FanHouse Nomar Garciaparra

From the Windup is Matt Snyder's extended look at some aspect of America's pastime each Thursday.

Every Hot Stove season, each team reshapes its roster in an attempt to better themselves. After each transaction, whether a free agent acquisition, trade or something else, writers and bloggers everywhere provide knee-jerk reactions on each particular move. Though the majority of the analysis is educated, it's still just conjecture. Today, we'll take the long view and look back at some of the maneuvering this past offseason and see how it played out on the field.

OAKLAND -- Infielders and former infielders around the majors have long admired Adrian Beltre for his Gold Glove play at third base.

Now, many of them are looking at Beltre with a different kind of disbelief.

"I can't believe a guy is playing third base without a cup," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, a former All-Star shortstop. "That's ballsy. That's a dangerous place, especially third base."

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

The most remarkable thing about this season as we hit the not-halfway halfway point of the All-Star break isn't Albert Pujols' RBI total. Or Zack Greinke's ERA. Or the PED suspension of one of the game's biggest stars.

It's the standings. And they not only reflect the season so far, they give us a clue as to the weeks head leading up to the non-waiver trade deadline.

The Phillies and Dodgers are the only first-place team with a lead of more than 2 1/2 games. And 21 of the 30 teams are within 7 1/2 games of a playoff spot: nine of 14 in the AL and 12 of 16 in the NL.

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.

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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.

HAVE YOU HEARD? YANKEE STADIUM HAS A WIND TUNNEL!!! Does it matter/is it real? Probably not. In fact, it might actually be on the other end of the spectrum of importance when compared to MLB Power Rankings. This week, we welcome another brand new No. 1 at the top of our rankings, although, all spoiler alerts aside, it's from the same division as last week! Debate the quality of your team, 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.

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.

Baseball is here. Only for three days so far, but that's enough for knee-jerk reactions and our collective excitement, certainly. Are the Yankees in trouble? Will Ken Griffey, Jr. lead the Mariners back to glory? Are the Orioles for real? Are the Braves bound for the playoffs again? Will the Marlins manage to save baseball and win the National League East? What happens when Jim Thome and Kyle Farnsworth meet in a hadron collider?

Find out the answers to these questions -- and more! -- after the jump.

FanHouse continues its 2009 MLB Preview with a look at the Oakland Athletics.

There's been an awful lot said about the non-traditional stylings of A's GM Billy Beane over the years, but his greatest asset is an absolute refusal to see players as anything more than they are. While teams like the Yankees and Red Sox pay too much to aging veterans because of ties to the franchise and other clubs clutch prospects like gold bars with absolute values, Beane coldly uses players like the assets they are before moving onto a new batch.

Fantasy baseball draft season is coming, so you best be prepared by delving through every major player on each team. Fantasy FanHouse is here to help with a quick once-over.

Meet the...
Most average team in the league. It's weird, because there don't seem to be many real weaknesses on team -- but can you really find a bunch of strengths? I hate the term "very average," but this team is pretty close to the mean across the board. As you scroll through ADP charts, you'll find the A's aren't often towards the top of the lists, but they are definitely there. As I said, average.