Spring Training Tales: National League

And on to the other side of the league...

NL East: The Braves centerfield job is supposedly open to competition, but I expect Kotsay gets it as the veteran. Many of the young Marlins' pitchers have shown flashes of brilliance, so Andrew Miller, Scott Olsen, and Anibal Sanchez are worth keeping an eye on as a late round pick. Washington has a plethora of talent in their outfield, though I fully expect Mo Pena, Milledge, and Kearns to hold their own (So Elijah Dukes will have to wait a bit). This, in turn, could cause a conflict at first between Dmitri Young and Nick Johnson, though neither will provide a whole lot of value.

• NL Central: Chicago has four 5th starts to fill in the 4th and 5th spots. It looks like Marquis might be involved in the Roberts deal, but if not its likely he gets a spot. Also, Lieber was all but guaranteed a spot when he signed with the Cubs. The only guy worth considering come draft day is Marshall, but only if he gets a spot. The Cubs closer role is complicated since Marmol is the only one pitching well, but originally stood as the least likely to close. I still think he pitchers the eighth and Howry eventually loses the job to Kerry Wood. Votto vs. Hatteberg is a big deal, as Votto could be a great 1B or utility if he's the every day first basemen. The Reds signed Corey Patterson, so it looks like Bruce is stuck in the minors until at least the trade deadline. If you are from Pittsburgh, hope that Nady gets traded so Stephen Pearce can get a shot in the outfield--he could be a decent fourth outfielder in a deeper league. Cardinal outfield duties are a confusion, so keep an eye on Rusmus since he could provide good balance. Also, listen for reports on Pujols, who is doing fine so far. Finally, Manny Parra, Chris Capuano, and Dave Bush are all competing for spots in the Brewers rotation and could all be relevant. If Capuano shows he's still got something in him, he's worth drafting. Parra, if given a shot, could be almost as good as Gallardo.

NL West: The Dodgers need to get rid of Pierre, but instead Ethier is lost unless he forces the Dodgers' hand and puts up great Spring Training stats. Andy Laroche vs. Nomar Garciaparra is worth paying attention to, but I think Torre will push for the veteran. Finally, Jason Schmidt was an All-Star pitcher, and on an offensively and defensively improved Dodgers team could be worth drafting if he looks healthy. Matt Antonelli and Chase Headley could be decent if they earn a spot, though I think only Headley has a good shot at this. Finally, Micah Owings has been trying out DH duties, which is mostly just funny. How would Yahoo! handle that kind of position eligibility?

So there is the rundown. Feel free to tell me if I missed anything, but hopefully this will help deter you from wasting time checking out boxscores of Toronto vs. Colorado and such, where not much is likely to change.