With all eyes on Yasmany Tomas, Jake Lamb battles for D-backs' attention
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Cuban Yasmany Tomas' life changed when he accepted the Arizona Diamondback's contract offer, a six-year, $68.5 million deal.
Forgotten in such a significant decision of that one contract -- and the domino effect from a roster standpoint -- is Jake Lamb, the 24-year-old third baseman who finished the 2014 season learning the ways of major league life. People might forget that he's hoping to build on something himself, even if the D-backs seem focused on making sure their big investment in Tomas pays off with his transition to third base from outfield.
So the even-keeled Lamb enters 2015 fighting for a place, not unlike a number of others whose roles may depend on how well Tomas takes to third base.
"My job is to go out there and work as hard as I can, play the game hard," Lamb said. "I can't control what they're thinking. I just have to force them to put me on the field with the way I play the game, and that's the only thing I can control."
Lamb, who is ranked by Baseball America as Arizona's sixth-best prospect (and No. 78 overall), isn't out of the team's thought process, but he's fighting an uphill battle.
There Tomas was on Wednesday fielding ground balls during infield drills. But Lamb was working with the same group of expected regulars, and manager Chip Hale hasn't forgotten about him.
"Jake Lamb has really come in in great shape and has opened my eyes, really," Hale said a day prior, while taking on questions about Tomas.
The conundrum: Hale believes that Tomas' big bat will fit into the lineup some way, even if the experiment at third goes badly.
Last season, Lamb compiled a .230/.263/.373 line during 37 games with the D-backs after being called up for the final two months of the season. It was a disappointment only because Lamb, a sixth-round pick from the 2012 draft, had lit up Double-A Mobile with a .318/.399/.551 slash line in 103 games. He briefly moved into Triple-A Reno to record nine hits in 18 at-bats before making the jump to the majors.
All things accounted for, it was a breakout season in Lamb's eyes.
"Last year was my first real full season, I played about 140, 150 games," Lamb said. "Before that in A-ball I played 70-something games. That was a huge accomplishment for me, playing that many games."
Lamb, who is from Seattle and went to Washington, returned home in the offseason to relax and spend time with family -- a few Seahawks games highlighted his activities. He dubbed it a "low-key" break.
He hopes his impact on the D-backs is anything but low-key. For now, it's about proving he belongs among the talent on hand.
"There's a lot of good guys in the infield," he said. "I'm not really sure what the coaches and everything are thinking, but you can't really go wrong with the guys out there."
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