N.L. reports

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Several key players should be at full strength by the start of spring training. LF Luis Gonzalez is throwing again as he rehabs a sprained right elbow, and he has told the club he is doing well. Gonzalez's injury stemmed from extensive workouts to improve his throwing. LHP Randy Johnson says he has no pain in his surgically repaired knee. RHP Matt Mantel, the closer, has had no recurrence of his shoulder soreness. RHP Mike Koplove, the club's top setup reliever, is progressing well after surgery to repair his right rotator cuff and labrum. CATCHING ANALYSIS: Robby Hammock's durability is questionable given his size (5-11,180), but he is solid offensively. He's a good fastball hitter who needs work against breaking pitches. Hammock, who will be 27 in May, will receive defensive help from backup Brent Mayne, who will be 36 in April. Mayne is knowledgeable and is a longtime tutor of catchers. Hammock, a former third baseman, has a quick release and good hands. Mayne is mobile and makes up for below average hitting with great defense. He occasionally hits for power.--Rich Draper

ATLANTA BRAVES IF Mark DeRosa, one of the club's best-conditioned athletes, has been adding muscle in the offseason in preparation for playing every day at third base. Although DeRosa has played only 29 games at third over the last two seasons, the Braves are confident his athletic ability (he played quarterback at Penn) will help him adjust to full-time duty at third. DeRosa won't have the sure hands and power possessed by former Brave Vinny Castilla, but he could hit .300. CATCHING ANALYSIS: Neither Johnny Estrada nor Eddie Perez can match former Brave davy Lopez's offense, but they are sound defensively. They have good game-calling skills, and they have won pitchers' respect. The staffs Estrada handled at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Richmond the past two seasons led the Class AAA International League in ERA. Many of the Braves' veteran pitchers have complimented Estrada on how he calls games. Perez, a solid backup, will help Estrada's development and, perhaps more important, provide veteran leadership in a clubhouse that will have a number of young players.--Mark Bowman

CHICAGO CUBS LHP Mike Remlinger's offseason shoulder surgery could extend his career. Remlinger, who will be 38 in March, is rehabbing three hours a day, five days a week and says he's in his best shape ever. He is expected to start throwing by the end of January. LHP Kent Meroker was brought in as a free agent to provide depth and insurance for the bullpen.... The Cubs may not need RHP Greg Maddux if RHP Juan Cruz is ready to take over as the No. 5 starter. Cruz had a solid season in the Dominican winter league. CATCHING ANALYSIS: Michael Barrett has an opportunity to be an everyday catcher for the first time since 2001. Drafted as a shortstop by the Expos, he is a good athlete with a solid arm. He also could hit 18 to 20 homers; his career high is 12. Barrett can handle young pitchers; the Cubs now want him to improve his pitch selection. Paul Bako is a better than average backup with a good arm, as he showed during last year's National League Championship Series, when he threw out the Marlins' Juan Pierre and Luis Castillo in the same inning. His offense is lacking.--Carrie Muskat

CINCINNATI REDS OF John Vander Wal's signing is an example of the effect homer-friendly Great American Ball Park is having on a roster that used to have speed to burn off the bench. Vander Wal, 38, is a power-hitting pinch hitter. But he also strikes out a lot, and he's joining an outfield that includes players, namely LF Adam Dunn and RF Austin Kearns, who also have that shortcoming.... Here's how much Kearns matured in his sophomore season: He won the team's annual Good Guy award despite missing about half the season because of shoulder problems.... There's a good chance the Reds could head into spring training with at least one spot open on their 40-man roster, allowing them to sign a player before or during spring training. CATCHING ANALYSIS: Jason LaRue, heading into his sixth season with the team, is one of the longest-tenured Reds other than SS Barry Larkin. His consistency behind the plate is valuable while the club tries to piece together a pitching rotation. The move to a new ballpark was a blessing and curse for LaRue, whose big swing produced good power but a lot of strikeouts last season because he often tried to hit the ball out. He can throw out runners regularly when pitchers give him a chance. He doesn't block pitches well.--Jason Beck

COLORADO ROCKIES The club hopes it has settled the top of the batting order with newly acquired 2B Damian Jackson and SS Royce Clayton. Neither has hit well in the leadoff spot, but both have positive backgrounds at No. 2. That could create some opportunities for 2B Aaron Miles, acquired in a December trade with the White Sox for IF Juan Uribe. At Class AAA Charlotte last season, Miles batted .309 in 470 at-bats, with 37 walks and 40 strikeouts. Miles is expected to play often anyway because Jackson will play center field when Preston Wilson takes a day off. CATCHING ANALYSIS: Charles Johnson's defense has gone from an art form that impressed Gold Glove voters to a study in survival. His caution when it comes to plays at the plate and balls in the dirt may cost the team a few runs, but he was able to stay healthy enough to hit 20 homers last season--a record for a Rockies catcher. His quiet demeanor seemed to work better with veteran pitchers than the youngsters on last season's staff; but the kids could learn from Johnson's approach. Backup Todd Greene, like Johnson, is a streaky hitter with power. Greene will have to prove he can handle an increased workload in a ballpark where it's tough to catch because of the thin air and long games.--Thomas Harding