With the non-waiver trade deadline about a week away, I thought it would be cool to create a thread where everyone could post their thoughts and the trades they wish that Oakland would make.

My thoughts are that this deadline rather than just staying pat, we should try to get real creative.  Trading for players with the intent of trading them in other deals to make them work, really staying active and open to everything.  On top of that, trying to look at player's performances and trying to evaluate if this is their peak value and trusting your scouts to make that judgement call.

-My Plan-

Trade #1:

A few days before the deadline trade Matt Holliday, Adam Kennedy, Russ Springer, James Simmons, and Cash to the White Sox for Tyler Flowers, Jordan Danks, Dan Hudson, and Nevin Griffith.

Trade #2

Not too long after the first trade, hit up the Rockies and deal Michael Wuertz and Tyler Flowers for Jhoulys Chacin, Hector Gomez, and Darin Holcomb.

Trade #3

After seeing us pump up the Rockies, worried about their own Wild Card hopes, the Brewers come looking for some pitching help.  We deal them Dallas Braden, Andrew Carignan, and Hector Gomez for Alcides Escobar, Cody Scarpetta, and Brandon Ritchie.

These trades, hopefully, do two things:

1) Address positions and developmental levels of need.  We are pretty thin at top pitching prospects at our high levels (I guess you could count Tyson Ross...).  The acquisitions of Chacin and Hudson pretty much fix this.  I realize trading James Simmons negates this somewhat, but I'm banking on my feeling that he is just not that good. As for positions of need: Alcides Escobar addresses our dark dark hole at SS and Darin Holcomb is a decent 3B sleeper already playing in AA.  Danks is looking like he might turn into a decent CF option by 2011 and his defense has  been pretty good there as well.  Scarpetta, Ritchie, and Griffith are all sleepers that the A's should be happy to take on.

2) Set us up for 2011.  Chacin will probably be ready midseason 2010 and Hudson could easily be ready the beginning of 2011.  With the anticipated progression of Capra and Ross, and hopefully some unexpected breakouts, that sets us up for a very good rotation with Anderson, Cahill, Outman, Gio, and Chacin (with Hudson, Ross, Capra all sitting pretty to take over in case of injury or something like that. ).  As for offense, Danks could have a cup of coffee in 2010, and hopefully be ready by 2011.  I'd also like to add, that I think we should trade for Julio Borbon plus others, but we might have to move Ziegler in a deal like that.  But its something we should definitely explore.  Borbon plays sick defense in CF and has good speed, and I could deal with a 250 AVG hitting 9th (with the upside and youth to get even better) just as long as he swipes 25 and plays a +10 UZR.

Alright, so what kind of moves do you want made this deadline?  Or perhaps lack of moves.  Or do you just want to comment on how idiotic these sourstuff moves are?

This plan is predicated on defense and sucking for another year.  So please don’t point out that I am throwing a little league team out here in 2010.  Not only do I know, but it’s pretty much what I was gunning for. 
The reasons for this are:
a)  We are not going to resign Holliday nor are we going to be able to make a trade for/pick up any stud player to replace him. 
b)  If we are going to suck next year, we might as well get a look at some people (Everidge and Pennington)
c)  If we are not going to score any runs, we might as well throw out the best defense possible.  Hence the lineup below (with the exception of probably Everidge) runs out people whose UZRs are better than average (some of them outstanding).
Finally, I have no good reason for calling this the Marshall plan other than the fact that Jay Marshall is in our bullpen in 2010.

Lineup:
LF – Scott Hairston
RF - Ryan Sweeney
C – Kurt Suzuki
DH – Jack Cust
2B – Mark Ellis
SS – Reid Brignac
1B – Tommy Everidge
3B – Cliff Pennington/Manny Burriss
CF –Julio Borbon
Bench:
Willie Harris
Landon Powell
Rajai Davis
Daric Barton
Rotation:
Duke
Mazzaro
Anderson
Cahill
Gio
Closer:
Andrew Bailey
Bullpen:
Sam Demel
Brad Kilby
Jay Marshall
Brad Ziegler
Edgar Gonzalez
FA Filler/Wuertz like offseason trade/Seat filler (Kevin Cameron) for H-Rod

Trade Michael Wuertz/Matt Sulentic for Andrew Lambo/Dee Gordon
Analysis: Broxton’s big piggy really wants to go home, and he is struggling.  Wuertz is a man among boys right now, and that kind of insurance will probably be beneficial in the stretch run.  That said, Ned Colletti traded Carlos Santana for Casey Blake, so trading Lambo is probably in Ned’s wheelhouse.  The potential snag here is if they end up trading for Roy Halladay, which would surely deplete the Dodgers whole system.  As for Dee Gordon, he is a real speedy guy that fits into the new A’s profile.
Trade Travis Buck/Gregorio Petit for Reid Brignac
Analysis: Essentially trade some major league failures.  With Bartlett, the Rays need Brignac less and with Gabe Gross, they need Buck more.
Trade Adam Kennedy/Santiago Casilla for Manny Burriss/Scott Barnes
Analysis: I know people like Kennedy but we probably won’t have him past this year.  Might as well turn him into someone younger, even if he doesn’t have a high ceiling (Burriss).  Scott Barnes might be a stretch in this in that he is having a real good sleeper season, but with Bumgarner and Alderson at higher levels, maybe Sabean could be talked into it.
Trade Dallas Braden/Aaron Cunningham/Russ Springer for Guillermo Moscoso/Julio Borbon/Martin Perez
Analysis: Ok.  This probably won’t happen.  But if we want to pretend we are in an alternate universe, here are some reasons it could.
a)  If the Rangers are really in it to win it, then they need a SP. 
b)  They probably don’t have enough money for the Halladay sweepstakes, so Braden could be seen as a nice consolation.
c)  Martin Perez is really, really good.  But with Feliz and Holland, they might be able to talk themselves into it.
On top of Perez, Moscoso would be nice Rotation insurance in case of injuries and Borbon looks like the killer of all flying things II.
Signing Willie Harris
Analysis: Ummmm.  I am thinking player-coach?!?

After all these moves are notable prospects would look like: Carter, Cardenas, Weeks, Green, Ynoa, Lambo, Perez, Barnes, Gordon.

Obviously this will never happen, and I am just really indulging in my fantasies of being a GM.  But to speak frankly for a second, I do wish that Beane would go with some of the core ideas in all this.  We are going to have a terrible offense next year (even if we call up Cardenas and Carter midseason, they will need some time to cut their teeth), so we might as well just go cheaper route and throw out an amazing defense.  Also, we really need to learn to sell high, and I can’t see Braden or Wuertz having better seasons, we should deal them now.  The hope is in 2011, some of our offensive prospects will have at least a half a year of major league experience under their belt and be better, perhaps we could overpay Adam Dunn to occupy DH for 3-4 years and he could mash, and our young pitching will have matured enough to make our rotation an enviable one.

Finally, if we are going to go with a minor league offense next year we might as well go with a minor league manager.  Promote Tony DeFrancesco!

P.S. We could also call this the Sanjaya plan.
P.P.S. I’d like to see ads running in Oakland during 2010 with the slogan: "A’s in 2011!"

Brett Anderson

Debut in Midland - 6IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 12 K's (two runs=solo shots)

Aaron Cunningham

Playing LF - 3/4, 2B, 1 R

David Hernandez

6.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K's

Matt LaPorta

2/4, 2 2B, 1 BB, 2 RBIs

Alcides Escobar

3/6, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 R, 3 RBIs

Travis Snider

Same statline as Escobar (minus the double)

David Price

6 IP, 4 H, 2ER, 4 BB, 7 K's

I've been real impressed with the Midland debuts (Anderson and Cahill), but I also realize it's just one game for both.  That said, it's hard not to like what Brett did today.

Who else are you guys looking at tonite?

From Rotoworld:
"Giants placed RHP Russ Ortiz on the 15-game disabled list, retroactive to May 2, with elbow neuritis in his right arm."

-On Lincecum coming up-
Pros:  It would be his turn in the rotation.
He is a god.

Cons: Live on ESPN (is this actually a con?)
-Ryan Howard
-Chase Utley

He's not up yet, but if he does get the call, is this is a good thing?  Will he be there to stay?

If this has been posted somewhere else I apologize in advance, but I couldn't find it anywhere.

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/new...

Looks like a pretty good trade to me.  We have oodles of Catcher depth and with DJ hurt we needed some more offensive depth.  Stokes was a pretty good prospect until he became injury prone.

Hey ANers,

I was thinking about buying one of those custom jerseys on the MLB Shop (I am probably going to pick Haren) until I noticed the ugly looking white font that it shows on the back of the jersey.

I don't know if that is how it will look on the back of the jersey or if that is just the stock photo they use to give customers an idea.  

Has anyone ever bought a customized t-shirt on this before.  Does it look as crappy as it shows or does it actually come in the normal looking way like it would if you bought a chavvy shirt at a game?

Any insight into this would be great, a photo would be perfect.

This is the thing I'm looking at:
http://shop.mlb.com/product/index.js...

Lastly, I am know an official member of Gaudin for fifth starter.

-Sourstuff

First of all, if any of these sentiments have been expressed already, i apologize.  I have been out of the loop for a while, the transition out of college without internet for a while.

The whole Zito trading stuff has got me thinking about a rumor that was brought up in the offseason.  The one where the Phillies were proposing: Abreu, Lieberthal, Gavin Floyd to A's for Kendall and Zito.  I'm not sure if this was a true rumor, but I if I had to guess, I would say it is.  Especially since the Phils were trying to trade Abreu to everyone.

I'm thinking maybe this should be revisited.  I mean Abreu's OBP is amazing right now, and would fit well in the two hole.  It would also move Swisher to the five hole (as long as Bradley is injured), where I think he belongs.  And obviously we could dump Kendall's salary.  Lieberthal is hurt right now, and it doesnt seem it's bad, so he should be playing again.  I honestly couldn't care about him, but only as a throw in to the deal.  As for Floyd, sure i'll take him, but I'd much rather have Cole Hamels.  But with Cole Hamels playing unconscious right now, maybe we could get Gio Gonzalez.  Gio, Mike, and Bobby for Barry and Jason would be sweet.  And the phils have made no bones about the fact that they need pitching.  And with their lineup so lefthanded heavy, they could finally create the very balanced lineup of:

1. Rollins
   
2. Rowand
   
3. Utley
   
4. Burrell
   
5. Howard

Then kendall could charge the mound and take down Pedro with the Don Zimmer toss and ignite their fans.

Bobby Abreu is 32.  And that is the main issue.  But the prospect of the Bob squad with him and Croz (excuse me, "bones") would be awesome.

Maybe we could even sign Abreu to a 2 yr deal like we did Kotsay.  2ys, 24mil.  Free'd up from Kendall's contract.  Melhuse could start next year, then Suzuki in 2008!

This was way too long, for something that won't happen.  But i just felt like posting.

http://insider.espn.go.com/proxy/proxy.dll/insider/magazine/index?&action=login&appRedirect= http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fproxy%2fproxy.dll%2finsider%2fmagazine%2findex

The cool thing about this was while I was at a Brewers/Athletics ST game in March, my girlfriend and I and others took some pictures with him:

We were just hanging out in the stands after the game, when we see Huston, a camera crew, and a group of fans behind him.  The photographer shouts, "anyone want to be in a shoot for ESPN the magazine."  Obviously we hopped on that quickly, and we even sat next to him during the shoot!  Buster Olney was there, and he was happy to be recognized, even by a punk like me.  

Anyway, I think it's coming out tomorrow, and I am hoping we're in it!!

Was anyone else from AN in that shoot?

Huston, me, and my girl after the shoot.

In today's preseason game between the Twins and the Phillies, Chase Utley hit a triple and a double off of Johan Santana.  Despite the obviously miniscule sample size, I take this as an awesome sign.  If Utley improves his .219 average against lefties to at least .240/.250, will that make him the number one second baseman in all of baseball (if you don't have him there already)?  Or are people like Soriano, Kent, Figgins, and Mark Lemke (just kidding) still ahead of him.  

In an effort to not be one of those guys who writes a really short post and fills it up with FILLERFILLER, I have one more question.

What do you suspect the road to the majors for Brandon Wood and Kendry Morales is gonna look like?  Comeplete with promotions and cups of coffee.

i.e. Morales starts in Triple A in 2006.  Gets small cup of coffee in September.  Starts at first base in 2007 for the Angels.

Cheers,
chinmj