A's Offseason

[G-Dubb]

A's name Gerald Perry as hitting coach
The Oakland Athletics announced today the club has agreed to terms with Gerald Perry on a one-year contract to serve as the club's Major League hitting coach for the 2006 season.

Chavez wins fifth straight Gold Glove
Oakland Athletics third baseman Eric Chavez won his fifth consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Award as announced today by the Rawlings Sporting Goods Company Inc., the official supplier to Major League Baseball and the number one brand in baseball gloves.

A's agree to terms with Witasick
The Oakland A's today announced that they have agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Jay Witasick on a two-year contract through 2007 with a club option for 2008.

A's decline to exersice option on Hatteberg
The Oakland A's today announced that they will not exercise their contract option on designated hitter Scott Hatteberg for the 2006 season.

A's outright Ginter to Triple-A Sacramento
The Oakland A's today announced that they have sent infielder Keith Ginter outright to Sacramento.

PS- Vote Bill King to the HOF here: http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/frick/confirmation.asp

 

[HOGGLIFER916]

GOOD SHIT....WE NEED TO DO SOMETHIN!!!

WE CAN NEVER KEEP OUR HANDS ON OUR GOOD PLAYERS....

 

[G-Dubb]

Well in the last season they've signed Rich Harden, Mark Kotsay and Bobby Crosby to long-term deals... And they've only let Yabu & Hatteberg go... New owners are off to a pretty good start.

 

[BROWN GUERRERO]

ZITO IS ON THE TRADING BLOCK AND A'S ARE GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT MOVING TO SAN JOSE!!

 

[G-Dubb]

^The A's CAN'T move to San Jose. Even if they wanted to. Bud Selig already said it's not happening. This is not the same as the Baltimore/Washington situation.

Zito might get traded, but if he does it'll be worth it. I wouldn't call him "on the block" though.

About the new hitting coach Gerald Perry:

In his first season with Pittsburgh, the team batting average improved 23 points from .244 to .267, which was the third-best team mark in the National League in 2003. During his three-year stay in Seattle, the Mariners led the big leagues in on-base percentage (.357) and walks (2,018) and topped the American League in batting (.278), runs (2,648) and ranked third in batting average with runners in scoring position (.285) and were second in hits (4,649).

 

[mExIcaNox4]

DUrazo should leave too

 

[AC Transit]

I like Gerald Perry, dude was quite a hitter with the braves

he must subscribe to Beane's hitting theories if he got hired

 

[G-Dubb]

Durazo is already gone... Probably won't come back unless it's at a discount... Which wouldn't be too bad.

Also Ron Washington has signed on through 2007... So he's not leaving to manage another team... Yet.

 

[G-Dubb]

Associated Press
Posted: 3 minutes ago

NEW YORK (AP) - Huston Street became the second consecutive AL Rookie of the Year from the Oakland Athletics, and Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard won the NL award Monday.

Street, who took over as Oakland's closer in May, got 15 of 28 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America and finished with 97 points. New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano came in second with 57 points, followed by Tampa Bay designated hitter Jonny Gomes with 39.

A's shortstop Bobby Crosby was the 2004 winner.

Howard replaced injured star Jim Thome and led all rookies with 22 home runs. He received 19 of 32 first-place votes and 109 points to beat out Houston Astros outfielder Willy Taveras, who got 78 points. Atlanta Braves right fielder Jeff Francouer was third with 60.

Street, the son of former Texas quarterback James Street, who led the Longhorns to a national title in 1969, became Oakland's closer when Octavio Dotel went down with an injury. The 22-year-old righty went 5-1 with 23 saves and a 1.72 ERA - second among AL closers to New York's Mariano Rivera.

Street had 72 strikeouts in 78 1-3 innings, and opposing hitters batted only .194 against him.

Howard had been a highly touted slugger in the minors for years, but his path to the majors appeared blocked until back and elbow injuries sidelined Thome.

Howard took advantage of his opportunity to play regularly, batting .288 with 63 RBIs in 88 games. He had 11 homers and 27 RBIs in September and October, helping Philadelphia come within one game of a wild-card berth.

He is the fourth Phillies player to win the award, joining Scott Rolen, Dick Allen and Jack Sanford.

Street is the fifth Oakland player honored, joining Crosby, Ben Grieve, Walt Weiss, Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco.

Source: FoxSports.com

 

[AC Transit]

How did Howard win the NL ROY? didn't he only play half the season - i know he did hit some big homers to beat the Dodgers but besides that I didn't know he made that much of an impact. Guess NL wasnt too deep at the rookies if he beat out francour and tavares.

Ricky Jordan(Another Bay Area Athelete)>>>>Ryan Howard

 

[G-Dubb]

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland A's today announced that they have agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Esteban Loaiza on a three-year contract through 2008 with a club option for 2009.

Loaiza was 12-10 with a 3.77 ERA in 34 games, all starts, with Washington in 2005. He struck out 173 and walked just 55 in 217.0 innings. After starting the year 1-4 with a 3.61 ERA in 11 starts over the first two months of the season, Loaiza went 11-6 with a 3.86 ERA in 23 starts after June 1. The right-handed Loaiza finished second on the Nationals in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts and his games started tied for eighth most in the National League.

An 11-year Major League veteran, Loaiza has a 112-99 career record and a 4.60 ERA in 334 games, 297 starts. His 112 wins are second most in ML history by a Mexican-born pitcher to Fernando Valenzuela's 173. He has won 10 or more games six times in his career, including a career high 21 in 2003 with the Chicago White Sox when he finished second in AL Cy Young balloting. Loaiza, who turns 34 on December 31, has played for Pittsburgh (1995-98), Texas (1998-2000), Toronto (2000-02), the Chicago White Sox (2003-04), the New York Yankees (2004) and Washington (2005) in his career. He was named to the AL All-Star Team in 2003 and 2004 and started the Midsummer Classic in Chicago in 2003.

The A's now have eight players on their 40-man roster under contract beyond the 2006 season, including Eric Chavez (2010, club option 2011), Bobby Crosby (2009), Rich Harden (2008, club option 2009), Dan Haren (2009, club option 2010), Jason Kendall (2007), Mark Kotsay (2008), Loaiza (2008, club option 2009) and Jay Witasick (2007, club option 2008).

 

[DubbC415]

^^^WOWOWOWOW. this came out of nowhere! i guess they want another veteran righthander, someone dependable. my guess is theyre gettin rid of zito soon. i hope they get another left hander...and i wonder what the rotations gonna look like. this is a big surprised....i wonder how much they spent on him.

 

[G-Dubb]

I think his deal is 3Y/$21M.

They have a lot of options if they trade Zito... Meyer is supposed to be real good but was trying to pitch injured last year... Kennedy struggled some last year but was real good the year before... Saarloos had a real good year last year... Komine might be ready, not sure though... Juan Cruz was real good in AAA as a starter but bad in the MLB in the bullpen... They'll have to fight for that slot in Spring Training.

Signing Loaiza takes one more pitcher off the market, and raises Zito's value...

 

[G-Dubb]

Urban is on MLB radio saying he doesn't think that Zito/Loaiza are necessarily linked... Meaning signing Loaiza doesn't mean Zito is out.

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

If I was granted the ability to throw anyones curve ball, it would be Zito's. When that pitch is on point it is pretty much un-hittable.

 

[G-Dubb]

If I was granted the ability to throw anyones curve ball, it would be Zito's. When that pitch is on point it is pretty much un-hittable.

When you sit way up close, like in the first few sections right around the plate you get a real good view of it... When he's really on everyone in that area is like "whooooooooOOOOOOOOOaaaaaa" as the ball comes from the mound to the plate.

Definitely hard to hit unless you're Ronnie Belliard.

 

[G-Dubb]

hmm... Looks like he's Saarloos' replacement... The A's were good with Haren & Blanton in their first full seasons as starters... Now keep everyone and replace Saarloos w/Loaiza? And a healthy Rich Harden? The A's could have the best rotation in baseball next season.

"This was an opportunity to add a player without subtracting one, I wouldn't necessarily read anything into this that this is a precursor for anything that's coming down the pike."

"With Barry, Esteban, Rich, Danny and Joe, we have one of the best, if not the best, starting rotations in the American League."

-Billy Beane

 

[DubbC415]

^^^thats fucking sick, i love that confidence, what a cool GM...yeah, and they can keep saarloos as a spot starter or something...his only problem is that he doesnt strike a lot of guys out, but he works counts a lot and works hard. he did more than what they expected to him too, especially down the stretch when they need it. saarloos's best attribute is that hes got that sinker that helps get groundballs.

 

[G-Dubb]

Yeah, the strikeout thing has always bothered me about Saarloos. I'm wondering if last season was a fluke. He'll be good in the pen though, he's a good guy to bring in when you need a double play.

Loaiza vs. Saarloos in 2005:

Innings Pitched
Loaiza - 217.0
Saarloos - 159.2

ERA
Loaiza - 3.77
Saarloos - 4.17

Walks/K's
Loaiza - 55/173
Saarloos - 54/53

WHIP
Loaiza - 1.30
Saarloos - 1.40

Opponents AVG
Loaiza - .270
Saarloos - .278

Opponents OBP
Loaiza - .318
Saarloos - .346

Quality Starts
Loaiza - 23
Saarloos - 10

 

[Hollywood]

Give Loaiza a better pitching coach this year shit things might turn around for him like in 03 will wait and see. I think he's a better pick up than Saarloos.
I am also hearing rumors of Piazza as a fall back plan if they can't aquire a right handed batter through trade..