Projected lineup
1. CF: Coco Crisp
2. 1B: Daric Barton
3. RF: David DeJesus
4. LF: Josh Willingham
5. DH: Hideki Matsui
6. C: Kurt Suzuki
7. 2B: Mark Ellis
8. 3B: Kevin Kouzmanoff
9. SS: Cliff Pennington
Projected rotation
1. SP: Dallas Braden
2. SP: Trevor Cahill
3. SP: Gio Gonzalez
4. SP: Brett Anderson
5. SP: Brandon McCarthy
CL: Andrew Bailey
Five tips
• Barton’s excellent batting eye and doubles power make him a good candidate to bat second. His lack of overall power makes him vulnerable to losing his job at some point. Barton shouldn’t be drafted in standard leagues.
• The most intriguing of the newcomers on offense is Willingham, who has good power. Is it possible that I only wrote that because Ron Shandler’s Baseball Forecaster tabbed Willingham’s upside as a .280 BA with 30 home runs? Absolutely. A bet on Willingham is a bet on his health, and he’s averaged just 116 games over the last three seasons. Still, he’s a good choice as a fifth outfielder in a standard league. Stay on the field, Josh!
• Suzuki’s bad batting average last season was driven by bad luck (.245 BABIP). He hit .274 with 15 homers, 88 RBI and 74 runs scored in 2009. The thought of a repeat is why he’s eighth in my catcher rankings.
• Don’t get attached to Kouzmanoff if you draft him in an AL-only league. He’s very replaceable, in both fantasy and reality.
• That’s a good young pitching staff, huh? Of the front four, my order of preference is Anderson, Gonzalez, Cahill and Braden. Anderson’s arm issues are worrisome, but he could be very good.
Plus:
• Odd man out: The outfield appears set, meaning that Conor Jackson and Ryan Sweeney will need to wait for an injury to get back in the lineup. It’s a good thing for them that Crisp is a Platinum Member of the MLB Disabled List.
• Top prospects: First baseman/outfielder Chris Carter is a big-time power prospect. The A’s could contend in the AL West this season, and I believe they won’t let Barton play every day, even with that high OBP.
• Backup closer: Bailey’s strained forearm doesn’t sound as serious as initially feared. He's backed up by vets Brian Fuentes and Grant Balfour. When Bailey was hurt last season, the A’s used multiple options. They’ll probably do the same if Bailey gets hurt again or struggles. It would be tempting to put all your eggs in the experienced Fuentes’ basket as Bailey’s backup, but right-handed batters had great success against him.
