Jarrod Parker has impressed me more than just about any A's acquisition of the offseason. Tommy Milone is a keeper, as is Derek Norris. Josh Reddick was a great return for an oft-injured closer. A.J. Cole and Brad Peacock could be huge assets soon.

But Parker is amazing, with a fastball/change combination beyond his years. It's not just a matter of the A's getting him for longer and cheaper than Trevor Cahill; I'd rather have him pitching for my team right now. What an amazing trade.

Justin Verlander, though, is kind of ridiculous. He's allowed three runners through five innings -- a walk and two hits -- while striking out seven. It was actually six when I started writing this, but I saw how Derek Norris was looking in his at-bat, changed it to "seven" and didn't look back.

Parker looks impressive. Verlander looks supernatural. Through five innings, the Tigers have a 2-0 lead. Verlander's thrown 72 pitches, by the way, so he should be okay to go the distance if the A's don't get to him first.