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.
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.
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.
"Spring training is very important. It gives all the Dominican players time to learn how to say 'renegotiate' in English!" "lol /thrusts hips"
Hopefully our only look at the AL West this year continues with the Oakland Athletics, a team so perplexing that they are simultaneously predicted to win the division and be removed from baseball completely. Their mascot is an elephant! What's the deal with that!
Nomar Garciaparra isn't ready to hang up the spikes just yet. Multiple reports on Tuesday indicate that he'll sign a one-year contract with the Oakland A's, pending a physical, and join the team as a jack of all trades off the bench. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the deal will be announced on Friday.
Garciaparra battled injuries with the Dodgers last season and appeared in just 55 games for the NL West champions. He'd been contemplating retirement after hitting .264 with eight home runs and 28 RBI on the season, one year after he slumped to his worst big league season.
The Oakland Athletics have had a strange winter when you compare it to how they generally treat their offseason. Usually they spend the winter months trading away players in return for prospects to keep the low-budget team afloat and competitive. This year they've been adding veterans and payroll. They traded for Matt Holliday and signed Jason Giambi, then on Monday they signed Orlando Cabrera and are now on the verge of signing Nomar Garciaparra as well.
The latest moves seal Bobby Crosby's fate with the team. He has gone from being the starting shortstop in Oakland to a bench player the team hopes can be a "super sub." Crosby, though, is hoping to be traded.
While the Phillies remain interested in Nomar Garciaparra, he's mulling over whether or not to just retire and hang out with "Beautiful" full-time. This means they are looking into a Plan B, and apparently Moises Alou is on the radar.
Alou's always hit, there's no question about that. In 17 seasons, he's put together an impressive line of ratios: .303/.369/.516 (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage). He's likely still got some pop left in that bat, but -- at age 42 -- he's not getting any younger, either. He's also a pretty bad defensive player.
Starting Five
Over the last two seasons Oakland third baseman 
Fantasy baseball draft season is coming, so you best be prepared by delving through 
"Spring training is very important. It gives all the Dominican players time to learn how to say 'renegotiate' in English!" "lol /thrusts hips"
The Oakland Athletics have had a strange winter when you compare it to how they generally treat their offseason. Usually they spend the winter months trading away players in return for prospects to keep the low-budget team afloat and competitive. This year they've been adding veterans and payroll. They traded for 
While the Phillies remain interested in 
