Nothing counts and everything counts—it’s the annual paradox of spring.

On the one hand, yes, these are mere exhibition contests. The scores don’t matter, and the performances of individual players should be taken with enough grains of salt to satisfy Jimmy Buffett’s lifetime margarita needs.

This is about stretching hammies, shaking off the cobwebs and enjoying the Florida and Arizona sunshine as much as anything.

On the other hand, we just endured three frigid, soggy months with no baseball. Now that it’s finally here, you’re asking us not to speculate and draw premature conclusions? Please.

In all seriousness, while nothing is settled in early March, there’s plenty of intrigue as we update the hottest questions of MLB spring training in its fourth week. There’s a shortstop mini-crisis brewing in St. Louis Cardinals camp, a bargain bopper headed to Baltimore, two aces who delivered divergent spring debuts and some controversial comments from a certain MVP.

Take a few practice hacks, tap the tar off your helmet, and dig in when ready.

Begin Slideshow