Athletics Trade Rumors

A's have plenty of trade and free-agent options
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October 5
Contra Costa Times
 columnist Marty Lurie
"As the playoffs unfold it is a good time to look at the type of player it takes to be successful over the course of the 162 game-season.A good starting point is to recall the players the A's have had on the roster as they made the playoffs five times since 2000. The A's have built championship teams before and are trying to do so again.The club has featured pitchers such as Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson, Barry Zito, Jason Isringhausen, Billy Koch, Keith Foulke (in his prime) and Cory Lidle. On the offensive side, Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, Miguel Tejada, Eric Chavez, Ramon Hernandez and Jermaine Dye have all been in the playoffs as an Athletic.Names we hear about in today's playoffs include ..."
Beane won't mortgage future for quick A's fix
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September 30
Contra Costa Times
 
"Never one to map out his intentions in concrete detail, A's general manager Billy Beane played things close to the vest in his end-of-the-season media briefing Monday afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum. He did offer some insight that should please most A's fans, saying the primary goal over the winter will be beefing up the offense. That's likely to come via free agency, as he indicated earlier this month. "I think we're in a position now financially "... where we can consider adding some guys," he said Monday. Another of his views, the A's faithful may not find so appealing. On the heels of his team's 75-86 record in the first season of a massive rebuilding, Beane stressed that continued ..."
A's are preparing for offseason changes
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September 29
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"The A's season concluded Sunday, very likely along with some regulars' tenures in Oakland. The 4-3 loss to the Mariners at Safeco Field might have been the final game in green and gold for erstwhile closer Huston Street, shortstop Bobby Crosby and possibly reliever Alan Embree. And though they didn't travel with the team after season-ending injuries, Mark Ellis and Frank Thomas are free agents and there is some chance Ellis won't return and a strong possibility the A's won't re-sign Thomas. Outfielder Emil Brown, another free agent, has no interest in coming back to Oakland and reliever Keith Foulke isn't likely to return, though he has no plans to retire. Then there is All-Star Justin ..."
Injury may give Saarloos chance to start for A's
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August 20
Contra Costa Times
 
"Kirk Saarloos' stellar work in the rotation for Triple-A Sacramento earned him his promotion to the A's roster earlier this week. Though the A's called him up to bolster the bullpen, Saarloos may find himself drawing more starting duties, if Justin Duchscherer is forced to miss any time after aggravating his right hip in Monday's win over the Minnesota Twins. Saarloos is ready for whatever responsibility is thrown his way. He was a member of the A's rotation in 2005 and then showed his flexibility in 2006, splitting his time between starting and relieving and doing a steady job in both. The A's traded him to Cincinnati before the 2007 season, where he pitched primarily in relief, before ..."
Sweeney hopeful
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August 18
Contra Costa Times
 (scroll down)
"Mike Sweeney has been working out with the team over the past six days, with no problems swinging the bat or fielding first base. Running? Well, that's a slightly different story. Sweeney will start to test his surgically repaired knees in a game for the first time this week when he reports to Triple-A Sacramento for a rehab assignment that starts today. Sweeney had surgery on both knees June 11 and is hoping to put off microsurgery until after the season. "I work hard, but I have no control over how these knees feel - hopefully they give me a shot to play the rest of the year," said Sweeney, who has played just 40 games this season. Sweeney said what happens over the next six weeks will ..."
Ellis a possibility for Arizona?
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August 11
San Francisco Chronicle
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"The Diamondbacks announced that second baseman Orlando Hudson will miss the rest of the season with a wrist injury, and Arizona is likely to be looking for help at the position. There already is talk the Diamondbacks will pursue A's second baseman Mark Ellis when he becomes a free agent this winter, and if Ellis has cleared waivers, there is little doubt that Arizona would put in a call to the A's sooner. If he has not been run through waivers yet, the Diamondbacks would have to hope that Ellis falls to them when he does go on the wire, but other National League contenders could block that possibility. One major-league executive pointed out that the A's already snared many of Arizona's ..."
Gallagher back with A's and pencilled in to start Thursday
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August 9
Contra Costa Times
 
"Sean Gallagher rejoined the A's on Friday after an MRI taken in the Bay Area revealed only inflammation in his right shoulder. The news could have been much worse for the right-hander, who is penciled in to start Thursday at home against Tampa Bay. Gallagher said his shoulder has bothered him for the past couple weeks while he would warm up but didn't really hurt him while pitching. But Monday, when he struggled with his control against Toronto and lasted just three innings, he knew something wasn't right. "It was something I thought I could work through, but it stuck with me," he said. -‰"... I just wasn't myself (Monday). I didn't have location, my velocity. I realized after that game I ..."
Thomas appears ready; 2 optioned to Triple-A
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July 31
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Frank Thomas should be back in the A's lineup as early as Friday. Thomas, who has been on the disabled list since May 28 with tendinitis in his left quadriceps, ran the bases and took batting practice against A's reliever Keith Foulke before Wednesday's series finale against Kansas City. Thomas indicated that he expects to be activated in time for Friday's game in Boston. The moves the A's made after Wednesday's 4-3 loss indicated that as well. Eric Patterson and Wes Bankston were optioned to Triple-A Sacramento before the team left town, presumably to make roster room for Thomas and Daric Barton, who has been on the DL with a neck strain. "I'm ready to play, ready to go," Thomas said. ..."
Williams Street-talkin' A's
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July 31
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"When the trade deadline passes this afternoon, White Sox general manager Ken Williams might be more than a bit frustrated. But it won't be for a lack of trying. According to a source outside the organization, Williams was talking to a handful of teams Wednesday afternoon in hopes of acquiring a back-end reliever in a three-way deal. Indications as of late Wednesday were that his target was Oakland Athletics right-hander Huston Street. Street, the A's closer, would move into the Sox' setup role while veteran Scott Linebrink works his way back from the 15-day disabled list. But one-on-one talks with the A's apparently broke down over a lack of depth in the Sox' farm system. No one knows that ..."
Beane's socks on, Street is team's closer - for now
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July 30
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Will Huston Street survive Thursday's trade deadline? He doesn't know for sure, but he gives off vibes that he'll still be around when the A's play in Boston on Friday. "I said awhile ago I don't want to be traded," Street said. "Billy (Beane, general manager) said all along it'll take a deal to knock his socks off for me to get traded, and that's where we stand right now. I'm very comfortable with that because I like it here." Dan Haren was traded in December. Rich Harden and Joe Blanton were dealt this month. The latest A's pitcher significantly mentioned in trade rumors is Street, and this week's talk involves the Tigers, Brewers, White Sox and, to a lesser degree, Red Sox. Thursday's ..."
Gillick still shopping to find left-handed help for bullpen
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July 29
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Manny Ramirez to the Phillies? Don't count on it. But with the clock ticking to Thursday's 4 p.m. nonwaiver trade deadline, general manager Pat Gillick reiterated Monday that he's still hopeful of acquiring a left-handed reliever to give lone lefty J.C. Romero "some breathing room" in the Phillies bullpen. "Hopefully, we can do that," Gillick said. "All I can say is we're talking, and as long as we continue to talk, there's always a possibility something will transpire." And there's also a possibility something may happen after Thursday. If the Phillies are unable to work a deal for Colorado's Brian Fuentes, Kansas City's Ron Mahay, Pittsburgh's John Grabow, Baltimore's George Sherrill or ..."
Chavez 'at a crossroads,' may move to first base
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July 27
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Eric Chavez continued light throwing Saturday, but the A's third baseman said his session the previous day had not gone particularly well. "I was hoping it was because I hadn't thrown the ball for three weeks," said Chavez, who revealed before the game that the damage to his right shoulder is more extensive than previously thought. "But we're going to push it and see what (the shoulder) can handle and if I can't, then we'll see what else can be done." Chavez had surgery to clean up the shoulder in September, but the main problem, the way he understands it, is that the labrum is so severely torn that it cannot be repaired; he described it as "shredded." The team had announced at the time ..."
Dour Chavez concedes his season may be over
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July 26
Contra Costa Times
 
"On the outside, third baseman Eric Chavez was a picture of calm Friday hours before the A's 14-6 loss to the Texas Rangers at McAfee Coliseum. He talked calmly about the state of his right shoulder (not good), his future (unclear) and his frustration (immense). But inside, he was churning, and with good reason. His career seems at a crossroads, especially after he hinted strongly that he'll likely miss the rest of this season. "I'm not (peaceful) to be honest," he said. "This is the worst predicament I could be in as a baseball player. I've always been real proud of my ability to get on the field and play. So I'm not at peace at all. "To go through what I've been through the past couple ..."
Texas Rangers defeat Oakland, 14-6
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July 26
Dallas Morning News
 
"The Rangers fell behind Oakland on Friday night. By five runs. And all things considered, it was a beautifully pitched game. On the way back into second place, the Rangers overcame an early deficit with a pair of unanswered touchdowns to beat the A's, 14-6. It pushed Texas a half-game ahead of the A's in the AL West. While both teams may be fading from sight in the division race %u2013 the Rangers are 10½ games behind Los Angeles %u2013 finishing somewhere above third is a tangible goal for the Rangers since they haven't done it since 1999. The league's most potent offense woke from a week-long slumber Friday. The Rangers scored 19 runs in the first week after the All-Star break and no ..."
Ellis hoping to return Friday
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July 24
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Mark Ellis sat out a second game with a sore right shoulder, but the second baseman should be back in action Friday night when the A's open a three-game series against the Rangers at the Coliseum. Ellis jammed his shoulder diving back to first base in the sixth inning Monday night. He has been able to take batting practice, but has had some discomfort when throwing. Manager Bob Geren is aware of Ellis' history with that shoulder: Ellis missed the entire 2004 season after injuring it so severely in a collision with shortstop Bobby Crosby that there was some thought he might not play again. Ellis was unable to have surgery to repair the shoulder because there was too much nerve damage. ..."