With spring training storylines mostly exhausted by now, breakout candidates identified and fringe roster battles nearing their conclusion, much of the Phillies talk eight sleeps from Opening Day is back to the leadoff spot. It feels like a waste of time. Where there’s smoke — especially smoke the team has done nothing to extinguish, instead striking more matches — there’s fire: Trea Turner is going to hit first. Agree or not with the logic (fair points either way), anything else would come as a surprise.
There’s a far more interesting lineup configuration question still, seemingly, outstanding.