who's the power hitter we get? [Update]: now with a poll

1 year with an option and plenty of incentives? It's worth a try in my opinion, and if he's doing well could be traded.

Aside from the right-handed power threat, Manny also acts as a lightning rod for the media, thus allowing Chavez to fly under the radar and not open his mouth so much.

It could be the perfect scheme... Remember you heard it here first.

First, I don't care how well-rested Piazza's going to be if he's the DH; he's been in a steady decline since '00. His name alone will drive the cost up, and moving to DH won't offset the fact that he'd be back in a pitcher's park and another year older.

The DH is where I think we have more options, because we don't have to limit ourselves according to position. My first choice, then, would be Chad Tracy. He's young, cheap, and has done nothing but improve. If Beane can convince Arizona that Tony Clark is going to keep pretending he's Derek Lee (or to move Jackson or Griffin to first), then maybe a fair package of something like Payton (to replace some of the power), Sarloos (they need pitching, and bad), Duchscherer (I repeat, they need pitching, especially in relief, and we'd have to make a sacrifice somewhere), and someone like Robnett, Mellilo, or Pennington would be able to send him over.

If we can't get Tracy, I'd say what the hell and see what we could do to get either Manny, or even better, Jason Bay for LF. I know Pittsburgh would want a lot, but maybe Zito, Sarloos, Duchscherer, Payton, and Herrera? Lots of pitching to give up, I know, but if I were Billy and I wanted something, I wouldn't bother trying to fool anyone by trying to dump guys like Cruz, Kennedy, Garcia, or Rincon off on them and call it a deal. I would, however, try to avoid losing Harden, Haren, Blanton, Band Camp, Swisher, or Ellis, (Kendall, Kotsay, and Chavez aren't going anywhere).

http://www.athleticsnation.com/comments/2005/4/18/132140/444/19/post#here

I only have my comment in the link, but it's funny how i said include Hatteberg. LOL i wish.

Pessimists
The team will remain largely unchanged and continue to struggle offensively.  The market values offense just as it should be valued and to take advantage of inefficies we have to rely on defense, "gamers", and good chararcters.  Chavez will continue to struggle and any FA is out of the question (even Durazo).  No way can we trade for Dunn, Cabrera, Mora, or tracy they are just too expensive.

Realists
"I have no idea what Beane's gonna do."  

Tons of power but strikes out a lot also. They (well at least Jim Tracy) seems to be tiring of him in LA but he shouldn't be too tough to pry from Depo. You guys have to realize we probably aren't getting that big name power hitter who can hit for average and walk at the same time. We're a small market, we're going to have to accept some flaws. While Choi defintely wouldn't be a cleanup hitter he'd look good in the 5-6 spot.

Chipper Jones might be a decent DH in theory, but no way that's happening.

BB can let Kielty (of/dh) go and take on Aubrey (of/3b/1b/dh0. Aubrey tears the cover off the ball at the coliseum and against the better teams (our playoffs rivals).

Keilty ($1.5 in arb?) is less flexible on playing positions and always hits better from one side - Huff ($6.? in '06) hits righties and lefties equally well and is VERY, V E R Y, EASY to get into everyday lineups.

...I'm hoping Huff rarely plays DH. That makes him more valuable! You can still add a bat at DH!
BB could re-sign Durazo to $2 - 2.5 million on a 1 or 2 year deal.

Starters:

2b Ellis
dh Durazo/Huff
ss Crosby
3b Chavez/Huff
1b DJ/Huff
lf Swisher/Huff
rf Payton/Huff
c  Kendall
cf Kotsay

...So Kielty leaves, Huff joins, ...that still leaves $4.5 to compensate for. The D-Rays want pitching in return. Kennedy to D-Rays removes another $3-$4 million (after arbitration). Depending on what the D-Rays will accept; include Cruz or Meyer. If it's Meyer BB can ask for an A or AA player in return. (This means BB extends Zito 3-4 years, ... a good thing!)

If A's & Rays do it that is an additional 50 HRs & 60 doubles easy, 110  extra base hits, ...without hurting the defense or long range A's plans. You are basically replacing at bats by Hatte, Ginter, Watson, Bocachica, & Kielty's 200+. (I think Zito, Harden, Blanton, Haren, & Braden are all better starters than Meyer!)

A cheap man's version can be had by bringing Barton up as DH but I believe he should do at least another year in the minors.

He'd DH and back-up at 3B, SS, 2B, probably 1B and he just told Dusty he'd play OF.

He can still flat out hit, as he has since coming off the DL, and though his injury history makes him anything but a lock to play 140 games, he'd be Dh'ing most of the time, and that would have to help his brittle bones, joints and muscles...

I was hoping we'd get him at the deadline after Bobby got hurt. Didn't read it anywhere...Just hoped...

That's about as feasible as many of these proposals I've been hearing.

An honest trade:

Kendall, Dan Meyer, Ethier, Colamarino

For

Delgado, Lo Duca

The A's actually havea  few options this year, i think Beane will be able to tell the right from the wrong.