Being one of the kool-aid drinkers, one of the Billy Believers, I'm on board and interested to see how these moves play out. I'm hopeful that Kennedy can be a solid lefty out of the 'pen and Witasick-Duchscherer-Street makes 7-8-9 seem like 1-2-3.

Let's go Oakland! See you guys at the game tomorrow night!

I'll be the first to eat my words if he has a solid tour of duty with the A's (in his second try), but... until then... I'll admit I'm not thrilled. It just seems too much tinkering for too little ultimate purpose-- the team's still basically much the same now as it would have been had Beane not done anything.

So long, Eric.  I'll follow your career and work elsewhere, unfortunately.  

I'm disappointed as hell right now.

My daughter loves him - we'd bust a gut watching him run out a triple... "Looks like he's gonna fly apart any second!"

But to be REALLY honest, I'm still nursing a grudge about not touching the plate in Boston. That and Miggy stopping to argue a call make up one of my worst A's nightmares.

Good luck Eric - may the thin Colorado air bring you much free agent success.

In Billy We Trust

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1864072

"Kendall was batting in the fourth inning of Pittsburgh's 3-0 win when a pitch from Kennedy hit the protective pad the catcher wears on his upper left arm.

Kendall dropped his bat and started toward first base. Kennedy stepped off the mound and appeared to say something to Kendall, which caused Kendall to abruptly turn and charge the pitcher. After a brief wrestling match that brought players out of both dugouts and bullpens, order was restored."

Bradford = $1.5m+ arbitration coming next year
Byrnes = $3m+ arbitration coming next year

I don't believe this talk from Beane/Forst at all.  We are not going to pay Kennedy $3m next year (his likely arbitration figure next year) to be in the bullpen.  We can't possibly be looking at Payton for LF or RF when we already have Kotsay patrolling on defense.

i was at Fan Fest this year in the Q&A session when zito was talking about how him and byrnes surfed together. the guys on this team have nothing but love for byrnes and i'll bet they're all really sad right now.

on the other hand, i'm happy with what we got in that deal. the payton trade is really up in the air for me. now that we have witasick, i dont feel the loss of bradford is that big of a deal (except emotionally, another guy i like). kennedy could be excellent out of the pen.

we didn't think billy was going to go through half a season without pulling off a key/unexpected trade, did we?

You're crazy. Payton is deteriorating in his power. He'll never hit over 800 OPS again unless he was the one traded to Colorado. Byrnes is 3 years younger and maintaining an OPS over 800.

We don't need Witasick- we have Calero, Duchscherer, and Cruz is pitching great in Sacramento. Beane doesn't care about power in pitchers.

Payton duplicates Kielty or Byrnes- what you get in defense you more than lose in offense.

Witasick duplicates Bradford.

This move was to save money- we don't get better as a team unless you value depth absurdly.

But ultimately the thing I will always remember about Byrnesie is his appalling inability to hit when it really counted.

Two out and two on, you could GUARANTEE that Byrnsie would pop it up.  Every friggin' time.

I wish him well in Colorado and predict that he will be the Rockies' All-Star next year.

But this is a good move for the A's.

In Billy we trust.  And for good reason.

Now for analysis:
I visualize either Payton or Kielty traded away to any of the other teams who might want them, and Watson called up as the new 4th outfielder - not sure how I'd split playing time among that four though.  You could package a starting pitcher and a corner outfielder (take your pick which 5th starter - we have plenty) to a contender for something actually good.

If you don't mind seeing Watson as one of 4 outfielders, with some uknown amount of playing time, we still have the ability to trade away an above-average middle infielder (Ellis Ginter or Scutaro), an above-average corner outfielder (Kielty or Payton) and a 5th string pitcher - or a 4th or 3rd string for some teams - Sarlos, Etherson, or Kennedy.  That's a LOT of trade bait without losing much important about the team.  

P.S. - I know I can't spell the names of our players - sorry.

1. He swapped OFers of similar value. Payton's is more valuable defensively and he can play more games, since Byrnes had become fairly worthless vs. RHP;
2. He upgraded the bullpen twice. Bradford had deteriorated the past couple of years, partic. against LHP. Witasick is getting better. Relief pitchers are a fickle bunch, but Beane appears to have helped the pen;
3. as he has done with Kennedy.

and more depth from the right side with Duke, Calero and Witasick (and Yabu) before Street is ever necessary.

4) Plus he's thrown another potential LH starter into the mix in case: a) meyer doesn't pan out; or b) Zito prices himself out of the As range;

You can never get enough pitching. Pennington made Quintanilla expendable;

And BB pulled a real coup. In addition to getting a better hitter than ByrnesBum vs righties, Payton is incomparably better on "D" and can play CF if Kotsay is hurt or needs to rest. Bumblin Burnsey is, as I've said, a disaster waiting to happen in CF. Or RF or LF for that matter. Hey, now we have OFs who at least are bright enough to consistently hit the cut-off man.

In a few seasons, the sole lasting memory of BrynesBrain will be his failure to touch homeplate vs the BoSox, probably costing the A's the playoffs.

And BB gave the A's an upgrade in the pen, with Witasick an improvement over Bradford in that he has a power arm to get out righties and he can get lefties out as well if called to do so. Lefties absolutely feasted vs Bradford when they had the opportunity. And Kennedy, under Young's tutelage, may reach fruition for the potential he was heralded as having with the D-Rays. Pitching in Coors can detonate any pitcher's confidence.

At first, look for Kennedy as a LOOGY with Flores being sent back to Sacto. I like Rincon, but he has been simply a middle of the pack LOOGY. Perhaps Kennedy can improve upon this. And if he demonstrates that he can approach his once acclaimed potential, look for him as a starter either this season or next.

Flores did a good job in a few appearances. But don't moan if he goes back to Sacto--he just doesn't have the stuff to get lefties out over the long haul. Kennedy is likely to be an upgrade here...

Witasick is the definition of a journeyman, but he is pitching well this year.  Hopefully, he can be an effective sixth/seventh inning pitcher.  He's probably a safer bet than Bradford for this year.

I don't really know what Beane wants to do with Kennedy.  Is he a fifth starter, with Saarloos moving to the bullpen?  (I don't see how that helps the team.)  Is he insurance, in case someone gets hurt or goes into a slump?  Is he a LOOGY?  Another lefty out of the 'pen, replacing Flores or Rincon?  Does he go to Sacramento for a while to get his act together?  Or is he trade bait?  Kennedy is the biggest mystery.

As for what Beane traded, I don't think Quintanilla will be a star.  His numbers are going the wrong direction, and he makes too many errors.  Bradford is a worthwhile risk for the Red Sox, and I do worry he will haunt us, but he might never make it back and has back problems that are unlikely to go away.  Byrnes has been covered thoroughly.  He is what he is.  It won't be the same without him, but I'll never really forgive him for failing to touch home plate.

These trades are not about the future, aside from avoiding arbitration cases this winter.  They are about this year, which is nice.  But I'm not sure how much they improve the team.

Expect Foolsh to give us regular reports of how well his idol is doing in the light atmosphere of Colorado. In fact, maybe said light atmosphere will get Brynes' brain moving in tune with his feet and he will occasionally hit the cutoff man and throw to the right base. Yep, the Rockies in his head might mitigate the rocks in his head.

Foolsh, we look forward to many a diary authored by you on how foolsh BB was to let the Bumbler go!
:-) :-) :-)

A young pitcher doesn't simply lose it overnight. Clearly, his mechanics and/or confidence took a hit this year. But if any pitching coach can help a talented young hurler rebound, it's Curt Young. Look what he's done with Blanton, Haren, Harden and Saarloos.

I do remember a really good AB that Payton had as a Met in the WS vs. the Yanks.  There was no way he was going to get an out (I'm blanking on who the pitcher was).

Yeah yeah his stats are fine this year (a last place team is not exactly high-pressure), but from what I've seen of him I think Witasick is one of those guys that at some point in the year in a crucial situation we are going to be saying "I can't #^@&*$^ believe Macha left #$@$^& WITASICK out there."  Get out the 'Fear Witasick' signs...

I'm crossing my fingers that this is just beane's "phase 1" trade.

And Kennedy - he's a 5th starter; LHP yes, but 5th starter no less... we have 5th starters in Saarloos and Yabu - heck, wasn't one of Duke's strong points supposed to be the fact that he could start too?

Put me in the camp that hopes BB moves more players for a power hitter - can I dream a little dream and ask for Gary Sheffield along with whirled peas?

As for Burn Baby Byrnes, he'll sorely be missed in Oakland. Team chemistry has always been paramount in the A's clubhouse. Byrnes was definitely a guy that kept things loose on the team. Plus, he was a spark plug. As the sports cliche goes, hustle is contagious. I thought last year's squad really missed the spark that Miggy brought to the ballpark every day. I know Byrnes didn't have that much of an impact, but he was a guy that energized the team. I hope Payton doesn't damper the mood or spirit of a team with a whole lot of momentum.

I'll personally miss Byrnes. He represented the everyman; he was a guy that went after it hard every day. Sure he may have frustrated us from time to time with his pop-ups, but he played his heart out and may have been guilty sometimes of trying too hard. But how can you get mad at a guy who gives it his all? I'll always respect a player that consistently rewards fans that pay their hard-earned money with all-out effort game in and game out. Byrnes was that type of player and he should always be applauded and remembered in Oakland.

Payton can be a solid reserve, but he didn't like that role in Boston. So why on earth would he embrace that role in Oakland.  I sense a bad attitude coming our way....something the A's tend to avoid.

I will miss Byrnes.  I see we brougt up the homeplate play....but the Gibson HR will forever hurt me so so so much more!!!!  Heck even the Je Gi**bi play hurts more than that.  Byrnes gave his all for the A's. I loved his hustle and attutude.  He was given a much smaller role this year after a great season last year.  He handled it very well.....better than I think Payton will.

Perhaps Billy isn't done yet, I don't believe he is.  In Billy we trust, so I'm sticking to that!

Bradford... man. That guy is my favorite pitcher to watch in baseball. Period. It kills me that he's going to the enemy, he doesn't deserve to and up in Boston, those fans eat relief pitchers alive. He's too nice, too good of a person to end up there. I hope he kicks the hell out of every damn player in the AL East. He's been such a huge part of our bullpen, I've been waiting for him to come back, it's gonna be strange for that not to happen anymore. He's one of the Moneyballers, and he's just been huge for us with those DP-inducing pitches. I hope Chadford succeeds and then gets the hell outta Boston when he can, to rule the relief world elsewhere.

And Byrnes. Man. Two kicks in the teeth is apparently what Beane is going for. He's gonna rock the hell outta Colorado. I think I'll go to SBC sometime when they're playing, sit in the LF bleachers and listen to the folks heckle the hell outta him for old time's sake, since that was always the funniest part of the A's/Giants series.   It always killed me a little to see people bash Byrnes, since for all the mistakes he made, the guy genuinely wanted to be here, he genuinely played hard, and he made games fun as a fan. He threw his body out there, he got dirty by the end of the first, and he ran out walks like nobody's business. I respect that. I still remember when he was in that horrible slump after the cycle -- the papers reported how he did what Macha told him to do to get another chance to play, all the extra work he put in to earn the chance. I respect that. I respect a guy who spends his first days on the field in the DR practicing running into the fence just to see if he can do it in a game. Eric Byrnes is a guy I have always and will always have infinite respect for, he plays hard and is a good person and a good Athletic. I hope he tears it up in Colorado. His time has been limited forever, but I just... I wish it wasn't now.

I'm used to having only ONE absolutely brain-killing trade during a season+offseason, getting rid of Hudson, Mulder, Byrnes, and Bradford is just a lot to take. I know we're supposed to root for the name on the front, but that's just not all of who I am. I root for the name on the front, but I love the name on the back -- baseball's been the one thing to keep me afloat at times. 2003 was a rough, rough year for me, and Bradford and Byrnes were two huge pieces of the only thing that kept me sane for a long period. I can honestly say the A's have saved me in so many ways, and it always hurts to watch two boys that were a part of that go.

Especially for goddamn Payton and goddamn Kennedy. I know I'm always wrong about Billy's deals, but I really can't see the worth in either of those guys. Payton's gonna be a clubhouse cancer, Redman-style, we all know this. He'd better get flipped. You'll never, EVER see him doing a Chippendale's dance on the team. I'm tired of guys like Redman and Rhodes and Guillen coming in and bitching, let's just stop this trend.

Witasick is the only value we are getting.

I also liked the love Byrnes got on the ESPN Top 10 highlights show, with Gammons and Harold Reynold consistently calling Byrnes "Crashtest Dummy". I think secretly Gammons was trying to highlight Byrnes to get him traded. He knows the power he yields.

Finally, on the trade, unless Payton is a whiz defensively, he adds no value to the team. He's an old guy and does nothing but threaten to decrease time for Kielty, Swisher and DJ - all guys who are absolutely vital to our current success and future success. Why risk the threat to our chemistry??? Everything is going GREAT right now. In the process we lose a guy who was hands down the best setup man in the biz 2 years ago. I assume Beane feels he's lost it for good. Furthermore, if he's any good he bolsters the Sox.

We also lose Byrnes and a prospect and gain 2 relievers with spotty track records. I agree with Beane that we need bullpen help, so 2 new arms is good. But will we be able to keep either at the end of the season?

In '06, we could have nothing (but maybe draft picks) from Bradford, Byrnes and Quintanilla.

All of that said I am very confident in Beane's ability. Which means I can't wait to see what happens next, because it's going to be good.

P.S. why all the love for Dunn? I think it's REALLY overinflated. The guy K's like a champ and with all this hype he's going to be completely overpriced. Meanwhile, we're threatening starting spots for the guys on the A's that already DO have power or power potential: Swisher and DJ.

Why mess with that good thing?

he gets beat like an old red tomato in the post season.

I do wish Eric luck in Colorado. I have many fond memories of him. And I send my condolences to all the Byrnes fans out there. Please don't let this one trade turn you away from being an A's fan. Remember how we all felt after the Hudson/Mulder trades? And look at us now! Things get better over time.

Player    G    GS    IP    H9    BB9    SO9    HR9    ERA    RA    RA+    VORP
Jay Witasick    32    0    35.7    6.81    3.03    10.09    0.50    2.52    2.78    1.98    11.6
Joe Kennedy    16    16    92.0    12.52    4.30    5.09    1.17    7.04    7.92    0.69    -22.0

maybe this is about:

1. getting a power reliever who's having a great year to help Street in the second half.  
   
2. picking up Kennedy when his market value is (very) low.  
   
3. not losing too much with the Byrnes/Payton swap.  As Blez mentioned, Payton's longer-term numbers are better than these.
   
4. keeping options open for the future: Witasick and Payton leave after this year, and the A's get draft picks. And Kennedy's here (with a reasonable contract) until his value is higher
   
5. avoiding the risk that Bradford's back may be a chronic thing...

Witasick will fill out of the bullpen, and hopefully continue pitching as well as he has thus far this season.

It looks like Payton is the player most likely to be flipped at the deadline.  But he could keep him, as he is probably better against right-handers than Kielty.  Still, he's a short-term patch... if that.

The more guys they get rid of from the four straight years of first round collapse's the better.

I like this new look team quite a bit and my sense is that these guys won't choke when they get to the big games.

I'll never forget the frustration of watching that team lose game 5 FOUR STRAIGHT YEARS :o(

As much as I liked and miss Tejada, he was the epitome of the choking A's those years, with Chavez right behind him.

FWIW, I don't miss Hudson or Mulder at all. I like the future with this current pitching staff.

Furthermore, these tweaks hurt team chemistry. The past fight btw Kendall and the new pitcher doesn't help. Adding a whiner to a situation without an outfield spot doesn't help either.

No one's brought this up. How does bringing 2 pitchers from the NL effect things? Is there a transition period?

Payton makes $3.5MM per year. That's a lot.
Kennedy makes 2.2. In each of his last 3 outings OUTSIDE of Colorado, his ERA's around 9.00.
Witasick: it doesn't post his salary. His numbers look good this year both inside and outside of Colorado.

We gave up a platoon OF who everybody loved and the 2nd highest SLG on the team for a reliever to help preserve Street and Duch. That's what I see, all in all.

I trust Beane, but I hope hope hope he sees more in these guys than the stats indicate.

If Payton starts bitching, I'm REALLY going to miss Byrnes. He is "A's Brand of Baseball" afterall, and I really think you shouldn't under-estimate that. A's brand of baseball is part of the reason guys love it here. And it shows.