attitude to our clubhouse. However, I could see us getting
Thomas back on the cheap. Of course that would mean making a decision on parting with Cust or Sweeney. I’d rather they
got rid of Cust.

Bonds or Bust…oops…I mean Cust.

reading my comments?

but this is 2008, he’s two years older, and the A’s are a different team.

So…no

Let’s look at the rotation. We’ve got Blanton, Gaudin, Eveland, Smith and DiNardo.

Blanton’s pretty much a known commodity, Gaudin not so much. Eveland is a 1st year player who missed most of last year to a hand injury, the combination of inexperience and questionable stamina could mean a rough 2nd half. Keep in mind that Eveland has never thrown more then 141 innings in a season. Smith has moxie, it would be nice if his stuff was a notch better.

Let’s replace DiNardo with Duke. Duke hasn’t been in a rotation since 2003, there is a very good chance he will fatigue in the 2nd half just like Braden Looper did last year with the Cards.

Harden is Harden, you’re insane if you plan around him.

I’ll be optimistic and give the A’s two dependable SP in Blanton and Gaudin but Duke, Eveland and Smith all carry major question marks and you’d need at least 2 of the 3 to come out in your favor. Behind them you’ve got DiNardo, Braden and then another rookie in either Gio Gonzalez or Andrew Bailey.

The rotation alone is reason enough to not push for the playoffs this year.

Meanwhile the line-up is dependent on Buck to produce as expected, Barton to produce as expected, Crosby to stay healthy and competent and maybe, hopefully Chavez can come back in July.

Now I’ve got no problem with dropping Mike Sweeney for Bonds or Thomas, the presence of one of those vets would help relieve the pressure off the young guys. But you’re right Blez, the A’s would have to add both just to get their offense to a place where they could contend.

Of course, adding Bonds and Thomas does nothing to strengthen the starting rotation, which if it struggles or tires in the 2nd half it’s game over because it’s doubtful that the A’s will be able to stem the tide with Gonzalez or another rookie pitcher.

Think about the Plan B that comes with a playoff push. You need Harden to be healthy and effective or you need a rookie pitcher to emerge in the heat of a pennant race or you need to trade some of your new prospects to get a vet arm!

And I will look to hurt someone if the A’s trade prospects for rental help this July!

Beane traded away his best SP and one of his best hitters because he knew the odds were against him if he stood pat. Making those deals made the odds even worse. Adding Thomas and Bonds and trying to find playing time for both might push the odds back to where they were in December when Beane decided to fold.

The odds didn’t look good then, why would the same odds look better now.

Especially when all it costs is money and dropping Mike Sweeney? He’s not part of the long-term plan anyway. Not to mention he’s not hitting. If that’s all it costs to sign Bonds, what’s the problem?

Instead of Sweeney and Cust if signing Thomas AND Bonds is actually a possibility.

I think it’s pretty well given that Brown isn’t any sort of long term solution, and Cust is at least cheap and under control for the next 4 years.

Bonds’ agent, Jeff Borris, told the Los Angeles Times, “I haven’t had any offers (for Bonds) from any team at any time, which seems highly unusual for a player of his caliber.”

Commissioner Bud Selig doesn’t want any collusion lawsuits, so he might be on the horn to Beane right now, touting Bonds.

a’s sign bonds as a favor to bud selig!

no brainer

...that Barry Bonds gets a bad image because the media created it?

He simply didn’t want to play their game, and American media destroyed him.

I personally would love to see Barry at DH. I met him as a child, and he was a hell of a lot nicer than Mark McGwire ever was.

Seems like a no brainer to me. Cust can’t even dream of making contact with anything but a fastball. It doesn’t really matter if the team is going to compete this year either. Cust won’t be around in 2 years if thats when this team is supposed to be contending. If they can contend this year, then a healthy Bonds is a huge upgrade over Cust anyway. I don’t see how this is complicated. Bonds is one of the greatest hitters in the history of the game, regardless of steroids or not. He could be a huge asset in teaching our hitters too. If he is sociable enough, I’m sure he knows more about hitting that Van Burkleo or any of the other hitting coaches in the league. Cust, not so much. Put Chavy ahead of bonds in a lineup…

The Rem Dog….

But if I had to choose one, I take Thomas. The A’s could use another right-handed bat, and he’d be super-cheap. Theoretically, at least.

While Cust is admittedly lagging, and power has come at a premium this season, the OF is playing fairly well. I’d rather see what the kids can do than watch a DL-ified season from a couple of lumbering dinosaurs.

I’d rather call up Carlos Gonzalez. Right now, though, we don’t need to sign anybody, unless Bonds can play third.

but don’t like seeing only 12,000 fans per game at the Coliseum, either. If Bonds is really humble enough to work cheap, his signing might be an investment that brings enormous return to the club, on the field and at the box office.

trading Brown and Sweeney. Then if they can swap Gonzalez and Chavez for Hannahan and Sweeney they’d have a heckuva lineup. Cust would back up both Bonds and Thomas, and play quite a bit doing so. Denorfia and Brown are sort of redundant anyway.

Since no one is blocked it doesn’t interfere with the rebuilding plan, especially since Thomas makes the minimum and Bonds would pay for himself through attendance increases.

I also disagree that the Haren deal made the team worse this year. They’ve filled two rotation slots and upgraded CF. Swisher is probably better than Bonds, but not by that much.

Perhaps Bonds was already approached, and he and the A’s couldn’t reach a deal. There’s at least a little chance, considering Slusser’s offseason scoop which appeared to be untrue.

Assuming adding Bonds and/or Thomas puts the A’s atop the AL West, do they really contend to win the WS? Crapshoot, shmapshoot—I just don’t see it.

So I think the case to bring either onboard is very weak—just to win a weakened division. I’d rather see the team focus on rebuilding so they can really contend in a couple of years.

This has beeen a cute little discussion on the merits of Bonds & Thomas baseball talent – but NO WAY Beane signs either one! they simply would want too much cash. Yeah, maybe if Toronto is on the hook for the majority of his salary, Thomas is a possibility – but even that is unlikely. and Bonds? Bonds even at a discounted rate is looking for at least 8 Million. No way

But If we could get Thomas for cheap again I would like to have his power potential in the lineup

of using the first two months to evaluate.

And then the fan in me says, if you get one, might as well get them both. These A’s as they are now are already fun to watch, but mostly from that youthful exuberance sense, not that don’t go to the bathroom while he’s up sense. And I admit I miss that presence in the lineup. If there were a chance to get two of those type of players, on the cheap, and without mortgaging the future (too much)? Well, why not?

Of course, it’s pretty much a pipe dream anyway.

the three-ring circus of bonds-n-bighurt would fit in best in the Bronx.
Link

I’d be guessing it’s the negative press that accompanies him. There are plenty of other guys mentioned in the Mitchell report that are currently playing, so roids can’t be the only issue here. We already have a guy in Cust, who is guilty of the same thing…

Statistically Bonds over Cust is a no brainer. At age 43 he hits for a higher average, walks more, and strikes out less than Cust. And for the stat junkies and OBP nazis, he also tops Cust in those categories too. Not to mention Bonds was nursing injuries the last couple seasons.

So did Dan Meyer. I say bring back Big Frank, NOT Bonds. Frank played here and did quite well and there’s no bad blood. Bonds is a circus and a jerk. That should be enough! Dayenu!

but what about this reason?

Adding 1278 career home runs as a combined resume to the middle of our order?

Regardless of personal alliances and reasoning on many levels, that is an intriguing prospect to think of.

Plus we would actually get some airtime on Baseball Tonight.

all I ask is that the Big Hurt or Bonds lingers and enjoys the look of their home runs hit over the green monster.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3361270

But my two cents says, if we can get both these guys on one year deals, it should be done. We can wax all day about the right thing, clubhouse cancer and everything else. The only thing we’re really going to remember at the end of the year is the wins and losses. This team has shown there’s enough there to compete for the AL West. Why wouldn’t we want that?
Bonds and Thomas would be taking AB’s (jobs) away from Cust and Sweeney. Cust and Sweeney seem like good guys and they’re nice stories, but which would you rather have: nice stories or bigger threats? The A’s can turn up the heat with these signings which will, at the least, make the M’s and Angels nervous. Perhaps nervous enough to even make a bad deal?
The upside, to me, outweighs the downside greatly.