Looking at position battles, including Trea Turner's shot as the Nats' shortstop

At 22, Trea Turner is one of the Nationals' top prospects after arriving in a trade from the San Diego Padres. He hit .322 in 116 games for three minor league teams in two organizations last season. And with Ian Desmond now the Texas Rangers left fielder, Turner is the Nationals shortstop of the future.

The question is, "When will the future begin?"

The answer starts to unfold this week as the Nationals open Grapefruit League play. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo says that Turner can be the shortstop on opening day if he can impress new manager Dusty Baker in spring training.

The Nationals' shortstop competition might be the most intriguing position battle during exhibition games in Florida and Arizona. As usual, there are plenty of rotation spots up for grabs, but, in an age of $100 million payrolls, set lineups are the norm for most teams. Still, there are good old-fashioned position battles with unique stories:

* The defending World Series champion Kansas City Royals, a small-market team, say that Omar Infante, 34, is not guaranteed to play second base, even though he's owed nearly $18 million for this year and next. Infante will be challenged by 26-year-old Christian Colon, the guy who drove home the Royals' winning run in Game 5 of last year's World Series against the New York Mets. When was the last time the Royals weren't worried about money?

* The St. Louis Cardinals, winner of 100 games last season, need to find a first baseman with power, and the leading candidates are Brandon Moss, who hit four home runs in 51 games last season after arriving in a trade from Cleveland, and Matt Adams, who hit five homers in 60 games. It is possible that outfielder Matt Holliday, a right-handed power guy, could get some time at first base as well. The Cardinals can afford to make that move because of their outfield depth.

* The Los Angeles Dodgers' rookie manager Dave Roberts has six outfielders for three spots. Joc Pederson, an All-Star who slumped miserably in the second half of last season, is in center and Yasiel Puig, who has super talent along with problems with hamstrings and focus, is in right. There's also Carl Crawford, owed $43 million, and Andre Either, owed $35 million, as well as Scott Van Slyke and prospect Enrique Hernandez.

The Nationals' competition for shortstop is about a rising star - Turner - against two experienced players. One is Stephen Drew, who is trying to hang on to his career with strong defense. The other is Danny Espinosa, 28, trying to find a regular position after losing his job at second base to free agent signee Daniel Murphy.

Turner, a first-round draft pick in 2014 by the San Diego Padres, was listed at 6-foot-1 and 175 lbs. last season, and after an offseason weight program, he arrived in camp 10 pounds heavier so that he can withstand the rigors of a six-month season.

Turner's a polished player with speed, defense and the ability to make contact. The Nationals want him to be consistent and make sure he's not overmatched. He hit .225 in 40 at-bats with two stolen bases late last season with the Nationals.

At 33, Drew is a top-notch defender who hit .201 with 17 home runs for the New York Yankees last season. Espinosa, one of the best defensive players in the National League, came up as a shortstop, but has been used primarily as a second baseman. Since coming up in 2010, Espinosa has played 522 games at second and 59 games at short. Last season, he hit .240 with 13 home runs.

Turner has a chance to join an elite group of young shortstops already in the big leagues, including Cleveland's Francisco Lindor, Houston's Carlos Correa and the Dodgers' Cory Seager.

When will that be?

The Nationals will have a better idea in a month.