30 A's in 30 Days – Justin Duchscherer

Acquired: Traded from Texas Rangers for RP Luis Vizcaino (March 18, 2002).
Contract: One year thru 2010. Eligible for free agency after 2010.
Position: #2 Starter…?

Projected ERA: 3.81

Over/Under: Specifically citing the physical (elbow) and mental/emotional (depression) setbacks that kept Duchscherer off the mound for all of 2009, a writer on the Fangraphs stat site wrote the following on Duke's prospects entering free agency during this past offseason: "Even though MLB teams may not want him, your fantasy team will." Despite the miles of progress made in society's perception of mental health we've got a long way to go, yo. Good to know Duchscherer might bring stability to your keeper league.

For 2010, here's what we know about the 32-year-old righty: (1) He's never thrown more than 141 innings or made more than 22 starts in a big league season – reaching both marks in 2008, his first and only year as a full-time starter. (2) Since '08, he's missed time for injuries to his bicep, hip, elbow and – this spring – his back. (3) He hasn't thrown a regular season pitch since August 2008. I'm absolutely rooting for him, but my love can't keep him from hitting the OVER.

By the Numbers: 2.500 – That's Jason Giambi's career slugging percentage off of Duchscherer. Giambi is 6 for 8 lifetime off Duke with two doubles and four home runs. Obviously, with Giambi resplendently rocking Rockies purple these days, this small-sample stat doesn't mean much. But, it's still pretty damn nifty, no?

Surefire 2010 Prediction: I'm contributing to the 2010 baseball preview over at Inside Pulse. In it, I set the over/under for combined starts by Duchscherer and Ben Sheets at 30. Yesterday, I called Sheets for 16 starts…leaving Duke with the difference. Wait, give me a minute here…14! Duchscherer will make 14 starts this year while bouncing between the bullpen and the disabled list.

Snoop Dogg Track for the Season: Betta Days