OAKLAND -- Some might call it youthful naivete, arrogance or even ignorance when Nick Swisher casually and cheerfully downplays the fact that the 2007 A's will be without their 2006 leaders in homers, RBIs, batting average and ERA.

"We don't rebuild in Oakland, man," Swisher cackles. "We re-load."

Swisher's optimism certainly isn't unfounded. And in truth, it's more of an expression of resolute faith in the work of general manager Billy Beane.

Most baseball people assumed Beane was resigned to a full-blown rebuild when he traded former aces Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder before the 2005 season. But with the help of Swisher, then in his first full year in the big leagues, and a pack of talented young pitchers, the A's were contenders until the final two weeks of the season and came back a year later to win the American League West before knocking off the Twins in the first round of the playoffs.

The 2006 campaign ended with a thud of a sweep at the hands of the red-hot Tigers in the AL Championship Series, and manager Ken Macha was dismissed two days later. Not long after that, designated hitter Frank Thomas (39 homers, 114 RBIs) signed with the Blue Jays as a free agent, leaving a massive power void in the middle of the lineup. Batting leader Jay Payton (.296) also left via free agency, and All-Star lefty Barry Zito (3.83 ERA, 16 wins) has been as good as gone since last spring, when Beane all but announced the club wouldn't be able to afford to re-sign him.

But as Swisher and any longtime A's fans well know, filling holes is a way of life for Beane. The club has long had to replace departed stars -- Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, Jason Isringhausen, Miguel Tejada and Jermaine Dye are among the others -- yet has made the playoffs in five of the past seven seasons, and the A's played no more than three weeks of out-of-the-hunt baseball over that span.

"The names constantly change," Beane says. "But the drill, to varying degrees, is generally the same."

The first order of business for Beane was to replace Macha. After a month-long search, he promoted bench coach Bob Geren, a longtime friend of Beane's who insists he'll be allowed to employ the same aggressive style he used while going 319-253 over four season as a manager in the A's farm system.

Next came the signing of free agent Mike Piazza, who will put his catcher's gear in storage and take over as DH. Like Thomas, Piazza, 38, is nearing the end of a Hall of Fame career, but the A's are hoping he can match his 2006 production (.283, 22 homers, 68 RBIs) and get strong bounce-back seasons from third baseman Eric Chavez (.241/22/72) and oft-injured shortstop Bobby Crosby (.209/9/40) to ease the pain of losing the Big Hurt.

	Season in Preview A lot can change by Opening Day, but as 2006 becomes 2007, this is who is projected to take the field for the A's:
	C	Jason Kendall
	CF	Mark Kotsay
	RF	Milton Bradley
	DH	Mike Piazza
	3B	Eric Chavez
	SS	Bobby Crosby
	LF	Nick Swisher
	1B	Dan Johnson
	2B	Mark Ellis
	SP	Rich Harden
	SP	Dan Haren
	SP	Esteban Loaiza
	SP	Joe Blanton
	SP	Joe Kennedy
	CL	Huston Street
	Schedules: Spring | Regular season Tickets: Spring | Regular season More previews: Select a team MLB Angels Astros Athletics Blue Jays Braves Brewers Cardinals Cubs > D-backs Dodgers Giants Indians Mariners Marlins Mets Nationals Orioles Padres Phillies Pirates Rangers RaysRed Sox Reds Rockies Royals Tigers Twins White Sox Yankees

Payton's departure figures to be addressed from within, perhaps with Swisher moving back to full-time outfield work and Dan Johnson getting another crack at first base after a disappointing 2006. The return of Erubiel Durazo, signed to a Minor League deal in December and invited to big-league camp, could factor into the situation at first base, too.

Replacing Zito, however, is a tall order.

Beane suggested early in the offseason that he'd look for a free-agent solution, but the market for starters has been extremely pricey, and the signing of lefty reliever Alan Embree clears the way for lefty Joe Kennedy, primarily a reliever since arriving in Oakland at the 2005 All-Star break, to return to his rotation roots.

Kennedy, of course, is no Zito in terms of durability; Zito didn't miss a start in seven season with the A's, and Kennedy missed much of 2006 with elbow problems. But the A's won't be asking Kennedy to be the ace that Zito was; the hope is that righty Rich Harden, who also missed the bulk of 2006, can stay healthy for a full year for the first time and deliver on his considerable promise.

So, too, are the A's hoping that righties Dan Haren and Joe Blanton continue to develop in their third year as big-league starters, and having veteran Esteban Loaiza pitch as well as he did in the second half of 2006 will go a long way toward solidifying a rotation that, like that 2005 team, is pocked with potential and question marks.

Beane might have another move or two up his sleeve before Oakland reports for Phoenix for Spring Training in February, but if you look through Swisher's green-and-gold-tinted shades, it's not a strain to see the A's right back in the AL West hunt.

Offseason report card: The A's announced a plan to move into a new stadium in Fremont, perhaps as early as 2011, and if the plan pans out, new revenue streams are sure to follow. But not until then, so Beane remains somewhat limited financially, and given the pride he takes in putting a contender on the field despite such restraints, it's far from a given that he'll ever spend as freely as his far-more-flush colleagues. The $8.5 million he gave Piazza, who signed a one-year deal, is about what he'd have given Thomas, and the payroll figures to once again hover around the $70 million mark. On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being a banner offseason, the A's -- for now -- rate a 6.

Arrivals: DH Piazza (free agent), LHP Embree (free agent), 1B/DH Durazo (free agent), OF Ryan Goleski (Rule 5), IF Donnie Murphy (trade), RHP Scott Dunn (free agent)

Departures: DH Thomas, OF Payton, LHP Zito, IF D'Angelo Jimenez, LHP Scott Sauerbeck

The road ahead: Harden and Haren have been mentioned in trade rumors, and Beane isn't afraid to make an unpopular deal, but he's said to be comfortable with the team as constituted.