By threepeat (12.218.156.106) on Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 12:04 pm:

A'S Press Release- Scutaro to Toronto for 2 miner league pitchers.

By mitt (4.246.45.3) on Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 12:54 pm:

Bye, Scooty...

At times he seemed to be a pocket Hercules, as he was sure capable of some powerful big hits! Thanks and good luck (except against the A's).

By asch (68.33.127.162) on Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 01:31 pm:

"http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=txathleticstrade&prov=st&type=lgns"

Seems like 2 underwhelming guys we get in return, from rotoworld.com below. I wish Hannahan could play SS because I think he'll be a good hitter. Who is our main SS backup now? Is something else going to happen? JackHan can definitely do 2b and 3b.


Blue Jays acquired infielder Marco Scutaro from the Athletics RHP Graham Godfrey and RHP Kristian Bell.
It looks like the A's are already trying to cut costs. Scutaro was likely to make $2 million-$2.5 million next year, and that was too much for a utilityman, even one who has been as valuable as Scutaro the last few years. Scutaro has received at least 300 at-bats in four straight seasons and posted an OPS in the 690-750 range each time. Compare that to John McDonald, who has a career 595 OPS. The Jays will still go with McDonald as their primary shortstop initially, but Scutaro could win some time there as the year goes on. He's also a better option as a backup at second base and third base than what the Jays had last season.

By eyleenn (71.131.38.115) on Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 01:51 pm:

Damn, a salary dump?

Didn't Kristian Bell play the lead in "Veronica Mars"?

I have to laugh to keep from crying. We'll never forget you, Marco.

By oaktownfan (75.61.83.95) on Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 02:56 pm:

MAR-CO SCU-TA-RO

So long magic Marco, we loved your clutch hits over the past 4 seasons and always remember game 3 of the ALDS in 2006 against MIN.

Guess this opens it up for somebody like Murphy to make the roster next season.

By raiderjohn (218.32.14.5) on Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 03:00 pm:

Early in the offseason, Murph is the definite shoo in to be the first shortstop after Crosby....barring a blockbuster deal.

By asch (209.101.96.146) on Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 03:07 pm:

Confirmed - this was a move to pen up time for Murphy.

"http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3117422"

By ssblip (84.233.132.84) on Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 03:34 pm:

Argh. I hate saying goodbye to the good ones. Scutaro was the best .220 hitter to ever play for this team -- always dependable, never complained, often clutch. We'll miss you Scoot!

By deajay (207.200.116.200) on Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 05:45 pm:

Yup, a great "backup" utility guy who, amazingly, was second only to Chavez in # of ABs since '04. Love the guy, but the writing was on the wall; cheapo A's weren't going to pay him $2mil plus even though he would have been worth every cent. Probably one of the best ... if not the best ... clutch hitter the A's have ever had and a great clubhouse guy, too. The face of this team is going to change dramatically over the next couple seasons. And though it's too early to predict, it will likely not be for the better. Personally, I don't like the move because I don't think a Donnie Murphy will give them anything close to what Scutaro did. But I guess not many utility guys could do so.

Thankfully, Bonds has been indicted, as A's brass was apparently looking seriously into signing him. IMO, that does not speak very glowingly of the A's brass, period. But except for Cust and Hannahan, I haven't seen much to like in any of their moves the last couple seasons. They'll probably screw up their high draft pick this next year, too.

By dorrit (4.243.152.132) on Monday, November 19, 2007 - 11:32 am:

My favorite player is gone-but what else is new? This organization stinks.Cheap bastards.

By simplefan (207.173.90.108) on Monday, November 19, 2007 - 12:08 pm:

I just got this from Ralph - retired usher in sec119/120: Thought I would share it with everyone!

I never thought that I would ever look back at the Oakland A's ownership of Steve Schott and Ken Hofman as "The Good Old Days."
However, the unfolding tenure of Lew Wolff is progressively making the prior owners look better and better. Witness the dumping this weekend of Marco Scutaro as another example of A's "Brand" baseball -- aka baseball on the cheap.

Scutaro was expendable because he was eligible for salary arbitration, meaning he was in line for a raise. One of the best clutch performers the A's have had during their 40 years in Oakland, Scutaro's potential contract yields to that of Donnie Murphy -- a fellow making the Major League minimum. Ironic too that Marco goes to Toronto which is becoming the home of former A's clutch producers. The Blue Jays will now have Matt Stairs, Frank Thomas and Marco Scutaro. But the A's will have the before mentioned Murphy, that guy they got from Cincinnati who couldn't play in 2007, and Big Jack Cust. All of these chaps are bargain basement salaried.

I suspect that 2008 will be another busy year for travel up and down Interstate 80 between Oakland and West Sacramento. The A's caused the Rivercats (the AAA Champion Rivercats) to make 109 player moves last season. Several of the players who were part of the revolving door roster have already been dropped by the A's. So a new group of economy ball players will take those spots on the A's roster. This is looking more like the last days of Charlie Finley's ownership where he figured why sign any free agents when the waiver wire can maintain your roster -- and at a much cheaper price.

Lew Wolff is a first rate huckster. A 10% owner who operates likes he owns 99% of the franchise. He figures to keep up the smoke and mirrors of a Fremont ballpark up as a diversion for what is happening to the team itself. This franchise is not headed out of Oakland. It's headed out of California. Remember that one of Finley's last acts as owner of the A's was to sell the team to Marvin Davis who was going to take them to Denver. Thankfully there was a Walter Haas in 1980. Run things on the cheap, kill fan interest, and who will care what happens after 2010. Unless a Bay Area based ownership group can come together and buy out the Fisher's 70% of the franchise, the only way to see the 2011 Athletics will be by airplane to someplace like Las Vegas. Art Savage did a good job with getting the San Jose Sharks established. He has done an even better job with his Sacramento Rivercats. He may be the best hope A's fans have to keep the A's from leaving California.

Schott and Hofman? They had it as part of their sales agreement with Walter Haas that they couldn't move the team out of the Bay Area. Lew Wolff is not subject to such a proviso. He could even do what Brick Laws did in 1955 with the Oakland Oaks and move the team to Vancouver. Wolff is playing the old shell game with us and the future of American League baseball in Northern California is the stakes of that game.

By dorrit (4.243.152.132) on Monday, November 19, 2007 - 12:15 pm:

Well put.

By finleyunplugged (205.225.207.97) on Monday, November 19, 2007 - 02:05 pm:

One correction: Under Wolff, the A's are not headed out of California; they are headed out of existence.

By jaykva1 (76.26.106.158) on Monday, November 19, 2007 - 03:08 pm:

uh Don't forget ... Marco Scutaro had the 'audacity' to question and criticize ol' chairman Mao Billy Beano ...

Question the Chairman and you get exiled to a different country.

RE-friggin-diculous !!

let's see ... the current SS STINKS ... the current 3B has his third surgery of the off-season ... and they trade the GUY who has bigger ONIONS than both of those wusses combined and who has outproduced them in each of the last two seasons.

crap-diddly ...

le curmudgeon

By nickb (12.151.32.25) on Monday, November 19, 2007 - 03:17 pm:

I'm beginning to think that these conspiracy theories are on to something.

Remember that Wolff stipulated that any new ballpark in the east bay needed to be near BART? Well this proposal has the station nearly 5 miles away!!!!!

Remember how complex the first "plan" for Oakland was? It was doomed from the get go since it entailed buying out all of the existing small bus owners or using eminent domain. Seems the Fremont plan is overly complex as well and many would say doomed for failure from the onset.

I'm guessing at the first sign of an impasse in negotiations (who pays for infrastructure, parking and transporation issues, etc) Wolff throws up his hands and says "see I tried but it didn't work in Oakland or Fremont and I can't move to SJ, so I'm outta here."

Is anyone else feeling as paranoid as I am?

By finleyunplugged (205.225.207.97) on Monday, November 19, 2007 - 03:21 pm:

Wolff=Jeffrey Loria West

By eyleenn (38.99.44.122) on Monday, November 19, 2007 - 05:22 pm:

Nick, I certainly don't disagree.

Jay, refresh my memory. What did Scutaro say to question BB?

By mitt (4.246.239.121) on Monday, November 19, 2007 - 08:30 pm:

I don’t know for sure, but the reference to a Scutaro criticism of BB may involve the remarks mentioned in a Susan Slusser article from August 19th of this year:

… Last week, manager Bob Geren told Scutaro that he won't be in the lineup every day, despite injuries to shortstop Bobby Crosby and third baseman Eric Chavez. Out of contention, the A's want to get a look at just-acquired third baseman Jack Hannahan.

Scutaro then requested a meeting with general manager Billy Beane, who confirmed that he would not be playing every day.

"I didn't get any answers,'' Scutaro said. "He just said that things aren't working right now, and they're trying to look for something. He told me not to worry about it, I'll be in the big leagues for a while.''

… "I know this is a business,'' Scutaro said. "There are things I can't control. To be honest, I don't know the answer, because I've been doing the job for three years.''
-------------------------------

If he said anything else, I am curious to hear it, as well.

By ws9 (66.245.9.230) on Monday, November 19, 2007 - 08:53 pm:

Come on, the payroll went up significantly over the last couple of years. Would Shottman have allowed Piazza to be signed for 8million?

Sure Wolff's Coliseum north plan was a sham and he is turning his back on Oakland no doubt about it.

But In terms of the composition of the team I think that is Billy's call not Wolffs, and I don't want to see them pay 2-3 million for players who are not going to make the team that much better. I want to see Murphy play more. This team is not going to sign major free agents not with Schottman, Wolff, Piccini or anyone not named Haas as the owner. If the team is going to improve it will be due to health and the infusion of new talent via the draft and the reclamation projects (Cust, Halahan etc.) that Billy finds

As for the Sacramento shuttle, with all the injuries they had what else would you expect to happen?

I agree Wolff would look to move the team out of California if the Fremont thing falls through(whether there is anywhere for them to actually go is a different matter). The difference is I think Wolff's interest in the Fremont deal happening is genuine. There is no need whatsoever for such an elaborate ruse. All of us here know that Wolff could have just packed up and left after the "failure" of the Coliseum north sham. Would there have been howl's of protest? Not from anyone outside this site. You think the Chronicle and even the Tribune would have batted an eye? They would have been first in line to justify the move. The national press all would have run the same old Oakland doesn't support the team crap.

By asch (63.146.24.10) on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 07:46 am:

"Would Shottman have allowed Piazza to be signed for 8million?"

I wish Lew hadn't.....

By finleyunplugged (205.225.207.97) on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 10:27 am:

Wolff increasing payroll is like paying more for gas. You pay more, but you get less.

The market for baseball talent is inflationary, and, when you've got a big spender like Arte Moreno in your division, if you are not contiunually increasing your player expenditures, you are actually decreasing payroll.

By deajay (207.200.116.200) on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 10:48 am:

Murphy is overrated, IMO. If Crosby goes down again, won't be long before we see Gregorio Petite up here ... I hope. So he has a better arm than Scutaro. Whooppee! But you have to catch and get to the ball before thinking about throwing it. So he has some pop, well, Scoot didn't, but the times he did .. game over and a W for the A's. His team was ready to revolt when they were on the precipice of sending him down to start the season in '04 (or was it '05?) but then Brittle Bobby broke down again. Course, the current team members haven't been here long enough ... and a few (see Denorfia) we haven't even seen play ... to make a stink. Guess all the other scouts were wrong, eh? Plenty of them have been inquiring about Scutaro's availability for 2 years now. But this team is definitely too cheap to pay a supremo utility guy a paltry (by current market standards) $2mil. I think Texas jumps ahead of the A's in '08, even status quo as they might be.

No doubt the A's will blow (aka too cheap) their high draft pick this upcoming year. This team will never get past the first or second round, if they even get into the postseason down the road, because they refuse to dole out enough for a player who is a difference maker and they sure haven't anyone in their system who will ever be.

And the fact they entertained (and still may be for all we know) signing Bonds, is totally disgusting. If they're not happy with Cust, then move Barton to DH, Swisher to 1b (where he belongs) and sign or deal for a young talented center fielder. In the meantime, it is totally disgusting how many years we've had to sit back and even continue to attend games, while they seem to let the current year's fan favorite walk. Though they did deal Scoot in lieu of letting him walk (which they otherwise would have) for what they got in return (a joke) they may as well have done him a favor (he earned it) and let him choose the team and compensation he was interested in.

Beane is going to have to make some supreme deal(s) in order to restore my faith at least a little bit.

By ws9 (24.6.129.202) on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 02:52 pm:

I don't think there is any deal he can make that will make the team significantly better in the short term because the A's really don't have any prospects that will bring major league talent. What they can do if the choose to is deal major league talent for minor league/major league ready prospects or guys like Milledge without much of a track record.

Well said Asch, well said.

Deajay, they made it to the ALCS two years ago without paying for a major free agent. Frank Thomas was the engine on that team and I think it was his success more than anything that caused them to look in Bond's direction.

By finleyunplugged (205.225.207.97) on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 03:38 pm:

Signing Piazza was akin to when they gave John Jaha that big deal. Jaha had one good year on the cheap, and they should have let him go. Likewise, they got lucky with Frank Thomas and were hoping for the same from Piazza, but ended up wasting a lot of money.

By asch (68.55.128.230) on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 06:52 pm:

Deajay,
First, you have been an a's fan for a long time so your post about how unhappy you are is surprising. Not because I don't agree with you, but because - well, welcome to the Oakland Athletics! Are you shocked they traded him? I bet the feeling is exactly what you stated; Murphy will cover this. But if there is a big issue, they will bring Petite up. I assume too that this is the situation and that they must think Petite is ready to take over when needed (sounds like they want him for one year in sacto).

Scooter will be missed. But if he's the linchpin, we have way bigger issues. We can't keep scooter because he gets clutch hits. He's a very serviceable utility guy but on this team, they don't feel they can spend that much to keep a utility guy around. Urban said this may mean another deal could be coming (maybe for Chris Burke?) which could make some sense. Who knows.

I guess the way I feel is, you have to get excited about something. To me, it will be exciting to see murphy and hanahan get more time because I like both of those guys for what they are. Murphy could be one of those all or nothing hitting types - low average, low OBP, but 20 homer potential (he had 6 homers I think in about 118 abs). He struggled with the glove some but it was his first real taste of the majors. I just don't see a HUGE downgrade here. It could very well be a decent offensive upgrade.

Nothing can take away what scutaro has done here. He'll go down in all our books as one of the best and most exciting. I hope this trade brings him the starting gig down the road that I feel he'll get from someone (But it was obviously never going to be here).

"I don't believe in clutch....
but I do believe in Scutaro"

By oaktownfan (76.243.92.75) on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 07:07 pm:

I like Murphy too. I'm not saying he's the next Ellis, a former SS prospect we also got from KC.

But I liked what I saw out of him in limited action last season.

Like asch mentioned, he showed surprising power with 8 2Bs/6 HRs/21 RBIs and a .441 SLG% in 118 ABs. BA was low at .220 but he hit .326 in 175 ABs in AAA Sac.

Murphy will turn 25 next March so I can see him being a long term backup on this team.

Now Scutaro's clutchness will be missed, second only during his time as an A in MLB in walkoff hits with 8, only behind Ortiz from BOS. But IMO this A's team will not competing seriously for the AL West, I am expecting some major trades happening this offseason by the A's, so keeping Marco here for a team that is maybe .500 at best the next year or two, be kind of unfair for Marco who probably is best served to play for a team that is in contention although are the BlueJays that team.

By deajay (207.200.116.200) on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - 10:47 pm:

Asch, I'm just venting; I'll always be an A's fan. Just frustrated today, I guess. Spent big $ on replacing my tvs with HDTVs and it looks like DTV's new dish (allowing me to receive HD and my local channels), because it is more horizontal than my current (old) one which is more vertical ... may not pick up a signal from what I'm hearing because you have to be cognizant of ground level growth and lots of that here. Even so, I will keep DTV even if no HD, as Comcast does not come close to matching their programming and, of course, their rates are higher for less, period. In Santa Rosa, Comcast offers a grand total of about 10 HD channels compared to the 77 offered by DTV with 100 promised by year end for the same price as Comcast for their 10. And Comcast's "premier" pkg., which offers less, is about $30 more; ridiculous. Anyway, a bummer. So, I'll just have to continue to carry basic cable for the locals. Right now, I'm just hoping AT&T gets their system set up here soon, as another alternative. Sorry, got off the beaten track here. But maybe that explains my sudden negativity.

I, too, am interested in seeing what Hannahan can do and will be surprised if Murphy turns out as good as others seem to expect; it would be nice, but it would be nicer if Crosby suddenly busts out ... health and offensive wise. Yeh, I dream. If the A's want to pick up a good young centerfielder and some good prospects, they'll have to deal Haren. If they're going to rebuild, probably worth it. Or, they could go after Hunter or Jones. I'm really dreaming now.

I do think we'll see Petit up here this season at some point, and likely Melillo. Petit would also be a good candidate as a utility guy (unless he could eventually win the ss job) as he is considered an excellent defensive second baseman, as well as excellent ss. With the rebuilding process, it is fun to see new young players.

At least the A's added Petit, Powell, Robnett, Rodriguez and Gray to their roster today. Hopefully, Powell will be healthy enough to get back in the playing mode by at least midseason. Here's hoping for a breakout year for Robnett ... that would sure be nice. As far as Landon Powell is concerned, becuase this is his second ACL injury to the same leg, once again they wonder if they won't have to move him from the catching position. If so, guess he could be another DH consideration.

By oaktownfan (75.61.95.0) on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 - 02:17 am:

Why are some A's fans down on Robnett?

He had a solid season in AA Mid where he hit like 59 extra base hits and his #s across the board improved from a horredous first two months of the season.

Robnett is still what, 24 years old? Even if he takes long than you'd hope for and is challenging for a spot maybe in 2009, he'll still be 25, not that old IMO to still have a solid or good MLB career.

I'd glad they decided to keep him on the team and not expose him to the Rule 5 draft and let most of those AAA OFs who won the AAA crown last year did.

IMO, Robnett will have a role on this team, at least more likely chance of that happening then those AAA OFs from last sesaon.

By jesse (63.81.46.174) on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 11:37 am:

There is no prospect out there worthy of Dan Haren. Haren is the real Holy Grail of baseball. He's really good, really cheap and locked up through 2010. You cant trade a guy whose destined to receive CY votes each of the next 3 years and not make more than 6.5 mil in any of those years.

By eyleenn (38.99.44.122) on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 12:00 pm:

Amen.

By oaktownfan (76.236.69.207) on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 01:10 pm:

I'd deal Haren for a packaged deal of Kemp/Kershaw with maybe a Hu added in there.

Get a young RH stud bat in Kemp, we don't have in the majors and minors ready to come up really.

A young ACE potential in Kershaw who many have as the #1 rated SP prospect in the bigs.

Hu who could be a SS or 2B heir in a few years, at least challenging with the likes of Petit, Melillo, Horton and others in the minors currently, hell even maybe Murphy.


Doubt the Dodgers would trade that much for Haren, but that's the kind of deal I'd want.

Two type A players/prospects and a type B one too.

By finleyunplugged (205.225.207.97) on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 04:17 pm:

Hu?

By raiderjohn (61.216.90.160) on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 06:38 pm:

6 player deal between Twins and Rays. Features Garza and Delmon Young. Rumor at this point. Percival to Rays possibly

By oaktownfan (76.202.79.125) on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 06:45 am:

Damn, I thought maybe somehow the A's could land one of those TB young OFs.

Young or Crawford, Young would be that RH stick that was very young but had a ton of potential.

Now I doubt TB trades anymore of their pieces. So that'd leave possibly the Dodgers or even DBack as possibly teams that could offer a stud young RH bat in a package. Dodgers with Kemp or ARZ maybe could away a C.Young?

I read that Beane has soften his "obssession" with Milledge.

By raiderjohn (61.217.198.208) on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 06:22 pm:

Haren and Blanton's value has gone up, close to Santana's trade value due to the money and controllability of both pitchers. Milledge, Heilman, may not be enough, I read he wants Carlos Gomez too.