Martinez: Kieboom will get chance to win third base job

Who's going to replace Anthony Rendon at third base for the Nationals? Davey Martinez intends to give top prospect Carter Kieboom every opportunity to seize that all-important job this spring.

Martinez, in his first public comments since Rendon signed a $245 million contract with the Angels on the final evening of last month's Winter Meetings, said Friday that Kieboom will come to camp as the club's preferred starting third baseman but will have to earn it.

"He deserves a shot to make the team," Martinez said after taping an hour-long radio interview with "Meet the Press" host (and Nats fan) Chuck Todd at SiriusXM's D.C. studios. "We need to fill a void at third base, and we think he's appropriate. He can do the job."

General manager Mike Rizzo, who signed veteran infielders Starlin Castro, Asdrúbal Cabrera and Eric Thames earlier this month, hinted last week at Nats Winterfest that Kieboom would be in the mix for the third base job. Martinez, who missed the event because he was on a long-planned vacation in Bali, took that a step further Friday and named Kieboom as his top preferred choice at the hot corner.

The 22-year-old Kieboom is a natural shortstop but began getting playing time at both second and third bases last season with Triple-A Fresno. Castro, who has played around the infield during his 10-year career, will enter spring training as the club's second baseman, Martinez said. Kieboom will get all of his work at third.

"I want him to focus on just one position," Martinez said. "If he's going to be on our team, he's going to play third base. We signed Starlin, and we looked at all kinds of numbers. And, for me, he's a second baseman. He's going to play second base. Carter's going to get every opportunity to make the team and play third base for us."

Kieboom played only 10 games at third base for Fresno last season and was charged with four errors but said at Winterfest he feels more comfortable at that position now and is excited to hone his skills there.

"The biggest thing about that is positioning," Martinez said. "And I think once he learns how to play that position, and where to position himself, I think he's going to be OK. ... I want him to focus on defense. I think he's going to hit, but I think he really needs to focus on defense in spring training, and then we'll go from there."

Kieboom, who hit .303 with 16 homers and a .902 OPS in Triple-A but was only 5-for-39 with two homers in a brief major league stint early last season, is hardly a sure thing to make the Nationals' opening day roster. If the club's coaching staff and front office don't believe he's ready, Cabrera is likely to see the most action at third base, with returning veteran Howie Kendrick also getting some playing time there.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Martinez said. "But Asdrúbal's going to play, and I talked to him. He's going to play third, some second, he'll play some first. He'll pinch-hit off the bench, which is kind of nice having a switch-hitter like him. What I like is we've got options. We've got versatility, so it's kind of nice."

Martinez's interview with Todd, which was recorded in front of a small crowd of fans, will air at 5 p.m. Thursday on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio channel.