The Disabled List Informer

The decline of Eric Chavez over the past three seasons has been sharp, to say the least.

The culprit(s)? To start, he had previously had the labrum in his right shoulder repaired in September 2007, disc surgery in his lower back, as well as a left shoulder labrum repair.

His most recent surgery last August was to his right shoulder to clean out the right shoulder joint and to repair a torn labrum (again) that was hindering his ability to move the shoulder in a pain-free manner. The surgery actually was fairly extensive, including a repair to the anterior labrum, a SLAP (a large, front-to-back tear) repair, and a Biceps tenodesis (same surgery that Smoltz and Schilling had). It is no wonder why his production tailed off so quickly, and so profoundly.

The 2006 through 2008 seasons saw Chavez hit a total of 39 HR (22 of which were in ‘06), while his slugging percentage and OPS numbers did a nosedive. In addition, his plate discipline and effectiveness worsened, as his K rates increased and his BB/K ratio dwindled. The perennial Gold Glove third baseman and usual 30 HR/90 RBI contributor seemed to be on the downside of his career.

However, this recent surgery has taken quite well. Drs. John Frazier and Thomas Peatman performed the surgery, and they were pleased with the results . There is some optimism that Chavez can resume playing at a high level and being a productive force in the middle of the A’s lineup in ‘09.

When asked about how Chavez has been looking in the batting cage, A’s manager Bob Geren said , "Everyone I’ve talked to says he looks incredible, I mean, really, really good. Better than anyone expected."

While this is certainly encouraging news, Chavez has not had an overly productive season since 2005. He is now 31 years old, so a return to form is not out of the question, but expectations should still be tempered. It is unlikely that he returns to the 30 HR mark, but if he stays healthy, he should be able to hit just around 20 HR. Another positive note is that the A’s lineup will be stronger this season with the addition of Matt Holliday and Jason Giambi. Perhaps Chavez will see some better pitches this year and see his stats rise as a result.

I have always been a big fan of Eric Chavez - the way he plays, the outstanding defense, and the fact that his teammates admire him as a leader and great clubhouse presence. I’ve always had a way of gravitating towards blue collar players like him. That being said, lets be realistic with expectations:

.260-.270 average, 20 HR, 75 RBI - basically, a hybrid of his ‘05 and ‘06 seasons.