This time next year the Houston Astros will be about to join the AL West, but for now it remains baseball's only four-team division. Here's the latest news, starting with a serious injury…
- The Athletics announced that third baseman Scott Sizemore has a torn ACL in his left knee and will miss the 2012 season.
- An A's official tells Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that the club is high on Josh Donaldson as a possible replacement for Sizemore (Twitter link). However, today's news makes the A's person "want to vomit."
- The Athletics would likely have interest in Angels infielder Alberto Callaspo if they explore the trade market for a third baseman, Slusser wrote Sunday. The A's probably wouldn't part with a significant prospect for him, however.
- Athletics first baseman Kila Ka'aihue told Jane Lee of MLB.com that he was always looking over his shoulder with the Royals. "They never really wanted me there," he said. "I always did well enough to hang around but was always passed up." Ka'aihue is competing for the first base job in Oakland.
- The Angels plan to find Bobby Abreu regular playing time –perhaps 400 plate appearances or so — and the left-handed hitter is ‘fine’ with the arrangement, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com writes. Earlier this month Abreu told ESPN Deportes that he would like to be traded if the Angels don't find him an everyday role.
- Not counting team president Nolan Ryan and special assistant Greg Maddux, do the Rangers have an ace? Jerry Crasnick asks this question at ESPN.com, pointing out that the two-time defending AL Champions have lost Cliff Lee and C.J. Wilson to free agency since 2010. "If we don't have a No. 1, we're stacked with 2s," pitching coach Mike Maddux said. "And that's OK.''
Dear God, please don’t let Bobby get anywhere near 400 plate appearances.
That’s a shame with Sizemore, he looked like he was starting to put it together with Oakland last year…
Yeah, a shame. Seemed like he was fitting in nicely.
yep…we just lost our second best 2011 hitter
Yeah, a shame. Seemed like he was fitting in nicely.
Former Tigers are not having good luck. Too bad to hear about Sizemore.
If Abreu gets 400 PA’s, you kind of have to question Scioscia’s thought process a little bit. Hopefully they’re just placating him. Unless Morales and Trumbo are simultaneously out of commission, there’s no way Abreu should be a regular in the lineup with where his current ability level is, both defensively and as a DH. And if he has to actually play in RF to get PA’s… I’m having nightmares already. I get that Scioscia has some veteran fetish with aging dudes, but you have to draw the line at some point.
Kind of sad to see Abreu’s mentality and attitude take this kind of a turn, but I guess it’s all too common as good players can’t face their twilight years and their own declining ability level.
Kila, there is a reason you were always passed up. You cannot hit major league pitching!
^and he has the 300 PA sample to prove it!
lol
Should take less than that in Oakland to make a believer out of you.
He’s a stiff.
Kila was passed up because he had a phenom named Eric Hosmer closing in behind him. Kila got a shot. Not a fair shot, but he did get a shot. He just didn’t do anything with it. Best of luck to him in Oakland, but don’t expect the Royals to cry about your hurt feelings. Kila played well enough in the minor leagues to get an opportunity. It just so happens that his best opportunity is in Oakland. Quit whining and start trying to hit baseballs out of that monstrous stadium.
He’s right. KK was only brought up because the fans demanded it and the Royals were looking for a way to keep interest in the club. The Royals didn’t want him because – as stated – he can’t hit major-league pitching.
It’s not about hitting balls out of ‘that monstrous stadium’ – it’s about hitting balls PERIOD…which he proved he cannot do. Nor can he walk.
I know it’s spring and you want to believe, but by mid-June you’ll understand why he was DFA’d…and it wasn’t just because of Hosmer.
ok now you’re just making things up. it’s one thing to be ignorant about sample sizes and quite another to just openly invent facts. kila’s walk-rate in the majors is 12%. that’s top 20 in baseball last year
Well, St. Louis, would a taylor for m. carpenter swap be appealing?
I’m thinking the a’s could pick up a blocked 3B guy who could be somewhat average. James Darnell, Matt Carpenter, Matt Dominguez (although he’d be the last one i’d want), or one of Juan Francisco/Todd Frazier?
Also, the A’s could potentially bring Stephen Parker to camp and let him duke it out with Donaldson.
seriously, carpenter is blocked by freese and cox, guy has on base potential, never strikes out, i think he would be great in oakland, and i would gladly take taylor to be our 4th outfielder. i think carpenter will be good and would love to see him succeed in oakland, i like the way you think sir
The Sizemore family is made out of glass
The Sizemore family is made out of glass
Woo Boy! What a rough situation for the A’s. Looks like Wes Timmons is going to be a pretty welcomed non-roster invitee. You always have Tejeda and Lopez as free agents. Other than that, I think they have to make a deal or test drive a catcher at 3rd for any offense. It also doesn’t hurt to extended an invite to a few other minor league free agents out there without a contract….Pedro Feliz, Ryan Khoury, Matt Macri, Andy Marte, Daniel Mayora, Freddy Sandoval, Tug Hulett, Ruben Gotay, Alex Valdez or Craig Stansberry. In a situation like this, Garrett Atkins might be worthy of a phone call as well.
The Rangers are “stacked with 2s”????? LMAO…. More like “stacked with an unknown japanese pitcher, and a bunch of 4s”
They have NO CHANCE THIS YEAR.
Yeah, because that lineup isn’t stacked to all hell, ready to unleash. It’s one thing to be prideful about your team, I get that. But use some common sense. If you think the Rangers can’t compete, then you’ll be crying yourself to sleep in October, after the Rangers win their third consecutive division title.
And this is coming from and lifelong A’s fan.
Not everybody can have four good pitchers plus Jared Weaver in their starting rotation.
Lewis is the only one I would consider to be a 4. Darvish, Harrison, Holland, Feliz, and Ogando (if he’s in the rotation) are all easily 3’s or better.
Thats just ignorant.
While Beane was busy stockpiling failed AAAA 1Bmen (Carter, Kila, Barton, Allen) he somehow neglected to acquire a single viable back-up for Sizemore, who himself, was learning on the job last year. San Jose can’t get here soon enough.
You haven’t seen Josh Donaldson fielding at 3rd yet then. He will be serviceable as a 3B and none of those guys have really failed since they haven’t had a good amount of time to prove what they can and can’t do. All have shown at least something in the majors as well by the way.
Calap
Maybe looking in a mirror
Maybe looking in a mirror
The A’s actually have some minor league upside, while the Mets do not.
As an Angels fan, I hope you guys can get competitive in the near future again. It sucks to have one team as your only competition.
As an Angels fan, I hope you guys can get competitive in the near future again. It sucks to have one team as your only competition.
I don’t think that is exactly correct. They’ll be appealing to watch simply because they got 2 legitimate middle of the order bats in Ramirez and Cespedes if they both pan out as we would hope. The pitching won’t fall off as much as people think it will because the young guys are pitching in Oakland. It’s not as if they’re trying to pitch in Coors or in any of those fields in Texas for their home games. They will be intriguing to watch. Especially if Carter turns out as the A’s would hope then all of a sudden they have a legitimate team they’re fielding and they might be able to keep up with the Angels and Rangers. Maybe not win the West but they’ll be “in it” for a while.
and the a’s are actually building for the future 3 years away… mets not so much
Since when is Cespedes a legitimate anything? He’s never played in MLB, he may turn out to be nothing, he may turn out to be great, but he is definitely not a legitimate middle of the order bat yet.
No, they will not be in it at all. nuff said
I think you missed the “if they both pan out as we would hope” part, sir.
He better flat out rake in his first 200 if he or the Angels thinks anyone is gonna take him at the deadline.
He better flat out rake in his first 200 if he or the Angels thinks anyone is gonna take him at the deadline.
OK……….Great analysis
There is always someone to take him. It’s just a question of how much of his contract they will have to eat.
i.e. Gary Mathews Jr.