With the transactions that were made today, the A's roster is set for opening day.

Release

The Oakland A's optioned right-handed pitcher Tyson Ross, catcher Josh Donaldson and infielder Eric Sogard to Triple-A Sacramento, the club announced today. The A's also selected the contract of infielder Andy LaRoche from Sacramento. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster for LaRoche, the A's placed infielder Adam Rosales on the 60-day disabled list retroactive to March 22 with a fractured right foot. The A's also placed right-handed pitchers Andrew Bailey and Rich Harden on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 22. Bailey has a strained right forearm and Harden has a strained right shoulder. The A's reassigned their remaining two non-roster invitees -- infielder Wes Timmons and outfielder Matt Carson -- to their minor league camp.

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According to Jorge Arangure, A's will sign Vicmal de la Cruz.

Appears the #Athletics will sign top amateur Dominican OF Vicmal de la Cruz. Very active week for the A's.

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According to Ken Rosenthal, the A's are in serious discussion with Gabe Gross:

The team is in serious discussions with free agent Gabe Gross on a one- year contract, according to major-league sources. 

 

He is  considered an above-average defender and decent threat against right-handed pitching, though his numbers last season were down across the board.

 

The A’s almost certainly will use Gross as a reserve, seemingly leaving them with the option of adding Damon.

 

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UPDATE: The A's released Santiago Casilla.

To make room for Cassevah on their 40-man roster, previously full, the A's designated for assignment right-hander Santiago Casilla, who had been one of their five candidates to not receive a contract offer by Saturday night's tender deadline.

Link

• With the 9th pick of the 2009 Rule V Draft, the A's selected Bobby Cassevah from the Angels.

• baseballamerica.com: Cassevah’s sinker tops out at 93-94 and helped generate 4.03-to-1 groundout-to-airout ratio in ‘09 at Double-A.
• mlb.com: A's scout Randy Johnson, after seeing Cassevah in July, called his slider one of the best he had ever seen.

• In the AAA phase, the A's selected Beau Vaughan from the Rangers.

Scouting Report:

Scouting Report: Aggressive righty has a fastball reaching 91 mph with good sinking movement.  Vaughan is able to throw his biting slider for strikes often.  Four strong pitches, but needs a little work on keeping a consistent delivery for all of his pitches. Gets a lot of groundball outs. Struggles against left-handed batters.   Fierce with a good mound presence. Good control.  Vaughan has moved through the system slowly but surely - he was actually drafted the round before Jonathan Papelbon in 2003.  Despite being old for his leagues along the way, Vaughan still has a very good chance to be an effective MLB reliever. 

• The A's did not lose any players in the MLB or AAA phases of the draft.

Bobby Cassevah:

Official Minor League Stats

Beau Vaughan

Minor League Stats 

Rule V Notes:

baseballamerica.com

• The Nationals take Jamie Hoffmann first overall, and he’ll be traded to the Yankees for Brian Bruney. The Pirates follow with speedster John Raynor out of the Marlins system.
• Orioles take lefty Ben Snyder from the Giants and will trade him to the Rangers in the Kevin Millwood trade. The Royals follow with lefty Edgar Osuna from the Braves.

Scutaro turns down more money from the A's to sign with Boston:

per Rosenthal:

• Scutaro turned down a slightly more lucrative three-year contract from the A's before signing his two-year, $12.5 million deal with the Red Sox, according to major-league sources.
• The A's would have used Scutaro at shortstop and made Cliff Pennington their utility man.
• Clearly, the A's are operating with a measure of financial flexibility.

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What players did your team not protect that may be a decent pick in the Rule V draft on December 10?

It would be interesting to hear Mr. Sickels thoughts on the subject as well.  In the 2009 Rule V, will there be a hidden gem like Josh Hamilton, Joakim Soria, Dan Uggla or a Johan Santana?

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The A's selected the following players on November 20, 2009:

• Oakland Athletics called up Chris Carter from Sacramento River Cats.
• Oakland Athletics called up Fautino De Los Santos from AZL Athletics
• Oakland Athletics called up Pedro Figueroa from Stockton Ports.
• Oakland Athletics called up Justin Souza from Midland RockHounds.

The aforementioned players are no longer eligible for the Rule V draft on December 10.  The A's roster now stands at 39.

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*There has been some discussion as to the status of Chris Denorfia after he was outrighted by the A's last week.  According to this LINK at the Game of Baseball.com, Denorfia's name appears on the list of A's players eligible for 6-year minor league free agency.*

Oakland (17)

Pitchers: RHP Daniel Barone, RHP Andrew Brown, RHP Shawn Chacon, RHP Dewon Day, RHP Leonardo Espinal, RHP Angel Garcia, RHP Chris Gissell, LHP Daniel Haigwood, LHP Justin Hampson, RHP Scott Mitchinson, RHP Scott Patterson, RHP Jerome Williams

Catchers: Raul Padron

Infielders: Carlos Arrieche, Frank Martinez

Outfielders: Chris Denorfia, Archie Gilbert 

In a move that we all expected, the A's outrighted Chris Denorfia to Sacramento and freed up another spot on the 40-man roster.

Official Release:

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland A's outrighted outfielder Chris Denorfia to Triple-A Sacramento, the club announced today.

Denorfia spent most of the 2009 season at Sacramento where he batted .271 with nine home runs and 49 RBI in 107 games. He also went 0 for 2 with a run scored and RBI during a four-game stint with Oakland from June 9 to 17. Denorfia is a .279 career hitter with three home runs and 19 RBI in 100 games with the A's (2008-09) and Cincinnati (2005-06).

via media.scout.com

Bill Beane and staff got right to work on the off season today by removing Edgar Gonzalez, Kevin Cameron, Dan Giese and Eric Munson from the 40-man roster.  No big surprises here.  Of the group, I could see Munson returning on a minor league deal.  After all, he is Eric Chavez' BFF.

Official Release

Scout.com Article:

In the first of what is likely to be many moves this off-season, the Oakland A's have outrighted four players off of the 40-man roster: right-handers Edgar Gonzalez, Kevin Cameron and Dan Giese and catcher Eric Munson. The moves leave the A's with 37 players on the active 40-man roster.

more from the article:

All four of these players are now free agents. Oakland has five other players on its 40-man roster who are eligible to file for free agency: Brett Tomko, Bobby Crosby, Nomar Garciaparra, Adam Kennedy and Justin Duchscherer. The A's also have six players on the 60-day disabled list, including Duchscherer. These players don't currently count against the 40-man limit, but they will need to be activated off of that 60-day DL following the World Series. Assuming that Tomko, Crosby, Garciaparra, Kennedy and Duchscherer all file for free agency, the A's will have 38 players on the 40-man roster once the 60-day DL players have been activated.
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I noticed this interview with Farhan Zaidi on Scout.com yesterday.  Melissa Lockard and Zaidi discuss many issues that we've all debated over the past year.  I just wanted to pass it along and see what AN thinks.  Here are some of the key points:

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Official Release

The Oakland A's recalled left-handed pitchers Jerry Blevins and Dana Eveland and selected left-handed pitcher Brad Kilby from Triple-A Sacramento, the club announced today.

Eveland, oh boy - check out his last 5 starts!  Congrats to Kilby, well-deserved - 77 K's in 63.1 innings!  I think one or two positon players would've have given the A's some flexibility.  I wanted the A's to purchase Munson's contract, so Powell could get some ABs at DH and 1B.  Once the River Cats finish their title run, it's possible we'll see him, Buck and Petit.  I know he's not a prospect, but Carson's had a helluva year for Sacramento.  It would be nice to throw the guy a bone and give him a September call-up.

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Official Release

The Oakland A's recalled outfielder Eric Patterson from Triple-A Sacramento and optioned infielder Tommy Everidge to Sacramento, the club announced today.

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Official Release

The A's have now signed or agreed to terms with 29 of their 49 selections from the draft, including each of the first eight and 15 of the first 18.

According to Slusser, the Oakland A's and the 13th pick in the 2009 amateur draft, SS Grant Green, agreed to terms.  Kevin Goldstein reports that Green will receive a $2.75 million straight bonus.

According to the baseballamerica.com, the team also came to terms with pitcher Ian Krol, who was drafted in the 7th round. 

Illinois prep lefthander Ian Krol has agreed to terms with the Athletics, who drafted him in the seventh round. Krol missed his senior season due to a suspension and was committed to Arizona. He signed for $925,000.

As for another notable pick, Sam Dyson, it was previously reported that he would be attending college.

With the signing of Max Stassi earlier in the day, it appears as though the A's had a relatively successful draft. The organization was able to come to terms with their first eight draft picks.

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Official Press Release

Gray joins the A's for the fourth time this year and has appeared in one game in each of his first three stints.

Giambi still not activated; A's carrying 13 pitchers, leaving the bench short.

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Link

Slusser Reports:

• Now top pitching prospect Michael Ynoa, the 17-year-old sensation from the Dominican Republic, is out of action because of elbow soreness.

• According to assistant general manager David Forst, Ynoa had an MRI exam last week that will be reviewed by Drs.

• Ynoa had been doing a throwing program at the A's minor-league complex in Phoenix and there was hope he would pitch in the Arizona Rookie League this summer.

• "We're in the process of determining how severe it is," Forst said.

Link

• Already on the DL for an elbow problem, he’s now headed to Phoenix to have his back checked after an MRI yesterday showed a bulging disk.

• He’ll be examined by Phoenix-based specialist Dr. Rob Blackaby.

• Chavez was targeting Friday for a possible return, but now Geren said his return will be pushed back “a couple of weeks for sure.”

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Link

The A's reinstated outfielder Ben Copeland from the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday and optioned left-hander Dana Eveland to Triple-A Sacramento.

 

Not sure why the A's need another OF - maybe trying to find lightning in a bottle.

GRATUITOUS RANDOM ADDED NOTE IN THE HOPES THAT SOMEONE WHO KNOWS BRETT ANDERSON WILL SEE THIS AND PASS IT ON:

Brett, the cure for your blister is aloe vera extracted directly from an aloe vera plant. (I have one in my backyard in Berkeley.) There are few natural "miracle cures" like aloe vera is for cuts, burns, and blisters. Take a stalk, or part of a stalk, from an aloe vera plant and cut it down the middle. What oozes out is a sticky gel-like subtance that you can apply directly to the blister. No bandaid, no drugs. It is amazing stuff. We want you back on the mound soon and for keeps, Brett. Aloe Vera directly from the plant. I'm not kidding.   -Nico

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Link

The Eagles added to their roster Monday, signing nine rookie free agents.

The players include defensive end Josh Gaines (Penn State); safety Reshard Langford (Vanderbilt); fullback Marcus Mailei (Weber State); running back Walter Mendenhall (Illinois State); guard Dallas Reynolds (Brigham Young); receiver Brandon Robinson (Boston College); cornerback Courtney Robinson (UMass); kicker Sam Swank (Wake Forest); and running back Marcus Thigpen (Indiana).

 

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According to Susan Slusser at sfgate.com:

• The A's recalled right-hander Dan Giese, a onetime Giant, from Triple-A Sacramento this morning and they sent out lefty Jerry Blevins.
  
• Giese said he can spot start and go long. He's also tickled that the A's head to New York on Monday - he was one of the Yankees' very last cuts before Opening Day.

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Wolff to meet with Dellums

Many A's fans were happy to hear the team may remain in Oakland, their home of 41 years.

"I'd love to see them stay in the city where they belong," said Nico Pemantle, who manages a fan Web site called Athletics Nation. "But I have sympathy for the owners. There's a lot of passion among A's fans to keep them in Oakland, but there's also a lot of empty seats at the Coliseum."

 

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Zonis hasn't done one of these in some time and they always generate some discussion.  With today's cuts, we know Mazzaro is out of the mix for a rotation spot.  From the same link, we see that Powell is the latest Athletics' player with and injury.  My take on the Athletics' roster with what is known so far. 

My 25-man roster picks in bold.

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NY Daily News Article

The rumblings already have started. With three years to go in the basic agreement, baseball's owners are once again sounding the flashpoint "c" word - as in salary cap. But this past week, events in Oakland and Miami - where a new stadium plan for the A's was pronounced dead and one for the Marlins once again put on life support - may leave the owners no choice but to revisit another ominous "c" word: contraction.

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Baseball America's Top 100

This is Baseball America's 20th annual Top 100 Prospects list.

Any player who has not exceeded the rookie limits of 130 at-bats or 50 innings in the major leagues (without regard to service time) is eligible for the list.

(BA's)  view is not to what a player may contribute this season, but what his ultimate major league ceiling might be, weighed against the probability that he will reach that ceiling.

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What a strange time to be a free agent.  It's February 14 and there are still over 70, MLB-experienced, players to be had.  We've all read stories this offseason about the effect the economy is having on MLB free agency.  As most camps open today, you have to wonder what will happen to these remaining free agents.  Will these boys of summer ever play MLB ball again?  Will they ever have a chance to win that elusive WS ring?  Will they be able to reach those personal statistical milestones?  Has MLB organizations turned their backs on these veterans in favor of young, cost-controlled players?  Will they have to swallow their pride and sign minor league contracts?  Will they be willing to actually battle to earn a spot on a MLB 25-man roster?  Are they waiting for a Clemens-esque mid-season return?  Regardless of the answers to these questions, the free agency game has changed.  The question in my mind -- is this the wave of the future or just a snafu in time?

The MLBPA is not in favor of setting up a camp for unsigned free agents: 

"We don't think that it's essential to do that and we still remain hopeful that players will be signed," union head Donald Fehr said Wednesday. "We're still of the belief that all clubs understand and want to do their best to put the best possible and most competitive teams on the field."

The union held a free-agent camp in 1995 in Homestead, Fla., following a 7 1/2-month strike. Because of the slower pace of signings this year, the union considered the idea again.

 Murray Chass on the 1995 Homestead Camp:

The Players Association, looking ahead to the possibility of a strike-ending injunction, had begun planning a free-agent camp in December 1994 and invited more than 100 free agents to Homestead when the players ended their strike. Fifty-seven players showed up for the unusual spring training. The union hired Jackie Moore, a veteran major league coach, to run the camp.

In another two weeks, though, some players may wish there were a Homestead this year (2009). Moore, however said, “It’s something I will always remember, but I hope it never happens again, the situation that put me there.”

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According to the Washington Post:

The Washington Nationals have agreed to a preliminary deal with free agent Adam Dunn, a signing that would fulfill their offseason-long search for a left-handed power hitter. Two independent sources have told the Post that Dunn will sign a two-year deal, possibly announced as early as tomorrow.

 

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According to Heyman:

Free agent outfielder Bobby Abreu and the Angels have an agreement on a one-year deal, SI.com has learned. The deal is worth a little more than $5 million and also includes incentives.

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