SB Nation - Henry Rodriguez

A's Streak Ends with a Thud

67MARQUEZ — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:55:52 -0000

Well, as they say, "everything ends badly, or else it would never end", que no?

This was one was pretty much over before it began as the Rangers jumped on A's starter Edgar Gonzalez for six runs on nine hits in just a smidge over three innings on the clock. I will spare you the gory details, and you can thank me in private. Instead there will be only highlights of Christina Hendricks. Here she is eating a Drumstick. And this is one of her doing a crossword puzzle. Sorry, the links don't seem to be working properly, but I am sure you can imagine.

Anywho, Henry Rodriguez made his A's debut tonight, and he made like Ebby Calvin 'Nuke' LaLoosh: in one very eventful frame, he allowed a hit, two runs (one earned), walked one, struck out one, and threw a pair of wild pitches. But he did go home with Annie Savoy.

In short, he wasn't anything like Brad Kilby, who continued to impress with an impeccable 2.2 innings in relief of Gonzalez, while striking out three Rangers.

Matt Carson gave the A's one tiny thrill in the ninth when he stroked his first Major League homerun in the home half of the ninth. By that time, the outcome had long been decided, leaving AN to discuss...other things.

Just a dozen games left. Enjoy them A's fans. There is no pain like the off-season.

Minor League Update: 9-15-2009 A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words... I didn't have that much to say

grover — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:14:38 -0000

First, the really cool news.

The Sacramento River Cats and the Midland RockHounds have both advanced to the next round of their respective play-offs. The River Cats are going for their 3rd consecutive PCL crown and what’s great about this season’s squad is that the current roster includes a fair number of high end prospects. Exposing them to the pressures of play-off baseball (even if it’s the minor leagues) can only help their development as ballplayers. The A’s have always believed that winning in the minors is important; as it helps the individual players unite as a team to strive towards a common goal.

Now if only we could get the organization to start winning in Oakland again… that would be a good thing. (Mean? Probably. Honest? Brutally.)

And how well are these wonder prospects doing in a play-off environment? I’ll tell you after the jump… so come on over!

You know you want to.

AAA

Henry Rodriguez: 1.1 IP 0 H 4 BB 2 K 3 ER

Sam Demel: 1.2 IP 3 H 0 BB 3 K 0 ER

Chris Carter: 5-17 4 HR 2 BB 5 K

Adrian Cardenas: 7-15 2 D 3 BB 2 K

Brett Wallace: 5-17 1 T 2 HR 2 BB 1 K

Graham Godfrey: 6.2 IP 1 H 3 BB 5 K 0 ER

Tyson Ross: 6.1 IP 4 H 2 BB 8 K 2 ER

Mickey Storey: 4.2 IP 3 H 0 BB 5 K 0 ER

Jemile Weeks: 4-13 1 HR 2 BB 2 K

Josh Donaldson: 3-16 1 D 2 HR 1 BB 5 K

Matt Spencer: 7-15 2 HR 2 BB 1 K

Corey Brown: 1-8 5 K

Shane Peterson: 3-15 1 D 1 BB 4 K

The numbers pretty much speak for themselves. Chris Carter… he hits ball really far. Ross had maybe his best start in AA and Mickey Storey has been nothing short of sensational this year, pitching for Kane County, Stockton, Midland and Sacramento. He has, amazingly enough, given up only 8 walks while striking out 71 in 51.2 IP.

The A’s are sending/inviting 36 players to Instructs this fall. I’m not going to write up the whole list but the notable names include 2009 draftees Ian Krol, Paul (Haven’t given up a run in the first 25 games of my pro career) Smyth, Josh Leyland, Max Stassi, Conner Crumbliss, Grant Green, Stephen Parker and Myrio Richard. Third rounder Justin Marks might join halfway through if he gets over a groin injury. Other folks of interest include Ben Hornbeck, Brett Hunter, Fautino de los Santos, Anthony Capra, Michael Ynoa, Nino Leyja, Jeremy Barfield, Rubin Rosario and Rashun Dixon.

The Oakland contingent to the AFL has been decided, health permitting. Jemile Weeks, Corey Brown, Grant Desme, Clayton Mortensen, James Simmons, Justin Friend and Sam Demel get to be Desert Dogs this year.

There’s a rumor that the A’s might call up Brett Wallace and Chris Carter after Sacramento’s season ends, but that would mean first putting them on the 40 man roster. It would be a dick move but I could see the A’s releasing Nomar and placing Chris Denorfia on waivers to make room for Carter and Wallace. I’m not particularly attached to Garciaparra but firing the guy with 2 weeks left in the season would be a classless move.

In a recent interview with Scout.com A’s Director of Player Development Keith Lieppman said that the A’s consider 2B to be the best place for Cardenas. He sees Carter at 1B long term and counts Wallace strictly as a 3B. It is what it is, but the A’s seem to be fast tracking Jemile Weeks; if Cardenas is destined for 2B then ultimately wither Weeks? Keep an eye out during the AFL to see if Weeks plays some OF.

And thank you for your support.

Could it be...? No, it can't be... OMG it really is! It's a Minor League Update!!!

grover — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:00:25 -0000

Hello again.

Work called me away for a while and it’s been tough getting back into the groove of things. For those who don’t know, I’m a wildland fire fighter and August got a little busy for those in my career field. So when I disappear again for a couple weeks just remember… I envy your access to in-door plumbing.

Anyways, I want to focus this week’s minor league update on the 40 man roster and the options that are going to have to be decided upon in the coming months. Why do this now instead of waiting until September 1st? The topic tickles my fancy, that’s why. As I seem to have (once again) misplaced my Cap o’ Omnipotence I’m forced to resort to basic logic and common sense reckoning to try and deduce the future roster.

That’s right… none of what I’m about to tell you is guaranteed!

The way I see it, there are 28-29 spots on the future 40 man roster all but guaranteed. On the pitching side, Brett Anderson, Andrew Bailey, Jerry Blevins, Dallas Braden, Craig Breslow, Trevor Cahill, Joey Devine, Gio Gonzalez, Jeff Gray, Jay Marshall, Vin Mazzaro, Clayton Mortensen, Josh Outman, Henry Rodriguez, Michael Wuertz and Brad Ziegler all seem certain to have jobs in the Oakland organization next year. That’s 16 pitchers of varying combinations of success/cheapness/options that aren’t going to be released just to make room on the roster. (There’s a pretty good chance that Outman will open next season on the 60-day DL, opening up an additional spot on the 40 man.) Santiago Casilla and Edgar Gonzalez are both arbitration eligible next season but neither pitched so well that the A’s are going to be eager to give them big pay raises, which could mean either or both players could end up as trade fodder or possibly even released. Dana Eveland is still on the 40 man roster as well, but his poor performance led to a demotion that will keep him from seeing any arby money next season. Unfortunately, Mr. Eveland’s suckitude forced the A’s to use his last option this season; meaning he can’t be stashed on Sacramento’s roster next season without first passing through waivers. Chances are Eveland isn’t going to be one of the 5 best SP candidates for the A’s come Opening Day 2010 and as a lefty with a pulse he’d probably get snapped up by some other team desperate for pitching. Therefore, I think this is good-bye to Mr. Eveland.

As it just so happens, it looks as if the A’s are going to need maybe 3 openings on the 40 man roster just to protect some arms that should attract a lot of interest in the Rule 5 draft. Pedro Figueroa hasn’t advanced past High-A ball but he’s a lefty with a low-90’s fastball. Brad Kilby is another lefty who’s put up back-to-back quality campaigns in Sacramento’s bullpen. Fautino De Los Santos is still trying to bounce back from 2008 TJ surgery but he wouldn’t last long if the A’s made him available for the Rule 5 draft. Jason Ray is in the same boat but I don’t think there’s much risk of someone grabbing him and keeping him on a 25 man roster all season.

There’s also a chance the A’s might be interested in bringing back Brett Tomko or Justin Duchscherer next season. Dan Giese should be fully recovered in time for next season; maybe the A’s are still interested in him as a swing man type. Plus, guys like Sam Demel and James Simmons could be knocking on the door next season and they’d need a spot on the 40 man to do so. Like I said, I could see 3-4 spots going to the guys I just listed and we haven’t even looked outside the organization to find help.

The hitting side of things is even more in flux.

Kurt Suzuki, Landon Powell, Eric Chavez (who?) Mark Ellis, Daric Barton, Travis Buck, Aaron Cunningham, Rajai Davis, Scott Hairston, Ryan Sweeney, Jack Cust, Tommy Everidge, Cliff Pennington and Gregorio Petit have spots on the 40 man roster. (Although I’m not sure if Petit has another minor league option available to him in 2010… if someone has a conclusive answer I’d appreciate hearing it.) C Anthony Recker is the most prominent bat in the A’s system that would be eligible for the Rule 5 draft this winter and I’m not sure if the A’s would consider his departure to be a great loss. So any Recker fans out there can protect him on their 40 man lists, but I’m thinking the A’s leave him off the protected roster. Chris Denorfia and Eric Patterson are both out of options, so if they aren’t in Oakland come Opening Day there’s a good chance they’ll be playing for another organization in 2010. I can maybe see Patterson as a back-up at 2B and in the outfield but I’ve got to squint and angle my head to one side to see it. I think it’s more likely that the A’s will try to bring back Adam Kennedy to serve as a deluxe back-up option/veteran mentor type.

The real twist comes when you consider the minor league bats that the A’s have in AA or higher that aren’t yet on the 40 man roster. Sean Doolittle, Adrian Cardenas, Josh Donaldson, Corey Brown, Chris Carter and Brett Wallace highlight the next wave of Oakland offense… which could be much more refreshing than the current ripple in the still waters we’ve experienced as of late. Yet again we haven’t looked outside the current organization to determine if maybe there’s another bat to be had.

So bring back Kennedy, add the newbies and you’re looking at 38-39 players on the 40 man roster before the Rule 5 draft. Does anyone see any glaring omissions?

Until the next time...

Farmers Only: Another stud pitching prospect gets promoted, and Dayton's bullpen melts down big time

BK — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:00:20 -0000

Sam Lecure only gave up 1 run in his 6 innings of work as Louisville rolled 7-3 against Toledo. Kevin Barker led the way going 3-for-4 with a solo HR, and Drew Stubbs, Darnell McDonald, and Daniel Dorn all had two hits. Logan Ondrusek pitched 1 2/3 innings of one hit ball to get his first save in AAA. As mentioned in the postgame show, LeCure's start tonight pretty much rules him out for Friday's TBA start in Cincinnati, pretty much ensuring that it goes to Justin Lehr. I can't see it going to anyone else at this point, unless they take Masset out of the bullpen. Up next: Travis Wood takes on Toledo at 7:05.
Carolina came up with 2 runs in the 8th to beat Chattanooga 2-1. Tom Cochran had another good start, pitching 7 innings of 1-run ball, and Ruben Medina and Enerio Del Rosario pitched perfect relief innings to nail down the win and the save. Sean Henry and Jake Kahaulelio drove in the Mudcat runs. Up next: Camilo Vazquez takes the hill against Chattanooga at 7:15.
Sarasota beat Daytona 2-1 behind a good start by Jeremy Horst. Horst made it into the 9th, pitching 8 1/3 innings and giving up 1 run while striking out 5. Devin Mesoraco was the offense, going 2-for-3 with a HR. Up next: Matt Fairel makes his High-A debut against Brevard County at 7:05.
Remember when I said on the postgame show that Peoria was mounting a rally in the 9th against Dayton? They ended up scoring 10 runs in the 9th off of Dragons relievers to beat Dayton 13-7. Credit Mike James, Aguido Gonzalez, and Donnie Joseph for the epic meltdown. J.C. Sulbaran started, pitching 5 innings of 3 run ball. The only good pitcher on the night was Chase Ware, who pitched 2 scorless innings in his A-ball debut. Carlos Mendez and Alexis Oliveras had two hits each for the offense. Up next: Lance Janke takes on Peoria at 7.
Billings broke a 4-4 tie in the 8th to beat Missoula 6-4. After Tim Crabbe had some trouble out of the gate, Justin Walker picked him up with 4 innings of 1-hit relief. The Mustangs managed 16 hits on the night, with Tyler Stovall and Frank Pfister having 3 each and Mariekson Gregorius, Yorman Rodriguez, Mauricio Pimentel, and Chris Richburg with 2 hits each. Up next: The Mustangs take on Missoula again at 9:05, with Blair Carson taking the hill.
The GCL Reds lost to the GCL Red Sox 3-1 in a 7 inning game that was shortened by rain. Tzu-Kai Chiu pitched 2 2/3 innings of 1-hit relief, and Danny Hernandez and Henry Rodriguez each had two hits. Up next: The GCL Reds take on the GCL Twins at noon.
Roster Moves: Federico Baez is back in Louisville, but the big news of the night is that former Featured Farmhand Matt Fairel got promoted to Sarasota. He was 8-5 with a 2.93 ERA in 19 starts in Dayton. Catcher Petr Cech is in Billings after spending most of the season in ~~West London~~ the GCL.

Farmers Only: Maloney got rocked, good pitching in Sarasota and Billings, and a surprising retirement

BK — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:00:24 -0000

Matt Maloney got lit up as Louisville lost to Syracuse 8-5. Matty gave up 8 runs in 4 innings of work. Ramon Ramirez was good in relief, only giving up 1 hit in 3 innings, and Logan Ondrusek put up a perfect inning in his AAA debut. Darnell McDonald was 3-for-5 to lead the offense, and a Kevin Barker grand slam almost brought the guys back. For the guys who have recently gotten some callup talk, Drew Stubbs was 1-for-5 with an RBI and Chris Heisey had the night off. Up next: Louisville takes on Toledo at 7:05. No starter listed. Ben Jukich is next in line, but if that changes, you'll be the first to know.
Carolina got blanked by Chattanooga 3-0. Lee Tabor gave up 2 runs in 5 innings, and Ramon Geronimo and Enerio Del Rosario both pitched scorless relief outings. Carson Kainer had two of the Mudcats 5 hits. Up next: Matt Klinker takes on 'Nooga at 7:15.

Montano

Sarasota shut out Daytona 1-0, behind an awesome start by Luis Montano. Montano gave up 6 hits in 8 shutout innings, and Mace Thurman pitched a perfect 9th for his 4th save. Devin Mesoraco drove in the S-Reds only run with one of his two hits, and Dave Sappelt had two hits as well. Up next: Zach Ward takes on Daytona at 7.
Dayton tied their game in the 9th, but gave up a run in the bottom of the inning to lose to Kane County 3-2. Josh Fellhauer was 3-for-5 with a HR, and Oscar Castro started the game, giving up 2 runs in 5 innings while walking 5. Up next: Dayton takes on Peoria at 7, with no starter listed.

Snowden

Billings held off a Great Falls rally in the 9th to win 4-3. Shea Snowden had a great start, pitching 6 shutout innings while striking out 7 hitters. Yorman Rodriguez continued his tear, going 2-for-4 with a HR. Up next: Luca Panerati takes on Great Falls at 9:05.
Pitching was the theme for the GCL Reds as they won against the GCL Rays 8-1. Alexander Smit started the game on a rehab assignment and pitched 3 perfect innings with 2 strikeouts. Not to be outdone, the next pitcher, Mitchell Clarke, pitched 3 hitless innings too, striking out 4 and walking 1. Marcos Molina took the no-no into the 8th, before he gave up a hit and promptly induced a double play. Theodis Bowe continued his hot hitting, going 4-for-5 with his 14th SB in 19 games. Cristobal Rodriguez went 3-for-4, and Billy Hamilton and Henry Rodriguez went 2-for-4. Up next: GCL Reds take on the GCL Orioles at noon.
Roster Moves: As mentioned in the FanShots, Sarasota starting pitcher Rafael Gonzalez was placed on the Voluntary Retired List. No word as to why yet, other than his recent struggles in the FSL.

Farmers Only: Travis Wood and Yorman Rodriguez make their highly anticipated debuts at new levels, and don't disappoint

BK — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:15:35 -0000

Louisville split their games over the weekend, both in Syracuse, a 4-3 loss and a 5-3 win. Travis Wood started on Saturday, and pitched 6 scoreless innings before giving up a run in the 7th. He ended up giving up his one run on 3 hits, while walking 4 and striking out 5. Zach Stewart gave up his first run in a month in relief, and Robert Manuel blew the save. On Sunday, Chris Heisey and Drew Sutton had three hits each, and Justin Lehr notched another win pitching 6 1/3 innings of 3-run (2 earned) ball, striking out 4. If Micah has to go on the DL, it seems pretty plausible that they call up Lehr, with his spot in the rotation the same as Micah's and his 13 wins in AAA. Manuel bounced back on Sunday with a scoreless 9th to notch his 10th save. Up next: Matt Maloney is scheduled to take on Syracuse at 7. (This could change with Micah's DL status, stay tuned.)
Carolina dropped their Saturday game against Huntsville 4-1. Another suspect start in Carolina, as Camilo Vazquez was pulled after 4 innings, after only giving up 2 runs. Shaun Cumberland was the Mudcats offense, with two hits and his first HR of the season. The Mudcats were off on Sunday. Up next: The Mudcats take on Chattanooga at 7:15, with no starter listed.
Sarasota dropped both of their weekend games, a 6-2 loss to Dunedin and a 3-1 loss to Daytona. On Saturday, Rafael Gonzalez got shelled in his 3 innings of work, but Joe Krebs and Justin Freeman combined to pitch 5 innings of 1-run ball. Devin Mesoraco had three hits in that game. Travis Webb pitched 6 innings of one-hit, shutout ball on Sunday, but the bullpen blew the lead in the 8th. Up next: Luis Montano takes on Daytona at 7.
Dayton won both of their games in Kane County over the weekend. On Saturday, they won 4-2 behind a good start by Matt Fairel. Fairel gave up 1 run in 7 innings of work, striking out 6. Donnie Joseph gave up a run in the 9th, but still managed to hold down his first save in Dayton. In Sunday's game, they won 9-4 behind an explosive offense. Enrique Rojas and Carlos Mendez both had 3 hits on Sunday, and 5 on the weekend each. Kevin Coddington and Alexis Oliveras had two hits and drove in 3 and 2 runs respectively. Up next: Another game with Kane County, at 7:30 ET. No starter listed.
Billings lost both of their games over the weekend 2-1 against Missoula. On Saturday, Blair Carson put together a good start, going 6 innings of 1-run ball with 4 strikeouts. Yorman Rodriguez had two hits and a HR, batting 3rd in his Billings debut. Mark Fleury and Efrain Contreras both had two hits as well. On Sunday, Leonardo Astorga actually had a good start, pitching 5 innings of 2 run ball (1 earned). Contreras had three hits, and Hector Santana and Justin Walker both pitched scoreless relief outings. Up next: The Mustangs take on Great Falls at 9:05.
The GCL Reds played a doubleheader on Saturday before an off day on Sunday. Game 1 was against the GCL Twins, a game our boys won 6-5. Tyler Cline gave up 2 runs in 4 innings. Theodis Bowe was 3-for-4 with 2 RBI, and a SB, his 13th of the short season so far. In Game 2, the Reds lost to the GCL Twins 4-3. Henry Rodriguez and Oliver Santos had 3 hits each, and Stephen Smith gave up 3 runs in his 2 innings start for the loss. Up next: Rays at noon.
Roster Moves: Logan Ondrusek continues his rapid ascent up the ladder, as he's in Louisville now after putting up a 1.65 ERA in 32 2/3 innings in Carolina. And, as previously mentioned, Travis Wood is finally in Louisville, wearing number 12. To make room for Ondrusek in the pen, Federico Baez was demoted to Carolina, and Scott Carroll takes Wood's place in the Mudcats rotation. Michael Griffin is back in Carolina after going 0-for his last 8 games in AAA, and to make room for him, Jose Castro is on the DL. Andrew Means is on the DL in Dayton, with Alexis Oliveras getting the call from Billings to take his place. To replace Oliveras in Billings, Yorman Rodriguez got the much anticipated call. He's gotta be the only 16-year-old in the Pioneer League, right? New faces on the GCL team include pitchers Daniel Tuttle and Stephen Smith.

Farmers Only: Thank God It's Wednesday

BK — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:00:41 -0000

Louisville lost 2-1 to Buffalo. Ramon Ramirez pitched 7 solid innings, only giving up 2 runs (1 earned), and Darnell McDonald was 3-for-4 to lead the offense. Up next: The Bats take on Buffalo at 7:05 behind Ben Jukich.
Carolina lost 6-1 to Huntsville behind Matt Klinker's first rough patch in a while. Jose Castro and Juan Francisco had two hits each, but the Mudcats offense only managed 5 hits off of Huntsville starter Sam Narron. Yeah, he's Jerry's cousin. Up next: Carolina takes on the Stars again at 8. I think Camilo Vazquez will start.
Sarasota lost 8-1 to Dunedin. Luis Montano had a solid start, going 6 innings of 2-run ball, but Mark Pawelek blew the game open in the 8th, giving up 5 runs. Up next: Zach Ward is scheduled to take his first start in Sarasota this season at 7.
Dayton beat Wisconsin 9-4 behind a strong showing by the offense. Kevin Coddington had 3 hits and Josh Fellhauer hit his 3rd HR of the season. Oscar Castro left the game in the 4th after giving up 4 runs, but Jordan Hotchkiss picked up the slack, going 3 2/3 innings of relief and only allowing 1 hit and no runs, and striking out 4 in the process. Donnie Joseph, the newest Dragon, pitched 1 2/3 perfect innings for his A-ball debut. Up next: J.C. Sulbaran takes on Wisconsin at 8:05.
Billings was off. They take on Missoula at 9:05 with Luca Panerati taking the the hill.
Yorman and Henry Rodriguez each had two hits as the GCL Reds won 4-1 over the Rays. Michael Henry, Mitchell Clarke, Marcos Molina, and Raul Rodriguez each pitched 2 innings, with the first two pitching perfect and Molina giving up the only run. Jacob Wiley pitched the 9th for his 5th save of the young season. Up next: The GCL Reds take on the GCL O's at noon.
Roster Moves: As previously mentioned, Donnie Joseph is with Dayton after putting up a 0.77 ERA in Billings in 11 2/3 innings.

Farmers Only: Great starting pitching, Travis Wood is still awesome, and the Rodriguez triplets strike in rookie ball

BK — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:00:35 -0000

The starting pitching was awesome last night. 5 of the 6 starters combined to pitch 30 1/3 innings and only gave up 1 run.

Louisville won 5-3 in 12 innings, with Chris Heisey once again being the hero. He doubled in the winning runs in the 12th, for one of his 3 hits, with one other hit being his 2nd HR in AAA. Drew Stubbs, Darnell McDonald, and Chris Valaika all had two hits. Adam Pettyjohn started the game and pitched 5 innings of 1-run ball. Jeff Kennard, Pedro Viola, and Jared Burton all added scoreless outings from the bullpen, but it was Kip Wells who stole the show, pitching two innings of one hit ball, striking out 3. Up next: Justin Lehr starts against Columbus at 7:05.
OBC'S ADAM ROSALES UPDATE: Adam Rosales was 1-for-3 with 3 walks and a run scored. He started at shortstop, which is kind of interesting. Maybe grooming him for the position for later on in the season?
Carolina won 2-1 in 11 innings, after going scoreless through 9. You're not going to believe this... but Travis Wood had another great start. 7 innings, 3 hits, no runs, 9 K, 1 BB. That's straight up dominance. He's 8-2 with a 1.37 ERA in 105 innings so far. What the hell is he still doing in AA, Walt? Logan Ondrusek pitched two solid in relief, and Sean Watson got the win despite giving up a run in the bottom of the 11th to make it close. Todd Frazier hit his 9th HR of the season to give the Mudcats the lead after Juan Francisco walked, and Jose Castro added two hits. They were supposed to play a doubleheader, but the second game wasn't played for some reason. Probably because the first one took so long. Up next: Tom Cochran takes on Jacksonville at 7:05.
Sarasota won a pitchers' duel 1-0. Rafael Gonzalez went 7 shutout innings, and Mace Thurman added two of his own to combined for the shutout. Denis Phipps drove in the only run. Up next: Sarasota takes on Fort Myers at 7:05, with Travis Webb taking the hill.
Dayton also won a pitchers' duel 1-0 behind the golden arm of Curtis Partch. Partch gave up 6 hits in 6 innings, and Junior Martinez and Aguido Gonzalez pitched hitless outings to close it out. The Dragons were only to score one run on 14 hits, but it turned out to be enough. Josh Fellhauer was 3-for-5. Up next: J.C. Sulbaran takes on the LumberKings at 8.
Billings was the lone loser, losing 7-1 to Orem. Alexis Oliveras and Chris Richburg had two hits each, and Bryan Gardner and Daniel Corcino both pitched scoreless relief outings. Up next: Shea Snowden takes on Orem at 9:05.
Pedro Villarreal and Marcos Molina combined for 8 shutout innings as the GCL Reds won 6-1. If your last name was Rodriguez you had a good game. Yorman Rodriguez, Cristobal Rodriguez, and Henry Rodriguez all had two hits and a RBI, and Petr Cech drove in 2 of his own. As far as I know, they're not related, but still, having three Rodriguez's in the same lineup could get confusing. Up next: They take on the GCL Twins at noon with Tyler Cline starting.

Scott Hairston Traded to Oakland A's for Two Minor League Pitchers and a PTBNL

Tyler Bleszinski — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:12:39 -0000

The A's always seem to try and get a jump on the trading deadline. Today is no different. The A's decided to acquire Scott Hairston from the San Diego Padres today for Ryan Webb, Craig Italiano and a PTBNL.

I like this deal a lot. It gives the A's a very good outfielder under control until 2011. It also affords the A's the flexibility to move Matt Holliday when the time and the right deal comes along. And if it doesn't come along, then the A's can take those draft picks and know that they have someone in the outfield to replace Holliday when he walks.

At the same time, there have already been quite a few who have speculated that the A's are trying to make a Holliday deal even more attractive for someone else by throwing in Hairston in a deal with Holliday. But Hairston seems like one of those guys who was probably on a Billy Beane most wanted list and that often means that he's going to keep you until he can't afford to anymore.

Hairston looks even better if he can play center field for the A's. Then again, the A's have put Ryan Sweeney out there a bunch this year and I could see Hairston actually being an upgrade over Sweeney at that position, both with the bat and the glove.

Paul DePodesta weighs in on the deal here. Here's an excerpt:

While trading Scott is difficult and not without risk, especially given his excellent production this season, this move provides us with some young power arms with big upside - a real need for us - while also allowing for other young players to continue to amass Major League at-bats in our outfield.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if that PTBNL is Sean Gallagher. And if it is, then I still think it's a good trade. Gallagher had a lot of potential, but the A's are chock full of young arms with a lot of potential. They need to get a right-handed stick that is under salary control for a while who can provide good defense. This finally plugs that hole and the A's clearly didn't have a lot of faith in Gallagher. We'll see though. It also wouldn't surprise me to see it be someone like Henry Rodriguez. But we'll just have to wait to find out.

Gas Lamp Ball doesn't like the move at all, calling it throwing in the towel on the season.

I understand the Padres have absolutely no chance of doing anything this year, hell everybody knows that except Heath Bell. The problem is that with Hairston gone, the chances of the Padres threatening to score has just been reduced.

The white flag of surrender is being flown above Petco Park. I see it now, the invitation for other teams to rape and pillage. Come one, come all.

I just think ultimately you can never predict what Beane and company are going to do. You expect them to be announcing deals where they're moving Holliday, Orlando Cabrera and Adam Kennedy and instead they come out and acquire someone who helps immediately but also will help for two more years down the road. Beane always talks about being both a buyer and a seller at the deadline with every move.

That's exactly what he was here.

AN Interviews Oakland A's GM Billy Beane: Spring Training 09 Edition Part I

Tyler Bleszinski — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:00:10 -0000

For what I believe is the first time in Athletics Nation history, I had the opportunity to talk to Billy Beane during spring training. I'll be running it in three parts because it turned into a 17-page interview. If you're looking for the game threads on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week, they will be running in the FanPosts to make sure that people don't miss the Beane discussion.

I will say that if I'm lucky enough to do an interview with Billy during spring training next year, I will do it much later in the spring as it was too early in the spring for much to have been decided yet.

Enjoy!

Blez: I interviewed Jason Giambi yesterday and he told me to ask you about the deal that he thought he had signed, sealed and delivered.

Billy Beane: Well it really wasn't that simple. I never blamed Jason and whatever it was that we wound up offering him was significantly less than what he wound up getting. In all fairness, however it turned out, it turned out the best because we weren't really in a position to absorb (that salary). I think Steve (Schott) and Ken (Hofmann) made an honest effort but it was getting to the point had it happened it would have been very stressful on the franchise financially. He was obviously a great player and a fan favorite and a favorite of the owners. Everybody liked Jason. Ultimately it was hard to argue against what he ended up doing and what he ended up getting. I think he enjoyed his time in New York and we were able to regroup when he left. And now he's back, so we're happy.

Blez: More general question, how has camp been so far?

Beane: It's been good.

Blez: We're not really that far into it yet so it might be tough to tell. (Editor's note: this interview was conducted on March 10)

Beane: Well it's a long spring and that's a good thing because there's a sense of relaxation with guys who are a little banged up. Course that will change in about a week when you'll start to get a little anxious with guys. You know Duke (Justin Duchscherer) is a little banged up and Joey Devine. I think in another week I'll start to get a little more anxious if they're still not out there. The veteran guys we've brought in have been great. (Matt ) Holliday has been great. People call him a veteran but he's right in the prime of his career. He's just an absolute stud as a player and a just a great guy. To even have a player of that caliber with his work ethic is just incredible. A player of his talent is great to have but he's also just such a great person. And having Jason back just brings a lot of life and levity to the whole situation. He fills up a room with his personality and he's good with players, he's good with kids and he's good with everyone. He really is a glue in there. We've had great weather. The family is down and the twins are here so that's been good. It's been nice. It's also been great to take a look at some of these young pitchers.

Blez: I was going to get into that later, but I might as well get into it now. You've got Cahill, Anderson and Mazzaro.

Beane: Simmons and Gio (Gonzalez). And we haven't even seen Henry (Rodriguez) yet and he's supposed to be getting out there soon. It should be fun.

Blez: Of those pitchers, who do you think who is the most advanced at this point?

Beane: It's hard to say. That's a good question and I'm not sure we really know yet. I think that for their years and experience, Cahill and Anderson are probably a bit ahead of most guys at that age. At the same time, Vinny (Mazzaro) got some time at Triple-A last year and at least got his feet wet. And he's been as impressive as anyone down here. He's just been explosive with his stuff. I think he's had three outings and they've been dominant. It would just be really hard to say right now. They've only had a few outings so it would be tough to really judge and rank them. And they're all pretty mature kids. Brett and Trevor are very close friends and they have personalities that just don't seem to be fazed by much. They don't seem to be overly excited. They've handled themselves very professionally, which is what you want to see.

Blez: Do you compare this group to the next incarnation of the big three?

Beane: No, this is more of a group of guys. Those three guys were such unique individuals. You take a guy like Tim Hudson. You take what he did when he stepped on the mound and he was immediately one of the best pitchers in the league. You just don't see that happen. I believe he went 11-1 the year he came up. He never faced any adversity at any point. He went right through the minor leagues and buzzed through there. Then he came up to the major leagues and immediately was a number one starter. That just doesn't happen. In Barry's (Zito) case, he wound up right there at the top of the rotation too. He didn't face too much adversity either. Mark (Mulder) was a little different as he came right out of college and jumped right to Triple-A, which was a huge jump. He spent the year there and then was in the big leagues with us. He had some growing pains and a 5 plus ERA but literally the next year went from having that 5 ERA and being your fifth starter to being one of the best starters in the league himself. Those three were just so unique in A. getting up here so quickly and B. dominating guys right off the bat. It's not a normal career path. Most guys have some struggles. It wouldn't be fair to compare anyone to that group of guys. I mean they're three of the best pitchers from their generation. You know we'll see with these guys. I think what's different about these guys is almost that they're younger. You take Brett and Trevor and I think they'd be maybe juniors in college this year. A couple of high school kids as well. Vinny is a high school kid we drafted and those guys (the Big Three) were college guys so...

Blez: So this is a new path.

Beane: Yeah a new path. It's been an experience for us too because we've been so focused on college pitching that when these guys came through, we hadn't had to deal with this in a while so we wanted to make sure we weren't rushing them and comparing them to guys like Hudson, Mulder and Zito who played in college. But you also don't want to hold them back. So far they've handled everything we've given them. The advantage Cahill and Brett has was pitching in the Olympics. I think it was a great experience for them. And I think it will help them become more mature people in dealing with big events. We put Trevor in the game over against the Giants in Scottsdale. Spring training is spring training, but if you're going to pitch in a big game in spring training, pitching against the Giants in Scottsdale is about as big as it gets. Except for maybe a night game against the Giants or Diamondbacks here. We're trying to throw some things at them to see how they respond. So far they've seemed to pass every test.

Blez: Speaking of young pitching, (Michael) Ynoa pitched yesterday for a crowd of reporters and others. What were the reports you heard?

Beane: I didn't get over there. He's the kind of kid that's physically so impressive and for him to have that much athletic ability is so unique, especially for that size. He's really smooth and graceful. He's almost like an NBA small forward in the way he moves. He's very coordinated. He's also a very self-assured, very confident guy. He's got an easy smile and behind the smile you can just get the sense that he knows he's going to be good and he isn't fazed by that. He's been like that since we started this process.

Blez: What do you guys plan on doing with him this year?

Beane: He'll be here for a little bit and then he'll go back to the Dominican (Republic). It's still up in the air whether he'll come to the summer league or whether he'll pitch over there, but he's 17 and he's a junior in high school. He's a special 17-year-old, mind you, but I think we're going to take it one step at a time. He'll go back and pitch over there. And we've talked about the rookie league here. I think we'll make that decision as we go along. We want to make sure we're careful when we commit to something. He's also adjusting culturally. He's been taking English classes and I believe he conducted his interviews in English which is amazing.

Blez: So he didn't speak any when you were there?

Beane: He didn't understand a lot. But he's been taking English classes as a lot of our guys do. That tells you what kind of self confidence he has, and I might be wrong on this, but for him to request that his interviews be conducted in English is just really, really amazing. He didn't speak any at all when we went over there last year and we had to use an interpreter. He's a kid coming here so it's a big adjustment for him. Part of his success will be determined by how he adjusts to living in a new country and speaking a different language.

Blez: You mentioned the young pitching, but have there been any other pleasant surprises? People that might be flying under the radar.

Beane: I wouldn't say pleasant surprises, but there have been guys who have impressed. That (Ben) Copeland kid, you know the Rule 5, has played great down here. He just keeps getting better. And Raj (Davis) keeps getting better every day. He's such a good athlete with great speed. But every time he goes up to hit he just seems to be getting better and better. It is spring training, but he sure is exciting when he puts the ball in play. He's hitting the ball hard and driving it the other way. He's really been a great find for us from the day we got him on waivers. It's been great to get that kind of athlete and he's a great kid too. He's really just a good kid who loves to play. It's been fun to see him over the course of the year that we've had to continue to get better and better. (Ryan) Sweeney has been phenomenal down here. I don't think it's a total surprise. I think anyone who has seen him play despite his youth could see his athletic ability and everyone could see that this guy really has a chance to turn into something special. He seems like he went from a young adult to a real man in the space of a winter. He's driving balls and I think he's hitting like .550, .545 here and it hasn't been cheap. That's not a surprise. I think we could all see it coming, but it's nice to see.

Blez: I know it's tough to judge things so early in the spring, but how are you feeling about the team's chances in 2009?

Beane: I've always resisted handicapping. But there are some obvious things. I like our position players. I think we have a lot of depth. Everybody realizes how important having Chavy out there on an every day basis will be for us. Hopefully that's the case. He's had a little bit of setback with the shoulder but I don't think it's anything that's serious. I think it's just the normal rehab process with normal soreness that you would get but I like our position players. And we did exactly what we wanted to do which was to add some offense with Holliday, Giambi and then you add Nomar (Garciaparra) and (Orlando) Cabrera which at that point gives you the depth of having Bobby (Crosby) around. I'm happy with that. I think a real key for us is, and it's no secret, when can we close the gap with some of this young pitching? When they get here, they're going to be good but it's how quickly are they going to be good. They're going to be here, it's just how quickly are they going to be here. We really need to narrow that game. In the interim we need Duke and we need Joey because those guys are arguably two of our best pitchers on our staff. But the pitching is going to be the key. It's a little bit of a strange dynamic because while pitching is a concern, we think that we have the best group of pitchers in the minor leagues of anybody. So it isn't like we're going to go out and find pitching because we have it here. It's just matter of getting it to Oakland. And hopefully it can perform and compete when it does. That will be the key. And to predict that, I just don't know. I know these kids are talented and good. But being a major league pitcher takes a little more than that. Hopefully when they get here quickly. I'm hoping the fact that there will be a really solid position player team around them will help their development.

Blez: How concerned are you about Duke right now?

Beane: We're always concerned. Duke always seems to battle nicks here and there. There is no questioning how good he is but durability has always been a bit of an issue. I'm concerned because he's one of the best pitchers on our team which was proven last year given his All Star selection. He's one of the better pitchers in the league when he's out there. It's been keeping him out there that has been a challenge. He's as frustrated with the whole thing because this is his free agent year. I believe he was supposed to throw yesterday and I'm not sure how that turned out but he's confident he will be fine. But each day that goes by you get a little concerned.

Blez: What do you think you'll do with the rotation if Duke isn't ready to go?

Beane: That's a question better asked for later on. Someone will be in there. To say that we haven't begun discussing it would be a bit disingenuous because we have. But since we don't have to make a decision there is no reason to publicly discuss it and create all the questions that come with that discussion when it's not necessarily needed.

Blez: Is there a temptation to go out and sign someone like Mark Mulder who is coming off the injury to take a chance on him or maybe someone like a Pedro Martinez?

Beane: On Mark, my understanding is that he isn't ready to go out. That's sort of moot. But we've stayed away from signing the veteran starters because we have young guys that we want to be here at some point and I've never thought in our marketplace that that was an efficient use of your money. Short answer is no. It isn't really even something we pursued during the winter. We've got great young pitchers here and we want to give them a chance to get up here. It might be later than we want and it might be sooner than we expect, but they're going to be here at some point and we've just got to be patient with them. Sometimes you just go out and sign a guy and it just winds up being window dressing at the end of the day. What are you trying to achieve and what are you getting? Not really talking about Mark, but those other guys might have different interests and want to go somewhere else. We like to keep our slots open for our young guys and that's really where the success is going to come from is our young guys and it's going to be long term.

Blez: It's interesting that you take that philosophy with pitching. It's a really interesting mix of veterans and young guys on this club on the field. You've got Buck and Barton, but you also have Nomar, Cabrera and Holliday-types. How do you make sure that someone like Buck, who experienced a pretty big bump in the road last year, continues to develop and find playing time while bringing in so many veterans to bolster the offense?

Beane: We've never had a problem having too many good players so it's too early to be worrying about having at-bats. I think what we're saying here is if you hit, we'll find a spot for you. It's really not a concern. At the end of the day they'll be plenty of at-bats for everybody. Ideally what you'd like to do, especially with the veterans, is to not put so much pressure on them so that at the end of the day, they don't break down at some point later in the season. In Travis' case, here's someone we think very highly of and we expect him to get himself plenty of at-bats. We've got plenty of ways to mix and match.

Blez: Was that part of your goal this offseason because of the injury issues the last couple of years? To create as much depth as possible.

Beane: Oh yeah, as much as our payroll allowed us to. We're never going to have the perfect team in our situation but we want as many good position players as we can. Take a guy like Bobby. If Orlando is playing short and Bobby becomes a pretty good right-handed bat available that can play a number of positions. And we haven't had a player that caliber available to us. The same with Nomar. The idea that we can rest someone and have Nomar playing out there as a right-handed bat is great. It's always been somewhere we've been short. We always find a way to create at-bats where we don't necessarily want them so I feel pretty confident that getting these guys at-bats won't be an issue.

Coming Tuesday: Beane discusses how the economic situation affected his decision-making this offseason, why he wanted Orlando Cabrera and Nomar Garciaparra and how Bobby Crosby took the Cabrera signing.