Big Hurt still possible

by ohtobe21likehuston on Jan 6, 2006 4:08 PM PST

Just read this Susan Slusser article a few minutes ago and didn't see if anyone else posted it or not.

It looks like we are still a key suitor for Frank Thomas and Arn Tellum makes it sound as if we may be the favorite. Health is still the biggest issue and it doesn't sound too promising.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/01/06/SPGF7GIFJ11.DTL

Tweet Comment 38 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

here's the issue

Assume the A's sign him, and he is healthy enough to make the club coming out of ST.

They have to either go with 11 pitchers-- 5 starters plus street, calero, duke, Witasick, Kennedy and Saarloos-- and thus have a bench of Payton (or swisher or DJ depending on the matchup), kielty, Perez, Scoot/Ginter and Melhuse.

Or keep a 12 man staff and let kielty go.

oaktoon

by oaktoon on Jan 6, 2006 4:23 PM PST reply actions

That's not an issue

plenty of teams go with an 11 man staff - and given that we don't really have any specialists in the 'pen and that most of them are recent starters who can throw plenty of innings, it's even less of an issue with our club.

Check out some awesome music ...

by devo on Jan 6, 2006 4:39 PM PST up reply actions

and back to my thought of yesterday

The A's involvement in this BOS and LA thing involves us send Kielty and Duke out for a top prospect from LA I think in the Justin Orenduff range. We can then sign FT and be happy.

Why don't they just lick their fingers? -- http://oaklandprospects.blogspot.com/

by novaoakland on Jan 6, 2006 5:16 PM PST up reply actions

i actually

would prefer an 11 man staff. How often do we use the 12th pitcher on the roster? Do we really need an extra guy for mop up duty? I'd rahter have another hitter/platoon player on the bench.

"May our feet be swift. May our bats be mighty. And may our balls be...plentiful."

by nothinlikethetown on Jan 7, 2006 11:29 AM PST up reply actions

Infielder or Kielty

I think we are going to have to dump one infielder to make any scenario work well. We can't carry Ginter, Ellis and Perez or at least I hope we don't. Kielty has always been pretty expendable to me but for some reason his "supposed" switch-hitting ability makes him such a great risk/reward guy.

I'm glad I'm not the GM of the A's.

"I'd like to be cowboys from Texas or pimps from Oakland but it's not Halloween!" -John Beckwith

by ohtobe21likehuston on Jan 6, 2006 4:29 PM PST reply actions

We aren't caring Ginter

He is in the Minors now, so he is a non-issue.

"Happy Holiday's Billy Beane!" - Mychael Urban

by BobbyCrosbysGirl on Jan 6, 2006 4:30 PM PST up reply actions

CARRYING!

Geez, spell check works, but proof reading works better!

"Happy Holiday's Billy Beane!" - Mychael Urban

by BobbyCrosbysGirl on Jan 6, 2006 4:32 PM PST up reply actions

why is he a non-issue?

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Jan 6, 2006 4:39 PM PST up reply actions

because he's in the minors

so we don't have to worry about him taking up a roster space from the get-go.

Check out some awesome music ...

by devo on Jan 6, 2006 4:40 PM PST up reply actions

ah

i thought we were talking about during the season

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Jan 6, 2006 4:54 PM PST up reply actions

scutaro

he's useless with ellis, perez and ginter. who needs an average defensive infielder with a 300 obp

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Jan 6, 2006 4:32 PM PST up reply actions

sacraglige. that would mean the

end of marco! scootaroh!

the great playoff miss of 2004 followed by the good try of 2005.

by ak_A on Jan 6, 2006 7:15 PM PST up reply actions

As much

as I love Marco Scutaro he is the most expendable at this point. He has a lot of heart and he is a very good 2nd baseman/ average short stop with the ability to get "clutch" hits. Aside from his "clutchness" Antonio Perez is much better than Scutaro thus making him expendeble.

I hope if Scoot is released that he has a great career on whatever team he plays for. I think he is probably one of the best backup infielders in the game.

I a pretty sure because of his numbers the last two years there will be a few teams interested in him as a possible starter or to be the main backup infielder.

It's just Chavy being Chavy. You know striking out and grounding out weakly when runners in scoring position and smiling all the way back to the dugout.

by BashBrothers89 on Jan 6, 2006 4:43 PM PST reply actions

You're right

I love what Scoot has done for the A's but you are probably right. He may be the most expendable.

Gosh... he has had some big-time hits for the A's and I think he is the only other player besides Kots last year that I trusted implicitly with 2 outs and runners on in the 9th.

"I'd like to be cowboys from Texas or pimps from Oakland but it's not Halloween!" -John Beckwith

by ohtobe21likehuston on Jan 6, 2006 4:46 PM PST up reply actions

Argh don't get me started

I will never figure out how the myth of the clutch Scutaro got started.

Stats (Avg/Obp/Slg/Ops):

RISP: .241/.346/.333/.679
Men on, 2 outs: .200/.291/.286/.577
RISP, 2 outs: .196/.315/.217/.532

I don't get it at all. Scutaro's defence is okay, and he's versitile, but his bat just killed us last year. Perez may be the most important acquisition of the offseason.

by MrIncognito on Jan 6, 2006 8:41 PM PST up reply actions

Nice research

Scutaro, Hattebeg, Glynn and Kennedy got way too many at bats and innings last year. It is no coincidence that Beane will have Perez, Bradley and Saarloos filling these roles this year. I love the additional depth that this team has.

by DKNJ on Jan 7, 2006 7:51 AM PST up reply actions

Marco Scutaro dominates this statistic

The SRGWRBIDGIA:

Selectively
Recalled
Game
Winning
Runs
Batted
In
During
Games
I
Attended

He has had a couple of real good SRGWRBIDGIA years for us. Marco... Scutaro!!!

2nd favorite team: WHOEVER IS PLAYING THE GIANTS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by ConcordFanSince1968 on Jan 7, 2006 10:26 AM PST up reply actions

I Don't think Scutaro's going anywhere

Each year, Beane looks at the previous year's deficiencies and tries to shore up. Last year's two deficiencies were right-handed hitters and depth. He's picked up Bradley and will probably get Thomas to solve problem #1. Problem #2 destroyed the A's because Harden and Crosby were down at the beginning and end of the season. Harden's replacements went something like 2-10, and Crosby's replacement (Scutaro) left no one decent on the bench to spell either Ellis or Chavez ---- Ginter was already in the minors and going nowhere. So by picking up Loaiza and putting Saarloos in the pen, the A's are prepared if a starter goes down. By bringing in Perez, the A's are prepared if an infielder goes down. Scutaro will surely lose ABs in 2006, but without him, any key infield injury leaves the A's without a backup to the backup.

by richwol on Jan 6, 2006 4:53 PM PST reply actions

That's my feeling...

Ginter isn't on the 40-man roster and he's not going to make it out of Spring Training. He's terrible.

by FoolshGame22 on Jan 6, 2006 4:56 PM PST up reply actions

Jairo Garcia's putting up nice winter league #s

This might marginally increase his trade value before spring training. The same thing that happened to Byrnes going into last season. I think we can agree that worked out well.

by kvn on Jan 6, 2006 5:38 PM PST reply actions

I think a staff

with so many innings eaters in the rotation, like a Zito-Harden-Haren-Loaiza-Blanton rotation figures to have, two starters in the bullpen (Saarloos and Kennedy) and 4 short relievers (like Street, Calero, Witasick, and Duke) will have no need for a 12th pitcher. Even 100 ABs from Frank Thomas last year would have helped us more than everything Yabu contributed all season. The need, IMO, is on offense and on the bench, not the back-back-back end of the bullpen.

by Nico on Jan 6, 2006 6:35 PM PST reply actions

Anyone notice that we don't have any specialists

in the pen, like ROOGY's or LOOGY's. This year we will have no Bradford, and no Rincon, who filled those respective roles for several seasons. The following relievers have all started at some points in their careers:

Saarloos (10 game winner last year)
Kennedy (That 2003 season was pretty good)
Duke ('03 PCL pitcher of the year as a starter)
Calero (I think he started in the minors for STL)
'sick (some ML starts in his journeyman career)

These guys can make an emergency start, be a fill in starter, or mid to long relief if necessary. Gone are the days of 2 roster spots for essentially 2/3 of an inning pitched.

I think this might have been something the front office has targeted for the past year. I hope he doesn't trade ANY of the current bullpen members.

Two-thirds of the earth is covered by water, the other third is covered by Kotsay.

by carp on Jan 6, 2006 7:11 PM PST up reply actions

I like it!

Although it's nice to see the specialist come in to face a tough batter in a critical situation, I agree that it seems like a roster spot is essentially wasted, or should I say not put to the best use, by these 30-40 IP type of pitchers.

"Z did what Z does," said Kendall. "He makes people look bad."

by rcb on Jan 6, 2006 8:32 PM PST up reply actions

well

we do have sort of a loogy: Kennedy is much better against lefties, and that role was used in the bullpen. Also, signs have pointed to Billy still wanting a veteran LOOGY in the bullpen. As for the ROOGY: Sarloos serves as a ROOGY of sorts: his sinker is great against righties, and, like Bradford, produces a lot of ground balls.

RIP Bill King "By the Beard of Zeus!" "I don't know if you heard me counting. I did over a thousand"

by ohad on Jan 7, 2006 5:26 AM PST up reply actions

I agree Ohad

I think those guys CAN be specialists, but my point was they can also go for multiple innings, or start.

You would never see a Bradford or Rincon warming up for an emergency start.

Two-thirds of the earth is covered by water, the other third is covered by Kotsay.

by carp on Jan 7, 2006 6:56 AM PST up reply actions

My god, though ...

... if we replace Yabu with Frank Thomas, what happens when Cupcakes gets hungry?

It'll look like that snake that tried to eat the alligator ...

@('.')@

by monkeyball on Jan 6, 2006 8:29 PM PST up reply actions

like this

http://home.earthlink.net/~hunterlp/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/gatorandpython2.jpg

by green star oakland on Jan 6, 2006 8:43 PM PST up reply actions

Haha

In the December issue of FHM there was a picture of Byrnsie tackling that guy on the field and on that same page there was the picture and story about the snake that ate the alligator.

Green eyes come from yellow flecks of fatty pigment on a dark background. Some men think a green-eyed woman is exotic. The truth is she's got fat eyes.

by Furious George on Jan 7, 2006 6:22 AM PST up reply actions

so what's in a loogy

vote mcbronsh for most disliked AN'er.

by mcbronsh on Jan 6, 2006 6:59 PM PST reply actions

butter?

by kvn on Jan 6, 2006 7:20 PM PST up reply actions

No, it snot butter

"Put a Milo on him." -Billy Beane

by kaweahkaweah on Jan 6, 2006 7:21 PM PST up reply actions

I can't believe...

it's not butter!

"HRs by second basemen are sexy. They're rare and exotic." -Kyli

by McFood on Jan 6, 2006 8:51 PM PST up reply actions

The numbers will work themselves out

just like they do every year. With injuries there are almost always openings for more players.

Charlie Brown GO A'S WIN

by Charlie Brown on Jan 6, 2006 7:41 PM PST reply actions

I can believe that it's not butter

but I can't believe that Piazza's not getting more attention. Granted, you don't want to see him behind the plate, but if the guy just focused on his hitting without the grind of catching, I think he could still put up very, very good offensive numbers. I know, the NL to AL switch bites some guys, but Piazza's a good hitter who's also a good clubhouse guy. And, if it matters, he says he's not gay...he's just cursed with cuteness, damnit.

Something big crashes in the clubhouse.

by SF Geoff on Jan 7, 2006 12:34 PM PST reply actions

I've been calling for Piazza all along

but it will probably not happen. It's doubtful we could sign him to the incentive laden contract we could get for Thomas. Still, Piazza brings power and plate discipline as well as durability at DH. I think Thomas' ankles are spent and I don't see him contributing as mush as Piazza.

wishful thinking, I know...

by kvn on Jan 7, 2006 1:21 PM PST up reply actions

I called for Piazza...

and all I got was Link this.

"HRs by second basemen are sexy. They're rare and exotic." -Kyli

by McFood on Jan 7, 2006 10:09 PM PST up reply actions

I wonder if a pitcher,

in a conference at the mound, has ever asked Piazza, "What's wrong with my delivery?" and gotten back, "It's not your delivery, it's DiGiorno!"

by Nico on Jan 7, 2006 10:39 PM PST up reply actions

The slugger doth

protest too much, methinks. Not that there's anything wrong with it, of course. And not that I wouldn't do him on, say, a slow Friday night or something.

by Nico on Jan 7, 2006 2:27 PM PST up reply actions