3-team mega-swap

Yeah, I know, it's an A's blog.  But, hey, Seattle's in the division, right?  And this deal surprised the heck out of me considering Putz was one of their only marquee players and Sean Green was (in my understanding) a highly-touted up-and-comer.  They also send off Jeremy Reed and 2B Luis Valbuena, so... yeah.

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I'm relieved that Blez brought this up already.  I was afraid of the stigma if I was the first to write about baseball video games.  I'm a  nerd to the point that I actually get slightly more enjoyment out of updating rosters than playing the game itself.  To that end, if anyone else on here has the same malady as me, enjoy the following.

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Buster Olney reports that Mike Piazza has cleared waivers and a deal might be in the works.

Olney link

Interestingly, he also mentions that Tejada was claimed by the White Sox off the wire, but a deal couldn't be worked out.  So I guess he's an Oriole for the foreseeable future, which sucks for him.

Anyway, this looks mildly exciting.

3 games into the season, and the media wants me to believe that the Mariners are something special.

All spring long, talking heads have been telling me how Mike Piazza is not going to replace Frank Thomas' production (ignoring that the team's offense as a whole was down last year due various injuries), that the rotation is shaky (we've been giving way too many starts to multiple future #6 pitchers for the last few years, why should this year be any different?), and that Oakland is, at best, a second-place finisher (where have I heard that before?).

But, oh, all that changed on Opening Day.  Felix, a.k.a. "King," a.k.a. "The Ace," a.k.a. "The Hype That Hasn't Really Delivered" Hernandez fans 12, with the help of an umpire whose strike zone was extended to an extra foot on either side and an A's offense that hasn't really been dangerous since Jermaine Dye put the whammy on himself in the batter's box.

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I know, I know, this isn't a Boston Red Sox blog.  And trust me, I'm no AL East fan, let alone a Red Sox fan.  But the Matsuzaka signing was important to me, and for one reason and one reason only: Scott Boras got served.

Boras is the number 1 reason to not like free agency.  Any shot your team might have to land a big player on the market because he might be sentimental about the area, might want to be close to his family, etc., goes right out the window when he makes Boras his agent.  Same goes for top draft picks.  When Scott Boras is on the case, all he cares about is money, and lots of it.  Boras spent the last month talking endlessly about how Matsuzaka should be given Roy Oswalt money, how Matsuzaka is one of the top 3 pitchers in baseball, how Matsuzaka is going to create a perpetual motion machine and provide energy for the entire western hemisphere.  Well, the Red Sox never blinked.  They gave Matsuzaka exactly what they thought he deserved: 6 years, $52 million.  Now that he's lost a little face, I hope other teams will treat Boras this way when he makes outrageous contract demands.

And while this may not affect A's fans directly (although it may a little, since he's Zito's agent), I really just wanted to say this:

Eat it, Boras.  Eat it raw.

So now that Big Frank is (more or less) goneski to the land of logging, snow, and the Quebecois, there is talk that Barry Bonds could fill the obligatory "possibly washed up slugger" role.  And if the A's sign him, I quit.

If my favorite team, the team I've followed since I was a small lad in Santa Rosa, California, the team I've kept highest in my affections even as a college student Moscow, Idaho, signs a disgusting, self-absorbed, steroid-grubbing excuse for a ballplayer like Bonds, I'm going to put a moratorium on my fanhood; a moratorium that will last until he leaves the clubhouse that sheltered my childhood heroes.

I'll still root for individual players on the team-- I'll cheer every time I see Chavvy on Web Gems, I'll flush with pride when Bobby Crosby hits .270 with 18 bombs (bold prediction!), and I'll smile when I see Joe Blanton on SportsCenter carving up opposing hitters with his lethal fastball-changeup-yellow hammer combination.  But I'll refuse to watch even 1 game.  I'll abstain from wearing any of my extensive collection of A's gear.  And if the boys went all the way to the World Series, I'd be happy for 'em, but I wouldn't celebrate.

I always felt comfortable that we'd never even have to think about Bonds playing for us because his inflated ego would always insist he was owed a bloated contract, despite declining performance.  Clearly, that's not a certainty.

Please, Billy.  Please don't let Bonds break that record in an A's uniform.  Haven't we suffered enough this off-season?

No, this isn't some fanboy fantasy diary.  It is just a rumor mill, but it's an interesting one-- ESPN.com's Insider had this to say about Sheff's prospects:

Sheff won't go quietly
Nov 9 - The Yankees are looking to unload Gary Sheffield after picking up his $13 million option, and he's not happy about it. "I did nothing but produce for the Yankees my first two seasons in New York, but now it looks like I'm gone," Sheffield told The New York Times. "You can call it business, you can call it personal. I say it's both."

According to The New York Post, two different major-league officials believe Sheffield will end up with the Cubs or A's.

The New York Daily News reported that seven teams have inquired about Sheffield -- the Tigers, Astros, Indians, Rangers, Padres, Orioles and Cubs.

I know, I know, it's like The Princess Bride: inconceivable!  I suppose if the Yanks picked up a large part of Sheffield's salary and the A's tossed up Dan Johnson (or whoever) and a bunch of prospects, it would be possible.  I ain't holding my breath, though.  Although I think a power corner outfielder is really the last piece the A's need to be a league champion, I don't see Billy mortgaging our future for Gary Sheffield.

It's fun to dream, though, isn't it?

So here's a look at the National League 3rd Basemen versus Eric Chavez.  I laid out my parameters and explanations in the AL edition, so I'll just jump in.  I would like to say that I am aware that the NL has some serious offensive differences, but I'll address that where necessary.

Chavez (Oak): .271 AVG; 29 HR's; 99 RBI; .839 OPS; +7 Defense; $9,500,000

National League

Chipper Jones (Atl): .304 AVG; 33 HR's; 110 RBI; .944 OPS; -9 Defense; $13,666,667
*Larry, here, is a future Hall of Famer, and one of the best switch-hitters ever.  I won't even mention his 2005 defense, even though he has consistently ranked below league average (-11 in 2003, -6 in 2004).  He's 34 and pricey.  Next.

Miguel Cabrera (Fla): .311 AVG; 20 HR's; 116 RBI; .919 OPS; +1 Defense in 27 games at 3rd in 2005; $427,000
*Cabrera is a bona fide star already at 23.  The kid produces, and would be a welcome trade opportunity, if the Marlins put him up on their periodic fire sale trading block.  Do I see it happening?  Not bloody likely.  But it is the Marlins.  So far, the only player with the possibility of being moved that is the possible better alternative to Chavez.

David Wright (NY): .306 AVG; 28 HR's; 109 RBI; .902 OPS; 0 Defense; $374,000 (2006 salary)
*23.  Huge numbers.  League average defense.  Media star.  Long-term contract with the Mets.  But it's nice to dream, isn't it?

Abraham Nunez (Phi): .243 AVG; 3 HR; 35 RBI; .631 OPS; +4 Defense; Salary unavailable

Ryan Zimmerman (Wash): .296 AVG; 19 HR; 106 RBI; .836 OPS; +3 Defense; $327,000
*Not the same producer that Wright is, but definitely a star in the making at age 22.  I'm not sure where the Nationals stand in terms of actually wanting their team to win in the near future, but if it's something they're interested in, they'll give Zimmerman the cash to stay.  Not really in the realm of possibilities for the A's.

Aramis Ramirez (Chi): .279 AVG; 30 HR's; 104 RBI; .825 OPS; -14 Defense; $11,000,000
*Over the course of the average 162 game season, the offense is fairly comparable, and the defense is atrociously disparate.  And this is a guy that people salivate over.  Throw in the salary difference?  Edge Chavez.

Reds' 3rd Basemen: Similar to the Angels' situation.  When Rich Aurilia gets that much playing time, there's something wrong the youth movement.

Morgan Ensberg (Hou): .270 AVG; 27 HR's; 84 RBI; .858 OPS; +8 Defense; $3,800,000
*Comparable numbers, big difference in salary.  The deal breaker?  Ensberg is 31.  Chavez is 28.  Stick with the kid.

Brewers' 3rd Basemen: David Bell, Jeff Cirillo, Tony Graffanino, Corey Koskie.  Average age?  34.5 years old.  `Nuff said.

Pirates' 3rd Basemen: Joe Randa is likely the best of the bunch, and he's 34.  Freddy Sanchez has decent numbers for a middle infielder, but not for a guy at either corner spot.

Scott Rolen (StL): .285 AVG; 29 HR's; 111 RBI; .890 OPS; +6 Defense (injury-shortened year in 2005); $12,456,336
*One of the best in the bigs.  And he gets paid, son.  At 31, he's probably got at least a couple left in him, despite injury problems.  Not an option for the A's, but I'd say he's the closest thing we've seen to the complete player that Chavez is.  The fact that Chavvy's in the same conversation as Rolen should come as great comfort to fans.

Diamondbacks' 3rd Basemen: Can someone tell me who played 3rd for these guys?  The fact that I don't know suggests to me that it's no one really making a name for himself.

Garret Atkins (Col): .302 AVG; 21 HR's; 107 RBI; .852 OPS; -12 Defense; $335,000
*Dude plays in Coors.  Humidor be damned, that pads the stats.

Wilson Betemit (LA): .271 AVG; 12 HR's; 43 RBI; .765 OPS; -6 Defense; $345,000
*Worse offense.  Worse defense.  Big hype because he was a Braves prospect (Dan Meyer, anyone?).  I wouldn't even be talking about this guy if he didn't hit 18 bombs this year.

Padres' 3rd Basemen: Mark Bellhorn and Geoff Blum.  Next.

Pedro Feliz (SF): .252 AVG; 20 HR's; 77 RBI; .724 OPS; +2 Defense in 66 games at 3rd in 2005; $4,000,000

The conclusion?  That there are some excellent 3rd Basemen in the NL.  And some really forgettable ones.  Overall, Rolen, Wright, Cabrera, Ensberg, Zimmerman, Ramirez, and Jones are all guys that could be game-changers.  But various factors eliminate them from desirable alternatives to my friend and yours, Eric Chavez: age (Jones, Ensberg, Rolen), defense (Jones again, Ramirez, Wright, Cabrera), and affordability (Rolen again, Jones again, Ramirez again, Wright again, Zimmerman in the near future) show that Chavvy is, indeed, the superior and reasonably paid option for the Oakland Athletics.

In the end, I know Chavez can be maddeningly inconsistent offensively.  But he's only 28 right now, and the guy still put up 22 bombs and a .786 OPS in a season where he had more injuries than World War II had casualties.

So, is there a solution?  I think there is.  I know Jay Payton had a nice little year with a .296 average and 32 doubles, coupled with above-average defense for a left fielder.  But the guy is 33.  And he's playing in a position that is ideally a power spot, and 10 homers just doesn't cut it.  Not to mention he's getting paid a million more than Milton Bradley, and is likely to get a pay raise through free agency.  What the A's need is power outfielder, which, ideally, would happen by moving Swish out there, and having Dan Johnson return to rookie form at 1st.  I'd like to think Daric Barton is the great white hope, but his power hasn't developed like everyone thought it would--and like left field, 1st is a power position.

What does this have to do with Chavvy?  The A's need another legitimate power bat in the lineup so Chavez doesn't feel like the A's will lose and 49 kittens will die if he actually sits out a game when he's dragged down with nagging injuries.  The occasional sit-down, in my mind, will greatly improve Chavez' consistency and therefore numbers.  Regardless, I hope this little endeavor, encompassing 2 diaries and necessitating that I skip both of my Tuesday classes, will convince a few out there that Chavez really is the amazing player that his boosters claim he is.