IN: Travis Buck, Lenny DiNardo, Jay Marshall, Todd Walker

OUT: Antonio Perez (DFA), Erubiel Durazo (BYE-BYE), Brad Halsey (AAA)

Welcome to the show, Travis Buck. I am very happy right now, for two reasons. One has nothing to do with the A's. It has to do with Poochini (the world's cutest and dumbest dog) finally being found after an hour of frantically running around Tilden Park until someone (unbeknownst to me) picked him up and drove him home (while I continued running around Tilden Park, not frantic but sufficiently cute and dumb). So Poochini lives to see another day.

As does Buck, whose presence on the roster allows the A's to play Swisher at 1B rather than settling for the inferior defense of Walker at 1B and Swisher in the OF, or Kielty full-time.

Buck and Marshall instead of Durazo and Perez; I can definitely live with that. This was a really difficult decision for Beane and Co. and I was prepared to offer support no matter what simply because I wouldn't want to have to make the call on this one. But given the somewhat surprising decision I say: good call, guys--I think you got it right.