2011 Spring Training is officially underway for the St. Louis Cardinals: with today's final deadline, pitchers, catchers, position players, and Albert Pujols have all reported to Jupiter, Florida, where they'll each be asked to field questions about their own contract status for next year. (Pujols's locker is the one with the line.)
↵The Cardinals' first base situation in 2012 isn't the only question mark they bring into Spring Training. The fifth starter spot is Kyle Lohse's to lose, but he just might manage it; Skip Schumaker and Ryan Theriot don't make an especially intimidating middle infield, but they're locked in; and Jim Edmonds's health is still a question, as is his status on the Major League roster. It'll be an exciting Spring Training, and finally for reasons that involve actual baseball on actual baseball diamonds.
↵But for another few days, of course, it will all revolve around Albert Pujols. There aren't enough reporting position players in the world to keep that from dragging through the weekend, not even if one of them were A.J. Pujols.
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