Just yesterday, Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. was non-committal to the third base position in 2014, saying that Cody Asche would not necessarily enter 2014 as a starter. However, today, despite benching him two days in a row against left-handed pitching, Manager Ryne Sandberg is telling a different story:
Ryno also said Cody Asche is the leader to win 3B job next season. No surprise there. Has impressed coaches and front office.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) September 25, 2013
Amaro could bring some players to camp to "compete" for the third base job in a Spring Training competition, but of course, anything could happen between now and then. If Amaro is being honest, then he could make some trades to change the dynamic of the Phillies lineup. As the Phillies know from the last several years, Major League Baseball is pretty thin at the third base position. That makes Cody Asche have a real chance.
