hot stove, magnolia style

With a nod to MLB Network, here’s a prime nine of smoldering questions regarding Mississippians in the majors that will be answered in the coming weeks and months:
1) Where will Roy Oswalt land? The latest buzz has the Washington Nationals in hot pursuit of the right-hander from Weir who probably still has enough in the tank to bolster any rotation.
2) Where will Paul Maholm land? The lefty out of Mississippi State went 6-14 with a 3.66 ERA for Pittsburgh last season and was 53-73 for the Pirates in his career; a change of scene might be very good for him.
3) How will things work out for MSU product Jonathan Papelbon in Philadelphia, which signed him to a record contract for a closer? He seems to like pressure, and there will be plenty of it in Philly.
4) How will the Pirates’ signing of Nate McLouth impact Alex Presley’s situation? The ex-Ole Miss star, who batted .298 in 52 games in 2011, is penciled in as the Bucs’ left fielder but will be pushed by the veteran McLouth, who had success in Pittsburgh before scuffling with Atlanta.
5) Is Desmond Jennings on the brink of becoming a full-blown star in Tampa Bay? The Itawamba Community College alumnus hit .259 with 10 homers and 20 steals in 63 games this past season, though he slumped down the stretch.
6) How will Zack Cozart bounce back from injury in 2012? The Ole Miss product took over as Cincinnati’s shortstop last summer but was cut down by a left shoulder injury that required Tommy John surgery. He hit .310 in Triple-A and .324 in 11 games with the Reds.
7) Is Chris Coghlan still in the Miami Marlins’ plans? The former Ole Miss standout, the 2009 rookie of the year in the National League, has endured two disappointing, injury-plagued seasons and finished 2011 in the minors, where it’s rumored he’ll start 2012.
8) Is Fred Lewis in anyone’s plans? The former Gulf Coast Community College star from Wiggins didn’t pan out with Cincinnati last season (.230 in 81 games). He’s a lefty-hitting outfielder with speed and pop but, at the moment, no team.
9) Which version of Jason Heyward will show up in Atlanta? The ex-Mississippi Braves standout hit just .227 with 14 homers and 42 RBIs this season after going .277-18-72 in 2010. He had shoulder surgery, and Peter Gammons has predicted he’ll have a “monster year.” Braves fans have their fingers crossed.