NOTE TO SELF: start buying Mattel stock and pitching the idea of a Jason Kendall Ken Doll with Oakland A's uniform and catcher's gear to the board. Barbie can come sold seperately with interchangible 'I ♥ (insert whatever A's player name can fit on a tiny T-Shirt)'.


The A's have closed the deal and apparently all there players have passed physicals.
Mychael Urban of MLB.com had some of the sketchy details laid out:

"According to several reports, the A's will send Pittsburgh $1 million in each of the next two seasons, and the Pirates will send Oakland $5 million in 2007, when Kendall is scheduled to make $13 million.

If those numbers are accurate, the A's essentially added $6.4 million in payroll over the next two seasons -- Kendall's $21 million, minus the $16.4 owed Redman and Rhodes, plus the extra $2 million to Pittsburgh -- and will be on the hook for $8 million for Kendall in 2007."

The A's were able to unhook the trailer on Kendall's back loaded contract.

But draws a huge initial question in four parts
QUESTION:

• JOHN BAKER the Homerun Maker
  
• JEREMY BROWN
  
• KURT SUZUKI
  
• LANDON POWELL
  
  
  SUB QUESTION:
  
• TREVOR BROWN
  
• DAVID CASTILLO and
  
• JOHN SUOMI

QUESTION: Why are the A's adding a veteran catcher for three years, who still drags behind him a bulky contract - and a no-trade clause, when the farm system has four, possibly five, catchers ready to emerge as major leaguers as soon as 2006?

Duh.

Somebody is going to get traded.

It's the same thing Billy Beane has done with infielders and pitching prospects for the last several years: DEAL FROM STRENGTH.

QUESTION: What do the A's do about a fifth starter and adding another left-hander in the bullpen?

Again, DUH.

The A's have Justin Duchscherer ready to step in as a 5th starter. While the hills scream the name of Joe Blanton, there would a definitive advantage for the A's to showcase Justin as a starter and rely on his success in 2004 as a reliever to allow his trade value to sizzle. Joe "Don't Call Me Blow" Blanton could still use at least six weeks to two months and five to seven starts in AAA before he is ready. There is no need to rush him at this point.

Again, there is no need to rush him at this point.

Duchscherer's value was clearly shown last year, but Ken Macha merely scratched the surface. Who can say that Duchscherer would not have been a better choice to start down the stretch than Mark Mulder or Mark Redman? Would it not have been an easier move to not trade for Mark Redman in the first place and have Duchscherer in the 5th spot for all of 2004?

Yes, yes. Answering questions with questions.

While taking Justin Duchscherer out of the pen and sliding him into the rotation does undercut the bullpen, taking Arthur Rhodes out of the bullpen is addition by subtraction. The A's do not need to add another left-hander to the bullpen. They have LOOGY Ricardo Rincon.

LOOGY: Lefty, One Out GuY

If push came to shoving, the A's could add Mario Ramos, Ron Flores or even John Rheinecker from Sacramento if necessary. The odds of a Chris Hammond or Buddy Groom reunion are slim.

QUESTION: What about the money? Why are the A's upping payroll when Tim Hudson is due to be a free agent and Mulder and Zito are right behind him?

Even more DUH.

The A's make money. No, they don't make money hand over fist like the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Braves or any other team with their own damn network (hint: I should start a BayArea based cable Superstaton - my idea you can't have it). But, the A's make a profit, no matter how much they cry about being on a budget. And there is prudence to their shaping and shaving and maintaining a strict adherence to a budget in the last five years. They have the opportunity to increase the payroll, but they are going to have to shed some of their "heart and soul"...again (See Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi, Miguel Tejada, et al.)

Scott Hatteberg is not going to be able to hang around making $2.5 Million bucks at first base. The A's will need to slide in Dan Johnson and explore a trade involving Hatteberg (Boston, Anaheim, Seattle, Toronto and Los Angeles are options). While Billy Beane can talk about all of the intangibles that Scott Hatteberg brings to the table, the fact is, he has not done so the last two seasons. Hatteberg is not a 162 game player or even a 140 game player. He fits better in a platoon situation or as a pinch-hitter (New York Mets, Chicago Cubs?). But, that $2.5 Million is too much to spend on Hatteberg when Erubiel Durazo or even Tim Hudson can use those funds.

Cash is king, kids. If you have cash you have a resource whose talent and skill do not diminish, if used wisely it appreciates over time.

The A's are not done and the 2005 Oakland Athletics Roster most likely will not be finished until after the trading deadline and the September call-ups. But then again, what else is new in Oakland?