Five Questions: At the Corners

1. Will Scott Rolen Be Ready?: Of the many talented third basemen in baseball today, perhaps none is as complete as Scott Rolen. His shortened 2005 campaign notwithstanding, this guy can flat out rake. Add in that he might be the best defensive 3B in the game. Simply, he has the potential to have a tremendous impact on St. Louis and, in turn, the entire National League - and that potential has not been more crucial since Rolen arrived there in 2002. The Cards lost Larry Walker to retirement, along with Mark Grudzielanek, Reggie Sanders, Matt Morris, Ray King, and Julian Tavarez. Yes, they've added some talent to replace them, most notably Juan Encarnacion, and the team is probably still the favorite to win the NL. But they absolutely cannot do it without Rolen. Last week, it was reported that his recovery from shoulder surgery is on track. If that remains true, St. Louis is probably just too much for everyone else. If he slips...door's wide open for someone new to step through.

2. Remember Justin Morneau?: This young slugger burned my fantasy team last year by hitting only .239-22-79, when he was predicted to hit 30 and maybe even 40 homers. By all accounts, Morneau has tremendous power - and if he can harness it at the major league level, we're told that he's the next Jim Thome. Ok, so maybe there was a lot of pressure on the kid last season...but this year, even more, the Twinkies need him. They've lost team leader Jacque Jones, while the White Sox, fresh off the World Series win, went out and grabbed Thome himself. Cleveland's getting older and probably better - is the Twins' hold on the Central over for good? If Morneau doesn't step it up, Minnesota can get cozy in 3rd place for quite a while.

3. Will Peoria Be Proud Again?: Jim Thome, the Pride of Peoria, returns to the Land of Lincoln to play for the champion White Sox. What a great trade made by Sox GM Kenny Williams: yes, Aaron Rowand is a talented CF who can add value to any team with his fielding, speed, and bat. But Jim Thome is, well, JIM THOME!!! Before last year's injury-plagued season, Thome hit 40 homers in four straight seasons, including an eye-popping 52 in 2002. He's a lifetime .281 hitter with 430 career dongs and a .970 OPS. But he's 35 and has been the subject for years of rumors suggesting that his injuries will soon get the best of him. Keep in mind that last year was the first since 1998 in which he didn't play at least 146 games. If Thome stays healthy, the Sox will feature a 3-4-5 of Thome, Konerko and Jermaine Dye. Pitchers, go ahead and crap yourselves now.

4. O, Canada?: I wrote earlier about the importance of new pitchers AJ Burnett and BJ Ryan to the Jays. Now it's time to cover their new corner infielders, Lyle Overbay and Troy Glaus. I've never been a big Glaus fan, mostly because he's a career .253 hitter whose .258 last year was his best since 2000; he's just a masher, and a fragile one at that. But he is considered dangerous, and .258 is ok if he can stay in the lineup and hit 30 homers. That's due in part to his new teammate, Overbay, who in two full seasons has emerged as the kind of guy you just love to have in the order. He'll get you at least .275-20-80, and play as durable and dependable a 1B as anyone else. Overbay is no superstar, but he can add a lot to Toronto if he keeps improving and showing what he's capable of. There's a reason why everyone's been excited about the Jays' 2006 chances: even in the Yanks' and Red Sox's neighborhood, a team with Wells, Overbay and Glaus hitting and Halladay and Burnett pitching may be good enough to play into October.

5. Who's On First? Who? Nomar?!?!: We've talked about here before, and I won't rehash my point too much; search this blog for my thoughts. I'll simply re-iterate two things: First, I think sticking Garciaparra at 1B is a bad idea. True, the position is not as complex as shortstop - but it's not like you can plug any old yokel there to keep a bat in the lineup. The footwork is tough, you've got to be able to stretch, you've got to move and dive and hustle in different ways. Second, if anyone can make the transition, it's a world-class athlete who's proven an ability to learn new things quickly. Nomar played a pretty solid 3B last season, willingly, happily. He seems excited to have his shot at 1B. Maybe he can do it? The Dodgers better hope so, because in maybe the weakest division in baseball, the difference between first and second could easily come down to one pair of stone hands.

Honorable Mention: If You're Really a Prince, I'll Marry You!: Prince Fielder. He's got the name, he's got the pedigree, he's got that big ol' bat that everyone's been talking about. He's why Overbay got shipped north and he's the biggest reason, no pun intended, why there's reason to be excited again in Dairyland.