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

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

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

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.

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.  

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.

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.