30 A's in 30 Days – Nomar Garciaparra

Acquired: Signed as free agent (March 3, 2009).
Contract: One year ($1.5 – 2.0M)
Position: Reserve 1B/3B/DH

Projected BA/OBP/SLG: (.273/.329/.420)

Over/Under: As long as Garciaparra isn't getting regular playing time, I think he's a surprisingly safe bet for the OVER. The only sensible way to maximize his value is to platoon him against lefties – whom he's whacked at a .289/.368/.502 clip the past three seasons. If he gets about 250-300 plate appearances, he'd also help to preserve the health of 3B Eric Chavez and DHGH Jason Giambi.

By the Numbers: 21 – Total games played in the 2001 season by Garciaparra after this, umm…swollen picture of an aspiring WWE superstar graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. As m'man Nick mentioned, "this guy's tendons snap like fishing wires". Hard to believe this testament to clean living has missed so much time with muscle-related ailments. Hey, remember when he tore his left groin off the bone when he was…swinging a bat and leaving the batter's box?

Surefire '09 Prediction: For all the accolades the A's get for their outside-the-box IQ, they've been horrific at exploiting offensive platoon advantages in recent years. Nomar's inevitable visit to the DL will happen early in the season and will be a direct result of too much playing time in the first few weeks.