Yes, the greatness that is baseball begins this week and whether you play fantasy sports or not, it is an awesome time of the year. The Lineup is geared up and here to give you fantasy insight on relevant topics happening around baseball. Here are five storylines you should be following this week:

Hell has frozen over, pigs are flying and Carl Pavano has been named the New York Yankees Opening Day starting pitcher. Due to injuries and pitching schedules, Pavano has gone from not throwing in a big league game since June 2005, to standing on the mound at Yankee Stadium for the start of 2007 season. MLB.com reported that, "Pavano was informed of the assignment Friday morning by manager Joe Torre. As he spoke to reporters in front of his Legends Field locker, Pavano grinned widely." The righthander has drawn criticism from fans, the media and even teammates as pitcher Mike Mussina openly questioned Pavano's commitment. The Yankees appear to be taking a sink-or-swim approach with the oft-injured hurler, throwing him right out there in the wild atmosphere that is Opening Day in the Bonx. Fantasy owners should definitely monitor Pavano's start against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Monday. He is probably sitting on many a waiver wire out there, but if he is sharp, he could be worth a look.

When outfielder Johnny Damon chose the New York Yankees over the Boston Red Sox, Boston fretted over who they were going to get to replace the dynamic Damon. Then the Red Sox went out and obtained outfielder Coco Crisp from the Cleveland Indians in a trade. As The Boston Globe reported, "We all thought Crisp — a guy with a great name and a better smile — was going to be the next big deal when the Sox traded for him...Then he fractured his left index finger in Baltimore April 8 and overnight he went from being a young Reggie Smith to an old Dwayne Hosey." His 2006 season line was a bust-worthy 58 runs, 8 homers, 36 RBI and 22 stolen bases to go along with a weak .264 batting average in 105 games. To make things worse, Crisp is hitting below .200 in Spring Training. Sox Nation is hoping to go loco for Coco, but he will have to do far better than his 2006 totals. The Red Sox lineup is stacked, so if Crisp can get his act together, he would certainly be able to put up solid stolen base and runs numbers. Track how he plays this week.

Time is running short for the Chicago Cubs and starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano to agree on terms for a contract extension. Big Z had stated weeks ago that the Cubs had until Opening Day to hammer out a deal. Otherwise they would have to wait until the end of the season to talk. According to The Chicago Tribune, "The Cubs finally have made Zambrano an offer, and now it's up to Zambrano to decide whether he wants to stay for less money than he might be able to get on the open market in November." The Lineup loves those contract-year players, especially when it is a big-time pitcher like Zambrano. Many around baseball are predicting Big Z as a favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award as he should win 20 games with that re-vamped Cubs squad. Monitor the situation to see if a deal is struck before the Cubs play on Monday.

The Texas Rangers knew the risk-reward ramifications involved in signing former All-Star closer Eric Gagne to a one-year $6 million deal. The 2003 NL Cy Young Award winner is being handled with care as The Dallas Morning News revealed, "General manager Jon Daniels said the club will place Gagne on the disabled list retroactive to Wednesday and allow him another two weeks to get ready. The Rangers said it has nothing to do with a health setback, but rather the team simply wants him to have more innings of work." Gagne has appeared in only 15 games in the past two seasons so expect the Rangers to hold him out as long as necessary. Reliever Akinori Otsuka will handle closing duties while Gagne continues to rehab. Otsuka became an out-of-nowhere fantasy star in 2006 while generating 32 saves, a 2.11 ERA, a 1.073 WHIP and 47 strikeouts in just under 60 innings. Otsuka will be a great source of saves while Gagne is out. Fantasy owners who wisely handcuffed Otsuka to Gagne on draft day should hold onto both players until it becomes clear that Gagne is going to be able to have a healthy season.

Outfielder Torii Hunter and his highlight-reel defensive moments have been synonymous with the Minnesota Twins franchise for the past decade. However, according to The Minneapolis Star Tribune, "Hunter's contract expires after the season, and with the front office twisting itself into knots trying to figure out how to afford Justin Morneau, Joe Nathan and Johan Santana, Hunter figures to wear another uniform next spring." It is difficult to imagine Hunter trolling the outfield with a different ball club, but this could have a significant impact on his fantasy value. Hunter was able to hit a career-best 31 homers in 2006 despite dealing with back and leg injuries throughout the season. Those ailments should not be a concern as he feels as healthy as he's been in years. Hunter himself is saying, "It's scary how good I can be this year...Now I can go back to my regular swing, I can steal bases, I can go get the ball." If he can maintain the type of pop he showed in 2006 and steal 20-30 bases, he would be a solid asset to a fantasy roster. He has never scored 90 runs and has had a 100-plus RBI season only once, but in a contract year, anything is possible. See how Hunter plays out of the gate and if you see him start hot, swoop in and snatch him off the waiver wire.