OAKLAND -- Figuring out why the A's weren't able to post a winning record in 2007 for the first time since 1998 is easy. They tied a franchise record by using the disabled list 22 times, and many of the players they had to shelve were expected to play key roles in defending the 2006 American League West title.

Among the position players slated for regular duty this season, center fielder Mark Kotsay, right fielder Milton Bradley, first baseman Dan Johnson, designated hitter Mike Piazza, shortstop Bobby Crosby and third baseman Eric Chavez missed significant chunks of time.

Starting pitchers Rich Harden and Esteban Loaiza combined to make seven starts. Closer Huston Street missed more than two months. Former All-Star Justin Duchscherer was shut down for the year in mid-May, and fellow setup man Kiko Calero was limited to 46 appearances before being shut down late in the summer.

But for virtually every big-name player to go down, the A's saw lesser lights step up and do enough with the unforeseen opportunities afforded them to help keep the decimated club hovering near the .500 mark for much of the season.

"Under the circumstances, I'm actually fairly pleased with the way things have played out," Oakland general manager Billy Beane said late in the season.

"There were a lot of positives, in my opinion," echoed rookie manager Bob Geren. "Nobody wants to see your star players get hurt, but it gave a lot of guys a chance to show what they can do, and quite a few of those guys played their way into being part of the conversation when it comes to 2008."

Having to open the season without Kotsay, Johnson and fourth outfielder Bobby Kielty created a spot on the Opening Day roster for rookie Travis Buck, who, despite spending considerable time on the DL himself, played so well when he was healthy that the A's eventually traded Bradley and released Kielty.

Piazza's injury opened the door for Jack Cust, whose remarkable production essentially closed the door on a possible return to Oakland for Piazza, a future Hall of Famer.

With Loaiza out early, 24-year-old Chad Gaudin, who posted a 3.09 ERA over 60 innings out of the bullpen in 2006, was moved into the starting rotation. And despite fading in the second half of the season, Gaudin's stellar performance before the All-Star break -- 8-3 with a 2.83 ERA in 18 starts -- was enough to suggest that he'll be given a spot in the rotation next year alongside anchors Dan Haren, 27, and Joe Blanton, 26.

The A's are hopeful that Harden, 25, will join them. He missed most of the season with a shoulder impingement and hasn't started 20 games in a season since 2004, but he's expected to be 100 percent by next spring, and his electric talent would give Oakland a potentially dominant top of the rotation.

Competing for a spot at the back end of the rotation next year likely will be lefty Lenny DiNardo, who was picked up right before Spring Training and made the team as a reliever before settling into the No. 5 spot with Harden out. Also gunning for a starting job will be lefty Dan Meyer, who enjoyed his first healthy season in the A's organization since being acquired in the 2004 trade that sent Tim Hudson to the Braves, going 8-2 with a 3.28 ERA in 21 starts at Triple-A Sacramento.

Veteran lefty Alan Embree got the first shot of his 18-year professional career at handling the ninth inning when Street went down and saved 17 games. With Duchscherer and Calero out, relievers Santiago Casilla, Ruddy Lugo and Andrew Brown, all of whom started the season at Triple-A, got extended looks and frequently impressed.

ATHLETICS SECOND-HALF TOP PERFORMANCES

8/16, OAK 8, CWS 5 -- Suzuki's walk-off Kurt Suzuki belts a three-run walk-off homer in the 10th inning to lift the A's to victory. Highlights: 400K

8/14, OAK 4, CWS 3 -- Cust goes deep twice Jack Cust belts two homers to lead the A's to the win against the White Sox in the opener. Highlights: 400K

8/29, OAK 5, TOR 4 -- Hannahan's game-winner Jack Hannahan drives in the winning run with a single against the Blue Jays in the 11th inning. Highlights: 400K

8/31, OAK 5, DET 4 -- Johnson's walk-off double Dan Johnson laces a double in the bottom of the 10th to drive in the game-winning run against the Tigers. Highlights: 400K

9/2, OAK 8, DET 7 -- Ellis scores game-winner from first Mark Ellis scores the game-winner all the way from first on a bloop single by Jack Hannahan down the left-field line in the 10th inning. Highlights: 400K

In a roundabout way, Oakland's injuries also created an unexpected opportunity for catcher Kurt Suzuki. Shortly after Harden was placed on the DL for the second time, Beane started looking at ways to trim payroll, and when he traded pricey veteran Jason Kendall to Chicago, Suzuki was given a head start on handling the staff he'll probably be catching every day next season.

And not being in a pennant race in September allowed the A's to promote and play top prospect Daric Barton, a sweet-swinging first baseman who did nothing to suggest that the long-held perception that he'll be a star in the big leagues isn't on the money.

So while the season as a whole has to be considered a disappointment from a competitive standpoint, the accelerated development of so many young players who might not have gotten a shot had the team been healthy has Beane optimistic about the future.

"Obviously, we're not thrilled with being a third-place team. We enter every season expecting to compete for a playoff spot, and when, for whatever reason, that doesn't happen, nobody's happy," he said. "But when you're dealt the hand we were dealt, you can go one of two ways. You can feel sorry for yourself and become disinterested, or you can focus on whatever positives are presenting themselves as kind of a window into what you might be moving forward."