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Burrell Signing To Set Market?

By Melissa Lockard | January 5, 2009 | Athletic Supporters

According to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com, Pat Burrell is close to signing a two-year deal to be the DH for the Tampa Bay Rays. Rosenthal indicates in his report that the deal is worth roughly $16 million. It has also been reported that Milton Bradley is nearing an agreement to be an outfielder for the Chicago Cubs, although terms for that deal aren't currently available. The A's search for offense has seemed to center most recently on getting a OF, 1B or DH-type who is willing to sign a short-term deal. The A's were never publicly linked to Burrell or Bradley, but the Rays, in particular, were thought to be competitors with the A's for a number of the other players the team has targeted (including Jason Giambi, Garret Anderson and Bobby Abreu). If true, it seems like the Burrell signing is good news for the A's. Burrell is a...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Adam Dunn, Bobby Abreu, Free Agency, Garret Anderson, Jason Giambi, Oakland A's, Oakland Athletics, Pat Burrell

MLB Top 10: Best Offseason Acquisitions to Date

By Jaymes Langrehr | January 5, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Oakland won the Matt Holliday sweepstakes in November -- bryce_edwards/flickr

It's hard to believe that baseball's offseason is nearly over, but pitchers and catchers report to spring training in just over a month. A struggling economy and penny-pinching GMs have led to a somewhat slow offseason, but that doesn't mean good deals were made. With all the publicity the Yankees' spending spree is getting this winter, it's easy to lose track of some of the better deals that flew under the radar. Here are 10 smart transactions (made at a sensible cost) that you may have forgotten about.10. Jeremy Affeldt to the Giants -- signed for 2 years, $8 millionThe first free agent signing of the offseason wasn't very glamorous, but it's turned out to be one of the better (read: sensible) signings of the offseason. Affeldt may not light the world on fire, but he's a very solid lefty reliever that will make San Francisco's bullpen better. Give credit...

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels, MLB, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, Top Ten, Washington Nationals

Fantasy Baseball 2009: Oakland A's Outfielder Matt Holliday

By Brad Berreman | December 29, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Matt Holliday - MolsonPhotography/Flickr.com

The Oakland A's acquired OF Matt Holliday from the Colorado Rockies in November. Holliday is a free agent after the 2009 season, so the Rockies couldn't afford to risk losing him and getting nothing in return for the three-time All-Star. Holliday's move west would seem to have a negative impact on his fantasy value, as he will not be playing his home games in the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field. A closer examination of Holliday's numbers may disprove that notion. For example, here are his important fantasy numbers for the past three seasons, split Home vs. Road: 2008Home: In 73 games: .332 BA, .584 SLG, .413 OBP, 15 HR, 59 RBIRoad: In 66 games: .308 BA, .486 SLG, .405 OBP, 10 HR, 29 RBI 2007Home: In 82 games: .376 BA, .722 SLG, .435 OBP, 25 HR, 82 RBIRoad: In 76 games: .301 BA, .485 SLG, .374 OBP, 11 HR, 55 RBI 2006Home:...

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Fantasy, Matt Holliday, MLB, Oakland Athletics

Dock Ellis, RIP: The Edges

By Jeff Kallman | December 22, 2008 | Community

What you probably remember is the militant stare down from the mound, the strangling slider, the no-nonsense posture---against batters, against managers, against, well, just about everyone he thought stood athwart his mission---and the mammoth bomb off the Tiger Stadium light...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Billy Martin, Dan Driessen, Danny Murtaugh, Dock Ellis, Eddie Stanky, Frank Lucchesi, Jack McKeon, Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Pete Rose, Pittsburgh Pirates, Reggie Jackson, Texas Rangers, Tony Perez

With Furcal Gone, Is Tejada The Answer?

By Melissa Lockard | December 16, 2008 | Athletic Supporters

When news broke last evening that the Atlanta Braves were suddenly courting Rafael Furcal, it seemed inevitable that Furcal would not be heading to the A's. Now Ken Rosenthal is reporting that Furcal has signed with Atlanta. If the shortstop really is off of the market, the A's will have to go back to the drawing board to figure out improvements to the team. As we have discussed previously in this space, there are really only two areas where the A's can make significant improvements this off-season without setting back the progress of the team's younger players: shortstop and one spot in the rotation (possibly a relief spot, as well, although that isn't as urgent). Adding a Jason Giambi, Adam Dunn or Pat Burrell would be a boost to the A's offense, obviously, but they are all really DH-types and the A's already have one of those in Jack Cust....

Read more | 4 Comments | Tags: Bobby Crosby, Miguel Tejada, Oakland A's, Oakland Athletics

Winter Excitement

By Melissa Lockard | December 5, 2008 | Athletic Supporters

With the 2008 Winter Meetings just around the corner, the hot stove in baseball is over flowing. Now that arbitration offers have been made to free agents, the markets should start to heat up, as teams now know which players will cost them a draft pick and which ones won't. The A's appear to be targeting two players who qualify as significant free agents, but who won't cost the A's any picks in next year's draft: Rafael Furcal and Randy Johnson. We have discussed the A's interest in Furcal previously, but the Johnson rumor is a new one. Would the former Livermore High star be an asset or a risk for the A's? When Billy Beane said directly in the Matt Holliday press conference that he would prefer to go with youthful potential than experienced mediocrity in his starting rotation, it seemed to rule out the possibility that the...

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Billy Beane, Oakland A's, Oakland Athletics, off-season moves, Randy Johnson

Hot Stove Dishes - November 28, 2008

By Brian Joseph | November 28, 2008 | MVN Outsider

The latest buzz served up from baseball's Hot Stove League. Ten of the hottest stories, moves and rumors from the past week: Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia -- the L.A. Angels "shell game" continues.The Angels haven't made an offer to Mark Teixeira even though they want him but have floated the idea of offering big money to CC Sabathia -- even though it might be tough to match the Yankees' gigantic offer -- and Teixeira's side has countered. Teixeira's agent Scott Boras revealed that Teixeira has had offers worth considering. All of the peripheral talk from the Angels about Sabathia as an alternative target and Teixeira's interest from other clubs stems from a difference in years of service the club is looking to give Teixeira and the 10 years that the slugger is seeking. You got to love the Hot Stove posturing, don't you? Brian Fuentes wants major cash and K-Rod doesn't want...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: A.J. Burnett, Baltimore Orioles, Barry Bonds, Brian Fuentes, CC Sabathia, Detroit Tigers, Francisco Rodriguez, Freddy Garcia, Houston Astros, Jake Peavy, Ken Griffey Jr., Los Angeles Angels, Mark Teixeira, MLB, New York Mets, Oakland Athletics, Rafael Furcal, Randy Wolf, Roger Clemens, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays

A's Make Big Play For Furcal?

By Melissa Lockard | November 24, 2008 | Athletic Supporters

According to a news report out of Dominican Republic, the Oakland A's have offered shortstop Rafael Furcal a four year/$48 million package that could be worth more than $50 million with incentives. News reports out of the Dominican aren't always very accurate when it comes to contract negotiations (I remember some stories coming from those papers when Miguel Tejada was a free agent stating that he had received offers greater than $100 million), but this article includes quotes from Furcal, so it has the air of accuracy. In the article, it appears that the A's biggest competitor for Furcal's services is the New York Mets, who are asking him to move to second base. It appears from the article that Furcal may make a decision on who to sign with over the next several days, although any announcement could be delayed by the Thanksgiving holiday. It also appears from...

Read more | 3 Comments | Tags: Billy Beane, Bobby Crosby, Free Agency, Oakland A's, Oakland Athletics, Rafael Furcal

MLB Top 10: Best Offseason Acquisitions to Date

By Jaymes Langrehr | January 5, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Oakland won the Matt Holliday sweepstakes in November -- bryce_edwards/flickr

Fantasy Baseball 2009: Oakland A's Outfielder Matt Holliday

By Brad Berreman | December 29, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Matt Holliday - MolsonPhotography/Flickr.com

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Fantasy, Matt Holliday, MLB, Oakland Athletics

Hot Stove Dishes - November 28, 2008

By Brian Joseph | November 28, 2008 | MVN Outsider

When the team you root for is at the bottom

By Patrick Patterson | November 13, 2008 | MVN Outsider

When a team is flying high, the ranks of their fans swell to epic proportions. (See also 1990's Dallas Cowboys.) The new fans that arrive are often derided by the long time fans as "bandwagoners." These long time fans are the ones who suffered through the down times, and can truly taste the joy of the winning seasons. There are some teams that do not know what it is like to have a true down cycle such as NCAA's University of Kentucky Wildcats in basketball (One losing season in the last several generations.) Other teams such as the Detroit Lions or Kansas City Royals (One world series appearance) don't have the history of up times to have acquired a bandwagon. When a team that has a history of domination, such as the Oakland Raiders falls on hard times, it takes its toll on the fan base. The Raider Nation is...Read more

Read more | 5 Comments | Tags: Chicago Cubs, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Royals, Kentucky, MLB, NCAA, NCAA Basketball, NFL, Oakland Athletics, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, University of Kentucky Wildcats

Dissecting Billy Beane's grand scheme

By Alan Smodic | November 12, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Billy Beane's parking spot -- pursuethepassion/flickr.com

When I first heard that the Oakland Athletics had traded for Colorado's Matt Holliday, of course my first question was who did they have to give up?When I found out the three players -- Carlos Gonzalez, Greg Smith and Houston Street -- I thought, 'wow'. Indeed, Billy Beane has done it again.In terms of those players, I'm in full agreement with Brandon H's assessment here. And even more so with this comment of his:"I like Gonzalez. I think he is a fine young player and will be a very strong player in Colorado. I do not think he has the type of tools you can build around, and subsequently is more Mike Cameron then Grady Sizemore. Again fine, but never a player you refuse to move for a first round draft pick."Smith is a useless chip in this deal. Beane would have given up 20 Smith's if thats what it...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Billy Beane, MLB, Oakland Athletics

Breaking News: The A's Acquire Matt Holliday

By EJ Fagan | November 10, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Yahoo's Tim Brown is reporting that the Oakland Athletics and Colorado Rockies have agreed in principle to send Matt Holliday to the A's in return for Carlos Gonzalez, Greg Smith, and Huston Street.Holliday is a career .319/.386/.552 hitter, having spent his entire career with Coors Field as his home park. He will be a free agent after this season.Carlos Gonazlez is one of the better young athletics in the high minor leagues. He's been compared to Curtis Granderson as a bat and glove. The Athletics acquired him in the Dan Haren trade one year ago.Greg Smith was one of the better rookie starting pitchers in baseball this season, throwing 190 innings with a 4.16 ERA. Huston Street didn't have his best season, throwing 70 innings with a 3.73 ERA while serving as the team's closer.Your guess is as good as mine as to what is going on in Billy Beane's...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: AL West, Billy Beane, Matt Holliday, MLB, Moneyball, Oakland Athletics, Trades

What about Sheets and Dunn?

By EJ Fagan | November 8, 2008 | MVN Outsider

A lot of attention has been paid to speculation about the big name free agents: Manny Ramirez, C.C. Sabathia, and Mark Teixeira. While they are surely important players, I'm amazed at how little ink we've seen regarding two very attractive but lesser free agents in Ben Sheets and Adam Dunn. Both have their flaws, but also their upside. In Sheet's case, the flaw is injury. He's been chronically unable to stay healthy over the past few seasons, and finished his spectacular 2008 campaign on the shelf with a minor elbow injury. He should be ready for spring training, but he obviously brings a lot of uncertainty.Sheets is unlikely to be able to command a major long term commitment. No team expects his body to hold consistently over 4 or 5 years. That said, he's also an excellent gamble: Sheets is an ace when healthy. It seems to be like we...Read more

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Adam Dunn, Ben Sheets, Hot Stove, MLB, Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays

MVN Awards: Best Relievers - Joey Devine, Carlos Marmol

By Ryan Armbrust | November 7, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Outside the handful of high-profile closers in the league, being a reliever is often a less-than-glamorous job. Set-up men rank somewhere near the bottom of the league on pay scale -- and name recognition. When was the last time you saw a fan wearing the jersey of a middle reliever? All too often, non-closing relievers are only remembered for making a single key mistake.It's time to change that, and recognize the most outstanding relievers in the game who weren't restricted to the ninth inning.- -- --- -- ---In the National League, the Cubs were all over the newspapers, magazines, TV... basically any and all media was fixated on the North Side crew and their 100-year championship drought.A key member of that club was a wild-armed Dominican who nearly pitched himself out of a job in his rookie season of 2006, only to have a breakout year in 2007. This season,...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Carlos Marmol, Chicago Cubs, Grant Balfour, Joey Devine, MLB, Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays

MVN: Most Valuable Network