Last spring, the turnover was off the field for the Boston Red Sox: new owners, new (interim) general manager, and a new manager.

But after a 93-win season, this spring the changes are on the field. Sixteen of the players on the 40-man roster weren't with the organization at the end of last season. Nowhere is that churn more evident than in the infield. If Opening Day were today, only shortstop Nomar Garciaparra would be assured of retaining his job from a year ago.

	Kevin Millar, right, could get playing time at first base, right field and DH for the Red Sox.

Third baseman Shea Hillenbrand, who slumped badly in the second half, is being pushed by Bill Mueller, who was signed to a two-year deal over the winter. At second, Todd Walker has replaced Rey Sanchez. And with the arrival of Kevin Millar on Sunday, the Sox now have a crowded house at first base.

Millar, the subject of an international taffy pull for the past month, joins David Ortiz and Jeremy Giambi as candidates at first. In the last few weeks, Millar has gone from to Florida to Japan to Florida again and, finally, to Boston.

Manager Grady Little plans to do more mixing and matching. Hillenbrand has been told he could play some first base when Mueller, a switch-hitter, is at third. Mueller also has some experience at second and could give Walker some rest at the position. Millar has played the outfield extensively, and Giambi has, too. Finally, all could see some time at DH.

"We're not building a lineup of one through nine,'' said GM Theo Epstein. "We're building a roster of one through 25.''

Heading into his first winter on the job, Epstein knew he had to bolster the bullpen and improve the offense on the right side of the infield. The Sox were second to last in OPS at second base last year, where Sanchez contributed just 14 extra-base hits, and were dead last at first.

For a team with playoff aspirations, the unsettled lineup might seem strange. But Epstein and Little figure that the next six weeks will settle some of the position battles.

	Beantown Bashers
	The projected lineup for the Red Sox in 2003: CF Johnny Damon 2B Todd Walker SS Nomar Garciaparra LF Manny Ramirez DH Jeremy Giambi/David Ortiz 1B Kevin Millar/Giambi RF Trot Nixon/Millar 3B Bill Mueller/Shea Hillenbrand C Jason Varitek

Then again, Little could platoon at as many as four positions: third base, first base, DH and right field.

"There's more than enough room to go around for these guys,'' said Epstein. "We're going to be extraordinarily deep. That's a really good thing.''

Depth was an issue last year for the Sox, a season in which the bench featured 43-year-old Rickey Henderson, retread infielder Carlos Baerga and first baseman Tony Clark. Henderson spent much of the season threatening to go home if he didn't get more playing time. Baerga, though an effective pinch-hitter, was around to provide companionship for enigmatic star Manny Ramirez and espirit de corps in the dugout. Clark, while an excellent defensive first baseman, was alarmingly inept at the plate (three homers in 90 games) and some in the organization charged that he was distracted by the labor impasse.

Tellingly, none of the three is in major-league camps this spring.

Millar has limited experience at first base, but may end up seeing more time at the position than anyone else due to the defensive shortcomings of Giambi and Ortiz.

While Giambi is also limited in the outfield, the Sox feel confident he can play an adequate left field, at least at home, giving Ramirez the opportunity to DH once or twice a week. Millar could also help out in right, where Trot Nixon has struggled against left-handed pitching.

If Mueller, who has just 41 homers in seven seasons, can produce enough at third (his glove is unquestioned and an upgrade over Hillenbrand, who committed a league-leading 23 errors last season), the Sox could deal Hillenbrand for a third starter. In fact, Mueller was signed with the idea that Hillenbrand would be used to obtain either Bartolo Colon or Javier Vazquez.

	“	I like having the depth. If the right opportunity presents itself, you like to deal from a position of strength. But we're not looking to move any of these guys. We're real happy with the roster we have. ”
		— Theo Epstein, Red Sox GM

"I like having the depth,'' said Epstein. "If the right opportunity presents itself, you like to deal from a position of strength. But we're not looking to move any of these guys. We're real happy with the roster we have.''

It may be that outfielder Johnny Damon and Garciaparra are the only position players to play more than 140 games at one position. But the many interchangeable parts will allow Little to have a fresh roster in September (Hillenbrand, for one, was clearly playing on fumes in the final month last year) and plenty of flexibility along the way.

"We've put ourselves in a position where we've got a lot of talented players,'' Little said.

The Sox believe that Giambi, who dedicated himself to a demanding offseason training regimen, is poised for a breakout season. The same can be said for Oritz, who was recently named MVP of the Caribbean Series. Millar, who hit .306 for Florida last season, is energized by his arrival in Boston ("This is a dream come true,'' he said upon signing.) and may prove to be every bit as effective (and more durable) than the far more expensive Cliff Floyd, whom the Sox elected not to re-sign.

It may take until May before it all settles out.

"We're going to have some awfully tough decisions to make,'' said Little.

For the second-year manager, who had too few to make last season, that sounded like a positive.

Sean McAdam of the Providence Journal covers baseball for ESPN.com.