It's definitely one of the more intriguing positions on this team. How do you think it will look in 2012?
Rolen is back, but he's going to be a huge question mark for this team. I doubt you'll see him put up that insane production that he did in 2010, but he's the kind of player who's likely to be highly motivated in his final year with this team, in the twilight of his career. However, he's more fragile than ever.
Cairo is signed for another year, and that deal isn't looking too shabby right now. He's been a well above-average stopgap the last two years around the field, and is one of the most reliable options on this team.
Francisco's time has come. At this point in his minor league career, he is what he is, and that is an impatient power bat that preys on weaker pitchers, and a massive but error-prone arm.
Frazier brings good defense, slightly more defense, moderate power, and a winning attitude. He's fallen off a bit these past two years (with a .260 batting average), but still gets good reports from scouts.
Alonso is an unlikely possibility at this point, with the plan involving him spending all of his time practicing in LF. However, if that experiment continues to flop, he could try to make good on the rumors of his abilities at 3B.
I think you have to go primarily with a Rolen and Francisco platoon as the main plan. Rolen should get most of the veteran and TOR pitchers who will easily fool Francisco, while Francisco should face some of the younger and lower-quality pitchers, who he should be able to destroy. Frazier should be waiting in AAA or traded (it's hard to find room on a roster that has Cairo, Alonso, Sappelt, Francisco, and Frazier all in the mix for two or three spots), while Cairo should get some playing time but primarily remain on the bench to back up the rest of the team.