Winter Meetings Grill! ← FREE KRAUT!

Winter Meetings Grill! 552

Why not?

Wait wut…

OK what is it with guys going back to old teams?

And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

Thanks, and go As.

552 thoughts on “Winter Meetings Grill!

  1. Dial C for Concupiscence Dec 8,2014 9:15 am

    I go out of the country and everything goes crazy. Before I go catch up and read about everything, should I begin the ceremonial wailing and rending of garments? Or are we more optimistic about things?

    • elcroata Dec 8,2014 9:19 am || Up

      Oh, so we both left them alone, now I get it.

      Because survival is insufficient
  2. elcroata Dec 8,2014 9:18 am

    So, I’m back from Africa, and just wanted to ask you, how great was the A’s offseason so far?

    Because survival is insufficient
    • 5Aces Dec 8,2014 9:19 am || Up

      Pretty great, Ray.

      Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
  3. 5Aces Dec 8,2014 9:19 am

    Just saw my first “on the verge”. Now I will think about the Big Hurt all day.

    Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
  4. 5Aces Dec 8,2014 9:34 am

    SuSlu says sources say the deal is done. I think I may miss the Boss most of all.

    Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
  5. MikeV Dec 8,2014 9:35 am

    Deal is done. Moss for Wendle.

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

  6. MikeV Dec 8,2014 9:35 am

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

    • Future Ed Dec 8,2014 9:51 am || Up

      fucking bullshit deal done

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • Future Ed Dec 8,2014 9:52 am || Up

      no reason to trade him for garbage. Keep him, have him hit, or don’t. then trade him for garbage

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • Soaker Dec 8,2014 9:54 am || Up

        I don’t know, it’s a pretty good return on investment whether it turns out to be buy for nothing, sell moderate or buy for nothing, sell at the peak.

        Treacherous chasms of half-truth and despair. -- Ken Korach
        • Future Ed Dec 8,2014 10:02 am || Up

          While I agree that it is a good return on investment, I don’t like the trade

          I have $5. No I don\'t.
          • Soaker Dec 8,2014 10:24 am || Up

            I don’t pretend to know whether it’s a good trade or whether Billy could have gotten more, I let the folks who keep up with prospects make those judgments and I see they’re making them. What I know is that we’ve been worried all along that Moss would pumpkin, that he’ll be 31.5 y.o. coming off significant hip surgery at the start of the season and that he was due a pretty substantial raise.

            Donaldson and Moss haven’t troubled me that much. That Country Breakfast move, though…

            Treacherous chasms of half-truth and despair. -- Ken Korach
            • MikeV Dec 8,2014 10:27 am || Up

              I was thinking that Moss could have been a nontender candidate had there not been some trade interest in him.

              4.1M last year, probably 6 or 7 this year for a guy with a hip problem that took away his one good tool?

              And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

              Thanks, and go As.

              • dmoas Dec 8,2014 10:30 am || Up

                He didn’t do too bad in the last game he played.

                • MikeV Dec 8,2014 10:32 am || Up

                  So just give him a cortisone shot every day?

                  And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                  Thanks, and go As.

                • dmoas Dec 8,2014 10:40 am || Up

                  Sure, why not? It’s only a hip. How important can those be?

                • MikeV Dec 8,2014 10:53 am || Up

                  he’s got 2 of them, in fact!

                  And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                  Thanks, and go As.

                • dmoas Dec 8,2014 10:55 am || Up

                  That’s like one extra!

    • grover Dec 8,2014 9:54 am || Up

      I know teams, including the A’s, have their own proprietary data for evaluating players. Right now I think someone has fucked with the A’s numbers because Moss for Wendle is bat-shit stupid.

      We’ve now seen the A’s trade Donaldson and Moss and they STILL DON’T HAVE A FUCKING SHORTSTOP!

      • MikeV Dec 8,2014 10:01 am || Up

        Submargarine is on the table for the White Sox.

        I don’t want Alexi Ramirez.

        And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

        Thanks, and go As.

      • lenscrafters Dec 8,2014 10:08 am || Up

        Hilariously, scouting reports seem to indicate that Wendle probably can’t stick in middle infield.

        • Future Ed Dec 8,2014 10:10 am || Up

          I don’t find that funny. is a AA guy wrong side of 25.

          I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • mikeA Dec 8,2014 10:52 am || Up

        It was all on Farhan’s laptop, so now they just have to guess.

    • andeux Dec 8,2014 9:58 am || Up

      Yuck.

      TINSTAAFK
      • andeux Dec 8,2014 10:40 am || Up

        And I keep thinking about lenscrafter’s remarks toward the end of last season about how the A’s offense seemed to work the best when it was HR-centric.

        – The A’s hit 146 HRs last year, just a hair above the league average of 144.
        – They’ve now dumped Donaldson(29), Moss (25), and Cespedes (17 in 4 months), or nearly half of those.
        – Our new DH/1B, Billy Butler hit 9. (Though to be fair, for his career he has averaged 18 per 162 games, with a high of 29 in 2012).
        – Lawrie hit 12 (in less than half a season). He’s averaged 20 per 162 games.
        – Among returning players, only Reddick (12) and Norris (10) hit double digits.

        Even if Butler bounces back somewhat, and Lawrie stays healthy, this is likely to be a very dull offense.

        TINSTAAFK
        • nevermoor Dec 8,2014 10:57 am || Up

          Addison will save us!

          "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
          • dmoas Dec 8,2014 11:01 am || Up

            Little do all you fkers know, but the A’s plan on moving the fences in about 100 ft.

  7. elcroata Dec 8,2014 9:51 am

    But, the A’s offseason moves were pretty big topic where I was, as well.

    First I broke the news that we got Lawrie.

    And then, that it cost us Donaldson.

    Because survival is insufficient
  8. mikeA Dec 8,2014 10:05 am

    This is almost like the A’s are angry child. I wanna go to San Jose. You won’t let me? Fine! I’ll throw away my best toys!

  9. James V. Dec 8,2014 10:05 am

    Wake me when the A’s get a new stadium. I’m going into hibernation until then. Rip Van Winkle time.

  10. dmoas Dec 8,2014 10:16 am

    So is Billy TRYING to get fired?

    • andeux Dec 8,2014 10:18 am || Up

      He’s probably doing exactly what his bosses want.

      TINSTAAFK
    • lenscrafters Dec 8,2014 11:20 am || Up

      There is one scenario that could make a modicum of sense: the A’s are clearing payroll to pursue both Yoan Moncada and the Korean SS, Kang.

      But then you look at the fact that they’ve spent about 14 million combined for Davis and Butler to essentially replace Moss + Freiman (~7.5 million combined), and they’ve actually gotten more expensive but not necessarily better.

      So I don’t know. Whatever. It’s not like we can do anything about any of this. My feelings about the A’s have essentially been detached bemusement since the latter half of the season. The Donaldson trade spiked the anger a bit, but now it’s back to morbid curiosity as to how much worse it could get.

      • vignette17 Dec 8,2014 11:41 am || Up

        I’ll predict right now that we get Kang but don’t even pursue Moncada. Also Kang has huge downside potential.

        • ptbnl Dec 8,2014 11:45 am || Up

          … but can be platooned with Kodos.

          If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
        • dmoas Dec 8,2014 11:46 am || Up

          I’d be okay with that as long as we take a flier on Kodos.

          • Glorious Mundy Dec 8,2014 11:51 am || Up

            How to Cook For a 40 Man Roster

            • Future Ed Dec 8,2014 11:56 am || Up

              Coming to a Forst’s bumper soon:

              I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • dmoas Dec 8,2014 11:46 am || Up

        I thought Moncada already signed? Or am I thinking of someone else?

        • grover Dec 8,2014 11:48 am || Up

          You’re probably thinking about Yasmany Tomas, who signed with AZ.

          • dmoas Dec 8,2014 11:51 am || Up

            Yup. That’s the one. Stupid players and their similar completely uniquely different names.

      • grover Dec 8,2014 11:59 am || Up

        Freiman just gets optioned to AAA. Callaspo leaving freed up ~$4.9 million. Donaldson for Lawrie probably saves $2-3 million.

        So $16 million for Davis/Lawrie/Butler in 2015. And about the same tied up in Donaldson/Moss plus the savings from Callaspo. These transactions have been essentially payroll neutral.

        • andeux Dec 8,2014 12:07 pm || Up

          With Blanks and Moss both gone, isn’t Freiman still the platoon partner for Davis (or Jaso).
          There still isn’t really a spot for Jaso (or Davis).

          TINSTAAFK
          • vignette17 Dec 8,2014 12:44 pm || Up

            Davis supposedly can fake it in the OF. Maybe the surprise move is Jaso -> SS?

            • MikeV Dec 8,2014 12:47 pm || Up

              Cespedes coming back

              And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

              Thanks, and go As.

          • Future Ed Dec 8,2014 12:59 pm || Up

            butler?

            I have $5. No I don\'t.
            • andeux Dec 8,2014 1:39 pm || Up

              What about him?

              TINSTAAFK
              • MikeV Dec 8,2014 1:45 pm || Up

                Platoon partner for Jaso or Davis.

                And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                Thanks, and go As.

              • Future Ed Dec 8,2014 1:45 pm || Up

                isn’t he the platoon partner?

                I have $5. No I don\'t.
                • andeux Dec 8,2014 1:47 pm || Up

                  No.

                  TINSTAAFK
                • andeux Dec 8,2014 1:49 pm || Up

                  Right now it is Butler DH, Davis/Freiman 1B. (Or vice-versa.)

                  If you mean keep Jaso and platoon at both positions, I guess you could do that, but it’s a horrible use of a roster spot.

                  TINSTAAFK
  11. lenscrafters Dec 8,2014 11:02 am

    Well on the bright side, at least we can look forward to Sam Fuld starting in left field and batting second.

    • dmoas Dec 8,2014 11:20 am || Up

      Don’t forget our middle infield of Punto and Sogard.

  12. Future Ed Dec 8,2014 11:16 am

    Another bright side? the longer we wait to re up the FK seats* the more likely to not be locked into that ridiculose new tier system

    * I realize the seats are not a sure thing

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • nevermoor Dec 8,2014 11:22 am || Up

      Yeah, I just don’t think I want to work through the tiering bs (and don’t think I’ll be able to get to enough games this year to buy as many seats). Plus, it looks like it won’t be a quality on-field product.

      I suspect sniping a few of PTBNL’s dates is the better way forward.

      "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
  13. vignette17 Dec 8,2014 11:56 am

    Was this Moss deal done just to make the Donaldson deal look good?

    Say we wanted to go scorched Earth. Why the fuck did we trade Russell in July? I could sorta see the Cespedes deal still but the Russell deal is ridiculous for a one-time shot. Why are we getting back Lawrie for Donaldson?! Why Butler? If you go scorched Earth, you market that everyone’s available and let people blow you away. With top-tier prospects. Not middle tier guys. You wait until the end of the offseason for an underpaid veteran instead of possibly overpaying a lumbering DH at the first available moment.

    The A’s must have ridiculously harsh aging curves on their players. But then why get a 24 yo prospect in AA as your return for Moss?

    I would have LOVED a Moss/Ramirez swap. Instead immediate reaction wise this trade reminds me of Bailey for Reddick (which turned out pretty damn good). Absolutely hate it and it makes no sense.

    • Glorious Mundy Dec 8,2014 12:01 pm || Up

      I felt a hell of a lot better about the Bailey trade than I do about this. Reddick had already reached the big leagues, and we got two reasonably good prospects with him, all for a closer with a history of arm problems.

      • grover Dec 8,2014 2:12 pm || Up

        The Bailey trade brought back Head and Alcantara as well. I really liked those guys and thought “WTF with Reddick?” but as a 3rd piece (for me) it wasn’t too alarming.

  14. 5Aces Dec 8,2014 12:58 pm

    We now have 0 Brandons.

    Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
    • Kay Temple Kirk Dec 8,2014 3:52 pm || Up

      sad tagline is sad.

      \"Weren\'t you already aware the Kay is already writing everyone\'s story? We\'re all just characters who believe we are real. Things make more sense now, don\'t they. Be honest.\"- DMOAS
  15. lenscrafters Dec 8,2014 1:29 pm

    BA’s take

    Wendle signed for $10,000 as a sixth-round, senior sign after leading West Chester (Pa.) to its first-ever NCAA Division II national championship in 2012. His hit tool might be the only one that’s plus, but that could be enough to get him to the majors. He has a short, compact swing, an advanced feel for hitting and solid control of the strike zone. While his numbers don’t stand out, scouts say he uses the whole field and makes good contact. One scout likened Wendle to former Cardinals star Tommie Herr. The lefthanded hitter hangs in well against lefthanders. His work at second base still needs polishing, scouts say, but he has good hands and agility. He would have ranked near the back of the Indians’ top 30 prospects, had he not been traded.

    Christ…

    • andeux Dec 8,2014 1:45 pm || Up

      Keith. Ginter.

      TINSTAAFK
      • 5Aces Dec 8,2014 2:51 pm || Up

        Discount.Tent.

        Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
      • lenscrafters Dec 8,2014 3:00 pm || Up

        Close.

    • nevermoor Dec 8,2014 1:57 pm || Up

      Complete and utter nonsense.

      There had better be something coming that makes me understand why we couldn’t afford a great hitter for $7M

      "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
  16. MikeV Dec 8,2014 1:56 pm

    BILLY IS DESTROYING THE TEAM

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

    • Future Ed Dec 8,2014 2:09 pm || Up

      sure. but that is a projection based on Moss not being effective.

      He might not be. The question is, why get an organizational guy for a lottery ticket? Moss could be great again. if so, hooray! if not, guys like Wendle are a dime a dozen

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • MikeV Dec 8,2014 2:15 pm || Up

        They believe in Ike Davis more than Moss I guess.

        And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

        Thanks, and go As.

      • dmoas Dec 8,2014 2:19 pm || Up

        Well, it’s not so simple. It’s if not, we’re down $7 Million for a DL sitter.

      • lenscrafters Dec 8,2014 3:09 pm || Up

        The projection actually has Moss around 2 WAR. That isn’t the issue.

        The issue is that it also thinks Ike Davis is worth 2 WAR over a full season. Ike Davis hasn’t put up 2 WAR since 2010.

        The previous projection that this guy is comparing it to assumes that Ike Davis, 2 WAR player, is being blocked by Moss, 2 WAR player, and Sam Fuld, less than 1 WAR player, is playing over Moss or Davis. Whereas clearly if Moss and Davis are both 2 WAR players, they would be playing 1B and LF and Fuld would be on the bench.

        In reality, we can reasonably assume that the A’s are about 2 wins worse than they were before the Moss trade as per Moss’s projection. Of course, it shouldn’t surprise any of us that a AN front page writer cited projections erroneously.

        • ptbnl Dec 8,2014 3:12 pm || Up

          If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
        • MikeV Dec 8,2014 3:20 pm || Up

          Moss in LF would terrify me.

          And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

          Thanks, and go As.

          • dmoas Dec 8,2014 3:21 pm || Up

            I can’t imagine that doesn’t end up with some negative WAR there.

            • MikeV Dec 8,2014 3:25 pm || Up

              Yeah. He’s a bad 1B anyway, but putting a guy coming off hip surgery in the outfield? Uh, pass.

              And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

              Thanks, and go As.

            • lenscrafters Dec 8,2014 3:31 pm || Up

              Moss is fine in left. OF is his natural position and he has been consistently +5 per UZR/150 there.

              He was hurting the team far more at first base. I don’t expect him to be positive still in the OF, but he would most likely be better in LF than he has been doing at 1B.

          • Future Ed Dec 8,2014 5:50 pm || Up

            better than Cespedes with a worse arm.

            Before hip problem of course

            I have $5. No I don\'t.
  17. MikeV Dec 8,2014 5:54 pm

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

  18. MikeV Dec 8,2014 5:59 pm

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

    • Future Ed Dec 8,2014 6:14 pm || Up

      one deal isn’t gonna cut it. Unless they get “barry Larkin”

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • MikeV Dec 8,2014 6:15 pm || Up

        Seriously the Submargarine deal is looking worse and fucking worse. JUST KEEP RUSSELL

        And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

        Thanks, and go As.

    • ptbnl Dec 8,2014 6:17 pm || Up

      So the plan is to get rid of most of the trade chips first, and then target the biggest need … got it.

      If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
      • Future Ed Dec 8,2014 6:28 pm || Up

        confusing the most in tune fans is the new market inefficiency.

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • grover Dec 8,2014 7:10 pm || Up

        It’s not the first time Beane has done this.

  19. MikeV Dec 8,2014 6:16 pm

    I assume this means we sign him tomorrow.

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

  20. MikeV Dec 8,2014 6:50 pm

    this is pretty amazing.

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

    • Glorious Mundy Dec 8,2014 6:59 pm || Up

      2015 Oakland Athletics: “After the Fall”

    • FreeSeatUpgrade Dec 8,2014 7:12 pm || Up

      We ain’t Joe Dimaggio, that’s for fucking sure.

      "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
      • ptbnl Dec 8,2014 11:59 pm || Up

        Though in this analogy we actually are … Dimaggio was married to her for part of ’54, Miller from ’56 to ’61.

        If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
    • ptbnl Dec 8,2014 7:24 pm || Up

      So Bellarmine Prep is James Dougherty?

      If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
    • Englishmajor Dec 9,2014 10:54 am || Up

      Billy was going to say we’re the Walter Gropius to Alma Lester’s career, but he didn’t think Jane would get it.

  21. MikeV Dec 8,2014 7:12 pm

    Here it comes

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

  22. FreeSeatUpgrade Dec 8,2014 7:17 pm

    So the plan is to contend in 2015 on the strength of Parker and Griffin finishing 1-2 in the AL Cy Young vote. Do I have this right? Just trying to keep up here.

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • MikeV Dec 8,2014 7:26 pm || Up

      Lawrie MVP

      And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

      Thanks, and go As.

  23. MikeV Dec 8,2014 10:02 pm

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

    • vignette17 Dec 8,2014 10:26 pm || Up

      I like Semien (although can he really play SS?). But Thompson and Beck are pretty mediocre. Beck doesn’t strike anybody out. Thompson strikes out a ton. Russell would have been so much better…

      So infield at some point next year:

      Davis/Butler 1b
      Wendel 2b
      Semien SS
      Lawrie 3b

      Well…it’s different. Donaldson probably out-WARs all 5.

      • MikeV Dec 8,2014 10:29 pm || Up

        ACtually it’s leaking out now that the trade isn’t done. ESPN was duped by a fake Ken Rosenthall (two L’s) twitter account.

        Per Slusser, a deal won’t be announced until tomorrow involving Shark.

        And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

        Thanks, and go As.

        • Future Ed Dec 8,2014 10:37 pm || Up

          It’s tomorrow where I am

          I have $5. No I don\'t.
          • MikeV Dec 8,2014 10:39 pm || Up

            you are from the future, so it checks out

            And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

            Thanks, and go As.

      • Future Ed Dec 8,2014 10:30 pm || Up

        Barton, weeks, Pennington, kouzmanoff?

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
        • vignette17 Dec 8,2014 10:34 pm || Up

          In 2010, those 3 + MaEl were worth 13.7 WAR. In 2011, those 4 were worth 2.7 WAR (and that was Jemile’s good year!)

      • grover Dec 8,2014 10:44 pm || Up

        Can Semien play SS…

        Did you think Lowrie could play SS?

        From what I’ve read average defense will be the max ceiling and he’ll probably fall short of that height.

        But he could hit enough that you’ll live with the glove.

        • vignette17 Dec 8,2014 11:00 pm || Up

          You know, it sure would be nice to have a plus fielding SS, like…..Jose Ramirez. Or Addison Russell, probably.

          • mother pucker Dec 8,2014 11:03 pm || Up

            …God fucking damnit.

          • grover Dec 8,2014 11:17 pm || Up

            I would have liked Jose Ramirez very much.

            I get the Donaldson trade. I don’t like the return but I get the logic of it. I get Shark.

            But Moss? Beane sold low. He said he dealt Donaldson because the team couldn’t be timid but the deal with Cleveland was pure timidity.

            • vignette17 Dec 9,2014 12:00 am || Up

              Donaldson was the single best player of the Beane regime with the possible exception of Giambi. We had him for 4 years. If you deal him, it better be a frickin’ phenomenal return. I don’t see logic.

              Wendle is an interesting player. I actually like him. But as a secondary piece. He ain’t a headliner. If I had any faith that Beane would spend FA money well (he’s never been good in that market. Cespedes being his biggest feather), I totally understand trading Moss. Dude’s 31, likely won’t age well, injured, and expensive. There’s a lot more logic there than trading a player who WILL age well, who can decline and still be valuable, ISN’T expensive, and played 158 games the last 2 years.

              • grover Dec 9,2014 2:54 am || Up

                Beane’s logic is he thinks he can keep Lawrie heathy and that will lead to a break-out which will come real close to matching what can be expected from Donaldson over the next 3 years. Lawrie is young enough to still dream on, especially if he’s healthy.

                I don’t think he stays healthy.

                Don’t worry about FA spending. Butler/Davis/Lawrie will cost ~$16 million. The A’s have only kicked loose $21 million in salary. If they move Kazmir then you’re talking real spending money.

                • elcroata Dec 9,2014 3:32 am || Up

                  Yeah, because if there is one thing that the A’s are famous for, it’s keeping their players healthy.

                  Because survival is insufficient
                • vignette17 Dec 9,2014 8:02 am || Up

                  Assumption 1. You believe you can keep Lawrie healthy.
                  Assumption 2. You believe Lawrie improves enough to be a step below Donaldson’s performance.
                  Assumption 3. You believe this happens immediately.
                  Assumption 4. You re-sign Lawrie to regain the value of the extra year of control.
                  Assumption 5. You can make up the difference with two back-end starters and/or what amounts to a good lottery ticket. And instead of from 1 roster spot from 3-4.
                  Assumption 6. There’s no added benefit from having a superstar like fan loyalty (the SO keeps saying I should stop being a fan as she no longer is since they dealt JD), better playoff performance, or offensive consistency, or some other unmeasurable.

                  Note: I actually think assumption 6 is mostly hocus pocus besides fan loyalty.

                • grover Dec 9,2014 9:41 am || Up

                  Thank you for enumerating the reasons why I don’t like the deal. Assumptions 1-3 earn my thumbs down.

  24. MikeV Dec 8,2014 11:00 pm

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

    • vignette17 Dec 8,2014 11:07 pm || Up

      Dude’s tall and old. Basically another Nolin.

      A’s now have an awful lot of back-end of rotation candidates: Gray/Pom/Kaz are for sure if Kazmir not traded. That leaves Chavez/Nolin/Graveman/Bassitt/Griffin/Parker for the backend.

    • Future Ed Dec 8,2014 11:08 pm || Up

      all i know about bassit is, his twitter isn’t totally stupid. he just seems to like sports. a lot.

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • mother pucker Dec 8,2014 11:10 pm || Up

      Upon learning Bassitt first existed from the tweet, you embedded, I googled him and returned this. Seems unlikely, but any chance he start in Oakland?

      • Future Ed Dec 8,2014 11:16 pm || Up

        I am sold by the stirrups in one gif

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • nevermoor Dec 9,2014 7:48 am || Up

      When do we get to release the hounds on Beane?

      "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
  25. vignette17 Dec 8,2014 11:11 pm

    So if you ignore that we traded the best prospect in the game for him, I actually don’t hate this Shark deal. I hate, hate, hate the other two deals this offseason.

    And Butler becomes more confusing by the minute.

    • mikeA Dec 9,2014 8:41 am || Up

      Yeah, I like Semien a lot, and as long as the team isn’t good anymore trading Samardzija isn’t too bad.

  26. mother pucker Dec 8,2014 11:13 pm

    Also, I wonder if Beane would consider the trade with the Cubs a success?

    • Future Ed Dec 8,2014 11:17 pm || Up

      the way the team shit the bed, the hammel part doesn’t bug me anymore

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • elcroata Dec 9,2014 3:30 am || Up

      This one hurts. Basically, for 16 starts of Samardzija (however good and needed they were) we essentially traded Russell for Semien. I was never high on McKinney, but really, really loved me some Russell

      Because survival is insufficient
      • nevermoor Dec 9,2014 7:51 am || Up

        It was a pure 2014 play. If we had won the WS (which looked like a real possibility then), I would be happy to downgrade my SS prospect that much.

        Obviously we didn’t do that, but you can’t criticize a deal for that reason. Hammel blowing up was predictable (though not to the degree he blew up), and Russell should have been near-untouchable, but we were at the right place on the contention curve for a deal of that style.

        "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
        • vignette17 Dec 9,2014 8:06 am || Up

          It’s the untouchable status that does it for me. It seems to me that almost every team says XXXX is untouchable and they’re still able to get their man. We traded our untouchable and didn’t even get Valbuena….

        • elcroata Dec 9,2014 8:33 am || Up

          I get it. There was a huge upswing in the WS chances if winning the division, and at that moment it looked to be a head to head race vs. the Angels. It was a calculated move, even if the hope was to get more or pay less. It’s definitely a move that had its merits. And yet it hurts

          Because survival is insufficient
            • nevermoor Dec 9,2014 9:45 am || Up

              I don’t disagree with any of that. Just saying it’s unfair to call it a deal from Russell to Semien

              "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
              • grover Dec 9,2014 9:55 am || Up

                I was focusing on the merits but hurts part. Not commenting on the rest. Pardon the confusion.

              • elcroata Dec 9,2014 10:13 am || Up

                I’m not saying it was a deal from Russel to Semien. If I were, I for sure wouldn’t say it had any merits whatsoever. I’m saying that it was a deal of Russell for Semien and improved chances of winning it all.

                But we didn’t win it all, so now there is no ring and no Russell. Which, of course, in no way changes the merits of the deal. But it hurts.

                Because survival is insufficient
          • mother pucker Dec 9,2014 7:05 pm || Up

            And I am left the constant bitter taste of what the Giants gave (or did not give) up to land Peavy.

            I am with you, this fucking hurts, and it fucking sucks.

  27. vignette17 Dec 9,2014 12:09 am

    So the obvious next two candidates are Kazmir ($13 M) and O’Flat ($5.5 M). Kazmir might return a prospect or we could keep him to build his value. EOF is a salary dump candidate.

    Then you still have the semi-valuable spare parts of Jaso and Cook.

    Reddick, Norris, Lawrie, Gray, and Doo are likely too valuable or too undervalued to trade.

    And then there’s semi-interesting pieces like Gentry, Chavez, and Vogt. For as bad as we’ve traded, there’s still a lot of interesting parts on this team.

    • nevermoor Dec 9,2014 7:53 am || Up

      Why don’t you think we can move Doo? I think the single best feature of Beane’s tenure is the willingness to sell high on closers. If we’re doing this blow-’em-up thing, I think it would be a major error to keep Doo.

      "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
      • vignette17 Dec 9,2014 8:16 am || Up

        Given what Robertson and Miller got and how little Doo makes, I’m not sure that we will get enough surplus value in a trade to be worth it.

        • dmoas Dec 9,2014 8:25 am || Up

          That just means it’ll happen. Lack of value back on trades is the new market inefficiency.

  28. MikeV Dec 9,2014 8:32 am

    I’m tired of sports.

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

    • Kay Temple Kirk Dec 9,2014 12:54 pm || Up

      Pretty much agreed.

      \"Weren\'t you already aware the Kay is already writing everyone\'s story? We\'re all just characters who believe we are real. Things make more sense now, don\'t they. Be honest.\"- DMOAS
  29. MikeV Dec 9,2014 9:16 am

    oh. okay.

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

    • colin Dec 9,2014 9:36 am || Up

      Probably Robertson…

      • dmoas Dec 9,2014 9:38 am || Up

        Just don’t read ESPN and find out they’re referring to David. I nearly flipped my shit.

    • dmoas Dec 9,2014 9:36 am || Up

      Ynoa the second player.

    • grover Dec 9,2014 9:40 am || Up

      Why not move Kazmir?

      • dmoas Dec 9,2014 9:43 am || Up

        I’d have preferred to have dump him and kept Sam. But apparently Billy is doing the opposite of what I want. So now I want him to get us a really really really shitty player. And overpay for it too.

  30. andeux Dec 9,2014 9:37 am

    Rangel Ravelo must be Scooby-Doo’s favorite player.

    TINSTAAFK
  31. 5Aces Dec 9,2014 9:53 am

    Even though he isnt ours anymore, I like the fact that he will sign elsewhere and there is less risk he somehow ends up back next year.

    Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
    • elcroata Dec 9,2014 10:16 am || Up

      I could think of a few players that fit that description

      Because survival is insufficient
      • nevermoor Dec 9,2014 10:30 am || Up

        half of MLB at this point, basically.

        "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
  32. James V. Dec 9,2014 9:56 am

    From SuSlu:

    Scout tells me about Rangel Ravelo- underrated but extremely productive, untapped power potential Similar MiLB career arc to Allen Craig. report on Semien: “Steady defender, poised, efficient. 15-HR power potential, high OBP throughout pro career.”

    • James V. Dec 9,2014 9:57 am || Up

      Also: Report on Bassitt: “Good mix of pitches, velo up to 94 mph. Solid breaking stuff. Good touch on changeup, throws strikes.”

      • James V. Dec 9,2014 9:58 am || Up

        Finally: And report on Phegley: “productive bat, short swing, nice power potential, strong arm.” #Athletics have liked him for a while, apparently.

      • mikeA Dec 9,2014 10:14 am || Up

        Well, “throws strikes” is literally true, he throws many strikes, but…

        • Future Ed Dec 9,2014 10:16 am || Up

          his strikes turn into very very pretty hits

          I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • lenscrafters Dec 9,2014 11:04 am || Up

      A’s are also trading away the draft pick compensation attached to Samardzija so it’s really a 3 for 4 deal.

      But all in all, a much better value than the other two trades. Of course, that’s not saying much…

  33. vignette17 Dec 9,2014 10:08 am

    Phegley is supposedly a good catcher and threw out 47% of baserunners against in his career. He also looks like he might hit. Remember the Norris is our second most irreplaceable player after Donaldson? Is he about to be replaced?

    What do you do with Norris/Jaso/Vogt?

    • dmoas Dec 9,2014 10:12 am || Up

      Remember when we had 3 catchers in the line up? Prepare to have FOUR catchers in the lineup. Ray is going to have a Fossgasm.

    • Future Ed Dec 9,2014 10:15 am || Up

      M/F/K?

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • AV Dec 9,2014 10:17 am || Up

        *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
    • grover Dec 9,2014 10:15 am || Up

      I think you’d have to charge someone with attempted murder if you let Jaso catch again.

      Give Norris reps at 1B to back-up Butler and have him DH vs. LHP. I wouldn’t trade him because I’m not completely sold on Phegley as being ready for full platoon responsibility Opening Day 2015 OR on Vogt being able to handle the primary C position.

      • vignette17 Dec 9,2014 11:00 am || Up

        So essentially a Davis/Norris platoon at 1b/DH with Butler playing wherever Davis/Norris isn’t? With Vogt being backup catcher and LF if he can’t?

        And Jingle Heimer Schmidt….traded?

        • grover Dec 9,2014 11:29 am || Up

          If Jingle Heimer is FKing code for Jaso… yes, traded.

  34. vignette17 Dec 9,2014 10:11 am

    Ravelo hit 379/.446/.621 against LHP last year in AA. And since he was a 3b -> 1b, he’s probably better than Freiman at 1b already….

  35. vignette17 Dec 9,2014 10:16 am

    So we’ve traded Shark, JD, Moss, Ynoa and lost Hassan, Blanks, Lindblom, and someone named Andrew Brown. Another 12 to go Mr Passan…

    • Future Ed Dec 9,2014 10:18 am || Up

      you know what?

      I am sad to lose players I liked watching and were good, but I love this complete dreamer shit of to total rebuild

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • Glorious Mundy Dec 9,2014 10:30 am || Up

        You have to give Beane credit for at least one thing: he never coasts.

        • dmoas Dec 9,2014 10:34 am || Up

          Pfft. He’d never trade JD. Or Kaz. Or Reddick. Or um… anyone on the roster.

  36. nowBodhi Dec 9,2014 10:41 am

    Corporate Welfare is a helluva drug

    Never suck on a Blow Pop with the microphone open.
  37. MikeV Dec 9,2014 10:53 am

    I’m not really overwhelmed. or underwhelmed.

    I’m just kind of whelmed.

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

  38. MikeV Dec 9,2014 11:06 am

    Attention Secret Santa.

    Also if we’re not doing SS, someone can just get me that. Thanks.

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

    • Jennifer Dec 9,2014 11:24 am || Up

      How did I not get in on the FKing Secret Santa?

    • Jennifer Dec 9,2014 11:25 am || Up

      What about all the Nightmare stuff on sale? I’m disappointed in you.

      • MikeV Dec 9,2014 12:41 pm || Up

        Both

        And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

        Thanks, and go As.

  39. doctorK Dec 9,2014 11:47 am

    On a non-baseball note, I’m glad to see corporate nepotism is alive and well.

  40. Glorious Mundy Dec 9,2014 2:03 pm
    • dmoas Dec 9,2014 2:31 pm || Up

      And why was this supposedly professional drone pilot trying to land it on her head to begin with?

      • Kay Temple Kirk Dec 9,2014 3:07 pm || Up

        Playing the modern version of the William Tell game, I would presume.

        \"Weren\'t you already aware the Kay is already writing everyone\'s story? We\'re all just characters who believe we are real. Things make more sense now, don\'t they. Be honest.\"- DMOAS
  41. Glorious Mundy Dec 9,2014 6:11 pm

    It’s neat to have a Berkeley kid on the team.

  42. Glorious Mundy Dec 9,2014 6:17 pm

    Is this a joke?

    • Bed Dec 9,2014 6:21 pm || Up

      He’s too busy winning football games with his great defensive play.

      But seriously, folks...
  43. mother pucker Dec 9,2014 7:12 pm

    The fact that Keith Law has hated every deal the A’s have made, makes me a little more positive.

    • Bed Dec 9,2014 9:18 pm || Up

      I only like Keith Law when it involves his interactions with Curt Schilling.

      But seriously, folks...
  44. Bed Dec 9,2014 9:17 pm

    Quick question…what’s the payroll looking like for next year? Any chance Beane will be able to add some salary in the next round of trades?

    But seriously, folks...
    • MikeV Dec 9,2014 11:25 pm || Up

      They have roughly 12M to play with if they are going to match last year’s payroll

      And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

      Thanks, and go As.

      • Bed Dec 10,2014 1:48 pm || Up

        Thanks for the information, folks.

        But seriously, folks...
    • grover Dec 10,2014 8:50 am || Up

      The A’s current payroll commitments, based on a few remaining arbitration estimates, is ~$69.5 million. Their Opening Day payroll a year ago was just over $82 million but they pushed that figure to nearly $95 million by the end of the season.

      So if Beane has the funds to push towards $95 million again he’s got a significant chunk of cash to play with.

      • dmoas Dec 10,2014 9:33 am || Up

        I suspect that’ll go even lower after a few more trades which, combined with that $95M potential, would mean a holy shit amount of cash to play with.

        • grover Dec 10,2014 10:07 am || Up

          The current word is Kazmir won’t be dealt and I personally never speculate about trading guys with no-trade protection like Crisp. That’s $22 million in payroll and the last of the big ticket items Beane could potentially deal. Trading O’Flaherty would free up $5.5 million.

          But if $95 million is the bench mark the A’s could afford the following players without asking for salary relief:

          Matt Kemp: $21 M in 2015, $21.5 M 2016-2019

          Cole Hamels: $22.5 M 2015-2018, Team option for 2019

          Justin Upton/Chris Johnson: $20.5 M in 2015. CJ under guaranteed contract through 2017 for an additional $17.5 M

          Not needing other teams to kick in cash, which the Dodgers and maybe the Phillies anticipate doing, would mean the A’s could give up less talent back in trade. Of course, those two teams could just as easily WANT to eat some money to better the prospect return. Atlanta is looking to dump salary so (I believe) they’ll have already lowered their asking price for Upton from “better than Heyward” to “cost controlled pitching”.

          The A’s could go a number of other routes, possibly including Moncada.

          • dmoas Dec 10,2014 10:13 am || Up

            I’m not buying the “Kazmir won’t be dealt” stuff. Based on his other moves, keeping Kaz doesn’t make a lot of sense in a probable non-compete year. I guess he could hope to do a mid-season move for him, but it makes sense for him to say “I’m not trading him, make me an offer.”

            • grover Dec 10,2014 10:20 am || Up

              Very possible. But there’s been no chatter to that affect (or is it effect?) and I believe Kazmir has enough question marks that he might fetch better value in July than now. It would make sense to keep Kazmir through June if that’s the case, that way he also provides some vet presence behind Gray and buys time for AJ to get ready.

              But that’s total speculation on my part.

              • vignette17 Dec 10,2014 11:09 am || Up

                I would love Kazmir to Boston for Cecchini or JBJ or even Marrero. Boston seems to be targeting Miley, who’s worse than Kazmir but 2 years younger and with 2 extra years of control.

                And there’s also Hamels on the horizon.

                • Future Ed Dec 10,2014 12:07 pm || Up

                  I don’t see Hamels moving until RAJ is out of town

                  I have $5. No I don\'t.
                • vignette17 Dec 10,2014 1:28 pm || Up

                  That’s optimal for us in regards to Kazmir. Super high asking price drives market up and screws the Giants and Red Sox.

          • lenscrafters Dec 10,2014 11:10 am || Up

            Still holding out hope that the A’s could get into the Headley sweepstakes. Though I’d be surprised if the Giants don’t get him now that they didn’t spend that money on Lester.

            • vignette17 Dec 10,2014 1:32 pm || Up

              Agreed on both counts. Headley is probably the best FA out there who won’t be absurdly priced. I’d also like Medlen but that’s much smaller fish.

        • FreeSeatUpgrade Dec 10,2014 10:08 am || Up

          Alternatively:

          I suspect that’ll go even lower after a few more trades which, combined with that $95M potential, would mean a holy shit amount of cash to play with for ownership to pocket rather than spending this year.

          After several years of being willing to spend more than they planned to take shots at contention, my read is that ownership plans on not doing that in 2015. I’m not saying this in a Fuck Lew Wolff way, but simply my assessment of what this offseason’s moves suggest about the team’s latest Five Year Plan.

          "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
          • dmoas Dec 10,2014 10:16 am || Up

            Oh, that’s definitely the most likely scenario. I would add that they have more money in the last couple of seasons due to the MLB TV deal so they do actually have that extra money to play with. It’s not just something “they’ve been willing to do out of the goodness of our hearts to win” thing and more of a “we technically ‘have’ to spend it instead of turn it into a cash grab for ourselves to make good with the other owners.”

          • elcroata Dec 10,2014 10:29 am || Up

            That’s pretty much how I see it, too. $95M (prorated, nota bene) was acceptable budget when there was a serious chance for the ring. That chance is significantly lower now (even if the team is equally good, when that push was made, there was already a good chunk of excellent season in the bank) and I think they will budget accordingly.

            Because survival is insufficient
            • grover Dec 10,2014 12:00 pm || Up

              Possible. Although Oakland started the offseason saying (or at least implying) they had the means to push $95 million again.

              But its not my checkbook so I guess we’ll see.

              • AV Dec 10,2014 12:07 pm || Up

                it might be mine. i think one fell out of my pocket with about 95 mill in it just the other day. let me see it, maybe i’ll recognize it.

                *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
                • MikeV Dec 10,2014 12:25 pm || Up

                  :D

                  And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                  Thanks, and go As.

      • MikeV Dec 10,2014 10:04 am || Up

        Yoan. Moncada.

        And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

        Thanks, and go As.

        • Glorious Mundy Dec 10,2014 10:21 am || Up

          Yes. I oan him.

        • Dial C for Concupiscence Dec 10,2014 10:50 am || Up

          That’s my hope

          • futwork Dec 10,2014 10:25 pm || Up

            At 3:30 of this interview (and referenced again at 6:35), Slusser mentions that the A’s have budget left for “maybe some Cuban players, some international guys…”

  45. bear88 Dec 9,2014 9:34 pm

    I was hoping you people would cheer me up about these trades. That’s not working. All we have is the “Beane’s trades often look stupid, but sometimes aren’t” thing.

    The Samardzija one, by not being actively loathsome, is a winner. The Moss trade, boy, the only reason to make it is the belief that Moss is toast and had no chance of ever being a decent hitter again.

    But I don’t know why I am surprised. One of the reasons for disliking the summer trades (aside from giving up Russell) is the belief I expressed at the time that it’s turning a two-year window into one roll of the dice.

    That’s how Beane treated it then. It’s how he’s treating it now.

    • MikeV Dec 9,2014 11:30 pm || Up

      I like Jeff’s take, that FKing hack.

      The specifics can certainly be nitpicked, but Beane is doing what Beane does, and we’ll probably be competitive.

      Also LAWRIE TOOK A FASTBALL TO THE FKING MOUTH, GOT UP, AND WALKED TO FIRST BASE SPITTING OUT BLOOD. That is pretty badass.

      And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

      Thanks, and go As.

  46. elcroata Dec 9,2014 11:30 pm

    The Cubs are lining up nicely, having added Lester and Montero…

    Because survival is insufficient
  47. Glorious Mundy Dec 10,2014 10:39 am

    What’s up with the Astros suddenly shelling out big dollars for our old relievers? Are they planning to compete or something?

    • 5Aces Dec 10,2014 10:41 am || Up

      They have to start getting ready to win the series in ’17.

      Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
    • Dial C for Concupiscence Dec 10,2014 10:52 am || Up

      They remember what happened when they ran Qualls out there against us

      • Future Ed Dec 10,2014 12:12 pm || Up

        I think I read a quote from Dallas Keuchel that they are doing it for us

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
        • Glorious Mundy Dec 10,2014 12:18 pm || Up

          They’re doing it for the Mariners. Qualls singlehandedly kept them out of the playoffs.

  48. Glorious Mundy Dec 10,2014 10:51 am

    I’m not going to say I’m happy about anything baseball-related right now, but I’m not unhappy about the Red Sox screwing up the Lester thing.

    • MikeV Dec 10,2014 10:57 am || Up

      I’m happy he didn’t go to the fucking gnats.

      And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

      Thanks, and go As.

      • vignette17 Dec 10,2014 11:04 am || Up

        Yeah, now if Scherzer goes to Dodgers or mystery team, that would be perfect for schadenfreude.

      • Dial C for Concupiscence Dec 10,2014 11:53 am || Up

        Pretty much yeah

  49. grover Dec 10,2014 12:36 pm

    Rumor? Or sadness?

    Rollins wouldn’t waive his no-trade rights for Oakland.

    • dmoas Dec 10,2014 12:41 pm || Up

      FK him. If he doesn’t want us. We don’t want him.

      • Glorious Mundy Dec 10,2014 12:42 pm || Up

        Semien’s more loyal to Alameda County anyway.

        • Future Ed Dec 10,2014 1:15 pm || Up

          born in SF it says. I wonder where

          I have $5. No I don\'t.
          • AV Dec 10,2014 1:19 pm || Up

            el cerrito.

            *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
            • andeux Dec 10,2014 1:23 pm || Up

              I thought el cerrito was on the bayou.

              TINSTAAFK
              • AV Dec 10,2014 1:43 pm || Up

                the bayou’s in berkeley. corner of 10th and parker.

                *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
                • FreeSeatUpgrade Dec 10,2014 3:43 pm || Up

                  Can one’s hound dog chase down a hoodoo there?

                  "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • elcroata Dec 10,2014 9:24 pm || Up

      It is such a shame. Over last few weeks, Rollins grew to be one of, if not my favorite MLB player

      Because survival is insufficient
  50. MikeV Dec 10,2014 3:44 pm

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

    • vignette17 Dec 10,2014 3:48 pm || Up

      For Andrew Heaney.

    • dmoas Dec 10,2014 4:06 pm || Up

      Why not short hand the name as D. Gordon. Saves one less character even though it has no impact verbally.

    • MikeV Dec 10,2014 4:17 pm || Up

      And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

      Thanks, and go As.

      • vignette17 Dec 10,2014 4:34 pm || Up

        And Haren’s likely to retire now (or traded to LAA). Which is an interesting way to save $10 M by the Dodgers.

          • grover Dec 10,2014 5:22 pm || Up

            Rumor is Haren would rather retire than leave the LA area.

        • Glorious Mundy Dec 10,2014 4:39 pm || Up

          He don’t like money?

          • dmoas Dec 10,2014 4:49 pm || Up

            It’s the root root root of all evil. If they don’t pay him it’s a shame.

      • Bed Dec 10,2014 5:15 pm || Up

        Has Haren pitched for half the teams in baseball yet?

        But seriously, folks...
  51. Future Ed Dec 10,2014 6:39 pm

    i hate you jimmy rollins

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • FreeSeatUpgrade Dec 10,2014 8:59 pm || Up

      Seriously, fuck that guy. Wholly unworthy of the great legacy of East Bay baseball.

      "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
  52. bear88 Dec 10,2014 9:20 pm

    Kendrick to the Dodgers?

    • MikeV Dec 10,2014 9:33 pm || Up

      Yeah, Zaidi flipped Heaney for him.

      And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

      Thanks, and go As.

    • vignette17 Dec 10,2014 10:20 pm || Up

      Thank goodness. Fuck that guy. Would kill us every time. Sorta like Michael Young leaving TEX.

      • Glorious Mundy Dec 10,2014 10:21 pm || Up

        Can he please take Aybar with him.

      • mother pucker Dec 10,2014 10:37 pm || Up

        I dunno, maybe it was relative to all other things Slegna, but he seemed like an O.K. guy. Always smiling & chatting with whomever was on second, never did anything douchey in terms of whining to an umpire like the rest of his ex-teammates.

        • FreeSeatUpgrade Dec 10,2014 11:53 pm || Up

          Absolutely agree, always liked that guy, grudgingly.

          "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
          • Future Ed Dec 11,2014 5:43 am || Up

            hate the game, not the player

            I have $5. No I don\'t.
            • AV Dec 11,2014 9:21 am || Up

              oh, i do, brother. i do.

              *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
      • elcroata Dec 10,2014 10:59 pm || Up

        Yeah, but I think Heaney is the real deal. Not sure if I like that from the A’s perspective.

        Because survival is insufficient
      • DFA Dec 11,2014 12:27 pm || Up

        Thank goodness the Angles traded for a top starting pitching prospect and clearing $9.5m in payroll space by only giving up a year of Howie Kendrick? I don’t see that as a win at all. Plus Kendrick is projected to only be 2.5 WAR next year.

        In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
        • vignette17 Dec 11,2014 1:04 pm || Up

          Thank goodness from a purely emotional perspective.

          From a rational perspective, it seems like a reasonable trade. Kendrick is a very good player at a position that’s quite hard to upgrade (as we have seen). Heaney is a prospect a lot of scouts are divided on.

          • dmoas Dec 11,2014 1:20 pm || Up

            The way I see it, any upgrades of today don’t matter much since we won’t compete. It’ll be another year of huge contract guys getting older for them and soon they’ll be albatrosses. It doesn’t help for them to acquire someone young and potentially good, but it also means that he’ll be another year closer to being more expensive and it’ll make their draft position a little worse and ours potentially a little better.

          • DFA Dec 12,2014 10:50 am || Up

            Heaney was rated the #9 pitching prospect by Sickles before the year with an A-, and still called him one of the top pitching prospects.

            1) Andrew Heaney, LHP, Grade A-: Borderline B+. Age 23, posted 3.28 ERA with 143/36 K/BB in 137 innings between Double-A Jacksonville and Triple-A New Orleans, 120 hits. 5.33 ERA in 25 major league innings with 17/6 K/BB. One of the very top LHP prospects in all of baseball.

            9) Andrew Heaney, LHP, Miami Marlins, Grade A-: 9-6, 3.28 with 143/36 K/BB in 137 innings, 120 hits between Double-A and Triple-A. Posted 5.83 ERA with 20/7 K/BB in 29 major league innings, 32 hits. Still an elite prospect.

            6 years of a top pitching prospect for 1 year of 2.5 WAR @ $9.5 million is a deal I would make every day. Especially since Asdrubal would probably take about 9.5m to sign.

            In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
            • vignette17 Dec 12,2014 4:52 pm || Up

              Heaney did not have a great year. He had a near 4 FIP in AAA and a 5.45 FIP in the majors. Plus people are saying he might be a reliever. He’s likely a B/B+ prospect now. Which is a nice little asset. And while Steamer sees Kendrick declining to 2.4 WAR, he hasn’t posted a WAR as low as it predicts since 2010.

              And while I freely admit it seems like a win-win deal, the Angels almost certainly get worse this year. And in 2016, Pujols, Weaver, and Hamilton are a year older.

              • Future Ed Dec 12,2014 5:25 pm || Up

                i like the cut of your jib

                I have $5. No I don\'t.
              • DFA Dec 14,2014 8:48 am || Up

                Those are both post season comments that take into account the fact that he struggled a bit in AAA and was rushed to the majors.

                The thing that is most likely to make the Angles dangerous long term is their inability to pay for pitching, due to their financial commitments to Hamilton and Pujols. They went from a team with literally one starter two years ago to having a potential rotation full of young cost controlled talent. Effectively filling their fifth starter role while Skaggs gets TJS for no cost while freeing up 10 million for a stopgap 2bman like Asdrubal.

                In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
    • mother pucker Dec 10,2014 10:38 pm || Up

      Now expect to see the Slegna sign Lowrie to play 2B, and watch him return to his 2013 form at the plate.

  53. lenscrafters Dec 10,2014 10:19 pm

    Wouldn’t surprise me if Matt Joyce ended up on the A’s. If you wanna recreate 2012, you gotta have a Theth proxy…

    • vignette17 Dec 10,2014 11:23 pm || Up

      I wouldn’t mind it. 120s wRC+ against RHP.

  54. MikeV Dec 11,2014 9:51 am

    So that happened

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

    • dmoas Dec 11,2014 10:01 am || Up

      I don’t know who either of those players are.

      • Glorious Mundy Dec 11,2014 10:03 am || Up

        Me neither. Also who are the “Rockies?”

        • andeux Dec 11,2014 10:14 am || Up

          They were a hockey team, but I thought they had moved to New Jersey.

          TINSTAAFK
    • colin Dec 11,2014 10:13 am || Up

      I just looked up Canha. He’s a right-handed 1B, but he also played OF and 3B last season. Spent 2014 with the Marlins AAA team and hit .303 with 20 dingers. He went to Cal!

      • Glorious Mundy Dec 11,2014 10:15 am || Up

        Our Cal guys outnumber our Stanford guys now. Yay!

        • colin Dec 11,2014 10:23 am || Up

          He seems like a decent Rule 5 pick if his defense is actually adequate in the OF. That would give him a bit of versatility to go with right-handed pop. If he can play 3B as well, then double bonus.

          • lenscrafters Dec 11,2014 10:26 am || Up

            A’s currently have Freiman slotted in as the RH side of the 1B platoon with Ike Davis. This guy is probably better than Freiman.

            • colin Dec 11,2014 10:49 am || Up

              Steamer projects Canha for 101 wRC+ and Freiman at 102. My opinion on Canha hangs on whether he has any defensive value. But it’s pretty easy to exceed Freiman’s defensive value.

              • colin Dec 11,2014 11:00 am || Up

                In single A (2012), Canha played one game at catcher! (or maybe just part of one game) yesssss

        • AV Dec 11,2014 11:05 am || Up

          are we pronouncing it the portuguese way?

          *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
        • batgirl Dec 11,2014 11:29 am || Up

          I am disappoint.

      • DFA Dec 11,2014 12:29 pm || Up

        Canha is fine but lets be real, there were quality SS options availible and we picked another bad defense corner bat.

        In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
        • MikeV Dec 11,2014 12:30 pm || Up

          Isn’t the 40 man roster full?

          And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

          Thanks, and go As.

          • colin Dec 11,2014 12:49 pm || Up

            I think I heard somewhere that the A’s DFAd Shane Peterson.

              • dmoas Dec 11,2014 1:01 pm || Up

                Oh no! Not Shane Peterson! He’s… Super…fluous!

                • Glorious Mundy Dec 11,2014 1:06 pm || Up

                  I always did prefer Sloane Peterson.

                • batgirl Dec 11,2014 3:56 pm || Up

                  So *that’s* how it is in your family.

                • vignette17 Dec 11,2014 1:07 pm || Up

                  The last remaining chance for the Holliday deak to swing back in our favor…

                • dmoas Dec 11,2014 1:20 pm || Up

                  That trade doesn’t deserve to be salvaged.

                • Future Ed Dec 11,2014 1:37 pm || Up

                  He didn’t wear undersleeves. in his pajama pants it really really looked like he was wearing pajamas.

                  I have $5. No I don\'t.
        • vignette17 Dec 11,2014 1:06 pm || Up

          What SS did you want? I wouldn’t have minded DeShields at 2b. Speed is fun.

          • DFA Dec 12,2014 11:06 am || Up

            Either Featherston or Herrera.

            From BA

            7. Angels: Taylor Featherston, ss/2b (Rockies; picked by Cubs, sold to the Angels)

            Scouting Report: Featherston has more power than your average minor league shortstop. He’s reached double digits each of the past three seasons and is coming off a year where he hit 16 home runs for Double-A Tulsa. He’s decent enough defensively to fill a utility role, and he joins an Angels club that lacked middle infield depth.

            OR

            8. Phillies: Odubel Herrera, if/of (Rangers)

            Scouting Report: Originally signed out of Venezuela for $160,000, Herrera does two things well: he can hit and he has plus speed. After his stock dropped in 2013, Herrera bounced back in 2014, winning the Texas League batting title as a 22-year-old, batting .321/.373/.402 in 96 games. Herrera has good bat speed and a simple swing that helps him hit line drives to all fields. He doesn’t have much power though, hitting just two home runs with a swing that isn’t geared for loft. He’s played well this winter in the Venezuelan League, batting .374/.421/.565 with four home runs in 42 games, ranking first in the league in batting average, second in OBP and third in slugging. The question on Herrera is where he’s going to play. He improved his defense at second base in 2014, and managers voted him the TL’s Best Defensive Second Baseman in the BA Best Tools survey. He’s spent time in left field and this winter has been playing center, which is where the rebuilding Phillies plan to use him in spring training. A lefthanded hitter with a thick 5-foot-11, 200-pound frame, Herrera could become a player along the lines of Cubs infielder Luis Valbuena.

            In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
      • Future Ed Dec 11,2014 1:34 pm || Up

        cal bears the new market inefficiency. Can Tyson Ross be far behind?

        Not to be confused with Conor Jackson who was just inefficient.

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
  55. MikeV Dec 11,2014 10:20 am
    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

  56. Glorious Mundy Dec 11,2014 10:36 am
    • andeux Dec 12,2014 12:05 pm || Up

      This is a great read.

      TINSTAAFK
      • FreeSeatUpgrade Dec 12,2014 12:41 pm || Up

        Pitchers want to come here. It’s always been more difficult with position players. Part of our sell to Yoenis was that he didn’t know any different. So it was easier to get him.

        Ignorant foreigners are the new hidden value.

        "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
        • AV Dec 12,2014 1:29 pm || Up

          i must be worth billions.

          *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
          • FreeSeatUpgrade Dec 12,2014 1:54 pm || Up

            Only to those who would exploit you

            "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
        • Glorious Mundy Dec 12,2014 1:34 pm || Up

          Yoenis probably didn’t care. He either misses it, or he hits the absolute shit out of it to the point where park effects are irrelevant.

  57. James V. Dec 11,2014 11:05 am
    • MikeV Dec 11,2014 11:07 am || Up

      I mean, cell phones can take better video than that.

      And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

      Thanks, and go As.

    • James V. Dec 11,2014 11:17 am || Up

      As for the info in it, it wasn’t really a big secret the A’s wanted Barfield to do this, but I didn’t know they refused to release him when he didn’t want to. I know he was never a top prospect and his odds of reaching the bigs aren’t great, but even if he says pitching helped him learn how to be more selective (and better) as a hitter and now it answered the “can he pitch?” question, it cost him some important time.

      But he’s right that it was silly to think that just because it worked for Doolittle (who, as he said, pitched well in college whereas Barfield only occasionally pitched in high school), it’d work for him too.

      • MikeV Dec 11,2014 11:23 am || Up

        But he’s right that it was silly to think that just because it worked for Doolittle (who, as he said, pitched well in college whereas Barfield only occasionally pitched in high school), it’d work for him too.

        Those were his words. I highly doubt that’s why the organization did it.

        And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

        Thanks, and go As.

        • James V. Dec 11,2014 11:24 am || Up

          I think that was a major factor. Lefty, strong arm, etc. For a moment there, I have no doubt the A’s thought they’d find gold twice.

          • MikeV Dec 11,2014 11:27 am || Up

            a big reason Doolittle switched back was because his injuries meant he couldn’t really play outfield/1b anymore.

            I agree lefty/strong arm, but also the fact that he isn’t a very good hitter probably had something to do with it.

            And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

            Thanks, and go As.

            • James V. Dec 11,2014 11:34 am || Up

              And the OF logjam, which Barfield mentioned again. I know it’s not just the Doolittle thing, but I absolutely believe it was a key part of them approaching him about it even if the reasons were different compared to Doolittle’s shift.

          • 5Aces Dec 11,2014 11:34 am || Up

            Maybe for a moment, but they were also honest about it. The Sports on Earth article said that it would not be the same as with Doo from the A’s and that was back in spring training. Havent watched it yet, but if he was taking games out to the bullpen and actually not working on getting better then I question everything he says about it.

            Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
            • James V. Dec 11,2014 11:43 am || Up

              I’m not saying playing games in the bullpen the first few innings or the reasons behind it was a great idea, but nobody is working on getting better there during the early parts of games. That stuff is done between games.

              • 5Aces Dec 11,2014 11:47 am || Up

                He knows he has a tougher road than anyone else. I’m not saying he’s running up and asking a coach to play catch, but dont go out of the way to show you arent paying attention.

                Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
                • James V. Dec 11,2014 11:58 am || Up

                  From everything I read before this, he was doing what he could to try to learn how to pitch and do well with it, but he did get pushed into an almost no-win situation with it. Yeah, in large part it came from him not hitting well as he got higher in the system, but it’s such a major change if you don’t already have more of a pitching background that I’m actually kind of shocked the A’s wouldn’t just release him when he asked to be.

                  Still, in the end it may do more to help him as a hitter than not.

                  What always felt weird about it to me was he finally reached Triple-A, and yes, he struggled with it, but then it was just “Okay, you’re going to pitch now.” No real chance to take what he was experiencing at that level and try to build on it as a hitter was even offered.

              • dmoas Dec 11,2014 12:03 pm || Up

                Well, if you’re watching the game, you can get a sense of what opposing batters are trying to do, what the current pitcher is doing so that you can either replicate it or shake it up and exploit it. Yes, the catcher plays a part with it, but having an idea of what’s going on and who you may have to worry about the most would likely add to the learning possibilities. What bothers me most isn’t the games, but the “I don’t want to do this attitude.” You’re not cutting it at your current position, you’re not a star or a major prospect and the team is giving you a chance to try something new out. Whether you like that or not, give it your all and see what happens. Don’t half ass it and lose out on a possibility.

              • MikeV Dec 11,2014 12:03 pm || Up

                His condescending as fuck comment about being back with a bunch of 19 year olds when he was put in the bullpen was a little off putting, too.

                I know you gotta have some ego to make it, but you need to have some humility too. He can namedrop Rickey all he wants, but the truth of the matter is he failed as a pitcher and so far as an OF as well.

                Also, I get that they aren’t paid shit, but cmon… Don’t rattle off $600 worth of video games while you’re saying how poor you are.

                And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                Thanks, and go As.

                • dmoas Dec 11,2014 12:09 pm || Up

                  I can get why it’s off putting when games get rattled off while crying poor, but they really do get paid shit. And as off putting as that is, how they spend their money to me is less relevant that the broader lifestyle they’re put in because of the crap pay. Games can be snagged off ebay and shit on the cheap, they could easily be bought with pooled money with roommates and what have you. At the end of the day, if he’s making a proper salary that anyone should be able to live off of and failing or crying foul about it, fuck him. If he’s not, then shit needs to be done.

                • dmoas Dec 11,2014 12:11 pm || Up

                  I should add that in general, I do agree with everything you’re saying including that despite what I said.

                • James V. Dec 11,2014 12:14 pm || Up

                  Looked like he was using Gamefly anyway, and isn’t that less expensive than just buying each game?

                  Anyway, yeah. I don’t really care if he’s into video games or not. That’s his business and it doesn’t change the fact minor leaguers in general are paid shit and should be paid something more reasonable.

                • MikeV Dec 11,2014 12:22 pm || Up

                  Yea and I know it’s not the biggest nit to pick, especially when that’s probably the only “luxury” he’s probably got.

                  That said, the only time I heard him mention an actual dollar figure was $2100/month. For a single dude with a roommate or two that’s enough to live off of and he’s playing baseball for a living instead of working at a drive-through.

                  And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                  Thanks, and go As.

                • James V. Dec 11,2014 12:28 pm || Up

                  (He’s about to get married)

                  But that’s barely enough to scrape by. Reading Dirk Hayhurst’s books, he detailed pretty well how difficult it can be even for three guys to pool their resources together just to rent a shitty apartment, and it becomes more of a hassle whenever someone is sent to a different level, let alone traded or released.

                  Outside the games themselves, video games are probably a very common escape for these guys.

                • MikeV Dec 11,2014 12:32 pm || Up

                  Oh I know, and I don’t disagree that it’s difficult.

                  That applies for every low paying job though, and those don’t all come with the potential to make 400k a year

                  And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                  Thanks, and go As.

                • James V. Dec 11,2014 12:36 pm || Up

                  The risk/reward scenario is obviously much different with these guys, yeah. So is the probability of never getting that far.

                  (I know you know that)

                • MikeV Dec 11,2014 12:54 pm || Up

                  I also didn’t get a 100K signing bonus when I took on my shitty paying job.

                  And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                  Thanks, and go As.

          • andeux Dec 11,2014 1:18 pm || Up

            I don’t think they ever thought he was a great prospect as a pitcher.
            But he was and is pretty much a non-prospect as a hitter. He even made self-deprecating remarks to that effect himself, before the switch.
            So pitching seemed like his best chance, even if it was still a small one, to turn into something worthwhile.

            That being said, if they really did refuse to release him to give him a chance as a hitter in another organization, that’s pretty crappy.

            TINSTAAFK
            • James V. Dec 11,2014 1:27 pm || Up

              if they really did refuse to release him to give him a chance as a hitter in another organization, that’s pretty crappy.

              Above all else, that’s why I could easily see why he was miserable with it along with souring on the organization after it wasn’t working out.

            • MikeV Dec 11,2014 1:40 pm || Up

              That being said, if they really did refuse to release him to give him a chance as a hitter in another organization, that’s pretty crappy.

              Why? I could understand a trade or something, but he’s part of the A’s organization I don’t see why they’d be under any obligation to release him just because.

              Incidentally, has he signed with anybody else yet?

              And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

              Thanks, and go As.

              • dmoas Dec 11,2014 1:50 pm || Up

                That was kind of my view as well.

                • 5Aces Dec 11,2014 1:53 pm || Up

                  Third. Though I guess if they had no intention of having him in future plans and he was going to rot on a bench regardless give the guy a chance. you are not under obligation to but that doesnt mean you couldnt.

                  Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
                • MikeV Dec 11,2014 1:58 pm || Up

                  Isn’t that why they had him try to pitch?

                  “Dude, look, you’re probably not gonna make the show as a hitter. You have a cannon though, try the mound.”

                  And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                  Thanks, and go As.

                • 5Aces Dec 11,2014 2:07 pm || Up

                  Right. But if he is like “you will have to take the bat out of my cold dead hands” then you could say, ok here is your release see if anyone else wants to promote you.

                  And again, no obligation, and I think they were right to try him as a pitcher and it seemed like a good idea when he was in AZ and seeming positive about it and getting better.

                  Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
                • dmoas Dec 11,2014 2:25 pm || Up

                  Yeah, that was where I was at. I totally get where the others are coming from, even why he’d want to be released as well. It’s not an easy position either way. You want to see if you can get value for him whether by trade, by a position change, or something else. After all, you’ve put in a lot of time and effort in trying to get success from him. The situation as a whole is crappy, but not necessarily the way he was treated.

    • MikeV Dec 11,2014 11:18 am || Up

      Wow, about 10 minutes in and basically he comes off as an unprofessional whiny little fuck.

      Complain about not pitching when he was moved to the bullpen, and then talk about how he brought out a ladder ball game into the pen and played it during games? Wonder why you didn’t get any game time…

      And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

      Thanks, and go As.

    • East Bay Evans Dec 11,2014 12:15 pm || Up

      Hmm, Desme reference.

      • MikeV Dec 11,2014 12:25 pm || Up

        and now i’m sad

        And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

        Thanks, and go As.

        • 5Aces Dec 11,2014 12:48 pm || Up

          Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

          Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
  58. FreeSeatUpgrade Dec 11,2014 1:21 pm

    You can that a winter meeting? THIS is a winter meeting!

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
  59. MikeV Dec 11,2014 2:07 pm

    Kemp -> Padres

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

  60. Glorious Mundy Dec 11,2014 4:39 pm

    I’ve officially lost track of who’s on what team, and I don’t think I’ll bother trying to figure it out until March at the earliest.

  61. MikeV Dec 11,2014 5:55 pm

    OK I laughed.

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

  62. FreeSeatUpgrade Dec 11,2014 11:01 pm

    Pretty impressive to get your pro se petition approved for hearing by the U.S. Supreme Court. Even more so if you’re not a lawyer and you wrote it yourself. In your second language.

    Too bad no one can find him to let him know.

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
  63. Glorious Mundy Dec 12,2014 12:31 pm

    Website for a 2024 San Francisco olympic bid headed in part by Larry Baer expects the Coli to be around for another decade.

  64. FreeSeatUpgrade Dec 12,2014 1:20 pm

    Excellent, long history of UFO, your favorite metal band’s favorite metal band. Guitar rock god Michael Schenker, wildly inconsistent albums, transcendent live moments, and a catalog of ridiculous rock anecdotes. Several times assaulted by fans with projectiles. Found their guitarist when the original guy left his passport at home. Substance abuse that made Ozzy feel like a lightweight. Couldn’t pay hotel bill because a hooker stole their money. A Cleveland ice center gig which was the inspiration for the scene in Spinal Tap where the band gets lost in the tunnels on the way to the stage. And some critics’ choice for the greatest rock guitar solo ever recorded. Great read.

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
  65. elcroata Dec 15,2014 7:52 am
    Because survival is insufficient
    • colin Dec 15,2014 9:29 am || Up

      I know that you know this, but just because N players are all projected to earn 2 WAR or less does not mean that it predicts expects no one to exceed 2 WAR (unless it’s a dumb prediction).

      • elcroata Dec 15,2014 11:52 am || Up

        Yeah, I know. It’s just that the projections are pretty unispiring

        Because survival is insufficient
        • bear88 Dec 15,2014 9:45 pm || Up

          It’s a bad sign when I am this bored by the A’s in December.

          They look dull. A bunch of pedestrian players, which I might be able to stomach, with a pedestrian (at best) farm system, which is just depressing.

          I know, many of us were pretty gloomy before 2012, but a series of bad trades – some made for understandable reasons, others still mystifying to me – has rendered this team really average, barring some fine diamonds in the rough.

          And it’s the A’s, so there probably will be some. But not enough.

          Yeah, I know we’re rooting for laundry. But it’s like we’re rooting for ill-fitting, unstylish laundry we found on the street.

    • vignette17 Dec 15,2014 10:19 am || Up

      Well Reddick, Norris, Semien, Lawrie, and Kazmir all project as slightly better than 2 WAR, but they all round down on the depth chart. It sure would be nice to have a guy who could project as 5-6 WAR, right? Maybe at 3b?

    • lenscrafters Dec 15,2014 7:16 pm || Up

      Compared to the depth chart for last year, the A’s are about 8 WAR worse.

      Second base/whatever MIF position Semien isn’t playing is a hole. Semien might be a problem himself since he may not be able to defend at either position. In any case, the entire infield is a question mark since Lawrie has those injury issues we’ve talked to death about and Davis probably sucks…

      The optimistic take on the back of the rotation is that it’s “high variance”.

      Looking at the free agents left, Asdrubal Cabrera still makes sense and perhaps taking a flyer on someone like Beachy/Medlen/Morrow/Johnson. Jake Peavy could be a decent mid tier option. But they’re running out of options. Darn, Headley would’ve been perfect.

  66. MikeV Dec 15,2014 12:20 pm

    Lowrie -> Astros. 3 years “over 20M guaranteed”

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

    • vignette17 Dec 15,2014 1:00 pm || Up

      Both Lowrie and Headley seem like bargains to me. If we are planning on spending money to get budget back to last year, what’s left besides Moncada?

      • elcroata Dec 15,2014 1:03 pm || Up

        I don’t think the budget goes back to that level

        Because survival is insufficient
        • vignette17 Dec 15,2014 1:34 pm || Up

          It’s all based on a quote from SuSlu saying they would. Given how sure the quote sounded, it would be a bad PR move to just not spend.

          Although they apparently tried for Headley:

          Also:

          It could very well be possible the A’s were the mystery team with a $65 M offer (if one existed). It happened early in the process, when the A’s were “aggressive.” They absolutely were a mystery team. It makes the JD deal look a ton better. If they were, it would be definitive proof of people not taking money from the A’s for better markets. I doubt we find out what the A’s offer was.

          • grover Dec 15,2014 2:19 pm || Up

            I approve of their pursuit of Headley and I would love to know what Oakland’s offer was.

            • MikeV Dec 15,2014 2:25 pm || Up

              They should “leak” it as more proof that they can’t sign big FAs and put pressure on Selig (LOL) to do *something* about a stadium.

              And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

              Thanks, and go As.

              • Glorious Mundy Dec 15,2014 2:57 pm || Up

                Hmmm…is there a particularly credulous blog operator they could leak something like that to? Someone who would passive-aggressively hint at it constantly while calling anyone who asked for a source an idiot?

                • MikeV Dec 15,2014 3:04 pm || Up

                  I can’t tell you but you just have to believe me.

                  And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                  Thanks, and go As.

      • MikeV Dec 15,2014 1:08 pm || Up

        Justin Upton?

        And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

        Thanks, and go As.

        • grover Dec 15,2014 2:21 pm || Up

          They have the cash to do so, even if Atlanta insists on attaching Chris Johnson to the deal.

          I wonder how much a Pomeranz/Upton+Johnson deal would appeal to the Braves?

        • elcroata Dec 15,2014 10:08 pm || Up
          Because survival is insufficient
        • Bed Dec 15,2014 10:27 pm || Up

          If the A’s sign Kate Upton I’d probably watch more games.

          But seriously, folks...
  67. MikeV Dec 15,2014 1:10 pm

    That seems really cheap.

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

    • vignette17 Dec 15,2014 1:37 pm || Up

      I would have loved this deal for the A’s…

      • MikeV Dec 15,2014 2:12 pm || Up

        I wouldn’t want him to play SS though.

        And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

        Thanks, and go As.

        • grover Dec 15,2014 2:23 pm || Up

          True. But his bat would have made him a viable upgrade at 2B.

          • MikeV Dec 15,2014 2:29 pm || Up

            yeah for sure. I would have totally been down with Lowrie at 2B and, say, Didi Gregorious at short.

            And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

            Thanks, and go As.

    • grover Dec 15,2014 2:15 pm || Up

      Solid deal for the Astros.

    • dmoas Dec 15,2014 2:22 pm || Up

      With Lawrie at 3rd and Lowrie at 2nd. Just imagine the play by play. A few people’s heads would implode on 5-4-3 double plays.

  68. MikeV Dec 15,2014 2:32 pm

    That’s a lot for 50 innings.

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

    • andeux Dec 15,2014 2:37 pm || Up

      The last time he made it to 50 innings was 2011.

      TINSTAAFK
    • FreeSeatUpgrade Dec 15,2014 2:45 pm || Up

      It’ll be like Don Mattingly’s successor getting an Ace at the deadline!

      "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • vignette17 Dec 15,2014 3:32 pm || Up

      Good for Brett and Brandon that they get to play together in LAD. But, yeah I would not touch this with a 10 foot pole.

    • Bed Dec 15,2014 3:33 pm || Up

      10 million bucks for Brett Anderson? I think I’m going to teach my son how to pitch left handed.

      But seriously, folks...
    • Englishmajor Dec 15,2014 4:15 pm || Up

      Obligatory

      • Glorious Mundy Dec 16,2014 11:03 am || Up

        The swizzle stick is my favorite thing about this picture.

    • Soaker Dec 15,2014 4:19 pm || Up

      He’s started each of the last two seasons “healthy” and threw 768 pitches in 2013 and 663 pitches in 2014.

      $10M divided by the average, 715.5 pitches, comes to $13,976.24 per pitch.

      Treacherous chasms of half-truth and despair. -- Ken Korach
  69. elcroata Dec 16,2014 3:59 am
    Because survival is insufficient
    • FreeSeatUpgrade Dec 16,2014 8:42 am || Up

      Wow, thanks for posting that. For all the warning signs evident in retrospect it’s kind of amazing that none of this came to light during his playing days.

      "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
      • MikeV Dec 16,2014 8:45 am || Up

        Seems like he didn’t get into drugs until after

        And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

        Thanks, and go As.

        • FreeSeatUpgrade Dec 16,2014 1:01 pm || Up

          I doubt that’s true, since he arrived at one of his Independent League stops with addictions to painkillers and Adderall, classic abuse drugs facilitated by pro sports trainers. And people who use drugs to self-medicate the effects of mental illness generally do so for a long time, certainly longer than it takes to start visibly fucking up. I’m not saying the A’s or MLB should have seen the signs, just that pro sports are especially badly suited to helping people with mental health and chemical dependency issues.

          "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
  70. elcroata Dec 16,2014 10:59 am

    I guess health is an expensive skill. $12MM/2yr vs. Butler’s $30MM/3yr

    Because survival is insufficient
    • DFA Dec 16,2014 11:23 am || Up

      Id still rather have morse at 2/12 than butler at 3/30

      In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
      • grover Dec 16,2014 11:53 am || Up

        I’m meh on both.

        • DFA Dec 16,2014 12:46 pm || Up

          I wouldn’t spend my money on either, but if you want a RHH DH Im not giving butler 30 mil I can give to Yoan.

          In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
          • grover Dec 16,2014 12:56 pm || Up

            From what I understand, Yoan is a lump sum signing bonus. So $6 M for Morse vs. $10 M for Butler doesn’t really impact the cash available for Moncada.

          • vignette17 Dec 16,2014 3:04 pm || Up

            I mean, Butler is 29 vs Morse being 33 (and given their similar skillset, that’s a HUGE difference). And Butler is very healthy while Morse has played more than 140 games once.

            Butler’s the better player, but I agree he’s a very strange fit on this team.

            • grover Dec 16,2014 3:11 pm || Up

              He’s CB shaped.

              • nevermoor Dec 16,2014 4:22 pm || Up

                Bucknor?

                "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
            • DFA Dec 16,2014 5:49 pm || Up

              Morse hasn’t played for an AL team that can DH him, though. Well at least since he was a SS.

              In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
              • MikeV Dec 16,2014 5:54 pm || Up

                Butler to SS confirmed.

                And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                Thanks, and go As.

              • elcroata Dec 17,2014 12:24 am || Up

                True. Also, while health indeed is an important skill set, I find it to be less dominating aspect for a player with no defensive value, slotted to serve primarily as a DH.

                Morse’s WAR is affected by his horrible defense twice. Once, in the evaluation of his efforts on the field and second time in the fact that he lost a lot of PA, being often lifted for a defensive replacement. If you look at primary DHs with a similar wRC+ in 2014, the best comparison is David Ortiz, who had 2.4 fWAR in 140 games.

                Because survival is insufficient
                • vignette17 Dec 17,2014 9:28 am || Up

                  Even if you grant Morse the PA of Butler, Steamer sees 119 wRC+ for Butler, 112 wRC+ for Morse.

                • elcroata Dec 17,2014 9:45 am || Up

                  I know. I’m not completely sure of inner works of Steamer, but Oliver does not take any health/injury information into consideration, except as for playing time estimates. Morse’s injuries in 2012 and 2013 are well documented. And only in well-injured 2013 (out of last five) was he below his estimate of 112 wRC+. The other four years are: 133, 148, 113 and 133 again last year.

                  The 112 wRC+ is the product of 80 wRC+ in 2013 and the age curve. I am taking over on that.

                  Because survival is insufficient
                • vignette17 Dec 17,2014 12:22 pm || Up

                  Both Morse and Butler are players who could age very, very quickly. I don’t think it’s ridiculous to predict a year for Morse similar to his 2011 when he was 30, not 33. Anything more than 3 years ago starts becoming ancient history.

                  But I still think Butler needs to get more credit for his durability. Morse missed only 31 games last year in the second healthiest year of his career. Butler has missed 21 since 2009. And Butler’s closer to his career year of 139 wRC+ than Morse is to his of 148.

                  I grant that Morse is cheaper and hence might have been a better fit. But I’m still taking Butler on performance.

                • DFA Dec 17,2014 3:21 pm || Up

                  Cheaper and with one less year and when you say

                  Both Morse and Butler are players who could age very, very quickly.

                  you probably shouldn’t be spending an additional 10m for one more end of the rope year.

                  In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
                • vignette17 Dec 17,2014 6:44 pm || Up

                  I think we mostly agree. Although Butler will still be younger after these 3 years than Morse is now.

                • DFA Dec 17,2014 9:53 am || Up

                  This is a very good point.

                  In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
    • grover Dec 16,2014 11:49 am || Up

      The FA market has shown a bit more restraint than I thought it would.

      • colin Dec 16,2014 1:36 pm || Up

        Early signs of going off the deep end, but the Headley and Lowrie contracts look downright reasonable.

    • andeux Dec 16,2014 12:50 pm || Up

      “Giants lose another World Series hero” according to the headline at SFgate.
      Meh, he’s no Cody Ross.

      TINSTAAFK
  71. MikeV Dec 16,2014 1:28 pm

    :(

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

    • Bed Dec 16,2014 10:08 pm || Up

      Billy will trade to bring him back.

      But seriously, folks...
    • Soaker Dec 19,2014 2:36 pm || Up

      The Jays’ current NRI list also includes Jeff Francis and LOL Jake Fox.

      Treacherous chasms of half-truth and despair. -- Ken Korach
  72. MikeV Dec 16,2014 2:46 pm

    Woah.

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

    • grover Dec 16,2014 2:53 pm || Up

      Needz. MOAR!!!

      • nevermoor Dec 16,2014 4:22 pm || Up

        Can we trade Punto / Russel for him?

        "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
  73. MikeV Dec 16,2014 6:46 pm

    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

  74. Glorious Mundy Dec 18,2014 6:14 pm

    • Glorious Mundy Dec 18,2014 6:17 pm || Up

      Alvarez is one of the guys SD got for Huston Street.

      • Future Ed Dec 18,2014 6:20 pm || Up

        I hope he crushes the angels

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • Glorious Mundy Dec 18,2014 6:23 pm || Up
      • Future Ed Dec 18,2014 6:34 pm || Up

        HAHN!!!

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
        • nevermoor Dec 18,2014 6:49 pm || Up

          As a fantasy owner of his, I’m excited he gets to pitch in Oakland.

          "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
          • Glorious Mundy Dec 18,2014 6:50 pm || Up

            Over San Diego?

            • nevermoor Dec 18,2014 6:55 pm || Up

              If they were using him as trade bait, I’m assuming that wasn’t an option.

              "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
      • andeux Dec 18,2014 7:10 pm || Up

        ?

        TINSTAAFK
        • Soaker Dec 18,2014 7:14 pm || Up

          BZZZZT
          Alex: Soaker?
          Soaker: Who is Gary Hart?
          Alex: No, sorry.

          Treacherous chasms of half-truth and despair. -- Ken Korach
          • 5Aces Dec 18,2014 9:20 pm || Up

            Rice is bad for your Hart.

            Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
        • Glorious Mundy Dec 18,2014 7:15 pm || Up

          Boy, she had some epic 80s hair.

        • Bed Dec 18,2014 7:28 pm || Up

          Wow…I think I’m having a Jessica Hahn flashback.

          But seriously, folks...
    • Soaker Dec 18,2014 6:26 pm || Up

      Boy is Country Breakfast gonna be surprised when he shows up at spring training and finds a full set of catcher’s gear in his locker.

      Treacherous chasms of half-truth and despair. -- Ken Korach
      • Bed Dec 18,2014 6:37 pm || Up

        He’s going to be even sadder when he’s playing in the Mexican League in 2016.

        But seriously, folks...
    • Future Ed Dec 18,2014 6:36 pm || Up

      help us out guys, looking at his fangrahps page, is he dan straily without the breakout 2012?

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • Glorious Mundy Dec 18,2014 6:40 pm || Up

        Hahn? It seems like he had a pretty good couple of months in the big leagues, if nothing else. Gets ground balls and strikeouts.

  75. Glorious Mundy Dec 18,2014 6:34 pm

    I’m sad, because I really liked Norris. However, he stunk post-All Star last season. His first half really had me expecting huge things, but now I don’t know what to think.

    • Future Ed Dec 18,2014 6:38 pm || Up

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • nevermoor Dec 18,2014 6:51 pm || Up

        I’m surprised by this. I still had above-average-player hopes for Norris. Is Alvarez a stud? Are we going from 44% to 0% Catcher?

        "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
        • Glorious Mundy Dec 18,2014 7:14 pm || Up

          Norris probably is above average, but it doesn’t really seem like he can hit righties, he doesn’t frame pitches well, and his throwing seems to be getting worse.

          • vignette17 Dec 18,2014 7:19 pm || Up

            Yeah, if the Wild Card game was an exposure of Norris, he could quickly become a near-worthless asset.

  76. Glorious Mundy Dec 18,2014 6:57 pm

    OK, so this is the team for the next few minutes anyway?

    C: Vogt, Phleghley
    1B: Davis, Jaso?
    2B: Blah, Bleh
    SS: Semien
    3B: Lawrie
    OF: Fuld, Coco, Gentry, Reddick
    DH: Butler

    SP: Gray, Kazmir, Hahn, Pomeranz/Chavez/Nolin/Bassitt
    RP: Doolittle, Otero, Alvarez, O’Flaherty, Abad, Graveman, De la Rosa?

    Package some of that young starting pitching for a big time middle infielder or corner outfielder, and you’ve sort of got something.

    • Future Ed Dec 18,2014 7:23 pm || Up

      Fernando rodriguez too

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • lenscrafters Dec 18,2014 7:55 pm || Up

      I like this Norris trade. Hahn has never not dominated at all levels of professional ball. RJ Alvarez is plain filthy.

      Norris’s production against lefties will be really hard to replace even if you believe in Phlegm’s bat. But Phlegm will probably be able to make up some of that defensively. I watched a lot of Norris the last three years and honestly he seems pretty bad at all aspects of catching. If he moves to first, as he eventually will, his platoon bat is really not that interesting.

      Like you said, the A’s are well positioned to make a big splash with all that young pitching. For the first time this offseason, I’m actually excited for what’s next.

      • grover Dec 18,2014 8:04 pm || Up

        I agree with pretty much all this.

        • nevermoor Dec 18,2014 9:08 pm || Up

          You guys are helping.

          "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
          • Bed Dec 18,2014 9:10 pm || Up

            Would you like me to totally put your mind at ease and weigh in on the trade, nevermoor?

            But seriously, folks...
            • nevermoor Dec 18,2014 9:14 pm || Up

              Depend. Does WARP go high enough to count that curve?

              "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
          • MikeV Dec 18,2014 9:12 pm || Up

            I’ll help more. This is fucking filthy.

            And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

            Thanks, and go As.

            • nevermoor Dec 18,2014 9:15 pm || Up

              I’ll note this is the second time Beane took one of my fantasy players from SD. Gregerson turned out ok.

              "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
      • mikeA Dec 19,2014 8:33 am || Up

        Definitely seems like a good trade. I was worried about health more than anything else for Norris. Catchers don’t get unhurt easily.

        I’m pretty far from excited about the team though; looks like a lot of frustrating 2-1 losses the next coup

      • DFA Dec 19,2014 10:21 am || Up

        But Seth Streich is a good prospect. I know we now have depth in the 4th starter market but the dude struck out over a batter an inning and has good command and a nice change up to go with a curve he can throw in any count. Im not saying that Norris is the bees knees or anything but this is a trade that would have been better if it was either for a position of need or done at the trade deadline where Norris would have had more leverage as there are always teams that need catching for the stretch run.

        Basically the A’s have traded all of their valuable assets with the exception of Kazmir Gray and Doolittle and haven’t gotten a three first division starters in the entire process. That is a borderline criminal act.

        In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
        • MikeV Dec 19,2014 10:29 am || Up

          doom, gloom, etc.

          And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

          Thanks, and go As.

          • DFA Dec 22,2014 9:20 am || Up

            I agree with everything beane has ever done with the exception of Daric Barton not being freed, well just because. I also forgot 2007-20012.

            In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
            • vignette17 Dec 22,2014 9:51 am || Up

              Sure, 2007-2011 sucked, but at least it wan’t the 18,000 years you suggest!

              And 2012-2014 buy Beane a bit of slack. The A’s have now had three distinct eras of success under Beane: 2000-2003, 2005-2006, and 2012-2014. The other small market success stories of TB and Min have had long stretches of terribleness to go with their small successes.

              2012 shocked me. I had thought Beane and the A’s had finally been caught by the rest of the league. And maybe it was all luck that allowed the A’s to win the most games in baseball the last three years. And they’ve made some trades this offseason that I certainly would not have. But I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt until they lose 90 games.

              • Future Ed Dec 22,2014 11:18 am || Up

                And maybe it was all luck that allowed the A’s to win the most games in baseball the last three years.

                easy to forget about that. amazing, really.

                I have $5. No I don\'t.
              • DFA Dec 22,2014 11:39 am || Up

                I don’t think you can call 2005-2006 a distinct era of success. Basically he was still riding off of 2000 era. Or Why you think 05 was successful when we didn’t make the playoffs but 04 wasn’t

                You are right that they have performed better than the whole.

                That being said losing 82 games or 90 games or 100 games makes no difference to me.

                In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
                • vignette17 Dec 22,2014 2:07 pm || Up

                  2000-2004 was built on the Big 3, Tejada, Chavez, and Giambi. And yes I should have included 2004 in that.

                  2005-2006 were built almost entirely on trades. Zito and Chavez were still around, but Zito was no longer a stud and Chavez was starting to become injured.

                  One could argue that Beane’s early success was built entirely on high draft picks and a couple of lucky prospect breakthroughs. The 2006 team was almost entirely built by solid GM work.

                • DFA Dec 22,2014 2:42 pm || Up

                  I mean that Esteban Loiza acquisition was really solid GM work right there. Dude got lucky on the Hurt. Not much else happened.

                  In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
                • MikeV Dec 22,2014 2:42 pm || Up

                  lol

                  And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                  Thanks, and go As.

                • DFA Dec 22,2014 3:53 pm || Up

                  Their Pythag that year was .527 their real record was .574.

                  Shit was a lucky year.

                  In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
                • vignette17 Dec 23,2014 10:13 pm || Up

                  Frank Thomas was worth 2.5 WAR that year. Esteban Loaiza was worth 2.4.

                  Haren and Calero were worth 5.5. Not many people would have the balls to have pulled off the Mulder and Hudson trades.

                • DFA Dec 27,2014 2:12 pm || Up

                  Well the Hudson trade was a terrible trade, right from the start. Mulder trade was a great trade absolutely.

                  Basically Beane built a slightly above average team of mostly old parts and got lucky. The Brian Sabean school of GMing.

                  In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
                • MikeV Dec 28,2014 12:36 am || Up

                  The Hudson trade became terrible because Dan goddamn Meyer refused to tell anybody his shoulder hurt.

                  And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                  Thanks, and go As.

                • DFA Dec 28,2014 11:26 am || Up

                  Actually agreeing to an old ofer with one season of flukey performance and a reliever who had never been able to hit the side of a barn, with the exception of one year and was already in arbitration, as the secondary and tertiary pieces made that deal bad.

                  In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
                • vignette17 Dec 29,2014 12:02 am || Up

                  I agree that the Hudson trade at the time compared completely unfavorably to the Mulder one. Cruz was a worse bet than Calero, Thomas was an absolute ton worse than Barton.

                  The only way it could have been salvaged was Meyer becoming an ace even better than Haren. And instead he came over and was promptly injured. I still think the Braves may have suspected injury when the deal was made.

                  Of course give Mulder and Hudson’s career trajectories, it looks even worse.

                • lenscrafters Dec 29,2014 12:17 am || Up

                  It’s also rarely noted that Mulder was traded with two years of team control left to Hudson’s one. That also affected the value of the trade packages received.

                • vignette17 Dec 28,2014 11:58 pm || Up

                  The top performers of 2006 by fWAR:

                  Hitters
                  Swisher (25)
                  Chavez (28)
                  Kendall (32)
                  Bradley (28)
                  Thomas (38)
                  Ellis (29)

                  Pitchers
                  Haren (25)
                  Blanton (25)
                  Loaiza (34)
                  Street (22)
                  Zito (28)
                  Duke (28)
                  Calero (31)

                  Basically, the most important half of the roster was in their primes except for Thomas, Loaiza, Kendall, and Calero. In fact (by fWAR) of the 4 most important players, 3 were 25 and 1 was 28!

                  It was a very good but not elite roster put together with some very good 1st round picks (Swisher, Blanton, Street), one great trade (Haren, Calero), one franchise player in his last year of goodness (Chavez) and Beane’s specialty: a whole bunch of fantastic spare parts (the rest).

        • grover Dec 19,2014 1:18 pm || Up

          I think this is an unfinished act. Give it time to play out.

          • dmoas Dec 19,2014 2:33 pm || Up

            Do you find yourself willing to commit yourself to the rest of the presentation after a really bad Act 1?

            • Glorious Mundy Dec 19,2014 2:36 pm || Up

              I’m morbidly fascinated at this point.

            • grover Dec 19,2014 2:46 pm || Up

              Hell, I joined the cast when I was sleeping with one of the lead actresses.

          • DFA Dec 22,2014 9:21 am || Up

            Perhaps. The problem is that unless there is some inception type shit about to happen… its not going to end well.

            In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
            • grover Dec 22,2014 10:06 am || Up

              We’re A’s fans. It hasn’t ended well since ’89.

              And even that was somber.

  77. lenscrafters Dec 18,2014 10:02 pm

    • lenscrafters Dec 18,2014 10:04 pm || Up

      But…

    • Glorious Mundy Dec 18,2014 10:04 pm || Up

      WE HAVE YOUNG PITCHING

    • elcroata Dec 18,2014 10:23 pm || Up

      I’m increasingly lukewarm on Upton

      Because survival is insufficient
      • grover Dec 19,2014 7:34 am || Up

        No longer a worry.

        I don’t know about Kemp in CF and I don’t know what their farm system looks like anymore but a tip o’ cap to SD’s aggressiveness.

        Upton/Kemp/Myers is one Hell of a switch from 2014. But what of Seth now?

        • colin Dec 19,2014 7:40 am || Up

          I saw rumors of Myers at 1B, which would mean there is still room for Seth in the outfield. But who knows… plenty of time left until the start of the season.

        • dmoas Dec 19,2014 8:09 am || Up

          Kemp isn’t a done deal and may not even happen.

          • grover Dec 19,2014 8:20 am || Up

            Kemp to SD is official.

        • elcroata Dec 19,2014 10:26 am || Up

          I think they will try Myers in CF. And yes, it’s been a fun offseason for the Padres.

          Because survival is insufficient
    • vignette17 Dec 18,2014 11:26 pm || Up

      A Taijuan Walker-Justin Upton trade would put the Mariners in 3rd in all MLB on Fangraphs projected standings.

      • elcroata Dec 18,2014 11:47 pm || Up

        In part, because Steamer uses 48 IP as a projection for Taijuan.

        Because survival is insufficient
  78. vignette17 Dec 18,2014 11:33 pm

    Some fun with fWAR depth charts. 2015 projected team fWAR:
    Mariners 39.5
    A’s 36.2
    Angels 35.2
    Texas 31.8
    Houston 25.6

    If Zobrist replaced Sogard’s ABs, we would add 1.6 wins. Of course, if we had simply kept JD, we’d be up about the same.

  79. vignette17 Dec 19,2014 9:31 am

    I must say, most quotes I read from Norris rub me the wrong way. From his celebration of this trade to the I don’t know why I’m not starting late last season. If anybody came back changed from the All Star game, I would think it was Norris.

    So good luck in San Diego (and I mean that. They, like Seattle, deserve a good or at least interesting team.) But I’m fine moving on from him, even though he is Napoli-esque.

    • doctorK Dec 19,2014 10:44 am || Up

      My lasting memory of him from last season was dropping that pitchout in the last inning of the play-in game.

      • Glorious Mundy Dec 19,2014 10:46 am || Up

        Lasting memory from 2013 was him kneeling on the dugout steps, hoping for a chance to pinch hit while Vogt and Reddick struck out against Scherzer.

        • Future Ed Dec 19,2014 11:43 am || Up

          I do believe I am going to kill you both

          I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • mikeA Dec 19,2014 3:16 pm || Up

      The Padres deserve to be bad forever, and they will be.

  80. Glorious Mundy Dec 19,2014 11:48 am

    Are you happy now, you ghouls?

    • FreeSeatUpgrade Dec 19,2014 11:53 am || Up

      Our long national nightmare is over.

      "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • MikeV Dec 19,2014 11:54 am || Up

      actually, yeah.

      And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

      Thanks, and go As.

    • andeux Dec 19,2014 11:54 am || Up

      I thought they had an available spot on the 40-man roster. It’s hard to keep track.
      But … yes.

      TINSTAAFK
    • colin Dec 19,2014 12:09 pm || Up

      WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

    • nevermoor Dec 19,2014 12:18 pm || Up

      DING DONG!

      "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
    • dmoas Dec 19,2014 12:46 pm || Up

      That’s a Fucking A move. Possibly THE move of the off season.

      • Future Ed Dec 19,2014 1:27 pm || Up

        its the one that makes us all believe again

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • Soaker Dec 19,2014 1:30 pm || Up

      The A’s have absorbed their fair share of career-ending death spirals. Matsui is another relatively recent one that comes to mind.

      Treacherous chasms of half-truth and despair. -- Ken Korach
  81. Glorious Mundy Dec 19,2014 1:03 pm

    Slusser bringing the hope:

    The fact that the A’s chose to remove an experienced utility infielder from the team is yet another indication that the club is manuevering to acquire an infielder in the coming days. Tampa Bay’s Ben Zobrist, Washington’s Ian Desmond and Boston’s Allen Craig could be among the top considerations.

    • nevermoor Dec 19,2014 1:07 pm || Up

      Maybe if we trade Vogt and Jaso for one of ’em we can keep the whack-a-mole game going.

      "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
    • MikeV Dec 19,2014 1:12 pm || Up

      It could also be that he’s fucking terrible.

      And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

      Thanks, and go As.

      • Future Ed Dec 19,2014 1:28 pm || Up

        Yes, but nobody that writes for a living or talks about baseball will ever ever ever say that.

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • Englishmajor Dec 19,2014 1:38 pm || Up

      M-A, M-A-R, M-A-R-K, Ellis!

    • lenscrafters Dec 19,2014 2:16 pm || Up

      While Desmond or Zobrist would be welcome talent, I’m not sure I understand the logic of trading 4 years of Donaldson for cost controlled pitching, and then presumably trading that cost controlled pitching for 1 year of Zobrist or Desmond.

      • grover Dec 19,2014 2:24 pm || Up

        Depends on how much pitching is spent. If its Pomeranz that gets dealt…

      • dmoas Dec 19,2014 2:38 pm || Up

        We still have two more All Stars to get rid of.

        • Glorious Mundy Dec 19,2014 2:41 pm || Up

          Would a Kazmir for Desmond trade make sense?

          • grover Dec 19,2014 2:47 pm || Up

            Not for the Nationals. They’re rotation is pretty strong.

    • Dial C for Concupiscence Dec 23,2014 9:26 am || Up

      One of these is not like the others

      • colin Dec 23,2014 10:14 am || Up

        Zobrist because he’s good? Or Craig because he can’t play middle infield?

  82. grover Dec 23,2014 10:39 am

    Ben Badler discusses why Oakland is the most likely team to sign (eventual) Cuban free agent Hector Olivera.

    • colin Dec 23,2014 12:33 pm || Up

      Key sentence makes me sad:

      While Olivera’s medical uncertainty could ding his stock for other teams who view him as a risk, it might be exactly what makes him all the more desirable to the A’s

      • Glorious Mundy Dec 23,2014 1:23 pm || Up

        Blood disorders are the new inefficiency.

        • MikeV Dec 23,2014 1:28 pm || Up

          literally

          And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

          Thanks, and go As.

  83. Future Ed Dec 30,2014 3:33 pm

    theth->theattle

    Maurererer-> san diego

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • Englishmajor Dec 30,2014 3:59 pm || Up

      It’s a good thing A’s fans stuffed the ballot box to get Theth awarded the #FaceofPadres!

  84. Glorious Mundy Dec 31,2014 12:48 pm
    • Future Ed Dec 31,2014 1:27 pm || Up

      no. its cuban for Hiroyuki Nakajima Hiroyuki Nakajima Hiroyuki Nakajima Hiroyuki Nakajima Hiro

      I have $5. No I don\'t.

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