May 7, 2014 2 min read

Exhibition games are meaningless?

You won’t hear any of the Wild Things saying their five exhibition games against the Lake Erie Crushers are meaningless.

The battle for roster spots ahead of the May 15 Frontier League opener at Florence continues tonight (7 p.m.) when the Wild Things play their first exhibition game at Consol Energy Park.

With a clubhouse full of players hoping to catch the eye of second-year manager Bart Zeller, and many roster spots still up for grabs, the five games in four days could make or end a player’s stay in Washington.

“I put a lot of stock in these games,” Zeller said. “We’re at the point where we need to see our pitchers command the strike zone and do things that will win games. It’s good that we’re playing another team. Sometimes, familiarity is not always good when you’re trying to put a team together.”

Not all the starting position jobs are set.

A designated hitter must be found.

A tough decision looms at backup catcher.

Keeping five outfielders or going with only four must be determined.

Paring down the pitching staff will be difficult.

The competitions are not sexy, but they are critical.

Washington didn’t sign a player to be the everyday designated hitter. And the Wild Things have four catchers with pro experience – Jim Vahalik, Maxx Garrett, Michael Allen and Michael Pair – which is a rarity for an independent team. It’s likely that only two catchers will be kept.

“At designated hitter, we have a few guys in mind, but we have to make the right decision about the right guy,” Zeller said.

Adding to the outfield dilemma are injuries to returnee Scott Kalmar and rookie Jordan Keur. Both have been slowed by leg injuries.

Frontier League rosters must be cut to 28 players Sunday and to the opening day limit of 24 by Wednesday.

“The exhibition games are very important,” Zeller said. “I want to see how we react.”