Posts tagged EricChavez at FanHouse

In the 2007 season Oakland third baseman Eric Chavez was limited to only 90 games thanks to a bad back and a bad shoulder. As a result, he spent the winter rehabbing from not one, not two, but three separate surgical procedures done on his back and both shoulders. Well, the good news is, neither his back or left shoulder have been a problem for Eric since he returned from the disabled list at the end of May.

The bad news for Eric is that more problems with his right shoulder this season have limited him to only 23 games, and that total isn't going to get any higher as Chavez has decided to have another procedure done on his shoulder that will end his season.

Assistant general manager David Forst said Chavez elected to have surgery now, rather than after the season, to increase his chances of being healthy in time for spring training.

"He's been dealing with this shoulder problem for a long time," Forst said. "Going in to repair the problem is his best chance now to open up next year feeling 100 percent."

Ah yes, so that way when he comes back healthy next season and hits .290 with 23 homers and 70 RBI before the All-Star break, he can then be traded for prospects. Hell, maybe Eric is faking the whole thing just because he really likes living in Oakland (it happens) and knows being on the disabled list is the only way he can keep from getting traded.

Oakland Athletics third baseman Eric Chavez missed the first two months of the 2008 season thanks to surgery he had on his shoulder last November, and now after playing in 23 games for the A's, Chavez's shoulder has put him back on the disabled list.

"It's frustrating," said Chavez. "I just want to get to the point where I can get out there and know I can be a productive player, and right now I'm not."

In the press release announcing the Chavez move, the A's said his right shoulder surgery in November 2007 was "to repair a torn labrum." Chavez, 30, said the surgery "didn't fix anything."

"They just went in and cleaned it up. Nothing was repaired."

The signs that Eric was going to be placed back on the DL have been apparent since the weekend when Chavez sat out the A's entire series against the Giants. He played in the first two games of the Angels series, but did so as a designated hitter since hitting doesn't hurt his shoulder nearly as much as throwing.

Whether or not Chavez is going to need to undergo another surgery isn't known yet, but he did undergo an MRI on it earlier today. Obviously, if he has to go back under the knife, his 2008 campaign is over. The team has called up first baseman Wes Bankston from Sacramento to take Eric's place on the roster.

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups

Los Angeles Angels (16-10) vs. Oakland Athletics (16-10) - 10:05PM Est.

The fact that the Angels and Athletics are fighting for the top spot in the AL West isn't exactly a new experience. I mean, they've been doing it for just about the entire 21st century but they weren't supposed to be doing it this season. No, the AL West this season was supposed to be a two-horse race between the Angels and Mariners while the Athletics were supposed to be mired in a rebuilding process and battling with the Rangers for third place.

Yet here we are nearly finished with the first month of the regular season, and Oakland is tied with Los Angeles for the best record in the American League. To make it even more surprising, they're doing it without Eric Chavez and Rich Harden.

Just what the hell is going on here?

A little over a week from now, the Oakland Athletics will be boarding a plane to Japan where they'll be opening the Major League season against the Red Sox in the Tokyo Dome. Unfortunately for the Athletics, they'll probably be making the trip without their Gold Glove third baseman, Eric Chavez.

The A's have made no announcement, but the general feeling in the organization is that Eric Chavez's streak of Opening Day starts will end at nine.

Steve Sayles, the team's head athletic trainer, wouldn't say whether Chavez will make the trip to Japan on March 19, but he did say, "It would be more advantageous if he stayed here and got work done."

This isn't exactly shocking news, after all, Chavez hasn't even begun fielding ground balls in camp so expecting him to be ready for the opener at this point would be idiotic. Still, this isn't good news for the A's or Chavez. Chavez is trying to bounce back from an injury plagued 2007 season, and starting the season off with a bad back isn't the best way to go about doing that.

If Chavez's back problems persist, it also becomes a problem for the Athletics because not only will they be missing him on the field, but it makes it a whole lot harder to try and move their $9.5 million third baseman come deadline time.

Previously at FanHouse:
Under the Gun: Eric Chavez

The Oakland A's were rumored to be among the teams interested in Barry Bonds before his indictment turned the slugger radioactive. In fact, even Eric Chavez was convinced it was going to happen. From Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle:

"Absolutely," Chavez said. "The first thing I said when I heard about the indictment was, 'Oh no, we're probably not going to sign him now.' But he would have been just the perfect fit. I already had it in my mind that he would be on the team. He and Jack Cust would have been a real productive combo. But Barry's in for a tough, tough road now, and it would be hard (to sign Bonds)."

It's not hard to see the logic behind the move: moving to the AL would give Bonds the chance to play more games as a DH, and staying close to the Bay Area would ensure a positive reaction from the fans, which probably wouldn't happen anywhere else. A's owner Lewis Wolff downplayed the A's interest in Bonds was asked to respond to Chavez's comment, but you have to figure Chavez got the idea from someone in the front office and not just from trolling around on the internet.

The interview also contained two other interesting tidbits sure to get A's fans talking: Chavez recently had an operation on his left shoulder, meaning he's had both shoulders and his lower back surgically-repaired so far in the offseason. Also, should the A's need to trade Chavez down the road, he promises to cooperate by waiving his 10-5 status. Considering that doesn't actually kick in until 2009, take that promise with a grain of salt.

Eric Chavez has been on the disabled list since July 27th with a bad back, and though the Athletics were hoping the Gold Glove third baseman would be back this week, they're going to have to wait a little bit longer.

While Chavez was hoping it was a little discomfort, now he fears the injury may be something worse than originally thought and he'll be meeting with a doctor on Wednesday to find out if his fear is justified.

"We'll see what he's got to say," Chavez said of the doctor. "I'll get an opinion and then I might see somebody else and then come up with a game plan...We're hoping that someone can point us in the right direction."

There must be some sort of correlation between being a very good third baseman, and back trouble. The White Sox have already lost Joe Crede for the season, and now the Athletics are wondering if they may need to deal with the same thing.

Back issues are one of the hardest things to deal with for a player, or anybody else really, and I think Chavez and the Athletics should consider shutting it down for the season at some point. Depending on what the doctors tell Chavez, and how much longer the discomfort lasts, there's no point in running the risk of letting Chavez make it worse. The Athletics probably aren't going to make some crazy run to the top of the AL West so it's not like they have to have Chavez right now. Some time off will probably be the best thing for his back and his health going into next season.

Things aren't going terribly well for the Athletics right now. They continue to lose players to the disabled list, and they've lost 12 of their last 16 games as they keep falling further and further away from the division leading Angels.

All of which makes you wonder if Billy Beane is getting ready to be a deadline seller rather than buyer.

Oh, yes, the A's. Losers of 12 of their last 16, the traditional early summer sprint toward the front nowhere in evidence. The bullpen is in shards, with players going down left, right and center, and their rehab and return dates being pushed back almost weekly. Rich Harden has been activated from his own injury but has pitched only three times, including two innings of relief Saturday, and seems to be rehabbing on the fly.

Mike Piazza is rumored to be on the block after only 103 at-bats as the new Frank Thomas. And if he isn't moved, the A's apparently want him to catch about half the time, which leaves Jason Kendall in a sedentary predicament. Bobby Crosby and Eric Chavez play, but at nowhere near their established capabilities. And with Kurt Suzuki, Chris Snelling, Jack Cust and Travis Buck (freshly disabled and replaced by Dee Brown) already on board, Kevin Melillo making a brief cameo and Daric Barton savaging the Pacific Coast League, it seems increasingly clear that Billy Beane is thinking young, and thinking about it fast.

Ever since Beane took over in Oakland, the A's have been buyers at the deadline. Always finding that one under the radar player to put the team over the edge and get them into the playoff race. It seems that for all his knowledge of sabermetrics, Beane doesn't have a mathematical answer for players elbows exploding, and hamstrings being pulled.

As of right now Oakland finds itself in third place, 8.5 games behind the Halos, and if they don't make a run over this next week into the All-Star break there's bound to be plenty of changes in Oaktown come August 1st.

It's gotten to the point that I can't even think of any more jokes to make about the Oakland Athletics and the disabled list.

Just yesterday they had to use the disabled list for the 12th time this season. The newest entrant? Congratulations, Milton Bradley.

...the A's used the disabled list for the 12th time this season, and the number of players currently on the DL grew to 10 when outfielder Milton Bradley was formally shelved for 15 days, retroactive to May 15, with a left hamstring strain.

It's the same hamstring injury that had Bradley on the shelf for two weeks at the end of April.

Of course it doesn't stop there. The A's also had to place Justin Duchsherer on the DL on Tuesday, which of course means that they now have both their closer and set-up man there.

"We're like a bad Studebaker or an old VW bus after the warranty's up," Jay Witasick cracked. "Parts falling off all over the place."

They're about to lose another part too. They haven't made the move yet, but right-handed reliever Connor Robertson is about to be added with a broken thumb on his throwing hand that he suffered Monday night in Chicago.

Oh, and just for good measure, Eric Chavez has missed the last two games with triceps tendinitis. The good news there is that Chavez is expected to be back in the lineup to start Oakland's series with the Orioles on Friday night.

At this point I'd feel safer wrestling a Great White shark than playing for the Athletics. I mean, at least if I stab him in the eye, he'll leave me alone.

Previously at The Fanhouse:
Huston Street The Latest Athletic On The DL
Another Day, Another Oakland Injury
Rich Harden Out Until Mid-May
Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before

It appears as if Nick Swisher will be sticking around for a while, as the Athletics have locked him up to a new five-year contract with a club option for a sixth season, which means Swisher will be locked up through his second year of free agency at maximum.

At 26 years old, this is a great signing for Oakland. They've just bought themselves two extra seasons of Nick Swisher in his prime before he can leave Oakland for a big money deal just as others such as Jason Giambi and Miguel Tejada have done. Not to mention the relative cost of the deal, which is relatively inexpensive at $26.75 million. The option is for $10.25 million with a buyout for $1 million, which gives the A's a cheap out if Swisher's stats go south.

This also ensures that they have most of the key components of their team locked up through at least '09, important for the original low budget "Money Ball" club:

The A's now have eight players under contract beyond the 2007 season, not including Mark Ellis and Jay Witasick, who have club options for next season. The eight players and the years they are signed through are: Swisher (2011, club option 2012), Eric Chavez (2010, club option 2011), Bobby Crosby (2009), Alan Embree (2008, club option 2009), Rich Harden (2008, club option 2009), Dan Haren (2009, club option 2010), Mark Kotsay (2008), Esteban Loaiza (2008, club option 2009).

But most of all, they lock up a class act.

Previously on The Fanhouse:
Nick Swisher Grows Hair for Cancer Patients

Oh, you could watch the A's to see the brilliant defense of Eric Chavez at third base, Nick Swisher's newfound home-run prowess or Stomper getting hyphy.

Those are all well and good reasons, I suppose.

But, I'd suggest you keep an eye on the A's this season for one Mr. Mike Piazza. Piazza is essentially aiming to fill in Big Hurt's shoes after his departure to Toronto - aging slugger trying to contribute to Oakland's squad as a designated hitter. Did you think Frank Thomas would pan out last year? Did you think he would knock in 119 RBIs and slug 39 homers? Nope. You sure didn't. Does Piazza still have anything left in him? Can he be as prolific as Thomas was? If this spring is any indication, he might have a chance. He's batting .476 so far.

Come to think of it, the A's not only lost their biggest offensive threat, but also their best pitcher in Barry Zito. If you remember, this is a team that defeated the Twins in the ALDS and made it to the ALCS, before losing to Tigers.

So, can a team devoid of its biggest offensive threat and best pitcher still challenge for an American League pennant?

Well, you're going to have to watch and find out, dummy.