To be an A's fan means that one absolutely must expect the unexpected - with a lot of blind faith. Got a young switch-hitting outfielder whose adored by fans on the roster? And he's at the beginning of a big contract? Unload him. What's that? One of your arms is a strikeout machine who started the All-Star game las season? Trade him for prospects.
While many teams would have eyeballed Nick Swisher and Dan Haren as cornerstones in their team's future, Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics felt that restocking the team with fresh talent was the better long term solution for the Oakland Athletics, netting a Who's Who of prospects from the White Sox and Diamondbacks, respectively, for the two beloved players. But if you're a diehard A's fan, you've been down this road before - and you've shared in the success.
While both Swisher and Haren are gone, Oakland chose to sign Joe Blanton and Huston Street to one-year extensions, giving fans a better idea of what the staff will look like come Opening Day. This, of course, barring A. injuries and B. More trades. But should the team stay put - and rumor has it that even Shannon Stewart may don th green and gold again - then fans are in store for a season that could mirror what the Diamondbacks and Rockies were able to achieve last season. Both were young teams that overachieved before running into the juggernaut that is the Boston Red Sox.
So rather than a team of no names, as the media would have you believe, a healthy 2008 squad will carry the likes of Eric Chavez, Bobby Crosby, Mark Ellis, Travis Buck, Dan Johnson, Street, Blanton, Kurt Suzuki, and Rich Harden. Not a shabby line-up.
But does this mean that stability is on the horizon? Time will tell. Beane is forever looking for a right-handed power hitter and there is a fifth starter's spot in the rotation seemingly up for grabs, so a lot can happen. But then again, as an A's fan, you already knew that.
