FanHouse OrlandoCabrera

Best 1-2 punch in baseball? Maybe Josh Beckett and Jon Lester.

Best young 1-2 combo? Probably Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain.

Best young 1-2 starters you may not have heard of? Josh Johnson and Chris Volstad.

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

With the recent news that Mark DeRosa is on the trade block and the White Sox have possibly landed Jake Peavy, junkies of major league baseball trade rumors got an early glimpse at what promises to be a very interesting July. It's far to0 early to know exactly who will be in the market for what -- or who can afford to take on temporary payroll in this economy -- but it's certainly fun to speculate. Let's do it.

Joe Saunders was already going to face skepticism about whether he could repeat his 2008 season, and now he's going to have to do it as the lead dog in the injury-riddled Angels rotation.

Saunders got off to a good start, absolutely dominating the A's lineup for 6 2/3 innings in the Angels' season-opening 3-0 victory. The A's, with a brand new lineup including Orlando Cabrera, Jason Giambi and Matt Holliday, did not even get a runner to third.

Still, is Saunders for real?

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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.

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 ...
Team who loves to mash the ball. The 2008 White Sox led Major League Baseball in home runs with 235. Even though the team lost Nick Swisher, there are still six hitters in this lineup with 25-plus home run potential; three that could easily amass 30-plus. The infield is all shook up headed into the new season. Only Paul Konerko is back in his position from 2008 at first base. Josh Fields will be given the reigns at third base to see if he can finally live up to his potential. Alexei Ramirez will be shifting from second base to shortstop to fill the spot vacated by Orlando Cabrera. The pitching staff lost Javier Vazquez to Atlanta but still has three credible front-line starters. Gavin Floyd and John Danks exploded onto the scene in '08 and Mark Buehrle is as consistent as they come. The White Sox won their division in 2008 and still have the talent to compete again in 2009.

FanHouse continues its 2009 MLB Preview with a look at the Chicago White Sox.

The expectations for the Chicago White Sox weren't very high in 2008. The team was coming off of a dismal 72-90 performance in 2007, following up two consecutive 90-win seasons and they'd lost perhaps their most consistent starter in Jon Garland in a trade for Orlando Cabrera. They also acquired Nick Swisher from the Oakland Athletics, hoping he would be the glue that held the team together.

"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!

Today's Spring Training Dugout is after the jump.

The Daily Jolt is a dose of baseball reality every weekday morning.

As if the West Coast wasn't interesting enough heading into 2009, Manny Ramirez is finally back where he belongs, in Dodger Blue. And it only cost a cool $25 million. For all the accusations of East Coast Bias, baseball to the left of the Mississippi River just hasn't been all that captivating in recent years.

But MannyB changed all of that last summer, drilling moonshot after moonshot into the bleachers at Chavez Ravine, electrifying a sleepy fanbase in Los Angeles as he strapped the Dodgers on his back and carried them to the NLCS. It seems like the rest of the West (even the American League part) might be ready to follow along.

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.