BIGGEST QUESTION: Can Brett Butler do it?...

BIGGEST QUESTION: Can Brett Butler do it? That will be asked the moment he steps onto the field Saturday and will continue until opening day. Can Butler, recovering from cancer, become the Dodgers’ everyday center fielder at 40? The last 40-year-old everyday center fielder was Willie Mays, and that was not a pretty sight. If Butler can’t do it, the Dodgers can move Todd Hollandsworth to center and give the left-field job to Billy Ashley, or simply turn the center-field job over to Roger Cedeno.

* SUREST BET: Knuckleballer Tom Candiotti and his $3-million salary will be traded. The Dodgers have 12 pitchers for 11 spots. They will replace Candiotti in the rotation with Chan Ho Park but will wait toward the end of spring before trading Candiotti. If no one is hurt, and Park and Pedro Astacio don’t self-destruct, Candiotti will be pitching elsewhere opening day.

* JOB SEEKERS: Honk if you’re a Dodger second base candidate. There are six of them, none of whom alleviates Dodger fears. Rookie Wilton Guerrero has the job to lose. He can hit, having won the Dominican League batting championship with a .340 average, but he stirs memories of Jose Offerman in the field. And if the Dodgers were truly sold on him, they wouldn’t have tried so hard to lure free agents Rex Hudler and Robby Thompson. If Guerrero needs more time, Juan Castro and Nelson Liriano may share the job. Chad Fonville--remember him?--remains in the mix. Jeff Berblinger is a longshot and Chip Hale, considered invaluable off the bench, is considered a last-ditch solution.

Certainly, no one will utter such thoughts publicly, but there are three, and perhaps four outfielders who wouldn’t be heartbroken if Butler decided to retire. If he did it before opening day, Ashley and Cedeno would get new life in becoming everyday players. Karim Garcia, who probably will be back in Albuquerque, barring a Roy Hobbs spring, would have an outside shot. Even Wayne Kirby would get much more playing time if Butler stepped aside.

* WHAT, ME WORRY? The Dodgers say the offense will be dramatically improved with third baseman Todd Zeile. They say it’s virtually impossible to be as dismal as it has been the last few years. Yet, if Butler can’t cut it, they are left with rookie Guerrero as their leadoff hitter. And if Guerrero can’t cut it, they again will have no true leadoff hitter. And if they have no leadoff hitter, they will be in the same predicament as a year ago.

* WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Butler retires. Guerrero isn’t ready. Hollandsworth is victimized by the sophomore jinx. Catcher Mike Piazza or first baseman Eric Karros suffers his first major injury. And the San Diego Padres sign Hideki Irabu, who proves he is better than Hideo Nomo.

* BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Raul Mondesi finally lives up to his potential and becomes the Dodgers’ ideal No. 3 hitter, raising havoc on the basepaths. The strong pitching staff simply does its thing. The Atlanta Braves trade David Justice or Fred McGriff, leaving the pennant race wide open. A World Series berth is possible. Of course, that was true the last two years.