FORT MYERS, Fla. -- When the Rays traded Joey Wendle to the Marlins on Nov. 30, two competing thoughts raced through Taylor Walls’ mind.

First, he considered how he’d miss Wendle and how much he appreciated everything the popular infielder had done for him. Wendle helped Walls acclimate to life in the Majors, showed him the ropes throughout his rookie season and served as a sounding board during their infield drills together. Then came another idea.

“It was next man up,” Walls said. “I knew that, as soon as that happened, that could be the role that I was potentially going to play this year.”

Indeed, with Wendle gone and Wander Franco in place as the everyday shortstop, Walls is set to play the key role of do-it-all infielder in his second season with the Rays. Walls is likely to see a lot of time at third base and some at second, like Wendle last year, plus whatever time Franco leaves available at shortstop.

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If that sounds like a utility role for Walls, it is. But it is not a lesser job, certainly not with the Rays. Wendle platooned at third base, bounced around the middle infield and still wound up accumulating 501 plate appearances in 136 games last season. Walls’ lack of a platoon disadvantage as a switch-hitter should only increase his playing time.

Recognizing that reality created two more competing thoughts in Walls’ mind.

On the one hand, Walls knows why he won’t be starting at shortstop, where he has been the best defender in the Rays’ entire organization for years. Walls watched Franco settle in at his natural position last season and live up to his potential at the plate as the year went on, then he saw the Rays guarantee the 21-year-old former top prospect at least $182 million over the next 11 years. When Franco plays, he’s going to be at shortstop.

Then again, the 25-year-old Walls will clearly and confidently say, “I believe I’m the best shortstop in the Major Leagues, defensively.” Considering he racked up 10 Defensive Runs Saved in only 378 innings at shortstop last season, a full season there could reveal the truth behind his words. He wants to prove it, too, to unleash the competitiveness that drives him in everything from baseball to basketball and board games to “Call of Duty.”

“I don't think that confidence and doubt is going to keep me from trying to be great at a different position. I understand the game and understand how good Wander is as well, so it's not like I'm going to have the attitude where, ‘Oh, I'm better at short; I don't care about third,’” Walls said. “My goal is to be the best player to help this team win. And if that's me playing third base, that's me playing third base; me playing second base, second base; me playing each position once every three days, it is what it is.

“I'm a competitor. I'm going to try to be the best at wherever they tell me to go.”

Now, Walls is taking it as a challenge to become an elite defensive third baseman the way he worked to become an elite defensive shortstop. He played only one game at the hot corner in the Majors last season and 12 total in the Minors, but he started and played five innings there Sunday afternoon at Hammond Stadium in the Rays’ 3-0 loss to the Twins.

“We need Wallsy to be a really good shortstop -- which he is – and, how good he is at short, get as close to that at third and at second,” manager Kevin Cash said. “I’ve tried to get out in front of that, because he's a competitor, and I know he takes a lot of ground balls at short. He should. But when the games start, we'll see him moving around a lot.”

Offensively, there’s still room for Walls to improve. An on-base machine in the Minors, he hit just .211/.314/.296 in his MLB debut. This offseason provided Walls with an opportunity to clean up his bat path, making his swing more direct to the ball, and refine his approach. It also gave him important time and distance away from the competition, from trying to compete his way out of a slump.

“You have time to take a breath, realize that you belong there,” Walls said. “I've hit my whole life. I know how to do it.”

Some aspects of Walls’ situation might not seem fair. On how many other teams would his defensive ability make him the obvious starting shortstop? If not for one potential superstar standing in his way, the Rays would be one of them. The other day, Cash was watching Walls work alongside Franco at shortstop during the Rays’ infield practice and remarked, “There’s no camp in baseball that has that athleticism taking ground balls at shortstop.”

Walls doesn’t mind the company. His competitive nature embraces it.

“I would rather take ground balls with someone who I think is better than me, or is just as good as me, or is always right on my tail pushing me to be a little better, rather than be the only one at shortstop taking them,” Walls said. “If I see him go 15 feet to his right and make a good throw, I need to go 20. You always need that guy that's going to push you, that's really good -- just as good as you or better -- to elevate your game.”