Rays' Tim Beckham: Working in outfield early in spring

Beckham, who added first base to his resume last season after having already played at each of the other infield spots, is putting in time as an outfielder this spring, Bill Chastain of MLB.com reports. "It's just repetition," Beckham said. "The more comfortable I get out there, the more opportunities I'll get. I don't think it's going to be hard at all. It's not going to be tough learning the position."

Analysis:

The addition of a fifth position to Beckham's defensive repertoire had been speculated about shortly before the start of initial workouts and is now officially in process. The 27-year-old utility man has embraced the latest opportunity, remarking that his goal is simply to "play and win games", regardless of where he's deployed on the field. The additional versatility can only help Beckham's cause for a spot on the 25-man roster, although he'll likely need to display improvement in his plate discipline and overall offensive consistency to stick.