...start next Friday, three weeks before Opening Day in Orlando.

Most preseason polls have us outside the Top 40. IMO, here are the key questions going into Spring intrasquads...

1. What's the health status of Ricky Salinas (coming off TJS), Wily Amador and Zach Esquivel (the latter two came down with sore arms late last season and have hardly pitched since)? If Ricky is ready to go, I think he's our Saturday or Sunday starter, with Moss or Jefferies filling the other final weekend rotation spot. Amador and Esquivel are both better suited for the bullpen, IMHO, as they tended to falter the second time through the batting order. Is Acker a starter or a middle reliever? Parthasarathy is now fully healthy, but has he regained his form and stuff (as he had a miserable Fall Ball)?

2. Are Garrett Gayle and Raul Garcia truly ready to anchor our bullpen? Can they be counted upon to throw strikes? If not, I think Addison Moss moves back into the bullpen and the multi-inning closer role. He was lights out in the Fall, and arguably our most improved pitcher. Ditto Evan Kravitz, who has consistently pitched well in intrasquads only to lose all control of his pitches once real games begin.

3. It would appear the lineup is set with the exception of 1B and LF. Aviles and Sarchet are the favorites to fill those spots, but who plays where? The likely other starters are: C DiCaprio, 3B Comeaux, SS Proctor, 2B Cruz, RF Gneitting, CF Chandler, DH Dunlap. Going to be interesting to see how The OG decides to construct the actual lineup card. I can see Proctor-DiCaprio-Dunlap as our middle of the order hitters. Gneitting, if he can improve his bunting, is a prototypical #2 hitter. Despite his speed, I'd go with Chandler at #5 or #6 in the lineup since he rarely if ever walks. Go with switch hitting Cruz at leadoff? 2 switch hitters (Cruz, Aviles), 3 right-hand hitters (DiCap, Dunlap, Comeaux), 4 left-handed hitters (Proctor, Chandler, Gneitting, Sarchet).