Overbearingly often, the next few months will be called a time of optimism in baseball. The lowly Astros will share in it like everyone else, deserving to shed that "lowly" qualifier at least into April.

Astros pitchers and catchers are due in camp in Kissimmee, Fla., by Saturday as spring training gets underway. The fully crummy play should mostly be a thing of the past, even if a winning season isn't exactly impending. The team added an estimated $35 million in guaranteed major league salaries this offseason, tightening a roster that's been the pits three years running.

General manager Jeff Luhnow spoke of the opportunity spring training affords not only players but fans: the interaction and chance to see players and prospects up close.

"Houston fans have traditionally not felt that necessity to escape the brutal Houston winter," he said, "although this year it's been a little worse. But I think any time somebody comes, they are always pleasantly surprised at how much you can see. You can roam around the backfields. … There are several direct flights from Houston to Orlando."

Here's a slightly perverse sales pitch Luhnow likely would not give: As a whole, his grand plan will be on display better in spring training than the regular season.

Spring is always second fiddle to meaningful games. But so many of the prospects who ultimately will define this front office's legacy will be at Kissimmee's Osceola County Stadium just for a taste. They won't all be at Minute Maid Park yet, not this year.

Who knows, maybe pitcher Mark Appel, the top pick in last year's draft, will face the game's best hitter, Miguel Cabrera, when the Astros visit the Tigers on March 1. Shortstop Carlos Correa, still just 19 and the top pick in 2012, will turn double plays with second baseman Jose Altuve and corner infielders Matt Dominguez and Jonathan Singleton.

Glimpse of the future

Fodder for fantasizing here. Eleven of the top 20 Astros prospects, per Baseball America's rankings, are slated to be in major league camp, part of a group of more than 60 players who will be around at the beginning. That's a conspicuous display of a farm system many regard as the best in baseball.

"With 63 players coming to camp, that's a lot of players to sort through," Luhnow said. "There are different phases of spring training. First is sort of getting everybody built up, and then you want to make sure that you give everybody enough playing time and opportunity to be seen, so that everybody feels like that they got a fair look. At some point, you have to transition to building up your everyday players and building up your starters. You can't do that with 63 players in camp. So we have to be responsible about how we manage the player flow.

"But I do think for our fans, especially the ones that are going to come out to Kissimmee and ones that are going to listen on the radio and watch on TV, it's fun for them to be able to see, to get a glimpse of (the future)."

The major league team and the present do demand attention, too, and there are position battles to be won.

Roster certainty helps

As early as the winter meetings in December, Astros manager Bo Porter could start to define his lineup. All he knew at the same point the previous winter, he said, was that Jose Altuve would play second base.

"We have a third baseman in Matt Dominguez," Porter said at the meetings. "We have a shortstop in Jonathan Villar. We have a catcher in Jason Castro. And Robbie Grossman has proven that he has the capabilities of being an everyday player. We traded for Dexter (Fowler)."

Fowler seems a lock to be in center field and batting leadoff, while Grossman appears the favorite to play left field. Chris Carter is easy to pencil in at designated hitter.

First base 'wide open'

That leaves only two Astros everyday positions up for grabs this spring training: first base and right field. Luhnow called first base "wide open."

Outfielder George Springer, 24, is probably the biggest name to watch this spring because he put up an incredible minor league season in 2013 and could force the Astros to put him on the team with an outstanding spring. L.J. Hoes also could play right field.

Competing at first base is Singleton, another of the Astros' top prospects. He has a lot of power and held his own in winter ball but was inconsistent last season - serving a suspension for marijuana and struggling on the field - leaving open a question of whether he's ready.

Marc Krauss and Jesus Guzman are in the first-base picture, too. Japhet Amador, who was playing in Mexico last season, is a name to watch.

The pitching is more open. The majority of the upgrades this offseason were arms, and that made sense considering how poorly last season's staff fared, particularly the bullpen.

"When you talk about the competitive nature of baseball and where we're at as an organization, I don't think we could be in a better place with the amount of competition that will take place not only in spring training but throughout the course of the season," Porter said. "A good problem to have is to have too many good players."

Rotation far from settled

Free-agent addition Scott Feldman, who's making a team-high $12 million in 2014 as part of a front-loaded contract, is the favorite to be the opening day starter.

Lefty Brett Oberholtzer and righty Jarred Cosart are expected to be in the rotation, too, but they will have to win jobs. Feldman's spot is the only one that seems guaranteed, with a lot of names competing for the other rotation slots: Lucas Harrell, Dallas Keuchel, Brad Peacock, Alex White, Asher Wojciechowski among them.

White, recovering from Tommy John surgery after making the rotation last year, will be given a chance as a starter, Luhnow said.

"That's kind of the starting point," Luhnow said. "Now whether we decide that (White) should go to Class AAA and start if he doesn't make the club, or whether he should be in the bullpen at the big league level if he doesn't make the rotation, we'll determine that as spring goes on."

Strength in numbers

Veteran Jerome Williams, the team's most recent free-agent signing, has a major league deal and wants to be a starter but also end could up in the bullpen. The names far outnumber the available jobs, but plenty of Astros can shuttle between Class AAA Oklahoma City and the big leagues.

"The general rule of thumb you really want to come into camp with eight guys to get five out of there (in the rotation), because between guys getting banged up or not performing or whatever happens … you're going to need more than eight starters," Luhnow said. "I expect there'll be a decent amount of back and forth (between levels) this year, like there was last year, maybe not quite as much."

The relief scene is a little clearer. The Astros will carry at least one lefthanded reliever, probably two. That gives Darin Downs and Kevin Chapman a good way in.

Excitement all around

Three righties who signed as free agents - Chad Qualls, Matt Albers and Jesse Crain - figure to anchor the back of the bullpen. Crain won't be ready for opening day because he's recovering from arm surgery, leaving Qualls as the favorite to get the first crack at closing.

Names from last season like Josh Fields, Josh Zeid and Chia-Jen Lo are vying for bullpen spots behind the offseason add-ons. The Astros gave up the top pick in the Rule 5 draft to land reliever Anthony Bass from the Padres, and they're high on him.

The bullpen was the worst in the majors last season. The team was the worst in the majors last season. This won't be the spring training during which it all comes together for the Astros, but yes, this is a time to be optimistic.

"I'm excited," Porter said. "When you look at the number of players we've had here this offseason working out at the stadium - I just got off the phone with Dexter Fowler. He's ready to jump through the phone and get on the field.

"It's exciting that we are now this close."