Elephant Rumblings: How Should A’s Approach a Deep Catching Market?

The Elephant Rumblings are back for good! If you don’t recognize the byline, that’s because I decided my old username - bernie_till_i_die - was getting a little outdated. If you’ll remember, I ran the Daily Bernie link dump a couple years back. Since then, Jack (Frederic_Henry) has done a great job with the daily Elephant Rumblings and I’m sad to see him have to take a step back. But I wish him all of the best with his family going forward, and I plan on keeping these posts going strong!

Here are your links from a relatively quiet weekend in the baseball world.

A’s Coverage:

• Shea: How the A’s play baseball’s waiting game...
• Lockard: Chad Pinder maximized his A’s value with versatility; can Austin Slater do the same for the Giants? ($)
• Lee: A’s have 2 clear needs ahead of 2019 season...
• MLB Pipeline: MLB’s 30 fastest prospects -- one from each team...

MLB News:

• ESPN: Indians acquire C Kevin Plawecki in trade with Mets...
• ESPN: Astros trade J.D. Davis to Mets for prospects...
• Rosenthal: Why the Cubs are in a bind; the meaning behind the Mets’ moves; ex-manager finds interesting new gig... ($)
• Nightengale: Manny Machado gets formal offer from White Sox; talks heat up with Bryce Harper...
• Sources: Rockies showing interest in Dozier...
• Burns: Compensation for Braves uncertain as top pick enrolls at junior college...

Baseball Interest Stories:

• Rosenthal: The slow market for Harper and Machado is another sign that baseball’s current system is broken... ($)
• Petriello: This is the best pitcher you don’t know about...
• Greenberg: Going Deep - Andruw Jones’ Cooperstown Candidacy...

Today in Baseball History:

• 1992 - Starter Tom Seaver and reliever Rollie Fingers, two of the greatest pitchers of their generation, are elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA.

Best of Twitter:

• After signing with the Los Angeles Angels, former Oakland catcher Jonathan Lucroy thinks he can turn around his offensive decline...

• Pitching Ninja Rob Friedman highlights Blake Treinen’s ridiculous season...

• A reminder, to hopefully make you smile in the middle of a long baseball offseason...