On Thursday evening, the Oakland Athletics signed closer Huston Street to a one year contract to what is believed to be worth $3.3 million dollars.  Good money for Street who is a pretty damn good closer.

I would have liked to see the A’s lock up Street with a longterm deal, say in the three to four year range but I think it came down to a money issue between both people.  The A’s as we all know don’t like giving out big pay raises to their players and Street is the next big A’s pitcher that you could possibly see get traded down the road.

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The Oakland Athletics have traded centerfielder Mark Kotsay to the Atlanta Braves for Joey Devine and minor league pitcher Jamie Richmond.  I like the fact that the A’s are getting Devine who could become a stud setup man for Huston Street, but I don’t like the fact they are paying a lot of Kotsay’s contract for 2008.

I would have really liked this deal if the A’s weren’t paying so much of Kotsay’s contract for next year.  But I figure they made the trade to get something out of Kotsay before he left after next year via free agency.   So you give up something now, and get something now rather then nothing after next year.

What do the other A’s fans think out there?  Good trade or bad trade?

Athletics Blog

Billy Beane continues to rebuild the Oakland Athletics as he traded away Nick Swisher today to the Chicago White Sox.  In return, the Athletics will receive three minor league players from the White Sox.

Pitchers Gio Gonzalez, Fautino De Los Santos and outfielder Ryan Sweeney are all headed to the Athletics.  Gonzalez is a pretty good pitcher who should be be up in the big leagues in a few years as long as he stays healthy.  De Los Santos will be a littler farther away as he mostly pitched in class A last year before getting called up to double and posted a 9-7 combined record.  Sweeny on the other hand I can see coming in and making the roster in 2008.  He batted .270 with 10 home runs and 47 RBI in 105 games at Class AAA Charlotte in 2007 and has some major league experience as well.

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