AN will have to find another shortstop to covet this offseason and come up with multiple trade scenarios for.

Hardy was dealt to the Twins for Carlos Gomez.  I guess the Brewers will look elsewhere for pitching help, but the Michael Weurtz+ for Hardy deals won't happen now.

I'll put this out there, though:  Would you have traded Rajai Davis for J.J. Hardy?  Davis is probably better than Gomez, but older and doesn't have nearly as favorable of a contract situation.  I would have, without thinking twice about it.

Also, like the Akinori Iwamura to Pittsburgh trade and the Jeremy Hermida to Boston trade, this seems to have happened very quickly (what, it's day 2 of the offseason!) before free agents have filed, nontenders, etc.  Is this a sign of how the offseason is going to look?  There have already been several articles (I'm not linking to Olney's ESPN Insider stuff, sorry) that claim a large number of guys will be nontendered creating a flood of non-superstar type players in the FA market.  It's shaping up to be a strange offseason, huh?

I'm already seeing a bunch of posts about it in various other threads, so I figured I could try and help get all the bitching feedback contained to one place.

Maybe this will even help the powers that be.

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You people bore me.  Here, have a fresh new DLD to do stuff with please.  I had a late, late game last night and am sitting here half dead.  ENTERTAIN ME.

Oh, yeah, links.  After the jump!

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Non A's related. So what.

ESPN link to Fidrych story:  http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4065778

USA Today link:  http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2009-04-13-fidrych-dead_N.htm

The 1976 Rookie Of The Year was found dead, apparently from an accident while working on his pickup truck on his farm in Northborough.

He was 54.  RIP. 

Also, Phillies announcer (and NFL Films voice) Harry Kalas was found passed out in the broadcast booth before Monday's game.  USAToday link:  http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/phillies/2009-04-13-kalas-phillies_N.htm

What a horrible week for baseball.

So sayeth MSNBC..

Everybody's favorite website about a new A's ballpark has already posted about it as well (go Vertig0!) and even included the A's specific parts of the agenda to be discussed today by the Rules and Open Government Committee in San Jose:

10.1a A’s Stadium in San Jose (Campos/Pyle/Herrera)
Recommendation: (1) Add an agenda item to the March 24, 2009 City Council meeting to discuss the City’s strategy for pursuing negotiations with the A’s and Major League Baseball. (2) Direct the City Manager and the Chief Development Officer to lead the discussions with the A’s organization and Mayor League Baseball. (3) Direct staff to return to the Community and Economic Development Committee every two months with updates on status of the discussion, providing ample opportunity for residents to receive regular reports on the project and express concerns as it develops.
DEFERRED FROM MARCH 4, 2009

10.1b A’s Stadium in San José. (Mayor Reed)
Recommendation: That the Rules and Open Government Committee place this matter on the agenda for the April 7, 2009 evening Council meeting to allow for maximum public participation in the discussion.

Is this the A's inching even closer to SJ?  It seems that way, doesn't it?  Pretty big cojones for the Mayor of the city to give odds of better than 50-50 that the A's move there.

According to Slusser, that's what is happening.

Andrew Brown got a double dose of bad news on Wednesday. Dr. James Andrews confirmed that Brown needs surgery on his right shoulder, with the procedure scheduled for this morning. Then the A's let the reliever go.

 

Brown said he was told the team needs to clear a 40-man roster spot for 16-year veteran reliever Russ Springer. Springer's one-year contract is not yet official, pending a physical, which is expected to take place today. Assistant general manager David Forst declined comment when reached Wednesday.

The possibility of Brown coming back on a minor league contract was left open though.

Having a setback of a full year after missing a significant portion of last season probably wasn't the best outcome for Brown.  I'd like to see him come back after he gets healthy, but I wouldn't be surprised if he latched on elsewhere.

Linkovitch

Mel Kiper and his hair have released their first mock draft, and with the 10th pick he has us taking DE/OLB Aaron Maybin from Penn State.

Interestingly enough, he's got BJ Raji, Brian Orakpo, and Everett Brown all still available at the #10 pick -- being selected at 12, 13, and 15th respectively.

I don't know much about Maybin -- so who wants to agree or disagree with Kiper here and tell me why Maybin is the best choice for us?

According to the Washington Post, yes

This part I didn't really like:

It is unclear what players the A's would be willing to give up for Johnson, but the Nationals have shown previous interest in 23-year-old first baseman Daric Barton, and a deal centering upon Johnson and Barton would make sense for both sides.

Don't get me wrong, Johnson is a damn fine player and all, but will I be the only one who is a little peeved if Barton is dealt for him?  Barton would have more value playing in Sacramento for a year and then coming back when Giambi leaves, wouldn't he?  Johnson can't have that type of value, given that he's not healthy, only played 38 games last year, and is a free agent to be. 

I'll hold out hope that somehow Ryan Zimmerman is going to be pryed away from the Nationals too.

Stranahanahan thinks this deserves it's own fanpost, so darn it we're giving it it's own fanpost!

Linkovitch Chimofsky.

And, the important quotes from one Mr. Frank Wren, Atlanta Braves General Manager:

"We don't have any intention of doing business with them, and they've been notified of that,''

and then....

"When you can't trust who you're doing business with, you can't do business with them. It's plain and simple.''

Finally, from this LA Times link we get this:

When WIFN talk show host Bill Shanks prefaced a question by saying that he knew Wren couldn't burn bridges with Kinzer and Tellem, Wren interjected, "That bridge is gone. I don't have to worry about burning it. The bridge is gone."

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I guess I'm not surprised.  We didn't do enough, apparently.

King left out of final vote for Frick Award

I am, to put it midly, not happy.  It's an absolute travesty that King isn't even getting considered, but it's flat out INSULTING that he's not in the Top 10 yet again.

Meh.  At least we'll get to see Rickey enter the Hall this year, even though I'm not expecting it to be unanimous.