Todd Walker Designated For Assignment

by Nate on May 12, 2007 2:26 PM PDT

Not too much to say about this one. Walker was an emergency signing made necessary by the injury to Dan Johnson. With Johnson's return, and the success had in the DH spot by Jack Cust, we really don't have a great deal of use for him. He'll refuse a minor league assignment. Barring some other Snelling or Cust out there that a team wants to give us for him, I imagine he'll be released in ten days.

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He was a nice little bat off the bench...

Walker gave us a handful of quality pinch-hit at-bats in the late innings, which to me showed his value as a bench player.

If by some stroke of luck he accepts his assignment and goes to AAA, I could see him back on the team late in the season as a bench player or even on the playoff roster, since he's got plenty of late-season experience.

But yeah, this day was bound to happen sooner or later.

by Taj Adib on May 12, 2007 3:25 PM PDT reply actions

Where would he play in Sacramento anyways?

DH?

by buddahead9 on May 12, 2007 4:54 PM PDT reply actions

Walker is now thinking of retirement...

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/s...

That's too bad. The A's announcers said he could definitely find a job somewhere.

With the Oakland A's, the intravenous drip is always half full!

by OaktownRajah on May 12, 2007 4:56 PM PDT reply actions

only if no other MLB club wants him

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...

He still wants to play, but not in the minor leagues.

by OaklandSi on May 12, 2007 7:11 PM PDT up reply actions

I wonder why the A's don't want him as a backup

for 2nd base. Scoot enough when you have two fragile infielders?

Hi, I am closetasfan, and I am a NRAF, and an ANA

by closetasfan on May 12, 2007 8:26 PM PDT reply actions

we have marco scutaro

the only reason walker was around was to play 1B, and with dj, swish, and 800 outfielders, we no longer have any need for him.
i was surprised to find that i liked the guy (he was a lot harder to hate wearing green and gold than when he was in red sox colors), and his performance was acceptable in his time here considering it was such a last minute move. i really hope he finds a job somewhere else.

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 May 12, 2007 8:43 PM PDT up reply actions

His OPS+ this year is 62

Yes, SSS of course.

On Sunday, Minaya ticked off a list of candidates to join the rotation, and for once this season, none of them was Jose Lima.

by rfloh on May 13, 2007 10:16 AM PDT up reply actions

He still put together good at-bats.

He didn't hit the ball as hard as he usually does, but he could be useful for a variety of teams.

So it goes.

by jeepers on May 13, 2007 10:42 AM PDT up reply actions

If you assume that his numbers

at the age of 34 are a result of plain bad luck, yes sure, he could be useful for a variety of teams, keeping in mind that he has little defensive value, and thus is most attractive to AL teams.

Wouldn't a team that needs a 1b / DH be better off giving a chance to a Cust, a Russ Branyan, a Snelling?

Jason Kendall also puts together decent at bats, I believe.

On Sunday, Minaya ticked off a list of candidates to join the rotation, and for once this season, none of them was Jose Lima.

by rfloh on May 13, 2007 12:26 PM PDT up reply actions

Key difference:

Jason Kendall hasn't hit a baseball hard in several years.

So it goes.

by jeepers on May 13, 2007 4:00 PM PDT up reply actions

I wonder if the Mets could use him

at 2nd while Valentine is out

he's one of my least favorite players due to his stint with the Red Sox but he did well for the A's

Hi, I am closetasfan, and I am a NRAF, and an ANA

by closetasfan on May 13, 2007 9:10 PM PDT reply actions

his poor defensive play esp. at second

is in great part responsible for his having had a hard time sticking with clubs these last few years

by OaklandSi on May 13, 2007 9:28 PM PDT up reply actions

Basically...

he doesn't hit well enough to play first, and doesn't field well enough to play second.

For a while there, he was able to stay in lineups because his hitting was good enough that his below average glove was tolerable. The problem is that both his bat and his glove declined with age.

by Nate on May 13, 2007 10:48 PM PDT reply actions