SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The remaining position players started to roll into Scottsdale Stadium on Wednesday. Kelby Tomlinson arrived in the morning, Conor Gillaspie walked through a few minutes later, and Denard Span showed up as well. It won't be long before there's a full workout at the facility, and when infielders officially hit the dirt, a young catcher will join them.
Manager Bruce Bochy said Trevor Brown will get some meaningful time at second base this spring, and he also will take grounders at first base and third. Brown made 96 starts at second base in the minors and a dozen at first, but his big league exposure has been limited. He occasionally takes pre-game grounders if an infielder is dealing with a minor injury, and that led to him getting an inning at third base last June. The Giants were shorthanded at the time because Joe Panik was about to be put on the concussion disabled list.
Bochy said the Giants haven't ruled out opening the season with three catchers, but added that the odds of that configuration "are less than 50 percent." Brown is most likely ticketed for the starting role in Triple-A, as the Nick Hundley addition was originally supposed to allow Brown -- a converted infielder -- to continue his development behind the plate. Still, this role has always been something that intrigues the Giants. Brown is athletic and experienced enough to add the infield to his big league playbook, and even if it doesn't lead to an opening day job, it'll help him going forward.
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So, be ready for the "Trevor Brown is playing second base!" tweets during a random game this spring. You can always use that kind of intrigue during a long exhibition season. For now, here are the highlights from Day 3 ...
POSITION BATTLE: Matt Cain is the clear frontrunner for the fifth starter spot, but Ty Blach intends on making it a hard decision. "That's what you live for," Blach said. "The competition."
Blach had a quiet offseason back home in Denver, but he certainly made a ton of noise before packing up last October. He had a 1.06 ERA in four regular season outings and didn't allow a run in two relief appearances in the NLDS. The highlight of Blach's season was a huge win over the Dodgers on Oct. 1, when he threw eight scoreless innings and struck out six.
"That was big for my confidence," he said. "It lets you know you can compete at the highest level. It's something to build off for sure."
San Francisco Giants
PROSPECT WATCH: Chase Johnson was moved to the bullpen last season at Double-A and his numbers immediately improved. The hard-throwing right-hander struck out about a batter per inning as a reliever and dropped his ERA to 2.30 and WHIP to 1.09. Johnson was shut down late in the season after feeling the dreaded forearm tightness, but he said it was believed to be a reaction to his new pitching schedule and he's back to 100 percent as camp starts. It sounds like Johnson will continue to work out of the bullpen going forward.
FAMILIAR FACE: Word out of Dodgers camp is that the Sergio Romo deal will be announced soon, and Romo will continue to wear No. 54.
ICYMI: The podcast is back! The first guest of 2017 was top pitching prospect Tyler Beede, who talked about his development, the importance of this spring, his offseason workouts with Mark Melancon, attending the Super Bowl, his music career, and much more. You can stream it online here or download it on iTunes here.
QUOTABLE: The main feature today was on Jimmy Rollins, who is trying to win a job as a non-roster invitee. Rollins lives in the Tampa area and he recently ran into Tampa resident Derek Jeter at the gym. "He called me an old man, and I was like, 'That's interesting,'" Rollins said of the retired Jeter. "I was like, 'Why are you even at the gym?' He said he's been breathing heavy when he walks up and down the golf course."