The season is still a few months away, but fantasy baseball is a year-long mistress that requires constant attention. Here, for the upcoming week, are the five storylines you should be following:

The salary arbitration period officially began after this past Friday's deadline for players to file. MLB.com reports that, "American League Most Valuable Player Justin Morneau and Chicago Cubs right-hander Carlos Zambrano highlight a list of 106 players who filed." Starting this Wednesday, players and their teams will begin negotiations on salary figures while the hearing dates will take place Feb. 1-20. Zambrano, 25, is currently due to become a free agent after the 2007 season. He is the most interesting player to follow in the upcoming weeks as the Chicago Cubs had previously avoided every salary arbitration hearing since 1993. Other notable names that filed include Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Freddy Sanchez, Florida Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera, Houston Astros reliever Brad Lidge, Los Angeles Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez, Chicago Cubs starter Mark Prior and Philadelphia Phillies centerfielder Aaron Rowand. Salary arbitration hearings and negotiations can sometimes cause tension between clubs and players. Monitor the reports as they come.

With eight outfielders, the Milwaukee Brewers are pondering a trade to clear up space. Currently, Billy Hall, Brady Clark, Corey Hart, Geoff Jenkins, Kevin Mench, Laynce Nix, Tony Gwynn Jr. and Gabe Gross are all available to play in the outfield. While it remains to be seen who will hold the three starting positions, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that, "Jenkins or Mench could be traded before Opening Day." The report projects that the Brewers outfield could consist of Billy Hall in center field, Corey Hart in left field and either Geoff Jenkins or Kevin Mench in right field (they could platoon). Hart, 24, would be playing his first full season should he start while Billy Hall is coming off a career year where he smacked 35 homers, 85 RBI and scored 101 runs. Mench and Jenkins have similar power and it doesn't appear as if one has an inside edge over the other. With all that being said, Billy Hall is the player with the most fantasy value here, particularly in leagues where he would have infield position eligibility. Pay attention this week and see if a trade is made that sends either Jenkins or Mench out of Brew-town as the player who remains in Milwaukee would see a slight spike upwards in his fantasy value.

Scott Boras and the Boston Red Sox are trying to work out the kinks in oft-injured outfielder J.D. Drew's five-year deal worth $70 million. The Boston Globe reports that both sides are "trying to hammer out medical language that will protect the Red Sox in case there's an issue with Drew's surgically repaired right shoulder." This all started when the 31-year old veteran's physical examination raised red flags. It sounds like Boston and Boras are close to closing the deal and an official announcement of Drew finally becoming a member of Red Sox nation could come shortly. Drew had a career high 100 RBI last year to go along with 84 runs, 20 home runs and a .283 batting average. Should the deal become finalized, Drew would be an interesting fantasy play for the 2007 season as he would be batting in a lineup built to score lots of runs. Outfielder Manny Ramirez could become a beneficiary of Drew's addition as he would have better protection in the lineup and could see better pitches to slug at. Stay tuned to any developments this week, but Drew should be considered a decent No. 3 outfielder option for fantasy owners if he joins Boston. However, keeping in mind his injury-plagued career, tread carefully with this guy. The Red Sox clearly are.

It seems like forever since Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim starter Bartolo Colon was one of the best fantasy pitchers in 2005 and the American League Cy Young Winner. Colon, who is recovering from rotator cuff surgery, has completed the first two phases of rehabilitation successfully. The hefty righthander is set to begin throwing this week. The Los Angeles Times reports that although Colon will begin throwing, it does not mean that he "will be ready to start the season; nor does it mean Colon will be sidelined until at least August." Despite the fact that a return date has not been specified by Angels officials, this is encouraging news for the 33-year old pitcher. Colon won the AL Cy Young in 2005 after amassing 21 wins, a 3.48 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 157 strikeouts in 33 starts. Fantasy owners who drafted him before the 2006 season on the hopes of him having another great year were burned when Colon made only 10 starts, putting together a 1-5 record and 5.11 ERA. Make sure to follow-up this story and see how Colon progresses this coming week. He could turn out to be a nice sleeper pick in this year's fantasy drafts if he rehabs successfully.

Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Mike Gonzalez has probably gotten used to hearing his name in trade rumors throughout the off-season. There was talk of a trade with the Atlanta Braves involving first baseman Adam LaRoche that cooled off. Another swap that fell through involved the New York Yankees and outfielder Melky Cabrera. Now the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that, "The Pirates and Arizona are believed to have discussed a deal that would send out Gonzalez for third baseman Chad Tracy, but the Diamondbacks want more." It seems as though teams are interested in the talented Gonzalez, 28, who was a perfect 24-for-24 in save opportunities and could step in as a closer for any team he joins. His fantasy value would see a boost if he were to join a team with a better ability to win games than the Pirates. It remains to be seen just exactly who will step up their bid for Gonzalez. The Pirates covet a left-handed power bat (which Tracy and LaRoche could both provide) to help add some pop to a lineup that needs more than outfielder Jason Bay and infielder Freddy Sanchez to score runs. Keep an eye on all rumors and developments with this one as many players' fantasy values can be affected.