Well it looks like the A's roster is finally taking some shape. It's been a long couple months since the acquisition of Matt Holliday, and the quantity of moves has been on the average side. However, the quality of these moves has been great. The signing of Jason Giambi to return to play in the green and gold was a big move. Many people complained about him being a traitor a few years ago, and believe me, I was right there with you. I remember the day he left for more money and the Yankees, but that day is long ago and it has long escaped my mind. If you truly are an A's fan, you will root for your present team no matter if we have Deion Sanders playing centerfield opening day. Giambi had a great run of success here donning the number 16, and I believe that he has a few more years left in him. He may not be MVP-candidate Giambi like he once was, but the numbers that he can still produce is still a major upgrade. All in all, Giambi was a great addition for the A's whether you like it or not.

Bobby Crosby is an interesting topic right now because nobody really knows what kind of rebound he is really going to make after being the A's highest trade bait this offseason. Is he going to produce more so he can up his free agent price or is he going to slowly diminish from the light? Time will tell, but I still have faith in the ability of Crosby. It was disappointing to us all that the A's could not reel in Rafael Furcal, but to look optimistically at 2009, Crosby is going to do just fine. If he stays healthy (a concern of both Crosby and Furcal), I believe Crosby to have an even better year than he did last year. It all goes back to the old baseball saying of "Hitting is contagious." He is going to be surrounded by much better hitters this year, and that is going to be a major confidence boost to everyone in the lineup. This is going to be a lot more lively A's lineup this year for the simple fact that they have added confidence into the younger players with the acquisitions of Holliday and Giambi. Not only are they bringing in major power bats, but they're also bringing in ballplayers who have had their taste of success and leadership. Each of the two has gone to a World Series, and I'm sure they both would do anything to get back.

Now the only thing I really believe the A's NEED would be another quality starter. I've been saying it for a while now that they need a rock for their rotation to stand on. With Giambi signing for below $5 million (what a bargain), the A's still have some of the money that they were offering Furcal. I think Beane is in the works to sign a pitcher, but I'm not quite sure of what kind of quality that the A's will get. You would think that by signing Giambi to a one-year deal and only having Holliday one year, Beane would put all his chips on the table and sign somebody that has the chance of being solid. I like the looks of Ben Sheets, and I could see him in an Oakland jersey in my mind. The thought of signing Ben Sheets excites me for two reasons. First, he would be a great starter in the A's rotation because he has had some successful years, and he is only 30 years old. Also, with the unknown factor of his medical past, I could see him signing cheaper than he would have if he was healthy. Overall, he would be a great addition to a young rotation headed by Duchscherer.