MLB position battles to watch during spring training 2017

Cuban power hitter Yulieski Gurriel (pictured) is the front-runner for Houston's first base job, but his ability to play third base and the outfield could open the door for young upstarts A.J. Reed and Tyler White. Neither youngster performed well in the majors last season, but they have great minor league track records.

Milwaukee traded Martin Maldonado for Jett Bandy this offseason. Bandy will battle Andrew Susac for the starting catcher job unless the Brewers add from outside the organization. Bandy hit eight home runs in 70 games with the Angels last season, while Susac is a former top prospect with the Giants.

The Astros added Charlie Morton to an already deep rotation this offseason. He's likely the fourth starter, meaning Mike Fiers and young Joe Musgrove will battle for the fifth spot. Fiers struggled last season with a 4.48 ERA in 168.2 innings, while Musgrove had a 4.06 ERA in 62 innings during his MLB debut.

Milwaukee clearly has some pitching problems heading into the season, but the Brewers hope to find help from their fifth starter competition. Chase Anderson (pictured), Wily Peralta and veteran Tommy Milone are all vying for a rotation spot. The Brewers also have several intriguing pitchers in the upper minors.

After letting Michael Saunders walk in free agency, Toronto is set up for a competition in left field. Melvin Upton Jr. and Ezequiel Carrera could platoon, while former top prospect Dalton Pompey is also a dark-horse candidate.

The Cardinals apparently trust Kolten Wong at second base, meaning Jedd Gyorko and Jhonny Peralta will battle for the third base job. Of course, both hitters are versatile, so the loser of the competition should still find plenty of at-bats elsewhere.

Seattle plans to start offseason acquisition Mitch Haniger (pictured) in right field, but that's not set in stone. Ben Gamel, who was acquired late last season from the Yankees, also has skin in the game. Danny Valencia is a candidate for the right field spot as well, along with first base.

Mike Montgomery was the likely fifth starter until the Cubs signed veteran Brett Anderson late in the offseason. Anderson missed nearly all of last season but probably has the edge if healthy given his experience.

Seattle was busy adding in the offseason, including to its pitching staff. The fifth starter spot will likely come down to veteran Yovani Gallardo, who struggled with Baltimore last season, and Cuban Ariel Miranda.

Arizona didn't bring back Welington Castillo, although he did a fine job offensively over the last two seasons. The Diamondbacks added more defense at the position with Chris Iannetta (pictured), Chris Herrmann and Jeff Mathis in the mix.

The Rangers signed Mike Napoli to replace Mitch Moreland at first base, but their DH spot remains open. Among the competitors are Ryan Rua, former top prospect Joey Gallo (pictured), utility man Jurickson Profar and former MVP Josh Hamilton. 

Former top prospect Archie Bradley (pictured) showed flashes last season, which should help him in the fifth starter competition against Patrick Corbin and Braden Shipley. Corbin didn't look right last season but did have a 3.60 ERA in 16 starts during 2015.

Tampa Bay is expected to move Brad Miller to second base, a spot vacated when the team traded Logan Forsythe. The team could still address first base in free agency or via trade, though it also recently brought back Logan Morrison. For now, he's in competition with Nick Franklin for the first base gig.

The Dodgers have their top three in the rotation set with Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda. Julio Urias will also fill a rotation spot, though his innings will be capped, and he could start the year in extended spring training. The No. 5 spot in the rotation gets interesting with Scott Kazmir (pictured), Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Alex Wood, Brock Stewart and Ross Stripling all in the running.

Boston has three potential Cy Young winners in Chris Sale, David Price and 2016 award winner Rick Porcello at the top of the rotation. The Sox then must pick two of three from Eduardo Rodriguez (pictured), Steven Wright and Drew Pomeranz. Each pitcher had an injury from last season that he's trying to overcome.

San Francisco failed to address its fifth starter spot in the offseason, hoping it can fill it from within. Matt Cain is the most experienced candidate, but Albert Suarez and Ty Blach have great chances to fill the void.

Cameron Maybin was traded in the offseason in a cost-cutting move, leaving the Tigers with inexperienced players for center field. The competition has four legitimate candidates in Tyler Collins (pictured), Mikie Mahtook, JaCoby Jones and Alex Presley.

The Giants opted not to bring Angel Pagan back, leaving the left field job for either Jarrett Parker or Mac Williamson. The outfielders have similar skill sets, with big power potential, but it wouldn't be shocking if San Francisco added another name to the competition.

There's a full-blown rebuild on the South Side of Chicago, and the fifth starter job will be interesting in spring training. New acquisition Derek Holland is the top candidate, though top prospects Reynaldo Lopez and Lucas Giolito, both acquired from Washington, will have opportunities. The team has discussed trading Jose Quintana, which would likely thin out the competition.

Veteran power hitter Jay Bruce has been a prominent name in trade rumors, but the Mets will apparently go into spring training with him on the roster. Former top prospect Michael Conforto was a massive disappointment last season but could still challenge Bruce for the starting job. Brandon Nimmo is also a dark horse.

The mission to replace Mark Teixeira in the Bronx should get plenty of attention. Greg Bird (pictured) goes into spring training as the leader in the clubhouse despite missing all of 2016 with a shoulder injury. Tyler Austin was set to be his biggest challenger until the Yankees signed Chris Carter, who hit 41 home runs with Milwaukee last season, leading the NL.

Zack Wheeler had a series of setbacks last season following Tommy John surgery, but he hopes to reclaim a rotation spot for the Mets this spring. He will be challenged by Robert Gsellman, who had a 2.42 ERA in 44.2 innings in his MLB debut.

The San Diego roster is a mess, to be blunt, but the Padres do have plenty of depth in the outfield. They currently have four extremely viable outfielders vying for three starting spots. Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe are the top prospects, but Travis Jankowski and Alex Dickerson produced well last season.

Colorado allowed Nick Hundley to walk in free agency, effectively handing the catcher reins over to Tom Murphy (pictured) and Tony Wolters. Murphy is far superior offensively, showing pop in the minors, while Wolters' defense is highly regarded. New manager Bud Black hasn't tipped his hand on the starter yet.

Adam Ottavino was slated to be Colorado's closer heading into the season until the team signed former Rockies closer Greg Holland. Returning from Tommy John surgery, Holland makes things interesting, especially after signing a one-year, $7 million contract with a vesting option in 2018 if he pitches 50 games or finishes 30 games. It could be optimistic that Holland will be ready to close at the start of the season, but we can't rule it out.