So, feel free to talk about Danny Haren and how much you will miss him here.
We can also discuss the merits of our new Athletics. From Baseball Prospectus:
But let's talk about the big four briefly [...]You could argue with me that Gonzalez should be the number one guy, and I probably wouldn't put up much of a fight. His tools are outstanding, his performances merely good, and his effort highly questionable. Still, there is tremendous upside here, including the possibility of a Hanley Ramirez-like "OK, I'm in the majors, now I'll be good" type of breakout.
[...]
Anderson instantly becomes the best pitching prospect in the system. He'll likely begin the year at High-A Stockton. Joining him at Stockton will be Carter, who already received the full treatment: he ranked as the top position player in the White Sox system.
Cunningham is another three-star talent, and while he's a little closer to the big leagues, likely beginning the year at Double-A Midland, scouts are mixed on him.
[...]
While the package of players Oakland received doesn't lead off with the star power of a Jacoby Ellsbury, Philip Hughes, or Jon Lester, as an overall sum of talent, it matches up well with the offers the Minnesota was rumored to be getting for Johan Santana during the winter meetings. But those are rumors, this is reality, and the rebuilding process has not only begun in Oakland, but it's gotten off on the right foot.
Or we could talk about all of our feelings and emotions seeing players we know well on the field admit one by one to at least a day of steroid use. We can also use this time to discuss how steroids inadvertently saved baseball in 1998, and whether we would gladly accept all of this scandal in exchange for keeping baseball alive after the strike.
Or we can discuss Spring Training again. Tickets went on sale on Monday morning, and are available here.
I think it’s going to be March 7th-9th for me this year. If you have tickets and plans, and feel inclined to share, please do so. Hotel recommendations, local hot spots, and other tips and tricks are always appreciated by the AN community.
I am excited this year more than any in a while, because I look forward to a few races for roster spots.
So...any guesses on our starting lineup?
