Jason Wood is on the bubble

Twenty-five players make up a roster and, with 12 of those projected to go to pitchers on the Marlins, it doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room for position players who sit on the bubble.

Jason Wood knows he's one of them. He's always one of them.

No active professional has more minor-league at-bats than does Wood, who has 6,434. The 39-year-old infielder's total number of big-league at-bats: 198.

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''I definitely think that I still have to do whatever it takes to win a spot on this team,'' Wood said. ``Even though I did what they asked me to do last year, I still have to prove myself.''

Gonzalez said as much.

''Performance,'' Gonzalez said of what will determine who makes the roster this spring. That's not the case for all the position players.

Ten of them can be considered locks or near locks: Mike Jacobs, Dan Uggla, Hanley Ramirez, Mike Rabelo, Matt Treanor, Jeremy Hermida, Josh Willingham, Cody Ross, Alfredo Amezaga and Luis Gonzalez.

That leaves three openings. One will go to a third baseman, more than likely either Jose Castillo or Dallas McPherson.

If the Marlins decide to keep rookie Cameron Maybin on the 25-man roster instead of sending the 20-year-old outfielder down to the minors to gain experience, that would leave just one spot, one that would likely go to a utility player capable of playing a variety of positions. One of the other outfielders, such as Alejandro de Aza or Brett Carroll, for example, could be factors.

That is Wood's forte. But Jorge Cantu also plays multiple positions...

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Said Gonzalez: ``There's a comfort level there with Woody, so he's got that going for him.''

But if the Marlins think they can upgrade, they will.