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Cron (thumb) is expected to begin a season-long competition for playing time with Luis Valbuena as spring training begins, the Orange County Register reports.

There are a few variables in play, including the health of Albert Pujols, Cron's health following October thumb surgery, and the Angels' defensive plans around the infield with the addition of Danny Espinosa via trade this winter. Nevertheless, Cron has 20-25 homer pop if he finds a way into the lineup on a daily basis, while the improvement he showed in his strikeout rate last season (dropped from 20.3 percent to 16.9 percent) bodes well for his chances of sustaining his 16-point increase in batting average to last season's .278 mark.

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