ST. LOUIS -- A possible Hall of Famer, a predictable producer and an emerging youngster. That adds up to a pretty good outfield, right?

Jim Edmonds, Juan Encarnacion and Chris Duncan form the expected starting outfield for the Cardinals come Opening Day. But the path between the start of Spring Training and the Sunday night game against the Mets may be a twisty one.

Edmonds' health is in question after offseason shoulder and toe surgery. Encarnacion is also recovering from a winter operation, on his left wrist. And while Duncan exploded onto the scene with 22 homers in 2006, his defense remains a question -- and a few skeptics remain regarding his ability to repeat that power surge.

So it's an outfield full of possibility, and full of ifs.

"You've got the health of Jimmy," said manager Tony La Russa, ticking off the concerns. "You've got the health of Encarnacion. That's two of the three. You've got the youth of Chris."

If everything breaks right, it will be a fine unit. Edmonds, at his best, is truly a special player -- Gold Glove defense and 40-home-run power don't come in the same package very often. Encarnacion is reliable year in and year out for 15-20 homers, a few steals and the occasional spectacular defensive play.

Duncan? He could be a 30-homer man, or more. But he must be more reliable with the glove, if he expects to play in the late innings of games.

"I think everyone knows that my defense is something that I'm going to have to get better at," he said. "I've been already working on it this offseason, and I'm going to go into Spring Training with the mentality that I'm going to work really hard to be a good outfielder."

Behind the starters, at least four players will be vying for outfield at-bats in Spring Training. It works out, given that Edmonds will definitely miss some spring games and Encarnacion may sit out some as well.

So Taguchi and Skip Schumaker offer sharp defense, and Taguchi earns raves for being a quality teammate -- not to mention his big hits in the playoffs. Schumaker is younger and left-handed; he'll likely have to beat someone out to be on the Opening Day roster once again.

St. Louis Cardinals • Catchers: Molina builds on '06 playoffs • Corner IF: Pujols, Rolen simply the best • Middle IF: Duo enjoys great chemistry • Outfielders: Health the main concern • Starters: Uncertainty in back end • Bullpen: A wealth of relievers • DH/Bench: Backups capable of starting

Scott Spiezio is sure to be on the roster, but as for where he gets his at-bats, who knows? Spiezio played plenty of outfield in '06. He's an infielder by trade, but with a settled picture there, La Russa will have to find other ways to get Spiezio into the lineup. And John Rodriguez has done nothing but hit since arriving in the big leagues -- he's a lifetime .298/.378/.434 (average/on-base/slugging) hitter in the Majors. Yet, Rodriguez will still have to cast his hat in the ring for a job.

"I'm definitely welcoming the challenge," he said. "I'm going to go in there and play my ball. I play hard and I'll just try to prove myself once again."

And that's without adding another body, which St. Louis may yet do. Preston Wilson, an August addition, is still a free agent. The Cardinals have an interest, if things like dollars and playing time can get worked out.

"I think that we have an attractive opportunity for somebody that, if he's good enough, could get three or 400 at-bats," La Russa said. "If he could play three spots. I know Preston is still out there. So I think we've just got to go into camp."

The future

As the Cardinals continue their attempts to restock their farm system, one place where help lurks is in the outfield. The team's No. 1 prospect by acclamation is center fielder Colby Rasmus, who was a first-round draft pick in 2005. Rasmus may be ready by 2009, which would dovetail perfectly with the end of Edmonds' new contract.

Other promising hitters lurk in the system as well. Nick Stavinoha and Cody Haerther endured somewhat disappointing 2006 seasons, but both will get the chance to return to the fast track. In the low Minors, 2006 draftees Jon Jay and Shane Robinson impressed in their pro debuts.