"Manager Joe Maddon has been back on U.S. soil for a week after his European vacation and headed to Tampa Bay, set to formally complete his three-year contract extension this week and start preparing for the season.

Already, he has started scribbling down lineup possibilities, given the offensive additions of 1B Carlos Peña, DH Luke Scott and INF Jeff Keppinger. Naturally, he will ponder many, many others between now and opening day, and more from there.

"My thoughts are that my thoughts aren't clear," Maddon said. "I've got my ideas, but I've got to see it, I've got to talk to the guys, got to see where they're at, how do we feel, how do they feel. But it's going to be interesting putting the group together on a nightly basis."

Listening to him now, it sounds as if the biggest question is at No. 2. LF Desmond Jennings and 3B Evan Longoria seem set at Nos. 1 and 3, respectively, but in between is a decision between CF B.J. Upton, who starred there after a September move (.356, five homers, 1.106 on-base-plus slugging percentage in 23 games), and 2B/RF Ben Zobrist, a good fit tools-wise whose switch-hitting ability would provide balance, breaking up what otherwise would be three straight right-handed hitters."