Projected batting order Mark Ellis, 2B Scott Hatteberg, 1B Miguel Tejada, SS Eric Chavez, 3B Jermaine Dye, RF Erubiel Durazo, DH Terrence Long, LF Chris Singleton, CF Ramon Hernandez, C Rotation Barry Zito, LHP Tim Hudson, RHP Mark Mulder, LHP Ted Lilly, LHP John Halama, LHP Bench Mark Johnson, C Frank Menechino, INF Eric Byrnes, OF Jason Grabowski, OF Adam Piatt, OF Bullpen Keith Foulke, RHP (CL) Chad Bradford, RHP Ricardo Rincon, LHP Jim Mecir, RHP Jeremy Fikac, RHP Mike Neu, RHP Complete A's roster  ESPN's Take Q: How much will the Miguel Tejada non-contract situation affect the team's psyche? I was a teammate of Tejada's and know him well, and I don't think he will let the contract situation bother him. But I don't know what the A's were thinking in addressing that situation right now. Why not say "We're going to look at this later on in the season?" It may have a small impact on the rest of the team, but the rest of the guys in Oakland understand what kind of payroll the Athletics are working with, and with Jason Giambi having left town already, the prospect of losing Tejada is not going to be a big shock for them. -- Tom Candiotti Chances are Mark Ellis isn't high on your list of second basemen, but he has the look of a future David Eckstein. Armed with a bit of power and surprising speed, Ellis gets on base, and with this lineup it could translate to 90 runs and double-digit steals. And it could make him top 10 in the AL for fantasy. Can Ted Lilly stay healthy? If so, the southpaw is in a perfect place to become a big winner. Lilly is capable of at least 150 strikeouts and 12 wins, which he would have shown had the Yankees given him a long-term shot. Now he gets the chance. -- Eric Karabell Rich Harden, RHP Harden hasn't yet pitched in Triple-A, but his mid-90s fastball and outstanding changeup make him the best candidate for a major-league job if anybody gets hurt (or if John Halama struggles) this season.

Manager: Ken Macha  Home: Network Associates Coliseum (43,662)  '02 record: 103-59  Team page | Schedule | Offseason moves

Catcher: Ramon Hernandez/Mark Johnson After hitting 29 home runs over the 2000 and 2001 seasons, Hernandez slumped to just seven bombs in 2002. The A's expect Hernandez to rebound in 2003, thanks in part to the arrival of new backup catcher Mark Johnson, who bats left-handed and figures to get plenty of playing time against right-handed pitchers. First Base: Scott Hatteberg Hatteberg is far from the prototypical first baseman, but don't let that fool you; A's management is perfectly happy with their first baseman. Hatteberg, who'd never played the position professionally before last season, worked hard and eventually became a good defensive first baseman. And while Hatteberg doesn't have a lot of power, he did lead the A's last season with a .374 on-base percentage. Second Base: Mark Ellis With Frank Menechino struggling, the A's summoned Ellis from Triple-A Sacramento in June, and at season's end he'd posted a .359 on-base percentage and impressed everybody with his flashy work at second base. He might move back to shortstop -- his position for most of his minor-league career -- in 2004, but for now he gives the A's adequate production at the keystone. Third Base: Eric Chavez Tejada was the MVP, but A's management considers Chavez the flagship of the lineup fleet. Still only 25, Chavez is already the best-hitting third baseman in the American League and he's now won two straight Gold Gloves. Should only get better. Shortstop: Miguel Tejada OK, so he won't be with the A's in 2004. Until then, the reigning American League MVP gives the A's one of the game's great shortstops. Left Field: Terrence Long Played in every game for the second straight season, but his on-base percentage dropped to .298, unacceptable to an organization that stresses getting on base more than anything else. A poor center fielder, Long is shifting back to left field this season, and the A's think his hitting may benefit. Center Field: Chris Singleton With a .313 career OBP, doesn't really fit into the organizational philosophy. But he gives the A's a great glove in center, and they hope he'll be able to improve his plate discipline at least a bit. Right Field: Jermaine Dye Dye's numbers last season weren't particularly impressive, but he opened the season still suffering the after-effects of a broken leg. After the All-Star break, Dye hit 18 home runs and knocked in 53 runs, and the A's expect a full season of that production. Designated hitter: Erubiel Durazo Yes, Billy Beane finally got his man. The Oakland GM had been casting his covetous eyes toward Phoenix for years, and this winter he finally worked out a deal to acquire the Diamondbacks' power-packed (but oft-injured) first baseman. The A's hope that Durazo is healthy enough to rack up 450 at-bats ... and if he is, he'll put up some big numbers. Backing up Durazo is Ron Gant, who should see plenty of action against southpaws. No. 1 Starter: Barry Zito Led AL in wins (23), games started (35), and nabbed Cy Young Award honors over Derek Lowe and Pedro Martinez. Zito throws one of the game's great curveballs, and if he's ever in need of motivation, he only has to look at his teammates in the rotation. No. 2 Starter: Tim Hudson Won "only" 15 games last season, but that was due more to poor luck than anything else, as his 2.98 ERA ranked sixth in the AL. Hudson pitched poorly against the Twins in October, but he's as good a bet as you'll find. No. 3 Starter: Mark Mulder Mulder's sort of the forgotten man among the A's Big Three, but he's every bit as good as Zito and Hudson, so don't be at all surprised if he wins 20 games again -- he led the AL with 21 wins in 2001 -- and jumps to the head of the class. No. 4 Starter: Ted Lilly When the A's got Lilly in a three-way trade last summer, they thought he might be even better than Jeff Weaver (who went to the Yankees in the same deal). As it turned out, Lilly arrived with a weak pitching shoulder and was able to start only five games. Bullpen: Chad Bradford, Ricardo Rincon, Jim Mecir, Jeremy Fikac, Mike Neu Right-handed Bradford and left-handed Rincon rank among the game's top set-up men, but with screwballer Jim Mecir still recovering from offseason knee surgery, the A's are counting on ex-Padre Jeremy Fikac and perhaps Rule 5 draftee Mike Neu to help pick up the slack. Closer: Keith Foulke Changeup artist lost his job finishing games for the White Sox after a few bad outings last May, but he pitched brilliantly after the All-Star break and the A's are perfectly comfortable handing him Billy Koch's old job as closer.

-- Rob Neyer, ESPN.com

Record: 103-59 | Finish: 1st in AL West (lost in ALDS to Minnesota) | Results | Statistics: Batting | Pitching Offense (AL rank) Defense (AL rank) 800 runs (8th) Home: 427 (5th) Road: 373 (7th) 654 runs allowed (2nd) Home: 331 (3rd) Road: 323 (2nd) 2002 Stats Leaders   Average: Miguel Tejada, .308 Runs: Tejada, 108 On-base pct: David Justice, .376 Stolen bases: Eric Chavez, 8 Wins: Barry Zito, 23 Saves: Billy Koch, 44 Home runs: Tejada/Chavez, 34 RBI: Tejada, 131 Slugging pct.: Chavez, .513 OPS: Tejada, .861 ERA: Zito, 2.75 Strikeouts: Zito, 182