Athletics Rumors

Athletics Return Cassevah To Angels

By Tim Dierkes | March 15, 2010 at 12:53pm CDT

The Athletics returned Rule 5 pick Bobby Cassevah to the Angels, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Halos will pay the standard $25K fee in the transaction.

Cassevah, 24, was one of 17 players taken in the Major League phase of December's Rule 5 draft. He posted a 3.68 ERA, 5.5 K/9, and 4.5 BB/9 in 73.3 relief innings for the Angels' Double A club, allowing just two home runs. Baseball America ranked Cassevah 26th among A's prospects, praising his heavy 92-94 mph sinker but suggesting he has middle reliever upside given the control problems.

Given the $21MM spent on one-year deals, the A's fancy themselves contenders in the AL West. As such, it would've been difficult to keep Cassevah in the Majors all year.

Urban On Lewis, Dye, Calero, Suzuki

By Mark Polishuk | March 10, 2010 at 8:27pm CDT

CSNBayArea.com's Mychael Urban had his weekly A's and Giants-centric chat with fans on Tuesday, and here are the hot stove highlights…

Urban thinks Giants outfielder Fred Lewis will be "cut loose near the end of camp." Lewis is one of several players who are out of options for 2010.
Jermaine Dye isn't an option for the Giants. Urban says the veteran slugger turned down an offer of $2MM from an unnamed team, and San Francisco wouldn't offer Dye anything more than that. We already heard that Dye turned down a $3MM offer from the Cubs earlier this winter, so you have to wonder what kind of deal Dye thinks is still out there for him.
Urban predicts the Giants and Athletics will eventually settle their territorial rights dispute over San Jose and "the San Jose A's will exist within the next 5-10 years." He also wonders why Sacramento has never been seriously considered as a possible new home for the A's.
The Giants made an offer to Kiko Calero over the winter but Calero signed with the Mets last week. Urban agrees with a commenter that "the Giants did miss the boat" on not locking up the veteran reliever who posted a 1.95 ERA in 2009.

In a separate piece about Oakland catcher Kurt Suzuki, Urban said that Suzuki and the A's have had "preliminary talks" about a contract extension. Suzuki is under control through 2013, and will be eligible for arbitration for the first time after this season. Urban quotes an anonymous AL West executive who says, "Billy [Beane] is way too smart to not lock him up at least through his arbitration years.” The deal might not run futher than that, however, since Urban points out that catching prospect Max Stassi could be ready to take over behind the plate by the time Suzuki is ready to hit free agency.

Jay Marshall Returned To Athletics; Released

By Tim Dierkes | March 10, 2010 at 10:11am CDT

Lefty reliever Jay Marshall was returned to the Athletics, reported Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News last night. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the A's released Marshall once he was returned.

The Mets had claimed Marshall off waivers from the A's on January 8th, but Rubin says the claim was voided due to a shoulder injury Marshall had at the time of the claim. The A's had designated Marshall in December to make room for Justin Duchscherer. Marshall, 27, posted a 3.20 ERA, 5.3 K/9, and 2.7 BB/9 in 50.6 Triple A innings last year.

Odds & Ends: AL East, Mauer, D’Backs, Sheets

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 5, 2010 at 8:39pm CDT

Some links to read with Opening Day just a month away…

MLB.com's Peter Gammons says one suggested way to improve competitive balance is by breaking up the Yankees and Red Sox. In the scenario he presents, the Yanks and Mets would be put in one division, the Sox and Rays in another.
Tom Tango of ESPN's The Max Info blog built a 25-man roster out of players that signed just a one-year deals this offseason, and all for under $100MM (Insider req'd).
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports thinks that agent Ron Shapiro's extended stay in Twins camp means the club is making progress on extension talks with Joe Mauer.
The D'Backs don't appear likely to pursue Braden Looper or Jarrod Washburn, even if Brandon Webb starts the season on the DL, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Ben Sheets told reporters there is "zero bad blood" between him and the Brewers, his former team, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Teams are still interested in Jarrod Washburn, though he's not close to a deal, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports explains the story behind the reunion of A's GM Billy Beane and his adviser, Grady Fuson.
The Red Sox obtained 15 of the 39 players on their 40-man roster through the draft, notes Maury Brown of the Biz of Baseball in this look at the Boston club.
Prince Fielder tells ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that he isn't going to stress about his future, but he hopes to be part of the Brewers organization for 30 years.
Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports thinks the floor for a Fielder extension might be $95MM over five years.
Former Met and Marlin Henry Owens is auditioning for the Mets, according to Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog.
Top Marlins prospect and MLBTR reader Logan Morrison is on Twitter.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hears that the Reds are unlikely to make a trade unless one of their players gets hurt (Twitter link).
Matt Youmans of the Las Vegas Review-Journal profiles Bryce Harper, the 17-year-old phenom who is expected to be a top pick in this year's draft.
Fielder, also a Scott Boras client, could be up for an extension. ESPN.com's Buster Olney says many GMs emerge from initial contract negotiations with Boras thinking there's "no (expletive) way" they reach an agreement.
Gordon Beckham tells MLB.com's Scott Merkin that he tries to ignore the trade rumors he appears in. The infielder says he wants to play for the White Sox for years.
Bengie Molina tells Jesse Spector of the New York Daily News that he would have signed with the Mets if they had offered two years. Their one-year $5.5MM offer didn't sway him.

Offseason In Review: Oakland Athletics

By Tim Dierkes | March 3, 2010 at 11:50am CDT

Next up in our Offseason In Review series, the Athletics.

Major League Signings

Ben Sheets, SP: one year, $10MM.
Coco Crisp, CF: one year, $5.5MM. Includes $5.75MM option for 2011 with a $500K buyout.
Jack Cust, LF/DH: one year, $2.65MM.
Justin Duchscherer, SP: one year, $2MM.
Gabe Gross, OF: one year, $750K.
Total spend: $20.9MM.

Notable Minor League Signings

Lenny DiNardo, Marcus McBeth, Dallas McPherson, Jason Jennings, Brett Tomko, Dan Giese

Extensions

Michael Wuertz, RP: two years, $5.25MM. Includes $3.25MM club option for 2012 with a $250K buyout.

Trades and Claims

Acquired 3B/OF Jake Fox, 2B Aaron Miles, and $1MM from Cubs for P Jeff Gray, P Ronny Morla, and OF Matt Spencer
Claimed Rule 5 pick P Bobby Cassevah from Angels
Acquired OF Michael Taylor for 1B Brett Wallace
Acquired 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff and 2B Eric Sogard from Padres for OF Aaron Cunningham and OF Scott Hairston
Claimed 2B Steve Tolleson off waivers from Twins
Acquired IF Adam Rosales and OF Willy Taveras from Reds for 2B Aaron Miles
Traded P Dana Eveland to Blue Jays for cash

Notable Losses

Adam Kennedy, Bobby Crosby, Scott Hairston, Aaron Cunningham, Willy Taveras, Aaron Miles, Jeff Gray, Matt Spencer, Ronny Morla, Nomar Garciaparra, Edgar Gonzalez, Santiago Casilla, Dana Eveland, Kevin Cameron, Jay Marshall, Tommy Everidge, Brett Wallace

Summary

This was an offseason of risk-taking for GM Billy Beane and company. Three-year offers to Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro were rejected, but the A's succeeded in committing $17.5MM to Sheets, Duchscherer, and Crisp. The pitchers tallied zero big league innings in 2009, while Crisp managed 49 games.

To be fair, Duchscherer at $2MM isn't a huge risk, even as he begins his season with back and hip pain. That Casey Close found a $10MM guarantee for Sheets after the pitcher missed all of 2009 due to elbow surgery is surprising. Perhaps the A's considered overpaying for Sheets their best route to importing an ace for 2010. There's also the added benefit of trading him midseason if necessary. The ace alternatives included trading for Roy Halladay, Javier Vazquez, or Cliff Lee, or signing John Lackey.

The A's must love Crisp's defense as much as the Red Sox once did, to make a $5.5MM commitment despite the player's two shoulder surgeries in 2009. The club option is the silver lining on that contract. An outfield of Crisp, Rajai Davis, and Ryan Sweeney could be spectacular defensively, and the Taylor-Wallace swap fits this theme.

Beane dealt from an area of strength to get Kouzmanoff, a credible third baseman. To acquire Fox and Rosales, the cost was mostly the $2.6MM or so lost on Taveras' salary, as the A's can do without Gray, Morla, and Spencer. Fox is a right-handed Cust without the walks, but at least the A's control the former Cub through 2015 if they choose. Rosales can theoretically fill a utility infield role that would've cost a million or more to fill in free agency anyway.

The A's will need stellar pitching and defense to win the AL West, because their offense projects to be in the bottom half of the league again. Even past their expected Opening Day rotation, most A's starters project to post ERAs in the low 4.00s and have the upside for more. The bullpen could be the league's best once again. The A's look like they have a shot this year, especially if they have the flexibility to trade for a bat midseason. I should warn you, though, that I liked the A's heading into 2009 as well.

Odds & Ends: Hernandez, Zito, Mateo

By Mark Polishuk | March 1, 2010 at 9:24pm CDT

Some news items from around the majors on this Monday night…

MLB.com's Bill Chastain profiles left-hander Carlos Hernandez, who hasn't pitched in the majors since 2004 and is trying to return with Tampa Bay.
While it's very unlikely that Barry Zito will live up to his $126MM contract, Craig Calcaterra of NBCSports.com notes that the left-hander is still a solid starter.
The Braves have no interest in teenage prospect Wagner Mateo, reports MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Mateo was originally signed by St. Louis last summer but the Cardinals voided the contract due to concerns over Mateo's eyesight.
The signings of Jason Jennings and Brett Tomko shouldn't cause any concern about the health of other key pitchers on the Oakland staff, says Tom Singer of MLB.com.
Philadelphia has become a prime destination for free agents and stars looking to be traded, writes MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Back-to-back NL pennants and a World Series title will tend to do that.
Chris Young struggled in his first season of a five-year, $28MM deal with Arizona and has yet to have a true breakout year after three seasons as a major league regular. John Sickels of MinorLeagueBall.com, however, thinks it's too early to write Young off.
MLB.com's Bill Ladson answers fan questions on a variety of topics, including how prospect Chris Marrero (Washington's first-round pick in the 2006 June Amateur Draft) could be affected if the Nationals re-sign Adam Dunn.
Speaking of mailbags, Baseball America's Jim Callis answers some fan questions about prospects and also looks ahead to the 2011 June Amateur Draft.

Odds & Ends: Calero, Beckett, Robles, Bay

By Tim Dierkes | March 1, 2010 at 1:45pm CDT

Links to kick off the new month…

The Mets "would have interest in Kiko Calero on a minor league deal," tweeted Ken Davidoff of Newsday yesterday. Calero is holding out for a big league contract, which seems reasonable.
Scott Boras client Jacoby Ellsbury hasn't had any long-term contract discussions with the Red Sox, nor does he intend to, reports Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com.
The latest GM's Corner video from Jim Bowden of FOX Sports is fifteen minutes well-spent, with appearances by Billy Beane, Jack Zduriencik, Mike Rizzo, Logan White, and Lance Berkman. The video is all about scouting.
Check out Rob Bradford's in-depth discussion with Josh Beckett for WEEI.
Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times says the Mariners might have a nice find in hard-throwing lefty Mauricio Robles, who came from Detroit in last summer's Jarrod Washburn trade.
Baker's colleague Larry Stone talked to Jason Bay, who said the Mariners expressed interest but never made a serious push for him.
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle notes that Brett Tomko and Jason Jennings will each earn $700K if they make the A's.

Odds & Ends: Ramirez, Sheets, Cardinals, Reds

By Zachary Links | February 28, 2010 at 10:33pm CDT

Sunday night linkage..

Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner tweets that it'll be interesting to see which sabermetric-friendly team will ink recently-DFA'd pitcher Edwar Ramirez. Cameron's bet is on Tampa Bay.
Jason Churchill of ESPN (Insider subscription required) explains why second basemen aren't often selected in the first round of the amateur draft. He writes that the best athletes usually play center field and shortstop in high school and college. The second basemen typically come from the shortstops who cannot keep up with the position defensively.
Ben Sheets threw live batting practice for the first time with the A's and impressed the coaching staff with his velocity, according to the Associated Press. Sheets inked a one-year deal with Oakland worth $10MM plus performance bonuses in late January.
Felipe Lopez's arrival may mean less at-bats for Julio Lugo, writes Matthew Leach of MLB.com. Lugo sounds less-than-thrilled about a reduced role but said that his agents have not approached the Cards about a move.
Dusty Baker isn't worried about his contract situation, writes Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. The Reds skipper is entering the final season of a three-year pact.
Todd Zolecki of MLB.com writes that despite trading away several highly-rated prospects in the last 19 months, the Phillies still have talent in their farm system.

Athletics Sign Brett Tomko, Jason Jennings

By Luke Adams 2 | February 28, 2010 at 11:49am CDT

The Oakland Athletics have signed right-handers Brett Tomko and Jason Jennings to minor league contracts, according to Joe Stiglich of the Oakland Tribune (via Twitter).

Jane Lee of MLB.com tweets that Jennings will report to the team's spring training camp, while Tomko will continue rehabbing an arm injury at Minor League camp. The San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser adds, via Twitter, that the Twins made Tomko a similar offer, but that he felt more comfortable in Oakland. Slusser also tweets that Jennings was close to a deal with the Giants at one point, while Stiglich adds the Cardinals and Mets to the list of teams spoken to by Jennings in a separate tweet.

Tomko was extremely effective in six starts for the A's in 2009, winning four games with a 2.95 ERA. Jennings, meanwhile, acted as a setup man for the Rangers, posting a 4.13 ERA in 44 relief appearances.

Gary Sheffield’s Next Team

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 26, 2010 at 10:15am CDT

Gary Sheffield still wants to play. Actually, he wants to play a lot. Ten days ago, a source told MLB.com's Bill Ladson that Sheffield was still looking for an everyday job. But ask Jermaine Dye how easy it is for aging sluggers to find jobs these days. Dye is five years younger than Sheffield and hit 17 more homers last year, but he hasn't seen an offer he likes. It is not surprising to see the 41-year-old Sheffield unsigned at this point in the offseason.

His defense is far from passable (-12.7 UZR last year in 500 innings), but he adds value with his bat. Sheffield, who is just 311 hits away from 3000, posted a .276/.372/.451 line in New York last year.

The Mets have not contacted Sheffield, but the slugger told the New York Post earlier in the month that he had "things on the table" from other clubs. Let's take a look at how Sheffield would fit on some MLB rosters, starting in the American League, where he can DH:

The Blue Jays have Jose Bautista and Randy Ruiz competing for at bats in the outfield and at DH, so the competition is not overwhelming. There's very little chance the rebuilding Jays could turn Sheffield into something valuable at the deadline (that applies to any club).
The Rays already have one positionless player. Pat Burrell joins Matt Joyce, Fernando Perez, Gabe Kapler, Reid Brignac, Sean Rodriguez and Dan Johnson in pursuit of limited roster spots, so Sheffield doesn't appear to be a fit in Tampa.
Like the Rays, the Red Sox, Indians, Royals, Angels, Rangers and A's have little need for an extra DH.
The Marlins don't have much outfield depth after Chris Coghlan, Cameron Maybin and Cody Ross.
The Cardinals and Astros have limited outfield depth, too.
The Nationals have been adding veterans all offseason long, but they have enough outfielders already.

There doesn't appear to be an everyday job out there for Sheffield. At this point, it appears likely that he'll have to retire, wait for someone to get injured, or accept a minor league deal and a limited role.

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