FREE AGENTLEMEN

BLACKADDER: "Trust you to skive off to some cushy option."
DARLING: "There is nothing cushy about life in the Women's Auxiliary Balloon Corps."
BLACKADDER GOES FORTH: PRIVATE PLANE


Very well, now that that is sorted out then we can return to the business of baseball.


Frank Thomas and his agent have gone skirting for a new deal with the Oakland A's north - the Toronto Blue Jays. Which is odd, all signs pointed to, and rumors persist from the likes of the usual suspects, that Thomas was to resign with the A's. Further, it was Thomas who pursued the A's in the off-season. Is this grand standing by Thomas' agent? Going from retail to boutique shopping?


Never mind the bollocks. Let's just start looking how the A's can replace Thomas' production and specifically refill the DH spot.


One of my major disconcertions with the A's use of the DH over the past seven seasons has been when they have designated a Designated Hitter. When Erubiel Durazo was the A's DH it was passable and forgiven and Ruby seemed to be the only consistent producer at the plate. Thomas, too. But Durazo could play a poor 1st base where Frank Thomas, to my knowledge did not even take infield practice after April.


The lack of a position for a hitter handicaps a team and its roster. Essentially they play with fewer options. Not just a 24 Man Roster, but with an 11-12 member pitching staff it becomes a 13-14 man roster. This is why the A's have traditionally had poor bench production...not enough guys on the bench to come off the bench to produce.


When the A's acquired Ray Durham in 2002 they had the luxury of Mark Ellis. So they bumped Durham to DH as he was an absolute butcher in the field. Scott Hatteberg and David Justice were the DH, but was Hatteberg was forced to 1B - a position the A's were hindered with until late in 2005. Ron Washington worked with Durham and there results were not positive. People seem to forget this fact. Hatteberg was less disastrous than Durham, though.


I've tried to repeat this as often as possible as it was the watershed moment that the A's realized, finally, that a few of their roster decisions had been blowing up in their face. The resolution came in the form of some kid from the Dakotas. In 2002 Mark Ellis bypassed three different players on the 25 man roster and at least five in the organization at the 2nd base position. At the major league level he displaced Randy Velarde, Frank Mennechino and Ray Durham. At the minor league level - Esteban German, Adam Morrissey and FP Santangelo (utility).


In 1999 the A's had John Jaha at DH and this was a fine development. Since the A's were in their 'bait and bash' mode at the plate.


In 2000 the A's went with a rotation at DH with Jaha, Matt Stairs, Olmedo Saenz Giambi and "the Giambi who would not slide". 2000 was a season that is crucial in the A's history and John Jaha's retirement in mid-season was one of the classiest and selfless acts in modern professional sports.


In 2001 it was a tandem of Saenz from the right side and "the Giambi who would not slide" from the left. Saenz was 100 points off "the Giambi who would not slide's On Base Percentage (OBP) in 2001. Thus, entering the 2001 playoffs...


Now, there's not much to argue about when it comes to the production of a few of the A's designated Designated Hitters. But there was also a few players forced into the field that probably would have been better suited to not being on a major league roster. Terrence Long was the "only player who could play centerfield". Long's defense was so awful the A's acquired Johnny Damon. Then moved Long to a corner outfield spot where his offensive ineptitude eventually paved the way for Eric Byrnes to garner a full time job. Byrnes was a solution to the Terrence Long/OF question, but he was never meant to be a long term solution. Byrnes was cheap and effective but limited in his plate discipline - I've covered that in detail many times before.


One might make the argument that the A's inability to develop corner outfielders and corner infielders in the last 10 years has been a major thorn in their ability to generate offense. Why? Corner positions; RF, LF, 1B, 3B historically are where major offensive production come from. Often, some are placed in those positions in the field because of their bat, not their defense. As player age, their defense erodes and many become DH's. 3B become 1B, RF moved to LF to 1B to DH. Jason Giambi; came up as a 3B to replace Scott Brosius but was so bad the A's moved him to left field and he ended up taking up Mark McGwire's shadow at 1st base.




Andre Ethier. Well, he went to the Dodgers in a poor trade decision by Beane and Co. Milton Bradley is a player I hoped the A's would acquire since he was an Expo. But to give up Ethier has taken a See's Candy toffee hammer to the nuts of the A's minor league outfield situation.


Looking back, Adam Piatt was misused by Howe and abandoned by Beane after Piatt ran into a life-threatening illness. This is very similar to the current Dan Johnson situation. A player is thrown under the bus that is not getting regular playing time when the rest of the team is not performing. In classic Ken Macha droll, "Well if we got better production from our bench..." How do you get better production if the bench players never make it to the field and when they do it's a knee-jerk reaction? Get three plate appearances a week and if you don't get on base seven times you're banished back to the bench. When Adam Piatt got regular playing time he tore up the American League. It's hard to single out confidence and/or luck from inconsistent and very few AB's.


Ben Grieve was marketed as the next Will Clark - funny how their careers ended at about two years despite Clark being 12 years older.


Nick Swisher is the first A's 'corner' prospect to make the A's 25 Man Roster. He was a 1st round draft pick so much has been expected of him. In my eyes he has not delivered on that promise and has regressed in his approach at the plate. Many others disagree. Time will tell but hopefully Swisher can at least get on base and not become Hatteberg in the field.


Dan Johnson was an after thought for Billy Beane and has been abused by the A's brain trust. Johnson might be the case that many should point to as the true downfall of Ken Macha.


That's pretty much it as far as homegrown A's corner fielders. Eric Byrnes was a centerfielder and ended up moving around (college catcher, by the way). Long came from the Mets as a centerfielder, "the Giambi who would not slide" came from Kansas City as a caddy, David Justice came in to retire and the recent crops; Bradley, Payton, Kielty, Dye all came from other organizations.


When you start looking deeper at the A's minor league system with pitching; Hudson, Mulder, Zito, Blanton(?), Street - only Hudson was a surprise. Mulder, Zito, Blanton and Street were 1st round draft picks out of college. Hudson was a 6th round pick, but also out of college. Not so much development as it was adjustment to a new level.


Beyond pitching, there is a lot left to be desired in the A's minor league system, as noted.


So. Unless the A's can rebuild Dan Johnson's confidence and assure him they screwed up by hanging him out to dry the A's are going to have to trade to get someone to make up Thomas' production.


Here's who I want to discuss:

• Adam Dunn
- Nick Swisher only more so? Or has he been toiling for a Reds organization who just doesn't appreciate what he can accomplish? Too many K's but consistent HR totals. His OPS has declined the last three seasons...but so has Eric Chavez and not a lot of "A's fans" outside of this site seem to mind.


• Vernon Wells
- I'd like to see Mark Kotsay for Wells and maybe throw in Joe Kennedy. Sign Wells to a long term deal. Wells is probably the most underrated player in the AL and has surpassed Andruw Jones as a defender in center. Wells is an upgrade defensively and offensively over Kotsay and is cheaper in the short term. Kotsay, though wouldn't last on Toronto's turf...so nix that idea unless there is a 3rd team involved.


• Barry Bonds
- Hell, I don't care since, I don't read what the media writes, for the most part, any longer (angries up the blood). Sign him to a two-year deal, stick him at DH and then the steroids vs DH argument for the Home Run record becomes a stalemate. Bonds could probably even eek out 30-40 games in left field without causing to much damage.


• Carl Crawford
- Not exactly the A's cup of tea, but he would be tremendous trade leverage in a three-team deal. Crawford could retool the A's offense, though he does not walk enough and strikes out way too much for a player with his speed.


• Nomar Garciaparra
- Gets on base and as a DH may not spike himself. Also could spell Eric Chavez at 3rd base against lefties. More expensive, but just as expensive as the A's offer to Thomas.


• Frank Catalanotto
- The A's actually had Catalanotto in their system when they grabbed him the Rule V Draft in 1996. They returned him following spring training. Catalanotto would be a good platooner against righties...not so much against lefties.


• Moises Alou
- Not bad if he can stay healthy.


• Craig Wilson
- Good old 'Player B' in my Eric Byrnes argument. He can rake if he can get enough AB's

There are more, and I can go into details on the above and more in the coming days. But I am curious what arguments can be made just from this list. Get on it.