Oakland Athletics Baseball Blog » Athletics Transactions

It’s official, Sean Gallagher is the player to be named later

KFinkas — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:43:12 +0000

Any thoughts A’s fans? I personally think this deal-and now the Harden deal-were a complete waste. I’d prefer to have a oft-injured Harden over Hairston any day. He’s at best an average AL outfielder. Three players-two with immense potential and only 23- for a 29-year-old average talent?

How can true A’s fans trust this organizations moves any longer. I find the A’s difficult to watch and I have been watching them since I was six (twenty freakin years). I have grown intolerable of Matt Holliday, he’s one of the most overrated overall hitters in the game. A good hitter should be able to adjust to new pitchers, the pitchers that have not faced him have adjusted.

This organization is becoming worse and worse, year by year with really no end in sight. I’m ticked off at Billy Beane and all the A’s fans who say “just be patient, Billy knows what he’s doing.” How can anyone get excited about an organization and the future who’s best player in the last five years was Frank Thomas.

Excuse me for my negativity but I had to let it out.

For myself, the only way I’ll be truly interested in the remainder of the season is if the A’s deal most of their offense and bring up some of that “potential” talent all of these trades have accumulated.

Hold back nothing guys, I ‘d like to hear all opinions.

Minor league offensive updates

KFinkas — Fri, 29 May 2009 19:14:12 +0000

As the Athletics continue to put up runs inconsistently, their minor league affiliates, especially Midland (AA), continue to swing the hot bat collectively. You could make an easy argument that the AA team offensively, is pound for pound better than AAA. The most notable right now who is on the verge of being a career minor leauger, is 26-year-old right-handed-hitting first baseman (sometimes third baseman) Tommy Everidge. His line looks like this through 45 games:

.306 7HR, 43RBI, BB/K ratio 18-25.

Everidge isn’t slowing down and he won’t, the questions is, will the A’s or even the RIvercats give him a look? He’s not getting any younger.

Adrian Cardenas shortstop, is another Double A Midland player who since being demoted from triple A has been on fire. His AAA-AA combined stats are (through 43 games):

.307 5HR, 38RBI, BB/K ratio 23-27.

He probably deserves a spot on the Rivercats but there’s no room. Billy Beane better get busy.

Triple A Sacramento:

Outfielder Aaron Cunningham, who was given a sip of the show this year before being domoted. Why he’s spending his time in Sacramento while Rajai Davis is in Oakland is beyond me. Cunninghams line is the follwing:

.315 3HR, 11RBI, BB/K ratio 3-15 (not great) but the key here to me is he hits left-handers at a .412 clip! Rajai Davis, also a right hander, .160. That’s .160 folks…HORRIBLE.

The farm system looks interesting, maybe some hitters, of course some pitchers but only time will tell.

Who needs a promotion?

A’s call up Cunningham, reinstate Casilla

KFinkas — Fri, 15 May 2009 19:29:05 +0000

Aaron Cunningham has been recalled from Sacramento and might be starting tonight at Detroit. Also Santiago Casilla is back with the team after his rehabilitation went as planned.

Anyone excited about Cunninghams promotion? Doesn’t anyone think it’s time Rajai Davis takes a hike, he’s been so ineffective at the plate, and not good on defense.

Does anyone think the A’s should promote Double-A first/third-baseman Tommy Everigde? He’s a right-hande power hiiter, that has been stuck in Double-A becacuse of a “log-jam at the position”. Just to put out there, he led the league last year in RBI’s with 115 and had 22 home runs to go along with a .279 batting average. This year he has four home runs and 32 RBI’s in 32 games, and a batting average of .309, plus he has been steller with his walk-to-k ratio (15/18).

Would it hurt to give this guy a chance instead of Rajai Davis?

A’s take one back; Beat Mariners

KFinkas — Sun, 03 May 2009 04:18:19 +0000

The A’s stole one back from the Mariners, a night after losing one in the ninth, 3-2.

The A’s scored the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth on a line drive by recently-called-up infielder Gregorio Petit who had three hits in the game. Petit’s two-out hit to right off David Ardsma was quickly gobbled up by Ichiro Suzuki but the throw short-hopped his catcher, and scoring from second was Bobby Crosby who ran over the catcher for good measure.

A’s record stands at 9-12

Rookie pitcher Trevor Cahill (o-2) had a bouce-back performance going six innings, giving up one run, seven hits, walking three and striking out one.

The offense struggled against another lefty, but Jason Giambi came through with two RBI’s, one on a double in the sixth, and the other in the eigth on a single to left.

Michael Wuertz got the save in place of “sick boy” Brad Ziegler , as he was ill.

A’s get Carbrera!

KFinkas — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:01:24 +0000

The A’s finally finished off the deal for Orlando Cabrera according to ESPN’s Buster Onlney. 4MM is a bargain.

The A’s lineup is drastically different and is going to put up runs in contrary to last season. Can the pitching make this off season full of moves worth While? There’s no doubt this lineup is more potent and complete than rival Angels.

I think the Cabrera move is great for the A’s because it gives them the lead-off hitter they had been looking for and it gives them flexibility. Now Ryan Sweeney is batting second Right? New projected lineup…

1.Cabrera

2.Sweeney

3.Cust

4.Holliday

5.Giambi

6.Chavez

7.Ellis

8.Buck

9.Suzuki

This lineup could be fierce if Chavez can prove healthy. Do you think Ellis, Buck or Suzuki should be switched?

A’s send Matt Murton to the Rockies for a middle infield prospect

TheSmallBallWay — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:42:38 +0000

The Oakland Athletics have shipped outfielder Matt Murton to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for a middle infielder prospect named Corey Wimberly. Wimberly was recently ranked the 26th best prospect in the Rockies minor league organization. He hit 291/.370/.345 in Double A for the Rockies.

Matt Murton who came to the A’s in the Rich Harden deal with the Chicago Cubs was sent over to the Rockies. I would assume he would get more playing time with the Rockies and might actually put up a little bit of power hitting at Coors Field for half a season. We wish Matt the best!

Russ Springer is the newest member of the A’s

TheSmallBallWay — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 20:12:18 +0000

Veteran pitcher Russ Springer and the Oakland Athletics have agreed on a one-year contract for the 2009 season. Springer is a 16 year veteran and should be very valuable in the bullpen where the A’s are extrememly young. The contract is rumored to be in the $3 million range.

In the last two seasons with the St. Lous Cardinals, Springer went 10-2 with a 2.24 ERA and a .195 opponents’ batting average.

Good move for the A’s!

Jason Giambi back with the A’s

TheSmallBallWay — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:37:04 +0000

Jason Giambi and the Oakland Athletics will be re-united for the 2009 season as the two agreed on a contract Wednesday. Giambi was signed for one year but there is also a one year club option for the 2010 season. This will be the second stint with the A’s for the Giambi as he spent his first 14 years of his career in Oakland.

The contract includes a 2009 salary of between $4 million-$4.5 million, with the option worth about $5.5 million. An option buyout of $1.5 million and annual incentive packages worth up to $250,000 also are said to be part of the deal.

Decent deal for the A’s even though Giambi is getting up there in age. He can still swing the bat pretty good just not like he was before he left the A’s to goto the New York Yankees.

A’s Blog

A’s trade for Matt Holliday

TheSmallBallWay — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:36:40 +0000

The Oakland Athletics and the Colorado Rockies have reached a deal that would send outfielder Matt Holliday to the Oakland A’s. In exchange for Holliday, the A’s would be sending Greg Smith, Huston Street and Carlos Gonzalez to the Rockies.

Holliday, playing half his games at Coors Field, has 128 homers and 483 RBIs in five big league seasons. His best year was 2007, when he won the NL batting title with a .340 average and had 36 homers and a league-best 137 RBIs in helping the Rockies reach the World Series.

It sounds like a lot to get Holliday especially when he will be a free agent after the 2009 season. His agent is Scott Boras as well so I don’t think the A’s will have the money to sign him to a long term deal.

What do you think about the deal A’s fans?

Mark Ellis and the A’s agree on new contract

TheSmallBallWay — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:59:10 +0000

Second basemen Mark Ellisa and the Oakland Athletics have agreed on a new two year contract that includes an team option for the third year. The A’s mentioned early on that they would like to have Ellis back and Ellis didn’t want to go anywhere so working out the contract between both parties was pretty easy.

The two year contract will pay Ellis $11 million dollars while the third year would pay him six million dollars or a $500,000 buyout. Now the key for Ellis is staying healthy and playing great defense while hitting for average and getting on base.

Good signing as long as he stays healthy in my opinion.