It's starting to look like the A's may well get Max Stassi to sign on the dotted line.  According to the Appeal-Democrat newspaper in Marysville, California:

Stassi, who was taken in the fourth round, received an official offer from the A's on Monday, said Jim Stassi, Max's father and coach at Yuba City High.

And while the offer is still below "the bottom line" of what it would take to pull Max away from his full-ride scholarship, the offer still raised eyebrows.

"We're negotiating right now," Jim Stassi said. "It was more than what I anticipated they would offer."

The father declined to discuss monetary specifics of the offer or say just how close his son was to inking a contract with the A's. But he did say the offer was in first-round territory and they are "leaning that direction" toward the pros.

"They're definitely in the ballpark," Jim Stassi said of the offer.

The A's current bonus offer seems to be at least $1 million, which is basically low-first round money for the high school catcher.  The article goes on to say that "the Stassi camp wanted 'top-20 money'", but it would seem the two sides aren't that far apart.

I love this over-slot signing if it happens.  Stassi had a .514 batting average with 40 homer runs and 162 RBIs in high school, and in a college-level summer league with wooden bats he hit .301 average with 26 RBIs in 34 games.  Not bad for an 18-year-old.  And it seems to put to rest the concerns over the tendinitis in his shoulder.

Fingers crossed, but it's looking good.

I came across this interesting little article by Rich Elliot in the Connecticut Post about Jeff Tam and thought I'd share.  As many of you will recall, Tam had two nice years in the A's pen in 2000-2001, and then just sort of lost it.

It turns out he's had Tommy John surgery not once but twice since then, but finally seemed to regain his form at age 38 with the Atlantic League's Bridgeport Bluefish (although obviously against inferior competition).  Ironically, his manager was Tommy John.  He put up some nice numbers at the end of the year and is hoping to play winter ball somewhere.

 

Following a slow start for the Bluefish, Tam was outstanding in his final 30 appearances. He was 1-2 with a 2.15 ERA and an opponents' batting average of .219 (23-for-105) in his last 29 1/3 innings.

The run of success came in the wake of posting a 5.40 ERA and an opponent's batting average of .290 in his first 16 appearances through July 2. This month, alone, Tam had a 1.04 ERA in 10 appearances and hitters were a combined 2-for-26 against him.

 

It seems unlikely his comeback will last much longer, but at least he was able to recapture a small bit of his old skills....

Given Brad Halsey's biting comments recently about the A's organization (see part of the quote and the primary AN diary here), some people may have expected him to be diagnosed with a serious arm problem.  As it turns out, not so much:

Left-hander Brad Halsey, who has been out of action at Triple-A Sacramento with shoulder soreness, has been given a clean bill of health by both Dr. Lewis Yocum and Dr. James Andrews (whom he saw Monday). Neither diagnosed any structural damage, and Halsey is expected to begin a rehab program.

Susan Slusser, S.F. Chronicle

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Needing more pitchers in their system, the A's picked up right-hander Dan Denham, Cleveland's first-round draft pick in 2001, in exchange for cash. Denham, 24, played at Deer Valley High School in Antioch.

S.F. Chronicle article

Denham Stats at Baseball Cube

No word yet on what the A's paid, but given that he becomes a six-year minor league free agent at the end of the season, I doubt it was much.

Signed to a $1,860,000 bonus in 2001, the Indians apparently got tired of waiting for Denham to move beyond an average AA pitcher.  He didn't perform well in AAA during two short stints the last two seasons, but he's still only 24, and he has good stuff.

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Being at the Coliseum when the A's swept the Twins Friday has me reflecting on past A's teams and players.  In recent years, the A's have named a 30th Anniversary Oakland A's Dream Team (1997), as well as an All-Century Team for the franchise (2000).

Although I have a ballot for the All-Century Team, and I know that 15-players were selected, I can't find the actual list of players (the A's had it on their web site and on a banner at the Coliseum for several years, but both seem to be gone now).  And I can't find a list of the 30th Anniversary Dream Team players either.

If anyone here could list the players selected for each team, I'd be grateful.  And maybe we can review and critique those choices now that a few years have gone by.  Thanks!

MLB.com had a short piece today on some of the A's recent July trades:

http://athletics.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050625&content_id=1103357&vkey=ne ws_oak&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak

Here are my quick grades on these 6 deals. Grades try to consider the short and long term impact of the trades, subsequent player performance, subsequent draft picks (if any), etc...:

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July 3, 2001: OF Ron Gant from the Rockies for OF Robin Jennings.

Grade: B+

Gant didn't provide great production, but he did give a veteran presence that was perfect for a young club. Gant returned to the A's for a brief swan-song in 2003. Jennings moved from Colorado to Cincinnati and put up some decent numbers in 2001, but that was his last year in the majors.

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July 25, 2001: OF Jermaine Dye from the Royals in a three-team trade for Minor Leaguers Mario Encarnacion, Jose Ortiz and Todd Belitz (to Colorado).

Grade: B+

Dye was great in the second half of 2001, but just mediocre in the 3 subsequent injury plagued years.  If only he'd stayed healthy, and not eaten up so much of the A's payroll... He's giving the White Sox a bit more power in 2005, but his production is still well off his best years in KC.

Encarnacion and Belitz barely made a ripple; Ortiz had two OK years as a sub in Colorado and is no longer in the majors.

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July 5, 2002: P Ted Lilly from the Yankees in a three-team trade for 1B Carlos Pena, P Jeremy Bonderman and P Franklyn German (to the Tigers).

Grade: C-

Lilly wasn't the difference maker that was anticipated in 2002, but he was a solid 4th starter in 2003. His numbers with Toronto were almost identical in 2004, and have fallen off sharply in 2005. Lilly was dealt for Bobby Kielty after the 2003 season, and after a horrible 2004, Kielty is having a solid year.

The A's gave up on Pena quickly, but it looks like the right move now -- his power numbers increased a bit in 2004, but his AVG has been poor, his OBP mediocre, his strikeouts sky high, and 2005 has been a disaster for him. Bonderman has improved each year, and he'd look good at the back-end of the A's rotation right now. After 3 unremarkable years, German has turned into a solid reliever in 2005.

The worst of the 6 deals; grade might slip further if Kielty leaves without compensation and Bonderman/German continue to perform.

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July 25, 2002: Inf Ray Durham from the White Sox for P Jon Adkins.

Grade: A

Durham played very well for the A's in 2002, and by letting him go as a Free Agent, they got to draft third baseman Brian Snyder (currently injured; probably headed back to single-A when healthy) and SS Omar Quintanilla (AA). Durham's had two nice years with the Giants, but his numbers may be slipping.

Adkins was an OK reliever for the Sox in 2004, but he's currently in the minors. A classic Billy Beane trade.

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July 30, 2002: LR Ricardo Rincon from the Indians for Inf. Marshall McDougal.

Grade: A-

Say what you will about Rincon, but he's given the A's solid relief work for 3 years, with an ERA in the 3's each season. McDougal is now with the Rangers and just got his first hit in the majors this week -- he's well regarded, but projected as just a utility guy...

[editor's note, by andyinfremont] McDougal just got sent back to Oklahoma.

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July 30, 2003: OF Jose Guillen from the Reds for P Aaron Harang, P Joe Valentine and P Jeff Bruksch.

Grade: B

Guillen was a big plus in the second half of 2003, and playing through his hand injury was nothing short of amazing. Great production but disruptive with the Angels in 2004; looks good with the Nationals this year.

Harang has improved each year for the Reds, and, like Jeremy Bonderman, has become a solid starter who may continue to improve. Valentine hasn't shown much so far, and Bruksch hasn't made the majors.

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That's my 2 cents. What are your grades?

Riding the high of Kirk Saarloos' complete game shutout over the Mariners today, I'd like to offer Kirk up as one of the top 5th starters in baseball.

Consider both raw stats and bang for the buck:

1. He's making the major league minimum
2. ERA: 3.82 (that's 21st best in the AL out of 52 eligible starters)
3. Just 3 homers allowed in 75.1 innings

I'm thrilled Kirk's getting a chance with the A's this year, that he's healthy, and that he's performing so well.

Back in January, a lot of folks in AN didn't even think he was with the organization anymore, much less that he had a shot at the rotation:

http://www.athleticsnation.com/story/2005/1/7/162952/7865

So throw out your kudos to Kirk (or your alternate top 5th starter nominations), and don't forget to tip your cap to Billy Beane for finding another hidden gem.