Few position battles will shake up Colorado Rockies camp this spring training. But manager Jim Tracy has two quality catchers to pick from.
The homegrown Chris Iannetta hit .228 and eventually lost the starting job to Yorvit Torrealba last season, but also slugged 16 home runs and signed a three-year, $8.3 million contract this winter.
But Miguel Olivo, who signed a one-year deal after playing the past two seasons with the Kansas City Royals, will battle him for the starting job. Olivo hit .249 with a career-high 23 homers last season.
"As far as sitting here saying, 'Here's the guy that's going to catch all the time,' I've got two really good catchers. And I'm going to use them both," Tracy said.
Both catchers are regarding the competition as friendly. Olivo said he and Iannetta are "like brothers," and Iannetta calls Olivo "a good guy."
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"Miguel and I and whoever, we're going to try to make each other as good as possible and get ourselves ready for the season," Iannetta said. "We both know we have to lead this staff and team. That's all I'm really focused on."
Iannetta can enter the spring with reassurance after signing the three-year deal despite his struggles in 2009.
"If things go bad for a couple games, I'm not thinking, 'Am I going to be sent down?' " he said. "It hopefully takes away a lot of the pressure and I can focus on the game and focus on how I'm playing and not worry about anything else."
He credited adjustments - including dropping his hands a little - for late-season improvements. He hit .350 in September and October.
Meanwhile, Olivo is learning the pitchers. He caught starting left-hander Jorge De La Rosa in the Royals organization and ace Ubaldo Jimenez when he struck out 10 in four innings for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.
"I see a lot of great guys, a lot of positives," Olivo said about his new team. "That's what you want to see."
Olivo also caught AL Cy Young winner Zack Greinke of the Royals last season.
Inside pitch
• For Thursday's Cactus League opener against the Diamondbacks at Tucson Electric Park, Jason Hammel, Franklin Morales and Rafael Betancourt are among those who will pitch for the Rockies. Billy Buckner will start for Arizona.
• On Friday, Jeff Francis will start against the Giants in Scottsdale and Jimenez will start against the Angels in Tempe. Jimenez can throw three innings because he's further along than other pitchers after throwing in the off-season, Tracy said.
• For the D-backs, Dan Haren will face the Cubs in Mesa on Friday. Edwin Jackson will face the Giants on Saturday in Scottsdale.
• The Rockies will play an intrasquad game at 12:30 p.m. today. Dexter Fowler, Ian Stewart and Eric Young are scheduled to play.
• Rain prevented the Rockies from getting on the field Sunday, but they hit in cages and practiced bunting. Tracy said the inclement weather wasn't too inconvenient - Hammel was the lone pitcher scheduled to throw batting practice.
Up next
• What: Rockies at D-backs
• Where: Tucson Electric Park
• When: 1:05 p.m., Thursday
