A look at scenarios for the 2012 season

• Dallas Braden's rehab goes a little faster than scheduled, and he is inserted into the A's rotation in late April.
• The A's don't completely embarrass themselves against Felix Hernandez and the Mariners, losing Opening Night in Japan 3-1. Daric Barton drives home Coco Crisp with an RBI double to provide Oakland's only offense.
• Instead of completely collapsing, Guillermo Moscoso and Brandon McCarthy kind of prove that their 2011 seasons were no fluke. As the new staff ace, McCarthy responds by going 12-10 on the season with an ERA somewhere around 3.50.
• Grant Balfour, with 12 saves by the All-Star Break, is chosen as Oakland's All-Star representative, helping to fill out the AL bullpen. MLB makes sure not to have Balfour miked up. There are children present, after all.
• While the pitching, led by McCarthy, is roughly league average, the offense really is as bad as advertised. Michael Taylor, Brandon Allen and Chris Carter don't quite pan out, averaging seasons of roughly 1 to 1.5 WAR each.
• Jemile Weeks proves to be the best hitter on the team, posting a 2.7 WAR season. Daric Barton improves from his horrid 2011 season, proving to be a nice surprise at 2.1 WAR.
• The A's don't lose 100 games, but still finish last in the AL West, earning a top-10 draft pick.
• Sonny Gray gets a September call-up, putting together two or three quality starts while auditioning for the 2013 rotation. Michael Choice ends the season at AAA Sacramento.

3. Optimistic

• Dallas Braden's rehab is ahead of schedule, and he is able to participate with the team in Spring Training. He is deemed healthy enough and ready to be the Opening Day starter.
• With a 9-6 record at the All-Star break, Brandon McCarthy is named the A's All-Star representative. Jemile Weeks makes it onto the team as a reserve after an injury to someone on the team.
• Chris Carter doesn't exactly break out, but he does well enough to own the designated hitter position, hitting 20 home runs, though only batting .250.
• 2012 Daric Barton posts something closer to 2010 Daric Barton.
• Tom Milone, a crafty lefthander the A's got in the Gio Gonzalez trade, proves to be a nifty pickup, winning 12 games and posting a FIP somewhere around 3.80.
• Grant Balfour racks up 16 saves by the trade deadline, is dealt for a high-A hitting prospect. Coco Crisp is traded to a team whose centerfielder suffered a year-ending injury.
• Collin Cowgill plays a passable centerfield after Crisp's trade, puts up a 2.3 WAR season, shows potential for 2013.
• With the return of Joey Devine and the development of Fautino de los Santos, the A's finish the season with an envious 8th-and-9th inning combination.
• The A's still have no chance of competing with Anaheim or Texas, but show that hey, maybe the young guys don't suck that bad, going 81-81.
• Best hitter: Jemile Weeks, 3.1 WAR. Best pitcher: Brandon McCarthy, 5.0 fWAR. Rookie of the Year candidate: Tom Milone, 12-11, 3.88 FIP, 4.15 ERA.
• Billy Beane wins the last game of the season. Just not the postseason.

• Texas fails to come to an agreement with Yu Darvish, also whiffing on Prince Fielder.
• God finally completes that trade with Oakland for Grant Desme by sending Tim Tebow as a player to be named later.
• Dallas Braden named Opening Day starter, out-duels Felix Hernandez in a 1-0 perfect game win. Brandon Allen hits a solo home run in the third inning. The Japanese build a Brandon Allen statue outside of the Tokyo Dome.
• Brian Fuentes is told the game is really in the Seibu Dome, not the Tokyo Dome. After misplacing his passport, Fuentes is left in Japan for the 2012 season.
• Brandon McCarthy is named the All-Star game starter, possessing a 9-2 record with a 2.31 ERA by the break. Jemile Weeks, Brandon Allen, Chris Carter and Grant Balfour are also on the team.
• The Angels find out that Albert Pujols is actually 41, not 31. Because of the falsified birth certificate, Anaheim refuses to honor the contract, cutting him and releasing him onto the open market. The Marlins finally sign him, keeping Pujols away from the AL.
• Chris Carter and Brandon Allen become the all-natural 2012 version of the Bash Brothers. Carter finishes with 41 home runs, Allen with 37.
• Jemile Weeks leads MLB in triples, stolen bases and helmet loss.
• With new mechanics taught by McCarthy, ridding himself of the inverted W, Tyson Ross returns and shows his potential, winning 15 games.
• The A's seize a weakened AL West, winning the division and going on a miracle run. Sensing big money for a sequel, principal photography on Moneyball II starts in August.
• After both the A's and the Giants make it to the World Series, Bud Selig declares that the winner of the Fall Classic wins territorial rights to Santa Clara County.
• Southpaw Tim Tebow, who won 7 games out of the bullpen with a 3.16 ERA, saves the final game of the World Series for Oakland.