Why the same 2 words come up a lot when Rays discuss Jose Caballero

ST. PETERSBURG — Watch Jose Caballero play for a while, and a couple of things become quite obvious.

He always seems to be doing something to try to help his Rays team — diving for a ball at shortstop, creating havoc by hustling on the bases, working a tough at-bat in a key situation, providing energy in the dugout or on the field.

Always.

“Everything,” Caballero. “Everything that’s in my hands to do for the team. Whatever it takes.”

He never seems to be not talking — chatting to his infield mates, the outfielders, his coaches, umpires, opposing coaches, runners on base and, sometimes most importantly, to himself.

Never.

“Everyone,” Caballero said. “And anyone. …. It’s a little bit of everything. I try to be engaged with the game. I try to have my mind working and staying focused on the game, saying what is going on around me and just paying attention to everything.”

All of which has made for an impressive first three weeks with his new team.

Caballero started the season with a 12-game on-base streak and went into play Tuesday with a .286 average, one homer, six RBIs, a .716 OPS (though no walks), five steals, four defensive runs saved (second most among shortstops), plus a handful of dazzling plays and a 0.7 baseball-reference.com WAR rating that is second among Rays to starting pitcher Zack Littell.

Caballero, 27, was acquired in January from Seattle, where he played mostly second base. He was inserted to fill the Rays’ void at shortstop created by Wander Franco’s uncertain legal status and Taylor Walls’ injury.

“He brings a lot of energy every day, day in and day out,” Rays bench coach Rodney Linares said. “He’s a consummate professional — he comes in, does his work, takes care of business. He’s like a breath of fresh air every day — he comes in and gives you good effort.

“He’s taken on the role at short as good as anybody that hasn’t done it in the big leagues. According to our numbers and everything, he’s performed a little bit better than what we hoped. And I think he’s still getting better. He’s getting a lot of confidence at the plate swinging the bat. And combine in his base stealing.

“He’s a really good player to have on your team.”

The key is that last part, because the view of Caballero is different from the other side of the field.

“He’s the guy that you hate when he’s on another team but you love when he’s on your team,” Linares said. “He’s that pesky little guy that doesn’t strike out. Has long at-bats. Always seems to be in the middle of everything. So, that’s a winning player.”

That’s a phrase you hear a lot about the native Panamanian, who got his long-awaited chance at pro ball with two solid seasons at Chipola College in the Florida Panhandle, was a 2017 seventh-round pick by the Diamondbacks and now has been traded twice.

“He’s a competitive player that makes the most out of what he has, and will find just about any way, any opportunity in front of him to help a team,” baseball operations president Erik Neander said. “He’s competitive, and he’s got some edge.”

Neander mentioned Caballero’s two-out bunt that got a run home in a game against Toronto (and then calmly stood his ground in the ensuing dustup with Blue Jays pitcher Genesis Cabrera). A couple of key stolen bases, and efforts to take an extra base. An April 10 homer at the Angels that highlighted a dazzling all-around series, pushing his average at the time to .351.

“He’s done a lot of things that help you win baseball games,” Neander said. “Sometimes they stuff a box score, sometimes they never find their way into there, but they’re really important. It wouldn’t be fair to expect this to maintain as it is over the course of the season. But he’s done a really good job of putting his skills on display.

“And you can see why we thought he was a winning player, because he will do just about anything to help the team win.”

Teammates have enjoyed his contributions.

“You love to see it,” closer Pete Fairbanks said. “You love to see him get every bit of his 135 or whatever he weighs (he’s listed at 185) into a ball. He’s had some good swings. He’s made some great plays out there. He’s been a vocal presence in the infield. And I think that is a great thing to have, to come in your first year with the club and have immediate impact, whether it be glove, bat, voice, whatever.”

Manager Kevin Cash has noticed Caballero’s impact, too.

“The expectation was that he was kind of that winning player that’s going to do everything, little things to help your team win,” Cash said. “I think he’s done that through (17) games, whatever it’s been.”

To Caballero, those words are the highest praise.

“I love it,” he said. “I’m just grateful.”

Grateful the Rays traded for him, had the faith in him to play shortstop, made him feel welcomed and comfortable to ease the transition to a new team, and let him be himself, constant chatter and all.

“That’s the way I play, the way I have fun,” Caballero said. “I always say I just try to have fun playing baseball. And trying to win, that’s the fun part about it. ... If you don’t win, you don’t have fun, right? So I’m just trying to win every day and have fun with it.”

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