The offense still isn’t going to be nearly good enough next year. Sweeney and Suzuki will be nice pieces, but far from the intimidating bats a good offense needs. Gonzalez might get there next year, but he needs at least two more players like him for the offense to be there. It’s not “close” yet.

In 2010, Cardenas might be ready to have an impact, as may Carter and Cunningham. That may also give the A’s enough time to make the kind of trade you suggest.

The only way we see it next year is if the A’s get an already potent major-league bat in the offseason, either via free agency or trade. They actually have enough money to do that if they want, for a change. Beyond that, we’re looking at about the same team we had this year before we blew it up.

Poblem is that in 2009, it doesn’t look like we will get much hope from he minors offensivly. We’ll likely get Aaron Cunningham and Eric Patterson, and thats probably it till 2010. The big hope is that by 2010, we’ll have Sean Doolittle, Chris Carter, and Ardrian Cardenas.

In 2009, our offensive hopes will rest on Cunningham in Center or Left, Patterson hitting at 2B while not fielding horribly, someone new at SS who can hit, SOMEONE being able to play 3B, and for Daric Barton and Travis Buck to remember how to hit.

Hell, how’s this for an idea? If Buck recovers, and remembers how to hit, why not move him back to 3B and have him take over there? Or do we want to try to convert Chavez to 1B and Barton to 3B?

to add 1-2 legitimate bats (be it a Dunn/Burrell type or a Carlos Gonzalez type) to the current group – and I have no idea if that’s the case, as historically it hasn’t been.

What dampens my enthusiasm is the latest news with Gallagher. Maybe it’s just a blip, not another Dan Meyer disaster or Joey Devine/Santiago Casilla setback, but if the A’s can’t keep their pitchers on track then their area of DEPTH is shot and everything looks to fall like dominoes.

The other thing is, I haven’t seen any evidence that the A’s are trying to build a successful team before 2010 – look at where Cardenas, Donaldson, and Carter are: Single A. If there’s an intention to compete in 2009, the plan still eludes me. And yet I will continue to hope!

I’m under the impression that many people here don’t think he will ever make an impact because of a lousy rookie season. your thoughts?
does everyone think it’s going from bad to worse or do you think the offseason could do a world of good from him and we can at least expect .280-.350 from him?

It might not be a playoff season, but it won’t be what this year is turning into either. It’s true that the offensive piece to complete the puzzle won’t be on the team, but with the pitching and steady (but not drastic) improvement of the young guys the A’s will still be a pretty good team.

until they really need it. I think most of the A’s real good prospects probably won’t be ready by next year, especially if they’re trying to move Carter to third and Cardenas to SS, they’ll need more time to get used to those positions.

Looking at it realistically, even if there are no injuries for any of them, they might not even make it up until late in 2010, and then they’re still going to take their lumps like… Barton and Buck…

I’m one of the guys who likes guys like Dunn and Giambi, but I don’t think the A’s are one of those teams to spend a whole lot of money for a whole lot of years on somebody like that, because most of them don’t deserve it (read: Jones, Andruw; Pierre, Juan) and won’t earn it.

Also, it’s not easy to find an impact third baseman or shortstop like everybody says we need to do. If you want an impact bat, you look in the outfield and at first or second base (Cano, Kinsler, Pedroia, Kendrick, Utley, Uggla, etc etc etc). And that’s NOT what the A’s are lacking right now, what with Weeks, Cardenas, Patterson at second; Doolittle, Carter, Barton (he’ll be good) at first; and CarGon, Sweeney, Cunningham, Buck (he’ll be back, too) in the outfield along with a whole bunch of toolsy guys that could be studs if they put it together.

What I would like the A’s to do is let this ridiculously young team to mature together like the Arizona D’backs have done. They’re fielding practically whole team that they seasoned themselves in their system——and they had more than enough left over to package a couple of them up and go out and get an impact guy that they coveted (Haren, anybody?).

When all of these young guys get up here and start producing like they should, THEN we can assess our needs and send some guys to a bad team for a guy like Jason Bay when we really need him. But why go out and spend money on somebody who’s just going to get older (and probably injured with the A’s) to play in the bigs while they wait for all these prospects to get it together?

It doesn’t make sense to me. There, I said it.

if what we’re thinking is “boy does that team on the field in green and gold right now suck.” The restocked stable of youngsters makes it not as bad as “We’re heading for a Kansas City style neverending quagmire of suck,” but I haven’t really seen anyone suggesting that.

However, if the record of the big league team in 2009 is how you define not keeping a good organization down, well, I must demur. The light at the end of the tunnel on the 2009 big league field figures to be just Arte’s Army getting ready to steamroll Oakland one more time.

Chris Carter moves well for a big guy, but he is a really, really big guy. He will never be a major league 3B, but who cares? Put him at DH and be grateful we have one of the most powerful hitters I have ever seen. Moonshot after moonshot. More than one 400 ft HR with the flick of a wrist. He has made great strides this year at Stockton with plate discipline. I think he will spend all next year at Midland, then start 2010 for the Rivercats. Middle 2010, he will be ready. Then look out!

Donaldson also has power. Legit. He is not quite agile enough behind the plate to be a MLB catcher, but he has a plus arm. Easily throws out guys stealing second. He is getting time at 3B when he is not catching. I think that is his future. He can field OK, and has the arm to make the long throw to first. He’s my bet for Oakland 3B in late 2010 or 2011.

Cardenas moves easy on the field. In 2011, he can be the starting 2B, 3B, or SS. Someone else, maybe Weeks or somebody, can play 2B. Cardenas can handle SS, and that’s where he will end up.

In general, the AA arms will be dominating for Oakland in 2010, but the A+ bats won’t be really bashing until 2011, when we win the West. Save your season ticket money for 2010-2015. It’s going to be fun. Just my humble opinions.

I don’t want to Jinx it so I will only use his initials but B.C. has at least been relativity healthy this year and has been a solid contributor. Perhaps with some feared bats hitting around him in the order in ‘09 he might even be more productive offensively.