Kurt Suzuki will be the fulltime catcher for the Athletics in 2008, but will that make him fantasy-worthy?

Catchers – Kurt Suzuki, Rob Bowen, Adam Melhuse

The A's are going plunge headlong into a youth movement and put Kurt Suzuki behind the plate for the majority of the games this season. Suzuki showed a little more power than most scouts thought he had, and did a good job handling pitchers. It is safe to say he should hit .250-.260, might give you double-digit homers, and 60 RBI. Bowen backs him up, plays maybe 30-35 games, and does not make anyone's fantasy squad. Melhuse draws bullpen duty again or perhaps a bus ticket to Sacramento.

First Base/Designated Hitters – Daric Barton, Dan Johnson, Jack Cust

Barton was awesome during his call up last September, hitting .347 with 13 of 25 hits going for extra bases. He should develop into a power hitter at some point, probably a year or two down the road. He is only 21, so patience is warranted. He could surprise though, and he is a sleeper possibility. Dan Johnson will very likely be in another uniform before Spring Training ends. However, they may keep him around in the event that Barton needs to go back to the minors. Cust brings his prodigious power and abundance of strikeouts back for another tour. The over/under on strikeouts is 200, with 40 homers and a .230 average.

Middle Infielders – Mark Ellis, Donnie Murphy, Bobby Crosby

Ellis had his best season statistically in 2007, mainly because he managed to play 150 games for the first time since 2003. He should break the 20-homer mark and hit .275-.285 if he stays healthy. Crosby has only played 150 games once, his rookie campaign in 2004. It is hard to recommend Crosby, as it appears he will never be the player he was once thought to be. Donnie Murphy showed a little pop last year when he subbed for Crosby. He will not see enough at-bats to be a fantasy factor.

Third Base – Eric Chavez, Jack Hannahan

Eric Chavez is hoping for a return to complete health for the first time in several years. Last fall he had three surgeries, two on his shoulders and one on his back. Thus far, his rehabilitation has gone well without setbacks, and he expects to be ready to play by Spring Training. That said, temper expectations for Chavez who will likely hit third with Nick Swisher gone from the lineup.
Chavez will do well to hit .260 with 20 homers and 75 RBI. Jack Hannahan will spell Chavez in the early going to allow him a chance to ease back in. Hannahan is not fantasy worthy at this point.

Outfielders – Emil Brown, Chris Denorfia, Travis Buck, Ryan Sweeney, Carlos Gonzales

You would be hard pressed to find much fantasy help in the Oakland outfield. That said, Chris Denorfia represents an interesting speculation pick. He is coming off elbow surgery, and he should be ready by spring to return to action. Most projections have him hitting around .300, but there is disagreement on whether to expect much in the way of power. If pushed, I would say he has 15-homer upside for this year and should be able to provide low double digit steals. Much the same can be said for Travis Buck, except he will hit more like .285. Brown works best in a platoon situation, as he is very weak against right-handers. If he and Sweeney platoon in left, Brown will help in deep AL only leagues, as he does very well against lefties. If Brown wins the job outright, be forewarned to expect a very low average, making all that production against lefties very costly. Sweeney and Gonzales will be non-factors no matter what happens.

Starting Rotation – Joe Blanton, Rich Harden, Chad Gaudin, Justin Duchscherer, Lenny DiNardo

Rich Harden is dead to me. Sounds harsh, but I say that only because I have picked him to accomplish great things in the past, only for him to burn me badly. If he stays healthy (yeah, right!), he has 15-win stuff, with an ERA around the 3.50 mark and 190 strikeouts in 200 innings, but do not count on it. Joe Blanton looks like the ace here, given the growth he showed last season. I can see him winning 15 also, with an ERA around 3.75, and 130-140 strikeouts. Duchscherer is making the leap from bullpen to rotation, and I would not advise you to mess with that. Gaudin's ERA is probably going to hover just below 4.50, making him a somewhat less than desirable pitcher, and I have even less faith in Lenny DiNardo. In all, three-fifths of the A's starting rotation is probably useless.

Bullpen – Huston Street, Santiago Casilla, Alan Embree, Kiko Calero, Dan Meyer, Jerry Blevins

Huston Street missed considerable time with injuries last season, and the A's paraded half of the bullpen through the closer's job before Alan Embree stabilized things. Street, if healthy, is one of the better closers in the game, and should put up 35 saves and keep his ERA in the 2.65 range. Calero and Embree have exhibited the skills in the past to be good middle relievers to use for vulture wins and a ratio lowering strategy. It all depends on how they are used, so monitor the type of work they get and use accordingly.

Probable Lineup

Travis Buck, Right Field
Daric Barton, First Base
Eric Chavez, Third Base
Jack Cust, Designated Hitter
Mark Ellis, Second Base
Emil Brown, Left Field
Bobby Crosby, Shortstop
Chris Denorfia, Center Field
Kurt Suzuki, Catcher

Projected Rotation

Joe Blanton
Rich Harden
Chad Gaudin
Justin Duchscherer
Lenny DiNardo

Closer

Huston Street

Next in Line

Alan Embree