Royce Clayton has learned not take anything for granted during his lengthy career and that's why he doesn't take issue with not being given the starting shortstop's job by the Toronto Blue Jays.
He's more than willing to be part of what general manager J.P. Ricciardi described as a "two- or three-headed monster" for the position and plans to play his way into a prominent role.
"I've never gone into any situation in 16 years of major league baseball expecting to be handed any type of job, I have to earn it," Clayton said from Scottsdale, Ariz., during a conference call Thursday. "I felt that way as a rookie and I've felt that way every day that I've played. I'm not changing my approach."
The well-respected veteran signed a US$1.5-million, one-year deal Wednesday and the initial belief was that Clayton would take over the full-time job at the position, allowing Aaron Hill to settle in at second and shifting John McDonald back to the utility-man's role.
But Ricciardi threw all that in the air, saying that McDonald would see his fair share of action, Clayton might see some time at second and Hill might still play some short.
"Nothing is defined right now," Ricciardi said on an earlier conference call. "(Clayton) is going to get a chance to play a lot."
Another infielder might also be added.
"We're talking about that," said Ricciardi. "I think those are little things we can kind of fill in around the winter meetings."
It's all good with Clayton, who says what matters to him is playing on a winner. He'll be 37 in January and after 2,031 big-league games, all that remains for him is to reach his first World Series, and for his kids to see him play. He and wife Samantha Davies, a British sprinter who raced the 200 at the 2000 Olympics, have four kids: Royce Jr., who turns three in January, plus one-year-old triplets Elijah, Imani and Naya.
"Those are the only two reasons I'm still playing, otherwise I think I would have retired a couple of years ago," said Clayton. "Personal achievements don't excite me a lot. I've been close, one game away from the World Series (in 1996 with St. Louis) is a bitter pill to swallow, something I'll never forget. Every day I strap it on and every off-season I prepare is to try and get to that pinnacle."
Clayton is another stopgap for the Blue Jays, who were hoping for a more permanent answer to their revolving door at shortstop, initially looking at signing Julio Lugo. After deciding he would be too expensive and that the money would be better used on pitching, an area they can key on at next week's winter meetings, they set their sights on second baseman Adam Kennedy.
When Kennedy signed a $10-million, three-year deal with St. Louis on Tuesday, they focused on Clayton, whom they'd been in talks with for about a week.
"They want to win and are doing the things that are necessary to win," said Clayton. "Everything kind of went relatively quickly."
Clayton will be the 13th different player the Blue Jays use at shortstop since Ricciardi took over as GM in 2002 and a long-term solution doesn't appear to be on the horizon.
"Right now we just don't have a stud shortstop there," said Ricciardi. "I don't think there's one on the free-agent market we'd be able to get involved with, I think for the way our team is built, as long as someone can make the routine plays, that's the thing that's most important to us."
Clayton, 36, is known as an excellent clubhouse presence and, more importantly, a solid fielder. Hill, McDonald, Russ Adams, Luis Figueroa and Troy Glaus (who shifted over from third base during interleague games) each spent time at shortstop last season, combining to make 36 errors.
"I don't think we had a problem at shortstop last year, I can't remember shortstop costing us games last year," said Ricciardi. "I think we caught the ball relatively well."
The Blue Jays are Clayton's 10th team. Last year with Washington and Cincinnati, he batted .258 with 30 doubles, two homers and 40 RBIs in 137 games.
"We thought about Lugo, but we thought the price was going to be a little too high for what we really wanted to spend," said Ricciardi. "So we wanted to go in a direction of getting someone who has played the position, can catch the ball, is a good veteran, it's a one-year deal, it's a nice fit that enables Hill to stay at second base for now.
"For where we are now with our ballclub, in our lineup, we like the fit."