Possible trade chips [on the current 40 man roster]

Livermore — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 20:47:48 -0000

With the trade deadline coming into view and several key players coming off the DL I'm wondering what AN thinks beane may do to mix things up if anything: specifically what players on the current roster do you think could be involved? There was an excellent diary posted recently about minor league players that beane could use to acquire someone (which didn't amount to much) but I'm thinking a bigger trade may be in the works involving players on the current roster.

I see two areas where a logjam may be forming, relief pitching and the outfield. We currently have 5 SP that are all having career years and I think most here would agree that we'd all feel alot better if we didn't ride this one out for the rest of the season. Whether or not Rich Harden and/or Esteban Loiza will provide some help is unknown. If either of these players come back I assume that would send one of the starters to the bullpen where we're quickly beginning to have an abundance of great pitching. Add a healthy Street and Ducherererer and I'm having a hard time finding a place to keep all these guys. In the outfield we have a similar situation with some new guys that are probably good enough (when healthy) to deserve a full time gig and some vets that are finally getting healthy. Kotsay, Buck, Bradley, Swisher, Snelling, Kielty, where do they all go?

Personally I'd like to see Swisher play 1B permanantly which quickly makes Johnson expendable. I don't see Piazza playing catcher if Kendall can figure out how to hit above .250 and I also think Cust's days in the Bigs are numbered. I'm not sure what a package of Johnson, Kennedy and a prospect would net but I'm sure we could get something useful back. Or maybe I'm thinking too small, could something big be on the horizon involving a key player we all know and love?

Obviously alot of this is going to depend on the health of team in the next few weeks and what Beane decides the team needs to compete. With a healthy roster I wonder if we need anything. Throw in a healthy Piazza and Bradley and you can make some filthy lineups that would compete with the best of the AL. Same goes for the pitching staff. Maybe I just answered my own question.

But since it's Friday and I don't want to work and the A's don't play till 7 I'll throw it out to AN, so what do you think?

Poll

What current players do you see involved in a possible 'big' trade

Harden

22 votes

Blanton

8 votes

Kennedy

33 votes

Duchererer

2 votes

Calero

6 votes

Johnson

31 votes

Chavez

5 votes

Ellis

0 votes

Kielty

11 votes

Piazza