to convince that at 22, and with limited experience no higher than Class A, he can handle the pressures and competition at the big-league level, which is tough to gauge in spring.
RHP Shawn Tolleson
Signed for a bounceback to his 35-save form with Texas in 2015, Tolleson is being handled cautiously due to back issues that were part of his 2016 struggles. But at some point he will have to prove he can get big-league hitters out, or the Rays can buy time and send him to the minors. Right-hander Danny Farquhar, though out of options, similarly could have to show he can maintain the fastball-changeup combo that worked at the end of last season.
Three who could play their way into jobs:
RHP Tommy Hunter
Signed last week to a minor-league deal, Hunter has a simple path to winning a bullpen job: be healthy and throw hard. If the 30-year-old veteran routinely shows his 95-96 mph fastball of the past, he should be good to go.
LHP Justin Marks
With Xavier Cedeno the only set left-hander in the bullpen, Marks could work his way into the mix based on his strike-throwing and versatility to work multiple innings. So, too, could lefty Dana Eveland, though he had that chance last year and failed.
C Jesus Sucre
Another late addition, Sucre came in a trade from Seattle with a reputation for strong defensive skills and a cannon of an arm, good enough to have the trust of Mariners ace Felix Hernandez. That combo could push Sucre past Luke Maile for the chance to pair with Curt Casali.
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Explore all your optionsMarc Topkin can be reached at mtopkin@tampabay.com. Follow @ TBTimes_Rays.