2005/2006 A's offseason thread

[Providence A's]

Saarloos for Bradley, not Zito

OAKLAND -- At least one major media outlet reported Monday that the A's were talking to the Dodgers about a Barry Zito-for-Milton Bradley trade, but that report was as wrong as Tom Jones covering Prince tunes.
The Zito part of it, anyway. Multiple sources confirmed that the A's are interested in Bradley, a switch-hitting outfielder with patience and pop who, if healthy, would be a perfect on-the-field fit for Oakland.

Bradley, 27, made $2.5 million last season -- he's eligible for arbitration -- while batting .290 with 13 homers, 38 RBIs and a .350 on-base percentage in 75 games. His year ended with surgery on his left knee in August, and he also spent time on the disabled list in June with a torn ligament in his right ring finger.

"He's a very, very good player," new Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said recently.

Colletti, however, is well aware of Bradley's history of erratic behavior, and that's said to be why the Dodgers are eager to move him despite his considerable talent and modest price tag.

"It's a very complicated situation," Colletti said Monday. "I haven't made any decision yet."

Last year alone, Bradley was accused of choking his pregnant wife and accused teammate Jeff Kent of being a racist. The year before that, he was traded from the Indians during Spring Training after failing to run out a ground ball and getting into an argument with manager Eric Wedge. Later in the year, he was suspended twice, once for throwing a plastic bottle into the stands at Dodger Stadium and once for an extended post-ejection tantrum, then nearly came to blows in the clubhouse with a sportswriter during the playoffs.

He also spent some time in jail while with the Indians for bolting on police after a routine traffic stop.

A's GM Billy Beane, who likened the rather uneventful opening day of the annual Winter Meetings to "the weigh-in before the fight," didn't discuss Bradley specifically Monday night while meeting with reporters in his hotel suite. Yet he conceded that character issues are taken into consideration when he's thinking of adding a player.

"Certainly," he said. "Any trade you make, that should certainly go into your thinking. ... It's something you have to consider, no question, and that's out of respect for the guys already here."

He added, however, that the strength of his current club's character is so great that it might be able to handle a bad apple.

"The great thing about our clubhouse is that we can absorb a lot," he said. "It's a pretty tight group, so there's a lot of guys who can fit into our clubhouse."

It's worth noting that the man who traded for Bradley as the Dodgers GM last spring is Paul DePodesta, who was Beane's assistant GM for several years in Oakland.

"There's interest [from other teams about Bradley]," Colletti said. "I would say a lot."

The A's are said to be dangling right-hander Kirk Saarloos and potentially another player as bait for Bradley, but Beane said he'd be happy to have Saarloos on the 2006 team. Saarloos started 27 games for Oakland last season and went 10-9 with a 4.17 ERA, but the acquisition of Esteban Loaiza last week bumped Saarloos to the bullpen. He made 32 relief appearances with Houston in 2003 and was a closer in college.

"Kirk is a very versatile guy, and he had a heck of a year for us," Beane said. "And I wouldn't necessarily say he's started his last game for the A's."

Beane, who has a wealth of starting pitching, said he met with a few teams Monday and noted that not all of the talks were centered around Zito, who is entering the final year of his contract.

"Any time you've got starting pitching, you're going to get some interest from a lot of teams," he said. "There's been interest in a couple of guys."

Beane even added a pitcher Monday, acquiring righty Chad Gaudin from the Blue Jays for a player to be named later. Gaudin, 22, went 9-8 with a 3.35 ERA in 23 starts at Triple-A Syracuse last year and went 1-3 with a 13.15 ERA in five games (three starts) with Toronto.

"It's a strength," Beane said of the organization's pitching depth, "and you'd like to keep it a strength."

[Providence A's]

Thos offseason needs to be over now because these "rumors" are driving me crazy.

The ever reliable Peter Gammons reported that the A's are close to signing Frank Thomas and trading for David Wells ( ) He also said that Zito won't be traded and we won't get Bradley...

[Providence A's]

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NAS...=.jsp&c_id=oak

The A's offered arbitration to ADH's favorite player, Ricardo Rincon. I don't think we'll sign him back and will go with either Kennedy or Flores as our leftie specialist.

We didn't offer arbitration to Durazo or Dotel, which means that when they sign with someone else we won't get a draft pick

[love_that_reefer]

Now that Pierre is with the Cubs, I don't see why the A's won't get Bradley. I thought I read somewhere that Saarloos would be in the deal.

[Providence A's]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...PGMEG465D1.DTL

Dallas -- It's not news that the A's are interested in Frank Thomas. It is news that the interest is mutual.

The proof came Tuesday when the Big Hurt visited the Big Suite (Billy Beane's hideout during the winter meetings), making more realistic the possibility that the two-time MVP could bat in the middle of the A's lineup next year.

"He would seem to fit the criteria," said Beane, the A's general manager who's seeking a right-handed batter with some pop.

Thomas, 37 and traditionally carrying far more than 250 pounds on his 6-foot-5 frame, has been hurt the past two seasons, limited to 108 games, but he's a career .307 hitter (.427 on-base percentage) with 448 homers and 1,465 RBIs. After his lengthy stay with the White Sox, concluded by a World Series that he missed, Thomas said he wants to keep playing for a winner.

He also wouldn't mind adding to his legacy. Another 52 homers, and he'd be in the 500 club.

"I'm just going to find the right situation and a winning situation," Thomas told the Chicago Tribune as he rushed through the lobby. "That's important to me."

The Twins also are interested in Thomas, who would be a designated hitter after sustaining multiple foot injuries. With Oakland, he'd likely bat cleanup behind Eric Chavez.

"There are a lot of teams interested, and we'll see how it works out," said Thomas, who was accompanied by his agent, Arn Tellum, for his visit with Beane and other A's officials.

On a day that talks between Thomas and Oakland heightened, the A's dropped out of the Milton Bradley sweepstakes. The A's had been serious about trading for the Dodgers outfielder, but Thomas is now the clear No. 1 choice on the wish list.

The A's never considered trading Barry Zito to the Dodgers. The bait would have been someone such as Kirk Saarloos, who was bumped from the rotation after the recent Esteben Loaiza signing. But negotiations with the Dodgers hardly evolved, partly because Dodgers GM Ned Colletti was focused more on finding a manager.

Colletti admitted he has been difficult to reach. He said the Giants, his employers until he joined the Dodgers last month, turned off his cell phone early Tuesday. He missed all his calls, he said with a smile, until he got the Giants to turn it back on.

The Dodgers got a new manager, Grady Little. Maybe now they ought to buy their GM a new phone.

In Thomas' last full season, 2003, he hit .267 with 42 homers and 105 RBIs, but he has been mostly shelved since then with a broken left foot. He arrived Tuesday seemingly in better shape than when the season ended, and without favoring the foot.

"He looks fantastic," Beane said. "He was very impressive, the kind of shape he's in and condition he's in. He's an impressive gentleman as well. ... The word presence is next to his name in the dictionary."

Wherever he goes, Thomas will take a huge pay cut and likely accept an incentive-based contract. The A's won't make a formal offer until after tonight's deadline for teams to offer arbitration to their free agents. The White Sox won't offer arbitration to Thomas, so any team that signs him won't lose draft picks as compensation.

Beane has other options and didn't rule out another veteran free agent, Mike Piazza. He also reiterated that he's not set on trading Zito, despite reports to the contrary -- including a proposed deal with the Rangers, according to the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

"It's the nature of these meetings," Beane said of the Zito speculation. "We have an outstanding rotation, and we want to have an outstanding rotation when the season starts."

Beane left Tuesday night for Washington, D.C., and his top assistant, David Forst, will run the show (and the suite) for the final two days of the meetings.

"Don't go getting all Alexander Haig on me," Beane told Forst.

E-mail John Shea at jshea@sfchronicle.com.

I'm excited about Frank Thomas on the cheap and keeping Zito.

[love_that_reefer]

As you should be. Thomas showed what can happen when healthy last year. Seemed like he hit a homer in every game he was in. Too bad he wasn't healthy long.

[Providence A's]

Well, it appears he'll get an incentive laden deal and therfore will be low risk. Beane's gotta do what he's gotta do.

[Halladay_is_God]

Blue Jays acquired outfielder Dustin Majewski from the Athletics to complete the Chad Gaudin trade.
Majewski, who was available in the Rule 5 draft, hit .272/.348/.477 with 13 SB for Single-A Stockton last season. There's a chance that he could have a career as a reserve, but he'll need to step it up in Double-A next season

[Providence A's]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...PGAEG4O4K1.DTL

Dallas -- The A's aren't shopping Barry Zito as they shopped Tim Hudson last year at this time, and that means the trendy lefty might have a decent shot at staying in Oakland.

In an effort to make payroll and replenish the organization with young players, the A's traded Hudson to Atlanta a year ago. Two days later, for the same reasons, Mark Mulder was dealt to St. Louis.

Although the mainstream assessment is that Zito will go next, owner Lewis Wolff said the 2006 A's can make it work monetarily with Zito, who has one year remaining on his contract at $7.9 million -- not the $8.5 million widely reported.

"We can go the whole season the way we are, and any trades have to be positive trades -- not based on economics and trying to save money," Wolff said in a phone interview. "I assume (Zito) will be with us awhile. He's an A in '06 right now. It's really up to Billy."

Showing just how eager he is to trade Zito at the winter meetings, general manager Billy Beane left Tuesday night, with two full days remaining. Furthermore, unlike with Hudson, Beane said he'd consider speaking about a contract extension with Zito's agent, Arn Tellem.

Zito would be traded, implied Wolff, only if it benefited the on-field product. Wolff and majority partner John Fisher bought the A's just before Opening Day last year, and the team finished 88-74 and drew 2.1 million fans (eighth in the AL).

The payroll is increasing about 10 percent, Beane said, and Wolff, whose focus is building a new ballpark, confirmed it'll go deep into the $60 million range after the A's signed Esteban Loaiza to a three-year, $21 million contract.

"I'm just hoping we get positive fan reaction with our attendance," Wolff said. "Billy continues to field a fabulous team, and I hope fans who didn't support us in the past will start to. It's a very big goal for me. I've got to find out how strong we are in the local market.

"We're trying to put the most quality team on the field. We just don't want to go to the playoffs."

The A's haven't advanced past the first round of the postseason since 1990, when Cincinnati swept them in the World Series, and it's safe to say Zito would be a key to the A's hopes in 2006.

On Wednesday, with Beane in Washington, D.C., assistant GM David Forst reported no new business other than the A's offering arbitration to free-agent reliever Ricardo Rincon, which leaves open the possibility of his returning.

Scott Hatteberg, however, won't be back, at least as a player. The A's didn't offer arbitration to Hatteberg and three other free agents: Octavio Dotel, Erubiel Durazo and Alberto Castillo. The A's can't negotiate with them until May 1 and won't receive draft picks as compensation.

The A's haven't yet made a one-year, incentive-laden offer to free-agent Frank Thomas, who was not offered arbitration Wednesday by the White Sox, but it's in the works. As for a report of interest in Boston lefty David Wells, Forst hinted it was nonsense.

Teams -- including the Rangers and Mets -- interested in Zito would want a window to negotiate an extension so they wouldn't be stuck with a one-year player. But the A's, Forst said, wouldn't allow it. They didn't allow it for Hudson and Mulder, either.

"There are enough teams interested in Barry Zito," Forst said. "It hasn't come up in any conversations we've had." Forst also said the A's haven't initiated any of those conversations about Zito.

"Billy's not playing poker. We don't have to move Barry," Forst said. "We're prepared to keep him all season."

Or at least until the July 31 trade deadline, if the A's aren't contending at that point.

Manager Ken Macha, when asked Wednesday about retaining Zito, was quick with a reply.

"What are the odds he's coming back?" smiled Macha. "If it were up to me, 95 percent. It would have to be a deal that would knock us off our feet. ... Let me put it this way: I want Barry back."

So, apparently, does the owner.

"Since we both look alike," quipped Wolff, "I'd like to keep him."

E-mail John Shea at jshea@sfchronicle.com.

[Providence A's]

Hopefully, this will quiet the Zito rumors

[A'sDiehard]

I really hope that the Big Hurt can stay healthy should he come to Oakland because it could only mean WAY better pitch selection for Chavez.

[Providence A's]

http://www.insidebayarea.com/athletics/ci_3293849

Acquiring Bradley — perfect or crazy?
Bay Area would get a needed new character if he were to join A's




THE NEXT step of the A's evolution evidently involves persuading Frank Thomas to come to Oakland. It's a good idea, a gamble worth taking, maybe a steal if the Big Hurt can avoid big hurts.
A's general manager Billy Beane neither needs nor wants my endorsement on this, but he has it anyway.

But another player currently being evaluated by Beane and his troops offers so much more.

This guy can play any of the three outfield positions. He's a switch hitter. He's a passionate

competitor. He's 10 years younger than Thomas, runs much better and can be had for maybe half the salary.

Go ahead, Billy, bring Milton Bradley to Oakland.

I dare you.

While Thomas might provide some much-needed thump for the heart of the A's batting order, Bradley can fortify the lineup, electrify the clubhouse, challenge the management, enlighten the children, intrigue the adults and become a source of fascination for our vast and active behavioral science community.

Bradley, whom the Los Angeles Dodgers are ready to trade, promises much greater dimension, giving the A's something they need while giving the Bay Area something it lacks.

Someone to inspire talk at barber shops, on barstools, in taxis, at rec centers, on campuses, in classrooms. And, yes, at games.

Aside from statistics and costs and memories of postseasons past, there is little about which Bay Area sports fans can discuss regarding their teams and their players.

The basics may be enough to engage the diehards, those who know Ike Diogu's wing span, Anttaj Hawthorne's weight or Andre Ethier's on-base percentage.

The casual fan and the thrill monger, however, seem rather bored. With good reason. Lively debate is rare. Uniqueness is rarer. The well of bold individuals and brazen personalities has been dry since Terrell Eldorado Owens left town nearly two years ago.

No, we can't consider Barry Bonds, whose ongoing saga has, for most of us, passed the point of tedium.

Remember how it used to be around here? Color and characters every other block. The tradition started by the Kenny Stabler's Raiders, Reggie Jackson's A's and Rick Barry's Warriors was maintained fairly well for three decades.

We laid claim to the likes of Charles O. Finley, John Matuszak, Billy Martin, World B. Free, Eddie DeBartolo, Joe and Steve, the Kevin Mitchell/Will Clark odd couple, Charles Haley, Rickey Henderson, Ricky Watters, Darrell Russell, Vida Blue and Sebastian Janikowski.

We have been front row for the unapologetic fortitude of Latrell Sprewell and, of course, Jose Canseco, our very own gun-toting freeway menace.

A guy like Bradley could help us recapture some of our past glory. He possesses the requirements of star ability and unpredictability.

The one-time Cleveland phenom has attracted the attention of the A's and several other teams. His talents are undeniable. He is that guy many try to reach, with some convinced they can.

And understand, this is a guy who needs to be reached. By somebody. Somewhere inside his troubled or tormented or misunderstood soul is a sensitive man who longs for love and respect.

Despite being an eager contributor to the community, Bradley has not been able to keep it together on the job and elsewhere. Consistent insubordination got him shipped out of Cleveland. He has been accused of trying to choke his wife. He has labeled teammates, calling Jeff Kent "racist," and insulted reporters, at least one of whom took such offense he was ready to raise his fists.

Hell yes, Bradley is a huge load — with a potentially huge payoff.

Which makes him the perfect experiment for the Bay Area, the supposed cradle of global intellect and alleged center of progressive thought.

We could become the laboratory at which the puzzle that is Bradley finally gets solved. Lord knows we have enough psychologists and psychiatrists, professional and amateur, willing to take a run at him. We have an abundance of charismatic counselors, ministers and professors.

This is where Dr. Harry Edwards conceived the racial/political demonstrations to which the 1968 Olympics are forever linked. This is where San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom took the bold step of going national in support of gay marriage.

This is where someone such as Bonds is allowed to play by his own set of rules, for better or worse.

So while Thomas, 37, is a free agent available for hire, and quite attractive, Bradley also can be had with the right trade. It likely wouldn't require equal value in talent.

If the prices are right, why not both?

Perhaps Milton could settle in here, as Haley did in Dallas, where he won Super Bowls. Or as Sprewell did in New York, where he reinvented himself.

I'd like to think we in the Bay Area would have a better chance with Bradley here than Philadelphia ever had with Owens.

Whatever...Beane knows best. If he wants him and gets him, fine...

[Providence A's]

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/...s/13367335.htm

Notes: The A's are expected to offer an incentive-laden contract to former Chicago White Sox slugger Frank Thomas within the week. The White Sox declined a mutual $10 million option on Thomas and gave him a $3.5 million buyout before declining to offer him arbitration before Wednesday's deadline.

Hopefully, since Frank got $3.5 million for not playing with the White Sox next year, he'll take a cheaper deal. Whatever deal he gets is plus $3.5 million in his pocket anyway.

[Providence A's]

ADH, Rincon signed with the Cardinals today.

[Providence A's]

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/...s/13388064.htm

• You can understand why A's general manager Billy Beane is so interested in signing Thomas, the former White Sox slugger.

Thomas is the perfect "Moneyball" player. He walks as often as Manny Ramirez asks to be traded. His on-base percentage is off the charts. Plus he has power.

The thought of plugging Thomas into the middle of the A's lineup behind Eric Chavez is understandably tempting.

Signing him, though, would be a huge gamble for the A's.

Why so? Well, for starters, picture a 6-foot-5, 275-pound man running on a left foot that's been as fragile as a crystal vase the past two seasons.

Thomas played only 34 games last season and just 74 in 2004.

A stress fracture in his left foot cost Thomas most of the 2004 season. After that season he had major surgery on his left ankle involving a bone graft.

While recovering from surgery, Thomas missed the first two months this year. Then he hit .219 with 12 homers in 105 at-bats before breaking his left ankle in July.

The White Sox paid Thomas $3.5 million to walk away when they bought out his $10 million option.

That has to tell you something.

So go ahead and sign Thomas to an incentive-filled contract if you must. But you'd better add another younger, healthier right-handed slugger, too.

Yes, it's a gamble. We get it.