Rockies spring training 2013 should be, shall we say, intriguing.

That’s an apt description, and certainly a charitable one, for a team coming off a 98-loss season. The issues confronting new Rockies manager Walt Weiss are varied and numerous.

Can he count on shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to be healthy, productive and a team leader? How productive can 39-year-old first baseman Todd Helton be in what’s likely his final season? Who will play third base, and for how long? And can Wilin Rosario develop into a competent big-league catcher?

Of course, the biggest issue of all is starting pitching. Forced to go with four rookies in the rotation for much of last season, Colorado starters posted a major league-worst 5.81 ERA.

The projected core pitchers of that rotation — lefty Jorge De La Rosa and right-handers Juan Nicasio and Jhoulys Chacin — were supposed to deliver last season. Instead, injuries derailed them. A year later, they are being counted on again.

What optimism there is around the team comes from youthful talent in the field. From outfielders Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler, to rookie second baseman Josh Rutledge, to utilityman and .309 hitter Jordan Pacheco, the Rockies’ lineup has a chance to be versatile and dangerous. In the field, however, there’s much work to do. The Rockies’ 122 errors were the most in the majors last season.

First base

Todd Helton is the starter, but there are contingency plans already in place. Michael Cuddyer, Tyler Colvin and Jordan Pacheco will get a lot of playing time at first base during spring training. Helton, entering what’s likely the final season of a brilliant career, is returning from hip surgery last August. At age 39 and with a history of back problems, there are no guarantees of productivity. He played in only 69 games last season, hitting just .238 with a .343 on-base percentage, the second-lowest of his career, and 37 RBIs. The Rockies need more pop from his bat and also need his golden touch around the bag.

17: Home runs hit by the Rockies’ first basemen last season, ranking 12th in the National League. Todd Helton hit only seven.

Second base

The expected starter is rookie Josh Rutledge, but he will have to battle DJ LeMahieu. Rutledge, promoted from Double-A Tulsa after the all-star break last season, filled in admirably for injured Troy Tulowitzki at shortstop. Now he slides over to second.

Rutledge posted a .345 average with 24 extra-base hits in his first 145 at-bats, but fatigue and a quadriceps injury brought him back to earth. He batted only .197 with just nine extra-base hits over his final 132 at-bats.

LeMahieu started at second the final two months of the season. He posted a .994 fielding percentage in 67 games there . He showed some pop late in the season, hitting .324 with 12 doubles, four triples, two homers and 20 RBIs over his final 55 starts.

.309: On-base percentage for the Rockies’ second basemen in 2012, ranking 18th in baseball.

Shortstop

It’s no stretch to say Troy Tulowitzki faces his biggest test since his 2007 rookie season. The two-time all-star must prove he can stay healthy and silence critics who say his 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame is too big for the rigors of playing shortstop and has led to troublesome leg-muscle injuries. He strained his left groin early in 2012; the injury lingered and affected his fielding and his production at the plate before he was shut down for the season. Tulo hit .287 with eight homers and 27 RBIs. His .964 fielding percentage was the worst of his career.

Tulo remains confident that he’s one of baseball’s best shortstops and is eager to play for former shortstop Walt Weiss.

47: Games played by Troy Tulowitzki in 2012, his season spoiled by a groin injury that eventually required surgery to remove scar tissue.

Third base

The hot corner remains a concern. Chris Nelson, who enters spring training as the favorite to win the starting job, was terrific at the plate after the all-star break last year, hitting .344 with 12 doubles, two triples and 30 RBIs in 55 games. His defense is a huge concern (.931 fielding percentage). Also in the mix are Jordan Pacheco (who struggled in his trial by fire at third base last year), DJ LeMahieu and Ryan Wheeler, who was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks for relief pitcher Matt Reynolds.

Nolan Arenado, a second-round draft pick in 2009, will be in camp again, but it’s doubtful he will make the big-league team out of spring. He probably will open at Triple-A.

.942: Fielding percentage for the Rockies’ third basemen in 2012, ranking 12th in the NL.

Catcher

One of the compelling story lines of spring training is Wilin Rosario’s growth as a catcher. Did his offseason practice pay off? Last season, Rosario committed 13 errors and was charged with 21 passed balls, most in the big leagues in both categories — despite playing only 105 games as a catcher.

Expect Ramon Hernandez, 36, to return as the No. 2 catcher in large part because he’s owed $3.2 million for the final year of his contract. A hand injury and a season-ending hamstring tear limited him to 52 games. Hernandez will be absent most of March while playing for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. That’s one reason the Rockies signed veteran Yorvit Torrealba to a minor-league contract.

.530: Slugging percentage for Wilin Rosario, the highest for an NL rookie catcher since the Dodgers’ Mike Piazza in 1993.

Outfield

The Rockies have strength in numbers. Left fielder Carlos Gonzalez (.303 average, 22 homers) is a returning all-star, and center fielder Dexter Fowler is coming off a breakout season in which he hit .300 with 13 homers, 53 RBIs and a .389 on-base percentage. Right fielder Michael Cuddyer was limited to 101 games because of an oblique injury but still drove in 58 runs and hit 16 homers. He will get plenty of playing time at first base, opening the door for Tyler Colvin, who batted .290 and drove in 72 runs in his first season with the Rockies.

Also in the outfield mix are speedy Eric Young Jr. and Charlie Blackmon, who hit .362 as a part-time starter in September.

314: RBIs by the Rockies’ outfielders in 2012, ranking third in the NL. The team leader was Carlos Gonzalez (85 RBIs).

Rotation

Fans hoping for a major acquisition to prop up a wobbly rotation are no doubt disappointed. The Rockies enter spring training relying on Jorge De La Rosa, Jhoulys Chacin, Juan Nicasio and Jeff Francis. If that foursome stays healthy and pitches reasonably well, the Rockies would need only one youngster to make a giant leap forward. That group includes left-handers Drew Pomeranz and Christian Friedrich and right-handers Tyler Chatwood and Josh Outman. Right-hander Chris Volstad, who signed a minor-league deal in January, could be in the mix too.

5.81: ERA for the Rockies’ starting pitchers in 2012, the worst in baseball and the second-worst in franchise history, behind a 6.19 ERA in 1999.

Bullpen

The Rockies’ relievers were hardly lights out last season (35-30 record, 4.52 ERA). But assigned the burden of trying to bail out woeful starting pitching, they performed reasonably well. Right-hander Wilton Lopez, acquired from the Houston Astros for starting pitcher Alex White, posted a 2.17 ERA last season and showed a penchant for inducing groundballs. Rafael Betancourt enters spring training as the closer, but Lopez will get opportunities to show what he can do.

The left-right, eighth-inning tandem of Rex Brothers and Matt Belisle is solid. Adam Ottavino proved to be a solid middle reliever a year ago. Lefty Josh Outman and right-hander Rob Scahill also will be in the mix this spring.

657.0: Innings pitched by the Rockies’ relievers in 2012, the most in big-league history.

Bench

The Rockies have a surplus of question marks, but they also have a lot of depth. Jordan Pacheco will get playing time at first base, third base and catcher. He hit .309 last year and became the first National League rookie to finish in the top five of the batting race since 1974. Outfielder Eric Young Jr. can provide instant offense late in a game, utilizing his speed and pinch-hitting ability. When he gets on a roll — he hit .420, with five doubles, three homers and 15 runs scored in his final 19 games — he’s dynamic. What the Rockies lack is a late-game slugger. Jason Giambi, no longer with the team, was supposed to be that last season but hit only one home run and drove in just eight runs in 89 at-bats.

13: Pinch hits by Eric Young Jr. in 2012, tied for second-most in the majors.