30 A's in 30 Days – Eric Chavez

Acquired: Drafted in 1st round (1996).
Contract: Six years ($66M, total) thru 2010 with 2011 team option ($12.5M).
Position: Terminal

Projected BA/OBP/SLG: (.234/.315/.392)

Over/Under: As of this writing, Eric Chavez is healthy and in camp with the A's, attempting to reinvent himself as – in his words – a "utility" player. Never mind that three seasons worth of neck, shoulder and back woes limit his utilities to first base. Chavez had played in only 121 games since 2007 and with the acquisition of 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff, the A's finally surrendered the notion that Chavez might someday return to the line-up full time.

I'll take the UNDER on his projection, simply because I don't see how a left-handed back-up first baseman – and emergency third baseman – will get enough at-bats on an A's team where his skill set (left-handed, struggles vs. LHP, decent, but not superlative power) is redundant with so many others on the roster. Chavez has been unfairly maligned by A's fans for so long that it's easy to forget how great he was at his peak.

By the Numbers: .280/.357/.513, 30 HR – That's Chavez five-year slash line and average home runs per season from 2000-2004. Proving that All Star Game appearances is a lame way to retroactively judge talent, Chavez never made an ASG and was beaten out by the likes of Troy Glaus in an off year, the corpse of Cal Ripken and g*ddam Shea Hillenbrand.

Surefire 2010 Prediction: Eric Chavez will announce his retirement before season's end.

Tupac Track for the Season: Runnin' on E