SB Nation User Blog: TDub

Now is the time to trade Duke

TDub — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 23:13:34 -0000

The Philadelphia Phillies, who obviously do not know how to cope with a slow start to the season like we are accustomed to with our Athletics, have just made a rather desperate move.

http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com...

The Phillies demoted Brett Myers, their best starter the last 2 seasons and, arguably, one of the two best starters currently on their roster, to a set-up role in their bullpen.

I'm proposing that a trade of Justin Duchscherer to the Phillies for Brett Myers would help the A's.

Duke, who is in his first year of arbitration eligibility, was just re-signed to a $1.2 million contract for this season.. He will be arbitration eligible again at the end of season.

Brett Myers was signed the past offseason to a $25.75 million contract that will pay him $5 million this season, $8.5 million in 2008 and $12.5 million in 2009.

The A's would get younger as Duke is 29 years old and Myers is actually 26.

Brett Myers, in a rotation of Rich Harden, Dan Haren, Joe Blanton and Esteban Loaiza, would be only a few months older than Haren and Blanton and a year older than Harden. It would also allow the A's to move Gaudin back into the bullpen to be the "new" Duke after the trade.

The Phillies are desperate to bolster their horrible bullpen, having been reported to have interest in displaced Astros closer Brad Lidge (he makes over $5 million this season)!

I bring this diary up because I am particulary concerned with the A's ability to sign and retain Duke, who will be 30 next season to a long term contract. The Anaheim Angels signed Justin Speier, who I think Duke is MUCH better than, to a 4 year, $18 million contract. Speier is 33, four years older than Duke.

It seems in the last couple of season that Billy Beane has put together one of the best bullpens in the league with the anticipation that relievers are currently the under-appreciated, under-valued commodity which he's exploiting. At some point, he just might take advantage of a market inefficieny in a trade (as he did with Huddy and Mulder) and this could be it.

Goleski returned to Indians

TDub — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 20:26:51 -0000

Hadn't seen this posted anywhere yet. According to Rotoworld:

Athletics returned Rule-5 outfielder Ryan Goleski to the Indians.

Even with Mark Kotsay down, the A's opted to return Goleski, who hit just .152/.184/.174 in 46 at-bats this spring. The 25-year-old Goleski will likely open the season in Double-A.

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He was worth a shot. Wish he had performed like Josh Hamilton in Spring Training.

Bartolo Colon - out for the year

TDub — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 02:05:19 -0000

According to Rotoworld, it was discovered that he had a partial rotator cuff tear.

Unfortunate for the Angels. Good for the A's.

However, after watching Joe Saunders pitch the other night, it looks like the Angels have a decent fallback option.

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Bartolo Colon, on the DL with right biceps tendinitis, was found to have a partial rotator cuff tear in an examination on Friday and will likely miss the rest of the season.

As suspected, Colon's recent elbow troubles were a result of the shoulder, which has bothered him since the second half of 2005. Colon will elect for rehab rather than surgery, and it is possible that he'll try a September comeback. However, he wouldn't be 100 percent if it happened. "I haven't gotten any formal direction from the medical department yet, but we'll talk and they'll have an assessment," manager Mike Scioscia said. "I know those things take some time. I would assume it's going to be lengthy. And with about seven weeks left in the season, it would seem doubtful that he's going to return. It would be a tall order for him to come back and pitch this season."

What we, as fans, should do to honor Bill King

TDub — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 05:48:39 -0000

Bill King's voice is amongst my earliest childhood memories as a baseball and Oakland A's fan. I will miss him dearly.

I would like to suggest to my fellow A's fans here at Athletics Nation that we develop and drive a grassroots effort to nominate Bill King for the Ford C. Frick Award in the broadcaster wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

This link is to the November 1, 2004 press release by the National Baseball Hall of Fame announcing and detailing last year's voting:

http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/whats%5Fnew/press%5Freleases/2004/pr2004%5F11%5F01.htm

I think we can infer a few things:

They will announce the opening for nominations for the 2006 Ford C. Frick Award sometime in early November 2005, about 2-3 weeks away.
There is an internet voting component, where fans can vote once per day.
The top 3 recipients of fan voting will make the ballot
Lon Simmons received 105,000 fan votes in 2003 WITHOUT the help of an internet community like Athletics Nation.
Once Bill King is nominated, it is out of our hands and in the hands of Hall of Fame voters.
6. Bill King should already have been honored in this way.

I hope I'm not off-base here in suggesting this. I will keep an eye on the National Baseball Hall of Fame website and will post an update when voting opens.