Desmond plans to spend camp learning new position at first

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Jace Peterson starts out the day shagging fly balls in the outfield. Then, he changes gloves and heads to the infield to take some grounders.

Don’t try to label this guy with a position. He can play just about all of them. “Man, it’s fun,” Peterson said. “You get to move around the diamond. You get to work everywhere.”

Peterson is part of an ever-growing trend on big league rosters: the super sub.

The Atlanta Braves have two of them, in fact.

Peterson can play second base, shortstop, third base and all three outfield positions. Chase d’Arnaud does him one better, having added first base to his repertoire this spring.

“Those guys are invaluable,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. Baseball Commissioner Rob All over baseball, teams are placManfred came down solidly on the ing huge importance on those who side of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ can play everywhere — especially didn’t exactly put up huge numbers ownership in the team’s court battle in an era when teams are carrying at last season (.266 with eight homers with Maricopa County. least 12 pitchers on their 25-man rosand 21 RBIs) but made starts at sec

The Diamondbacks have sued the ters, leaving only four or five playond, short, third and designated hitcounty,ter.seekingtoremoveaclauseersonthebench. from their stadium lease to allow It matters even more in the NaNationals manager Dusty Baker the team to look to move elsewhere. tional League, where pitchers must thinks these are jobs for more expe

The team contends in the suit that hit and there are all sorts of lineup rienced players, one who “had some the county has failed to allocate issues to deal with over the course of success and knows not to get down some $187 million for maintenance a game. when he doesn’t have success.” and improvements at Chase Field. Pinch hitters. Double switches. Then again, Cleveland made it all

Manfred, speaking at a news Defensive changes. the way to the World Series with a conference, said that “to be a major One of the top priorities for the demajor contribution from 24-year-old league-quality stadium,” Chase fending National League East chamJose Ramirez, who in his first full Field “needs work.” pion Washington Nationals was to rebig league season played 117 games

sign 33-year-old Stephen Drew, who at third base but also got time in the

Ian Desmond no doubt was a big offseason acquisition for Colorado, a proven offensive player who should flourish at Coors Field.

But after six seasons as a shortstop for the Washington Nationals and one season as a center fielder for the Texas Rangers, how quickly can he learn to play first base?

“Being an athletic first baseman, I will be able to jump for balls a little better than an average first baseman,” Desmond said. “My hands are good enough to pick balls.”

Desmond hasn’t been known as a great defender. He had the most or second-most errors among National League shortstops five times.