Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.
Depending on your perspective, the rebuilding plan general manager Billy Beane started after the 2007 season has either worked well or has stalled out. The A's have filled up their organization with young prospects, and they had the makings of a very good young pitching staff last year. However, they still managed to win only 75 games -- the exact same total as the year before -- because their everyday lineup is still in flux.
The only position player who has established himself as the long-term answer at his position is catcher Kurt Suzuki. Otherwise, players like Ryan Sweeney, Cliff Pennington and Rajai Davis have played just well enough to have jobs going into spring training, but not well enough to be considered established.
The good news is the A's gave their young pitchers plenty of opportunity to learn in 2009. They started a pitcher 25 or younger in 147 of their games, most in the majors, and just about all of them showed flashes (or more) of brilliance.
MLB Power Rankings:Where MLB FanHouse's editors, writers and bloggers team up to break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world.
It's a funny thing, sometimes, to see how Power Rankings shape up over the course of the season. Just like when we started the year, there are a number of teams from one particular division sitting atop the rankings. Of course, there are plenty of surprises -- WHERE DID THE FREAKING GIANTS AND ROCKIES COME FROM?? -- and some other interesting stuff, like the fact that the Mets and Cubs just haven't been that good, which we discussed on the inaugural BaseCast recently.
Every time Eric Chavez sees his name in a headline, it is usually on top of a story that throws a little more dirt on what was his career.
The A's former third baseman is going to have another microdisectomy on his back on June 23 in Los Angeles. This news comes a few weeks after Chavez said that he would not be able to continue playing if he had another back surgery.
Apparently, the A's are not so pessimistic. Their story now is that this surgery, which will be Chavez's fifth since September 2007, by the way, will have Chavez ready to go next spring.
Athletics third baseman Eric Chavez has missed a lot of games over the last few years because of his back and shoulder injuries. Chavez played in only 90 games back in 2007, and 23 games last season. This year he's appeared in eight games and has three hits in 30 at-bats thanks to his balky back. Now it seems that his back may be keeping him off the baseball diamond for the rest of his life.
At this point Chavez is basically playing Russian roulette with it. Sure, he didn't blow his head off with the first pull of the trigger, but the odds are increasing with every shot, dive, swing, lifted piece of luggage or sneeze he makes that his career will be dead soon.
The A's, whose infield has been ravaged by injuries, have acquired former ALCS MVP Adam Kennedy from the Rays for a player to be named. Kennedy, 33, was assigned to Triple-A Sacramento as a paper move because he wasn't expected to arrive in time for Friday's game. He will be with the big league club on Saturday, and he's expected to be in the starting lineup at second base.
Kennedy was hitting .280 at Triple-A Durham. Last year he was the Cardinals everyday second baseman, hitting .280 in 115 games. A veteran of 10 years in the majors, Kennedy is best known for his time with the Angels, from 2000-06. In 2002, he won the MVP of the ALCS. The Angels went on to win the World Series.
Kennedy would provide some insurance for the A's, who have second baseman Mark Ellis, third baseman Eric Chavez and utilityman Nomar Garciaparra on the disabled list.
Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.
You Oughta Know ... That the Indians offense apparently busts out every 10 days, just like clockwork.
Cleveland scored 22 runs at Yankee Stadium on April 18 – and then scored 23 total in the next eight games.
The offense reversed course again Tuesday as the Tribe rallied from deficits of 5-1 and 7-3 to win 9-8 on a run in the bottom of the ninth inning and end Boston's 11-game winning streak.
MLB Power Rankings:Where we care what you've done for us lately when we break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world each week.
It's been a while since a week of baseball was this sad -- we saw the tragic passings of Nick Adenhart, Harry Kalas and Mark Fidrych. And without waxing too sentimentally, it's the loss of these men that remind us exactly just how little sports matter in the grand scheme of things. RIP, gentlemen. Power rankings (that feel just a tad inconsequential, to be honest) after the jump.
Over the last two seasons Oakland third baseman Eric Chavez has only been able to play in 113 games thanks to injuries he's had with his right shoulder. Chavez has also had surgery on his right shoulder twice in the last two years in hopes of getting things worked out and to be able to contribute to the Athletics once again.
Well, Chavez made it five games into the season before his old friend Hurty McShoulder came to visit him and crash on his couch one more time causing him to miss Monday's game. Luckily for Chavez and the Athletics, Eric is hopeful that his old friend will only be in town for a few days this year.
Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.
You Oughta Know ... That that Yankees bullpen is in such bad shape that manager Joe Girardi resorted to using Nick Swisher in relief to save his arms at the end of a blowout loss to the Rays. Swisher became the first non-pitcher to pitch for the Yankees since Wade Boggs broke out his knuckleball on Aug. 19, 1997.
To his credit, Swisher did manage a scoreless inning. He struck out Gabe Kapler, and he was laughing at times on the mound.
MLB Power Rankings:Where we care what you've done for us lately when we break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world each week.
We're almost there. You can smell it in the air, can't you? That's right ... the NHL playoffs! Ha. I kid, of course. No one actually watches hockey (if it even exists). But people do get amped up for baseball, and the season is upon us. So, in that vein, we've got our final installment of preseason power rankings ready for your digestion. Play ball.
Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.
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Athletics third baseman 
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Over the last two seasons Oakland third baseman 
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