Holliday, Giambi and/or Cabrera are packaged for AA-AAA prospects, who will be ready in 1-2 years, and we compete then, in 2010-11 and beyond, just like we planned.

What Beane did well regardless of how 2009 plays out is package spare parts for Holliday, a bonafide star who will either be a top-tier trade chip in July or an Type-A free agent in the fall. Similarly, in buying low on Cabrera & Giambi, he acquired two veterans who may well be sought after come the deadline in exchange for ‘B’ prospects.

Worst comes to worst, we’re back where we figured we’d be, only with more young talent.

The only thing us fans can do is cross our fingers, cheer like crazy, and hope to God that the whole thing doesn’t blow up in our faces…….Personally, I’m excited because I can’t remember an A’s team that was built like this one going into a season.

Might as well strap yourself in and enjoy the ride….

but, Harden, Haren and Blanton were already traded. The other “options” for back-of-the-rotation starters haven’t exactly shone brightly so far, so I think it’s just more than Holliday being here. It’s pretty much that Anderson and Cahill are better now than what else we have.

Also, I think the prospect of 9,500 fans/game average attendance in 2009 may have driven more than one of these decisions… Holliday, Giambi, 2/3 of the MAC in the rotation. Need to put butts in the seats in these hard economic times.

But do you really think beane would rush the organizations best prospects if he didn’t feel the were ready? I like to think he wouldn’t

Obviously he’s going to try and win whenever he can. But, we all know the A’s are, financially speaking, one of the worst teams in baseball. The team needs revenue now! I know I’ll be going to as many games as possible and I hope you do too.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO A’S FANS: GO TO GAMES AND GIVE THE A’S YOUR MONEY (within reason of course)

This is everything I’ve been saying for the last forever. I made a post about how the team Beane built can’t do two things at once. On the field he’s got veteran (or aging, if you will) sluggers, Nomar, O-Cab, Giambi, along with the Chavez, Ellis that we already had. But on the mound he’s got a bunch of 25 and under guys. Eveland’s got stuff and Braden is basically the man. But Gallagher, Gio, Cahill and Anderson are all wild cards. And looking at relative history, they don’t stand a good chance to do too well.

The Holliday trade did not cause the team to rush Anderson and Cahill.

If Holliday isn’t on the team, I strongly suspect that Anderson and Cahill start the season in AAA or below.

Yes, I suspect so as well. But in the same sense that if people weren’t walking around with umbrellas, I suspect the sidewalks would be dry. The umbrellas don’t cause the puddles; they are two separate effects of the same cause.

For whatever reason, the front office has decided to try to win this year. Because of that decision, Holliday was traded for. Because of that decision, combined with injuries and/or suckiness of the other candidates, our best prospects are going into the rotation sooner than is ideal for them.

but I share your concerns.

My “quibbles” are only as follows:

• The more time goes by, the less convinced I am that the A’s gave much of the future away to get Holliday. Beane may feel – and he may well be right – that of Sweeney, Buck, and Gonzalez, and perhaps even Cunningham, Gonzalez will be the least productive as a hitter/overall player. It hurts to lose Street because he was under contract for two more years, but Beane may have assessed Street as someone who peaked young and has had some of his best seasons already. Smith is and always was filler.

• I don’t think Cahill and Anderson made the team because of the A’s outlook on 2009; I think they made the team largely due to circumstance – specifically both Duchscherer AND Gio being unable to answer the bell in April (AND Gallagher completely underwhelming Geren, Young, and Beane). Now I think Anderson would have snuck in anyway, due to the “possible prodigy” angle you acknowledge – he may just be the rare 21 year old who’s as ready as if he were 24 and fresh off a full season of AAA. But Cahill really needed tons of un-contention related, un-Angels related circumstance to rise so fast.

• I’m not ready to concede that the rookies are “almost certain to struggle.” I’m willing to concede that they are almost certain to struggle at times. There’s a big difference.

But then I’m always kooky-optimistic the first week of April. You gotta be!