About a week ago I made a joke about posting a list of 3B prospects currently within the A's organization. Since I didn't bring up salb's height or Nico's goat affection some people didn't realize that I was telling a joke. So I'd like to set things straight once and for all...

There is no list.

Because there are no legit 3B prospects in the Oakland organization at this time.

That's the joke! HA!

Ha ha.

Heh.

Continue reading this post »

This is the part where I usually say something funny or profound.

I got nothing.

I do have the link to one of the most popular sites on the Web today:

PUPPY CAM!!!

http://www.google.com/trends/hottrends?q=box+of...    

Continue reading this post »

We're all pretty much in agreement that Trevor Cahill is a good prospect although we tend to disagree just how good he really is. I see no reason to re-hash that discussion but I am curious to know how much relative trade value this "good" prospect has. The A's have a ton of pitching depth and a gaping black hole at SS. They just traded for Matt Holliday, who will most likely at least sample the FA market a year from now. If the A's are going to seriously contend in 2009 then one of the things they must do is replace Bobby Crosby as their starting SS.

Continue reading this post »

I know it may seem like all I do around here is circle like a vulture and pick at the bloating corpse that is the San Diego Padres... come to think of it, that's pretty much all I've done since I joined the site. But you've got to understand that all I want to do is go back to AN and throw out an idea and create an intelligent, stimulating discussion. That typically means starting a conversation with enough information to feed both sides of the story.

So here I am crashing your party again.

Continue reading this post »

Hi.

I’m visiting from AthleticsNation because I don’t follow the Houston Astros and I have a question regarding Miguel Tejada. ESPN’s Jayson Stark is usually right fewer times a day than a broken clock but every now and then he finds a nugget. He says the Astros don’t have a lot of cash to upgrade their pitching staff and they might be looking to move some of their larger contracts. I don’t know if this is true or not and I don’t pretend to know how good the Astros expect to be in 2009. Do they think they can contend with the roster they’ve got right now or are they a few upgrades from having a realistic shot? What does the farm system look like; can they expect help from the young’uns?

I don’t know any of these answers so I promise I’m not trying to start a flame war when I ask if there’s a chance Miguel Tejada could be had in a trade. Would he be available and if he was what would the Astros want in return? I’m not asking for you to give me specific names of A’s players/prospects, just positions of need. I figure any deal would require the A’s to pick up the full $13 million Tejada is set to earn in 2009… I’m fine with that. The only request I make of anyone who replies is to be reasonable in your expectations of the return package. And if you think the Astros plan to make a run of it in 2009 and Miggy is a key to that, then let me know that as well.

In honor of Veterans Day, and the fact that my browser is struggling to deal with the 750 comment behemoth below, I'm starting a new thread to continue the ohhing and ahhing over the A's new addition.

Does Matt Holliday make the A's contenders in 2009?

I think the answer to that question lies in the health of Eric Chavez's shoulder, whether or not Daric Barton insists on continuing his Wally Pip impersonation and a bunch of other minor details involving mental discipline, personal growth and maybe an organ transplant or three.

Have at it.

I'm bored and felt like speculatin'.

I put up this same proposal at Gaslamp Ball and Talking Chop, I'm posting it here just to get some more input.

Atlanta's (supposedly) willing to deal Yunel Escobar/Jo Jo Reyes or Charlie Morton and possibly Gorkys Hernandez to land Jake Peavy. Couple problems here.

1st and foremost, the Padres would prefer Hanson over Reyes/Morton but that ain't happening. Sticking with Reyes/Morton... Reyes kinda sucks and Morton's 1st half success and subsequent big league struggles, combined with his spotty track record, could make the Padres hesitant to take him.

2nd, Peavy has a no-trade clause and has expressed concern about going to a Braves team sans Escobar. Even if the Braves could come up with a package the Padres would agree to, Peavy could kill the whole deal. Therefore, Peavy must be appeased.

This is my attempt to solve these issues.

San Diego gets: Daric Barton, Vincent Mazzaro, Gio Gonzalez (Oak)/ Yunel Escobar, Gorkys Hernandez (Atl)

Atlanta gets: Jake Peavy (SD)/Bobby Crosby (Oak)

Oakland gets: Adrian Gonzalez (SD)/Tyler Flowers (Atl)

Let me make this clear, I consider this a 90-95% solution. I came here to see if this was a fair deal and if it isn't, where it needs to be modified.

Let me explain some of the details.

I realize that San Diego doesn’t want to move Adrian Gonzalez, but there needs to be some incentive for Oakland to get involved. I thought about dropping Chase Headley in place of Adrian but from what I’ve read the Padres FO hold Headley as dear to their hearts as much as the Braves love Hanson.

Losing Escobar might irk Peavy, but I seriously doubt he’s up to speed on the latest defensive metrics. He almost certainly knows who Bobby Crosby is and while I’ll be the first to admit that Crosby pretty much sucks with the bat he does project to be an average defensive SS in 2009. Moving out of the AL and away from the Coliseum can only help Crosby’s bat (and it needs all the help it can get) but more importantly his arrival should keep Peavy from nixing the trade. Furthermore, an Escobar/Hernandez/Flowers package is probably a bit less than what they were originally willing to pay. (That’s debatable and I’ll leave that debate to Braves’ fans.)

If this is weak tea for anyone, it’s the Padres. Daric Barton offers up an immediate replacement to Adrian and while his 2008 season sucked his minor league numbers are good enough to still interest Kevin Towers and his ex-A’s associates. If the Padres don’t need a 2009 ready replacement for Gonzalez and they’d prefer someone other than Barton then that player could still come from the Oakland organization. Mazzaro and Gonzalez offer up a lot more upside than Reyes/Morton and both could be ready to pitch in San Diego by the middle of 2009, Gio Gonzalez maybe sooner. The Padres still get Escobar and Gorkys becomes their CF of the future.

Now, I’ve read that the Padres want a MLB ready SP, middle infield help and a bullpen arm for Peavy. This package gives them that and more, although I’m not sure the “more” enough to deal Adrian Gonzalez as well. (Hey, that’s why I said this is a 90-95% solution!) Let me know what you think.

I’m an A’s fan and I’m bored.

The Jake Peavy trade saga is the most interesting story around right now and I couldn’t help but notice the obstacles involved. Please bear with me as I give a brief synopsis of how I understand the situation.

Continue reading this post »

I’m an A’s fan and I’m bored.

The Jake Peavy trade saga is the most interesting story around right now and I couldn’t help but notice the obstacles involved. Please bear with me as I give a brief synopsis of how I understand the situation.

Continue reading this post »

Funny enough, this started out as a Staturday piece!

Yeah, that focus didn't last long.

There are certain fundamental problems with the A’s current 40 man roster and if I were a muppet of greater patience I could sit back and wait for things to correct themselves. However, if I had that kind of patience I sincerely doubt I’d be the poster you all know and love/hate. Besides, it’s not as if Oakland’s FO is immune from making mistakes… I mean, Bobby Crosby is still on the books so I can’t just assume that the A’s are going to do the right thing. So allow me to share my opinion in how things should proceed.

Continue reading this post »