3:06pm: Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle has more. She says the A’s checked in on Johnson a month ago, and they’re looking into multiple first base/DH types that fit the affordable/solid OBP mold. Slusser believes Jason Giambi remains the A’s top target, assuming he backs off his three-year demand. She adds that the A’s want to keep Daric Barton and get him back on track.
12:59pm: MLB.com’s Bill Ladson talked to a baseball source who says the A’s received Johnson’s medical records but trade talks have not yet begun. Ladson’s source added that several other teams have Johnson’s records as well.
9:33am: I missed this nugget in Ken Rosenthal’s column last night, but fortunately DRays Bay found it:
The A’s have requested and received the medical records of Nationals first baseman Nick Johnson, who underwent season-ending wrist surgery last June.
On paper, adding Matt Holliday, Rafael Furcal, and Johnson would transform Oakland’s offense. Of course, Furcal and Johnson are injury risks. Johnson is set to earn $5.5MM in ’09 after missing most of the ’08 season. The asking price for him can’t be terribly high, yet he’s capable of a .400 OBP and would benefit from the chance to DH occasionally.
I initially had a note here about Jim Bowden and Billy Beane matching up in ’03 on the Jose Guillen–Aaron Harang trade, but I just read that Bowden was fired a few days before the deal.
