Ian Desmond’s fractured hand is the big story coming out of the senior circuit today, though here are some more items from around the National League…
- With a number of veterans in camp on minor league deals and quite a few jobs still to be decided, the Giants’ final roster cuts “are going to come down to the end of camp,” Bruce Bochy told reporters (including MLB.com’s Barry M. Bloom). “I’ve already had some guys tell me, ’I’m glad I’m not you.’ I mean, they’re all good guys, experienced guys, and they’re doing a good job,” Bochy said. As Bloom notes, versatility will be a big factor in the Giants’ decision, as a player who can handle multiple positions is a necessity given the team’s needs and lack of bench space. Jimmy Rollins, Aaron Hill, and Mike Morse are a few of the notable veteran names still fighting for jobs.
- Gregor Blanco received interest from the Orioles and Tigers this winter, but the outfielder tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he chose to sign a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks in part because of their running game and aggressive style of play. Detroit’s connection to Blanco was previously reported, and while this is the first time the O’s have been linked to Blanco this winter, he makes sense as a target given how Baltimore searched the market for left-handed hitting, versatile outfielders for much of the offseason.
- Austin Voth has been somewhat of an overlooked figure behind the Nationals’ other star prospects, though as Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post writes, Voth could now emerge in an important role as Washington’s top piece of starter depth. Voth is battling with A.J. Cole, Vance Worley, and Erick Fedde for the “sixth starter” role, which is of no small importance given the injuries that inevitably crop up for a pitching staff over the course of a season. A fifth-round pick for the Nats in 2013, Voth has a 2.84 ERA, 3.33 K/BB rate and 8.7 K/9 over 487 1/3 career innings in the minors.
- With so many young Cubs stars already in place around the diamond, prospect Ian Happ is looking to help his chances of finding a regular role by playing multiple positions a la Ben Zobrist, Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com writes. “He’s a perfect example to a young player on how to stay in the game and contribute. That’s who I want to emulate,” Happ said. Originally drafted as an outfielder and second baseman as the ninth overall pick in the 2015 draft, Happ has already played second and all three outfield spots in the minors, plus he has been doing some work as a third baseman this spring. In another piece on Happ, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat notes that Happ is developing well at second and is already showing some fine skills at the plate. Happ is yet another impressive youngster in the Cubs’ pipeline, as he featured on top-100 prospect lists from MLB.com (28th), Baseball Prospectus (54th), Baseball America and ESPN’s Keith Law (both 63rd).
