Retaining the Rights to Dotel and Durazo

by Just Me on Dec 20, 2004 4:49 PM PST

The Oakland Athletics agreed to one-year contracts with right-handers Chad Bradford and Tim Harikkala, and second baseman Mark Ellis on Monday.

The A's also tendered contracts for 2005 to designated hitter Erubiel Durazo, outfielders Eric Byrnes and Bobby Kielty, and right-handed pitchers Octavio Dotel and Juan Cruz - all of whom are eligible for salary arbitration.

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Woohoo!!!

by everythinguknowiswrong on Dec 20, 2004 4:56 PM PST reply actions

wow, so they haven't dumped anyone yet

if any of these leave it'll be through trades.

Question: any of the arby guys can go that route if they choose to do so, right?

If the 2005 A's will have a $58 million payroll, how many of these players can they afford to keep?

ps. I took the $58 million figure from Klapitsch's article, based at least in part on a BB interview.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=klapisch_bob&id=1950110

by OaklandSi on Dec 20, 2004 5:00 PM PST reply actions

arbitration

None of these player can leave since they are not six year players. See the recent arbitration diary for the rules of arbitration

Jim

by jarforcefatherofforce on Dec 20, 2004 5:05 PM PST up reply actions

PLEASED

Definetly need Ruby and Dotel. While someone might get traded, its nice to know that these guys arent gonna simply walk away.

by pickinmachine on Dec 20, 2004 5:24 PM PST reply actions

no multi-year contracts

...including Dotel, who BB had mentioned a multi-year possibility for in October (before he decided to trade Huddy and Mulder). Everybody was offered a one year contract. had anyone of the arby group not been tendered a contract they would have become free agents regardless of years in the majors. But that's a moot point now.

by OaklandSi on Dec 20, 2004 5:30 PM PST up reply actions

Arbitration Eligiblity

None of the players was really offered any contract of any length. Players must be tendered a contract by today, a contract that could be for a 20% pay cut even, in order for the team to retain the rights to that player. The tender is just a formality and negotiations could result in a multi-year deal with any of these players.

by rsquared on Dec 20, 2004 6:03 PM PST up reply actions

you're right

by OaklandSi on Dec 20, 2004 6:06 PM PST up reply actions

Least we got Byrnes and Durazo.

Byrnes kills right handed pitching. Without him and Ruby most of our core hitting would be gone.

by everythinguknowiswrong on Dec 20, 2004 5:31 PM PST reply actions

byrnes

kills RH pitching? I think u mean LH. . . and this doesnt mean anything, all it means is that we're not giving them away for free, not necessarily that they'll be on the team on april 4

by kotsbots on Dec 20, 2004 7:19 PM PST up reply actions

anybody know

Who "just me" is that posted the story?

I'm curious, is all. Sorry to break in on the thread with it.

by paradox on Dec 21, 2004 4:15 AM PST up reply actions

i still expect byrnes to be traded...

...kielty is a bit of a surprise though- thot he'd be non-tendered. i hope we keep bradford and we sign dotel/ruby long term 2-3yrs.

it's OK to steal-just don't let billy see ya.

by bigelephant on Dec 20, 2004 6:17 PM PST reply actions

He won't get much more than the minimum ...

BB clearly still believe he has potential.

Relax alright don't try to strike everyone out. Strikeouts are boring besides that they're fascist. Throw some ground balls it's more democratic.

by devo on Dec 20, 2004 6:31 PM PST up reply actions

kielty is truly an enigma...

...they almost used him a "rule 5 draftee" last year. i'ii say this, i wish he'd stop fuckin' around with switch hitting and just bat RH- he SUCKS batting LH!

it's OK to steal-just don't let billy see ya.

by bigelephant on Dec 20, 2004 6:46 PM PST up reply actions

Why Kielty?

Seriously, why was he not non-tendered? I'm mystified.

by limecat on Dec 20, 2004 6:18 PM PST reply actions

Kielty

Devo has the answer. Kielty sure won't be seeing any big bucks with his performance (or rather lack thereof) in 2004. So it's a low-risk, high reward situation.

by OaktownTribesman on Dec 20, 2004 6:43 PM PST up reply actions

his career stats...

are much better than what we saw last year. More like .250 BA. Last year was awful, but it was also his worst by far.

I also wouldn't be surprised if he gets more through arbitration. Look at what some free agents (Delucci, for one) are getting. I think one of the things that arbitrators look at are market values for similar performers (or non-performers, as the case may be).

by Rangla on Dec 20, 2004 6:53 PM PST up reply actions

well, if .250 is his career average...

...he would hit it again projected over 164 games last yr. but, the nimrod only played in i believe about 85 because he was hitting like my
7 yr.

he's a head scratcher dat boy bobby.

p.s. he ought to wear batting gloves, who does he think he is.... mantle?

it's OK to steal-just don't let billy see ya.

by bigelephant on Dec 20, 2004 7:00 PM PST up reply actions

Mantle

"who does he think he is.... mantle?"

Bingo. It explains his insistence with the switch-hitting thing too.

His Dad is a big Mickey Mantle fan.

by OaktownTribesman on Dec 20, 2004 8:50 PM PST up reply actions

Kielty to stay

We can keep him cheap and I think he will rebound next year. I believe in Billy. Kielty will fit in well as the 4th Out Fielder. It seems like he hits a Homer facing leftys every at bat. He can draw walks better than Byrnes. Thomas will start Left Field for us next year. And we can find a Veteran Starting Pitcher with Byrnes on the block.

I think Beane gave up Ted Lilly for a reason.

by paul75 on Dec 21, 2004 12:22 AM PST up reply actions

does anyone wonder

whether Kielty's bad 2004 was at least in part due to not really recovering from his collision with Crosby? Kielty actually began the 2004 season playing pretty well.

by OaklandSi on Dec 21, 2004 7:12 AM PST up reply actions

perfect, retain for trade bait

i love it. spin off dotel, bradford, and byrnes ASAP. I even prefer Kielty to Byrnes.

by suggy on Dec 20, 2004 6:47 PM PST reply actions

What?

Tell me how you can prefer Kielty to Byrnes.

by boatshoes on Dec 20, 2004 8:07 PM PST up reply actions

Yeah, explain

Why do you prefer Kielty to Byrnes?

by limecat on Dec 20, 2004 8:55 PM PST up reply actions

w00t

I'm down with keeping Kielty. As horrible as he was last year, he showed decent promise when he was with the Twins and he'll be cheap. He's probably worth the minimal monetary risk Beane has invested in him.

This is exciting news. While some of these players may still be traded, this indicates to me that BB has every intention of trying to win next year. This isn't imploding the team and starting over in the farm system, it's retooling the product in the majors; I was scared that "retooling" might just be a euphemism for rebuilding, but it seems not.

by dchu on Dec 20, 2004 7:17 PM PST reply actions

No way Beane doesn't want to win

People that were writing that Beane was dismantling don't know Beane and his competitive desire. No way Beane will allow the A's to lose, no way this was a fire sale. I guarantee you every player Beane got he has wanted for a time, a either wanted to draft the player or as seen him. He likes their stats, and projects them as players.
For all the complaints the readers have about Hatteberg, the fact is he was identified by Beane as a hitter, and
Beane was proven right, Hatteberg has done exactly what Beane projected, excellent obp, with a little power. That is what Kielty projected in to, but so far it hasn't worked, if he drops switch hitting, he still might.
I see where the A's signed Bradford to a year, I have been reading he will be traded, I was not so sure of that, another guy who eats innings, the problem last year was he was put into late innings, and not middle innings. He is a great guy to get you to the 7th, not so good after that. He doesn't strike out guys, but he gets grounders, how much different his year might have been with Ellis at second.

by china bob on Dec 20, 2004 8:56 PM PST reply actions

BIlly Bean is a genius!

In Billy I definitely trust. He just gets the most out of every trade, and got the most that he could for Hudson and Mulder. We will win the division this year, no doubt. The '05 A's will be more well rounded, faster, and overall better than '04's 2-1 pray for the bullpens version. The '04 Rangers with better pitching. A new look '02 Angels. I'm so psyched!

by A'sfansince1970 on Dec 20, 2004 9:39 PM PST reply actions

Optimistic

Rangers had/have a goddamn lumber yard of power bats - no comparison. Oakland won't score runs like that. Angels were/are a much more aggressive team. Oakland will field a steady, balanced team in '05 that apparently will lack the additional intimidator that would anchor both ends of the line-up. If Byrnes were more consistent, he'd put up decent numbers in a full season that would make it easier to foregive some of his lapses in left. There was chatty on another thread about Kearns (Reds). I don't see him coming to Oakland but that bat of his looks like just the kind of weapon to fill out the offense. A bruiser like that would have a huge impact on total runs scored.
I think Beane keeps Kielty as the 4th OF, with the plan that Thomas replaces him in'06 - fits the budget and the need for experience. Kielty will play better next season.

If it's broken, fix it.

by Bosnian on Dec 21, 2004 12:20 AM PST reply actions

He realizes people are pissed off

He's trying to convince fans like you that we can still win. That is the number one goal and objective of this team, and should be for every frikkin team. He understands peoples feelings, but is saying once people see what the people we acquired are made of, THEN they should make their decisions about this team.

Beanetown Baby

by ohad on Dec 21, 2004 6:06 AM PST reply actions

can't have it both ways...

...on one hand you accuse diskus of poor judgement of beane's trades but you've said in previous posts that these trades are great and beane is a genius (people, WAY too much of that going on here) and blah blah blah blah blah.

why should diskus or anyone else trust you're opinion and not have one of their own?

it's OK to steal-just don't let billy see ya.

by bigelephant on Dec 21, 2004 6:32 AM PST up reply actions

ya know

Diskus can have any opinion he wants.

I think Billy knows he has a PR nightmare on his hands and is trying to calm people down. That's it. Many are painting the A's as complete non-contenders next season. They're saying Billy destroyed the A's chances. Billy is just saying that he didn't. He's high on the players that he got in return, and he feels that they'll contend. I can understand why he would be frustrated with people accusing him of tanking the team.

But, yes, people should feel free to voice whatever opinion on the matter.

by Sharon on Dec 21, 2004 10:04 AM PST up reply actions

What the hell?

I wasn't condemning his opinion in any way!.....

Beanetown Baby

by ohad on Dec 21, 2004 12:13 PM PST up reply actions

I wasn't saying

"fans like YOU" i dont see how that was like offensive, my point was he is trying to reaching out to the fans who have lost some faith in the team...

Beanetown Baby

by ohad on Dec 21, 2004 12:14 PM PST up reply actions

dude

I wasn't even replying to you. I was agreeing with everyone being able to express their own opinions, b/c I have seen Diskus get dumped here. I didn't even read your comment.

by Sharon on Dec 21, 2004 12:27 PM PST up reply actions

Can you please

show me where i accuse Diskus of poor judgment here? No, he can think what he wants, and i wasn't telling him he is totally wrong or anything. I don't see how my post came off like that.

Beanetown Baby

by ohad on Dec 21, 2004 12:16 PM PST up reply actions

Calm down, y'all...

I don't know why this happens (I'm not very familiar with blogs), but I've noticed that often if I post a comment, my post and other posts appear out of order. Thus, it often looks like one post is responding to another, when it isn't. Weird and sometimes frustrating.

Anyway, being a recent addition to AN and thus a relative outsider, I would say that of course, Diskus (and everybody else) is entitled to any opinion. I would also point out that if Diskus indeed canceled his season tickets 48 hours after the trades, vowing to dump the A's and not look back (my recollection), it's fair to say that he is not the fan Beane is speaking to this week--he is speaking to the many fans who were upset, then frustrated, then cautiously hopeful, and who will stick with the team, especially if it is surprisingly successful in '05 (of which I am still hopeful).

Nico

by Nico on Dec 21, 2004 2:46 PM PST reply actions

exactly my point

it's OK to steal-just don't let billy see ya.

by bigelephant on Dec 21, 2004 4:54 PM PST up reply actions

How was that your point

You told me that i can't have it both ways, and that i accused him of poor judgement. Your comment came somewhat out of nowhere, since my post didn't even imply either of those. That was a good point though, Nico.

Beanetown Baby

by ohad on Dec 22, 2004 4:33 AM PST up reply actions