LAKELAND, Fla. -- Before Ron Gardenhire picks the players who will start the season on his bench, he'll have to determine how many spots are available.
With just nine games left in the Grapefruit League season, it's crunch time for roster decisions, and the bench remains unsettled.
"We're talking about figuring out the bottom part of our roster, as far as position players," Gardenhire said.
The field of candidates for Detroit Tigers utility and bench positions hasn't narrowed considerably since the start of camp.
Eight players are essentially competing for two or three spots. They are: JaCoby Jones, Victor Reyes, Alexi Amarista, Niko Goodrum, Pete Kozma, Ronny Rodriguez, Jim Adduci and Chad Huffman.