Beane To Sign Extension Through 2019

General Manager Billy Beane and President Michael Crowley will remain with the Oakland Athletics through the 2019 season, club owner Lew Wolff said today in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s “Bloomberg West.”

“I view them as partners as well as executives,” Wolff said. “So if they are here another 30 years, that is fine with me. I may not be here to see it, but that will be fine.”

BASN: The MLB FRAUD - Oakland, Los Angeles, and New York

Straight from the riveting pages of The Beane Eaters comes…

The jig is up for Major League Baseball, just ask the cities of New York, New York, Los Angeles, and Oakland, California.

The con game is over and the cover is being lifted. MLB wants fans to attend games with minor league players on the field. MLB wants fans to buy their team’s products, and to watch inferior baseball.

The question should be asked, why do fans of the New York Metropolitans, the Oakland Athletics or the Los Angeles Dodgers support their teams?

It seems odd or a coincidence that these teams have a competitor across town to compete for the same fans. Teams that have owned or will own the city. The New York Yankees dominate the Big Apple, the San Francisco Giants own the Bay Area. With the new star first baseman and National League all star Albert Pujols joining the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. You can bet Southern California fans will be flocking to Orange County and leaving Chavez Ravine.

...What is troubling, other teams are now following the Money Ball method of running a baseball team. With Commissioner Bud Selig’s wishes. Baseball continues to slide down the American popularity poll.

...Baseball fans have to take it into their own hands and not attend games of the New York Mets, Oakland A’s, and Los Angeles Dodgers to make their message clear. Put a product on the field that can compete for a division title.

A’s, O’s leading suitors for Manny Ramirez

Well, I guess every 500 home run hitter plays in Baltimore at one point of their career.

RLYW: Too-Early Marcel 2012 Season Forecast

Crikey, such excitement in the NL West!

This is current through Francisco Cordero signing with Toronto, and assumes Prince Fielder at 1B and Miguel Cabrera playing a terrible version of 3B for Detroit in 70% of their games, and DHing in 25% of them.

A’s owner Wolff addresses Manny, stadium

For now, Wolff has no choice but to believe that the A’s can compete this year, despite so much roster turnover. And he would be just fine if more of it came in the form of Manny Ramirez.

Ramirez, who will turn 40 in May and would have to serve a 50-game suspension at the start of the season after having his suspension reduced from 100 games, has been pegged as a potential designated hitter for Oakland. Despite the history he brings, Wolff believes “he should be viewed on a basis of talent.”

“If he serves his penalty, the idea of serving a penalty is that you’re free to go back and do something,” he said. “I think it would be fun. I hear he’s in great shape. I don’t know if we’re in the running for him, but it wouldn’t bother me to have him on the team. In fact, just the opposite.

“My theory in life, which may not apply to baseball, is that we all make mistakes, and if we serve a penalty, there’s no reason we shouldn’t have the opportunity to do the right thing after that.”

“How can you not be romantic about baseball?”

Stuart MacGill: Hollywood makeover can’t disguise the myopia of statistics boffins

Modern leg-spin bowlers unite! (stumped)

In the plane on the way to Perth for the Big Bash final, I watched Moneyball, a movie about an American baseball manager who puts together a team capable of mixing it with the big boys on a shoestring budget. The core principle of the movie is computer analysis and statistics. Baseball games are broken down into component parts and players are selected based on their statistical suitability to each of those parts

...Unfortunately, he then pulled out the printouts. One of them was a map of where my deliveries had pitched and the other was a corresponding document showing how many runs had been scored from each of those deliveries.

John (Buchanan) excitedly told me that whenever I pitched the ball on off stump, the batsman wasn’t scoring. He generally took half an hour to make a point and, considering the tea break at a Test match is only 20 minutes, we were already walking back onto the field at the time. I turned to him and replied that the reason they weren’t scoring when I bowled that particular delivery was because the ball had been turning half a metre and they couldn’t actually reach it.

I thanked him kindly for his input and asked him whether or not he thought I should concentrate instead on getting them out. His blank face indicated that he would have to go back to the laptop before he could respond.

Incidentally, I did start putting them in the right place occasionally, picked up my only five-wicket haul at the MCG and we went on to win the Test. Computers have a huge role to play in cricket, all sport for that matter, but remember the basic principles of the game will always be of paramount importance.

Moneyball is a great film but the stats that matter in cricket are simple. Make more runs than the opposition and bowl them out twice.

Baseball America’s Top 10 Prospects: Oakland A’s

And now we’ve been gutted…

1. Jarrod Parker, rhp
2. Brad Peacock, rhp
3. Sonny Gray, rhp
4. A.J. Cole, rhp
5. Michael Choice, of
6. Grant Green, of
7. Derek Norris, c
8. Jermaine Mitchell, of
9. Michael Taylor, of
10. Tom Milone, lhp

Oakland will have to do a better job of signing and developing talent. The A’s landed a potential frontline arm by taking Sonny Gray with the 18th overall pick in June, yet spent just $3.1 million overall on their 2011 draft class, the third-lowest figure in baseball. They also haven’t been as active in Latin America after getting burned by Dominican righthander Michael Ynoa, who signed for a club-record $4.25 million in 2008 but rarely has been healthy since.

MONEYBALL~ Oscar Nominations 2012: Academy Award Nominees List ~ MONEYBALL

This year’s Oscar nominations have been announced, with The Artist overcoming critical backlash in recent weeks to lead the nods in the big ten awards.

The silent film has scooped five nominations in the main categories, including a nod for Best Picture. Its fiercest Oscar competitors are Brad Pitt’s Moneyball, The Descendants and The Help which all racked up four.

However, Martin Scorses’s 3D film Hugo got the most nods overall with 11, including all the technical categories. The Artist scored nine nominations in total.

Best Picture

“The Artist”
“The Descendants”
“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”
“Hugo”
“Midnight in Paris”
“The Help”
“Moneyball”
“War Horse”
“The Tree of Life”

HOVG: Jose Canseco Reviews “Moneyball” and, Naturally, Begs For a Job

Scout Bob: “Who’s Canseco?”

Sure, it was shut out at the Golden Globes, but it does have its fair share of supporters.

Including Jose Canseco…who took to Twitter Sunday night after seeing the film.

  Just saw the movie money ball .it was awesome congrats billy I especially loved the part about you and your daughter.ps I would have played for you back then for free.I was one of those misfits who needed a second chance

...So, it’s particularly interesting that Canseco is now saying he would have played for free even though Beane had a complete lack of interest in the 1988 American League MVP.

Enter that classic Canseco desperation.

  Billy beane call me would love to dh for you just give me a tryout that’s all I ask

Ugh.

Zettel: Yu Darvish vs. Lefty Grove

Even Sigafoos thinks this is fos!

Like Grove, Darvish enters the Major Leagues at age 25, after a five year professional career in another league. Unlike Grove, Darvish kept his walk totals low, but struck out 1,083 batters in just over 1,020 innings in Japan’s Pacific League. Darvish’s ERAs are extremely low on a year-by-year basis, and not surprisingly, Darvish won approximately 73% of his decisions while playing in Japan. One of the interesting differences between Grove and Darvish is that Grove was also used as a reliever for approximately 10-15 games per season; Darvish, on the other hand, mostly served as a starter during his early professional career.

I know a lot of this is just happenstance, vague suggestions made across eras. But, I thought it would be fun to use the Darvish signing as an opportunity to remember the career of Lefty Grove, one of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball. Both pitchers were so talented that they drew remarkable monetary transactions between their previous club and their future MLB team. Both pitchers were extreme winners in their early professional career, winning between 73% and 74% of their decisions before reaching the majors. And of course, they were both strike out machines, fanning more than 1,000 batters in more than 1,000 innings prior to reaching the majors.

It’s also exciting to think of the potential of Darvish dominating the American League. Frankly , I think he can be a valuable contributor to the Rangers, and I think he’ll be a worthwhile acquisition even if he’s an average or slightly above average pitcher. Maybe, just maybe, like another grand purchase, he’ll come to dominate major league batters; in another 50 years, maybe we’ll remember Darvish the way we remember Grove.

Source: A’s interested in Manny Ramirez

Just BillybeingBilly.

The Oakland Athletics are “very interested” in making Manny Ramirez their designated hitter next season, a source told ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com.

Ramirez, 39, has been working out in Miami since December and has plans to have open workout sessions for clubs interested in his services at the end of January.

Last week, ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com reported that the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays had a look at Ramirez batting in an indoor cage.

“The Orioles and Blue Jays saw Manny work and Baltimore liked what it saw, but Oakland has been the team that has expressed the most interest, even before having him work out,” the source said.

Ramirez, a .312 lifetime hitter with 555 home runs and 1,831 career RBIs over 19 seasons, was reinstated by Major League Baseball from the “voluntarily retired” list after the Dominican player opted to leave the game instead of serving a second suspension for violating the league’s banned substances policy in 2011 while playing for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Camden Depot: Rick Peterson Breaks Fewer Pitchers?

Jon Shepherd takes a first look at Rick Peterson’s record in keeping pitchers off the disabled list.

Rick Peterson and his pitching lab will apparently be in full effect for the Orioles in 2012.  His analytical technique has been hailed as a major prevention tool against injuries.  I have disabled list numbers of starting pitchers from part of his tenure with the A’s and all of his tenure with the Mets, giving us a time line from 2001 to 2007.  I also have disabled numbers of Orioles’ starting pitchers in 2009 and 2010.

Jonny Gomes to Sign with A’s

The Oakland Athletics are poised to sign Jonny Gomes, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Slusser points out that he’s a local favorite set to join the club after Billy Beane indicated after the Seth Smith trade that he could be looking for more depth in the outfield.

Gomes, 31, has spent most of his career with the Tampa Bay Rays but was with the Cincinnati Reds for a couple seasons and then spent part of 2011 in DC. He’s never been an especially good hitter (being kind to the guy with the mohawk, ok?) but does have a little pop, with a career line of .242 / .329 / .451. If you’re playing at home, think Adam Dunn without the walks.

Thanks to Ferg.

Orlando Cabrera To Retire From Baseball

OH NO, EXPO!

Last season, Orlando Cabrera batted .238 with the Indians and Giants, posting a 61 OPS+. The season before that, he posted a 76 OPS+. The season before that, he posted an 85 OPS+. Orlando Cabrera has been declining, and just turned 37 years old. As a free agent, Cabrera didn’t drum up much interest, which I’m guessing is why he’s intending to hang ‘em up. Enrique Rojas:

  “Orlando Cabrera to retire from baseball, he said in Colombia radio station. Thanks for memories!”

Cabrera had a long career that’ll be difficult to forget. He debuted with the Expos in 1997, and remained there until the giant Nomar Garciaparra three-way trade in 2004. That year, with the Red Sox, Cabrera won a World Series. He wound up with the Angels, earning the unfortunate nickname “The Wizard of O.C.”, and then he wound up with the White Sox, and the A’s, and the Twins, and the Reds, and the Indians, and the Giants ... He remained a shortstop to the end, and collected 2,055 hits. He will always be remembered as a pest. An absolute pest.

A’s trade Moscoso, Outman for Seth Smith

#### THE GOLDEN GLOBES!

Billy Beane’s Oakland A’s continued their extreme offseason makeover Monday with yet another trade. This time Beane shipped pitchers Josh Outman and Guillermo Moscoso to the Rockies for outfielder Seth Smith—who has been involved in trade rumors throughout the offseason.

Smith, 29, has served mostly as a fourth outfielder type for the Rockies since 2008, but he got a career high 533 plate appearances last season. He hit .284/.347/.483 with 15 homers, 32 doubles and 10 stolen bases. He hasn’t played center field since 2008, so he’s best used as a corner outfielder. He’ll likely be the starter in left field with Coco Crisp in center and Josh Reddick in right. Of course, prospect Michael Taylor is going to figure in the mix at some point.

One item of note: Smith’s career splits indicate he was hugely helped by Coors Field. He’s hit .296/.366/.559 at home and .257/.332/.418 on the road. And Oakland plays in one of the worst hitters’ parks in the majors.

Moscoso, 28, was 8-10 with a 3.38 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 74 strikeouts in 128 innings last season. Outman, 27, was 3-5 with a 3.70 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 35 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings. And, again, we’ll note that these two pitchers are going from having a very pitcher-friendly home park to one of the most hitter-friendly yards in the bigs.

Oakland manager Melvin excited about Japan series

The Athletics and Seattle Mariners open the regular season with a two-game series at Tokyo Dome on March 28-29. Many hoped the series would feature a showdown between Matsui and countryman Ichiro Suzuki, but Melvin said the A’s likely wont be re-signing the 37-year-old free agent Matsui.

“Matsui was a great fit for us last year and we all loved having him on our team,’’ Melvin said at a press conference on Monday to promote the series. “But this year it doesn’t look like a fit for us based on the personnel we have going forward.’‘

...Suzuki also had a down season in 2011. For the first time in his career, He failed to reach 200 hits - finishing with 184 - and hit a career-worst .272. Other numbers were lower too, including on-base percentage, infield hits and home runs, while he struck out a career-high 69 times.

Former Seattle star Ken Griffey Jr., who now serves as a special consultant to the Mariners, said he expects Suzuki to bounce back this season.

“Ichiro is going to be fine, you can ask these two guys (Melvin, Wedge) if a guy had 184 hits they wouldn’t be complaining,’’ Griffey said. “But you are looking at a guy who is a special athlete. He had one hiccup in his career and come this time next year we won’t even be talking about this. He is going to come into this season determined and with a little fire.’‘

Hiccup?...That was a freakin’ Dave McNally tally if ever!

Phil Rogers: Bean-counting GM Beane deserves a better place to work

And furthermore

(bullet) MLB should have a minimum payroll. It would require all teams to at least attempt to be somewhat competitive, and fairness is an issue. For instance, how much of an advantage will the Angels and Rangers have in the wild-card race because they have 19 games each against Oakland?

(bullet) According to Bill James’ projections, the Athletics’ most productive hitter next season will be DH Brandon Allen, with a slash line of .243/.327/.449, 22 home runs and 71 RBIs.

(bullet) Melvin is a major upgrade in the dugout, probably the best manager they’ve had since Tony La Russa (although Art Howe was much better than the movie’s portrayal by Philip Seymour Hoffman suggests).

(bullet) MLB scoffs at Forbes’ projections, but they’re the best available.

(bullet) Wolff is very close to Selig, but so far that does not appear to have gained him any advantages.

(bullitt) There are bad writers and there are good writers - and then there’s Rogers.

MLB Trade Rumors: Bartolo Colon Agrees to Sign With Unknown Team

Bartolo Colon has agreed to a deal with an unknown club reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). The right-hander wouldn’t divulge the team because he has not yet passed his physical.

Pretty sure it’s either the All-Stars or the Champs.

On DVD: Moneyball’s deleted scenes reveal the numbers game

The deleted scene in question features Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) discussing the team’s relief pitchers with field manager Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman). The two butt heads several times in the film, as Beane recommends fielding undervalued, unorthodox players over the objections of the more conservative Howe.

This time he’s singing the praises of Chad Bradford over Mike Magnante. He concludes his own pitch by telling Howe to bring Bradford out of the bullpen no matter what. “If we’re in, let’s say to make it easier on you, any situation. OK? Righty, lefty, two outs, one out, the umpires want to finish the game throwing darts … Bradford!”

It’s no surprise, however, when Howe does the opposite. Magnante promptly gives up a home run, and the crowd boos lustily. Beane then makes a rare (and illegal) trip to the dugout during the game to tell Howe what a costly f-you that was, and adds: “Those boos; they’re for you. Drink up.”

It’s a clever scene, probably cut only because we see so much sniping between Beane and Howe that their animosity is already clear.

Thanks to Nroll.

Kevin Goldstein: Athletics Top 11 Prospects

Five-Star Prospects
1. Michael Choice, OF
Four-Star Prospects
2. Jarrod Parker, RHP
3. A.J. Cole, RHP
4. Brad Peacock, RHP
5. Sonny Gray, RHP
6. Derek Norris, C
7. Grant Green, OF
Three-Star Prospects
8. Chris Carter, 1B
9. Collin Cowgill, OF
10. Raul Alcantara, RHP
11. Max Stassi, C

Nine More
12. Michael Taylor, OF: He made some improvements in 2011, but the A’s showed “confidence” in Taylor by acquiring Reddick and re-signing Crisp.
13. Josh Donaldson, C: He doesn’t have any star-level tools, but he has improved defensively and has always had solid power.
14. Yordy Cabrera, SS: He had an ugly full-season debut in 2011, but the seven-figure tools are still there.
15. Bobby Crocker, OF: This 2011 fourth-round pick is a big-time athlete with speed and power potential.
16. Aaron Shipman, OF: He could explode with some hitting refinements due to his speed and advanced approach.
17. Vicmal De La Cruz, OF: De La Cruz was beat up in the Dominican Summer League. His speed and bat are his best tools.
18. Ian Krol, LHP: He lost 2011 due to injury, but his instructional league showing has officials optimistic for a bounceback.
19. Miles Head, 1B/3B: Head came over in the Andrew Bailey trade. There is nothing pretty about what he does, but his power is significant.
20. Jermaine Mitchell, OF: He finally had his breakout season, but he is also 27 now.

BN: A Proposal To Break The Territorial-Rights Logjam Between The A’s And The Giants

With a doff of the chapeau to Mr. Calcaterra, a modest proposal indeed:

All of the two-team territories but one share the same counties: the Yankees and Mets; the White Sox and Cubs; and the Dodgers and Angels. Only the Giants and A’s split the counties surrounding their home cities. The A’s territory includes Alameda and Contra Costa counties; the Giants’ territory includes San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Monterey and Marin counties, “plus Santa Clara County with respect to another major league team.” San Jose is in Santa Clara county.

Halo’s Heaven: Moneyblog

Billy Beane should have never written this comic strip.

Jonah Keri: The Myth of the Small-Market Window

We’re not selling blinds here.

There is a nugget of truth behind this Window obsession. Smaller-revenue teams have a tougher time signing premium free agents, or retaining their own top players past their initial six years of team control. That puts extra pressure on these poorer teams to bring up a bunch of great prospects all at once, then hope they get good at the same time before they get expensive.

But far more often it’s a ######## excuse. It’s a vague, faraway goal that always seems several years out of reach. It’s a cover for cheap, greedy ownership, lousy scouting, drafting, and player development, and myopic trades. It’s a weak attempt to placate a fan base screwed over by years of management incompetence and indifference.

Or in the case of the Oakland A’s, their recent fire sale and justification for said fire sale, it’s a bold-faced ploy by one opportunistic owner to win territory from another opportunistic owner so that another city can hand out another $500 million check for another boondoggle stadium.

Jenkins: Billy Beane isn’t to blame for sad state of A’s

The Magic World of Bruce Jenkins: Homesick, that’s all.

Personally, I find it astounding that Beane’s still in Oakland - even if the A’s do get the go-ahead for San Jose. This is a 49-year-old man in the prime of life, absurdly overqualified to supervise three or four more years of utter irrelevance in the American League.

But I’m done lobbying for his freedom. This is a different kind of cat. As Beane weighs the elements of lifestyle and family, he’s obviously willing to trade prestige for a challenge.

And this is one hell of a challenge.

“I’m too competitive to ‘punt’ anything,” he said by telephone this week. “It’s not part of my DNA. I’ve got an emotional investment in this team, and if we’re playing in Oakland, then let’s make the best of the situation. I don’t leave for clear skies as soon as I start seeing the clouds. I keep thinking something will get better.”

...“Listen, this is the most challenging position we’ve ever been in, and when you’re moving good players, year after year, there is going to be some backlash. You’re in the wrong business if you think everyone is always going to pat you on the back, so if I’m part of the dartboard, so be it, it’s in the job description. But I want a team that has a chance to be better tomorrow, as opposed to worse. I understand the risk, but when you are coming off a third-place finish, I don’t see it as much of a risk.”

Monte Poole: The Oakland A’s are a travesty

This is quite the strongly worded article. How prominent a Bay Area media voice is this Monte Poole?

Wolff, who along with John Fisher bought the team in 2005, has numerous real estate holdings in San Jose and longs for the support of the corporate base that exists in the South Bay. Even as he talked about a future in Oakland, he already was on record—before being hired by the team—saying he would move the A’s to San Jose.

So there never has been any confusion about his desires or intentions. And there isn’t any now. Wolff and Fisher even bought off team president Michael Crowley and general manager Billy Beane, giving each a fraction of ownership. All four are rowing one way, beautifully in sync.

The iceberg in the water, however, is the Giants, who own territorial rights to San Jose. This alone makes movement a daunting endeavor, for Selig is big on ownership consensus. And that simply doesn’t exist between the Wolff-Fisher A’s and platoon of Giants owners represented by CEO Larry Baer.

Consider these moves an A’s shortcut, their intent to drive their plan over the few curly hairs remaining atop Baer’s head. Few men in baseball can force an issue as vehemently as Beane, and Selig and Baer and all of us can see he’s on a mission.

So Bailey had to go, just as Cahill and Gonzalez did. Billy the Part-Owner is better served by moving them, even if we all know Billy the G.M. likes their talent.

The A’s will say they are fiscally barren and competitively invalid, that they were forced into these actions.

But they’ll offer no apology about abandoning their loyal but dwindling clientele. They don’t want you visiting their shabby little yard, no matter how long you’ve cared, so they’re informing everyone their shop is closed—even though the doors are wide open.

Your move, MLB.

Ben Cherington talks Andrew Bailey, Daniel Bard and the Red Sox’ right field situation

Ben Cherington, of the Boston Cherington’s.

(How the Red Sox will approach right field)

Ryan Sweeney we expect to be a big part of our outfield mix. He can play right field. He’s a good defender. His versatility is kind of like Reddick, really, both of them can play both outfield spots and play them well. Sweeney has played in a big ballpark in Oakland and handled the defensive part of the game well. We also really like his offensive approach to Fenway. He’s got an opposite field approach. He’s a guy we tried to acquire in the past, and think he fits well with our team. So he’ll be a big part of our outfield mix. We still have Darnell McDonald on our roster, who has done a good job for us in the past and has hit left-handed pitching. Mike Aviles we sent to Puerto Rico not too long ago to get some experience in the outfield. We got good reports on him when he was in Puerto Rico. Obviously we like him as a hitter and as an offensive player. We think we have some internal solutions for right field and Sweeney is a big part of that.

(On if this will alter the Red Sox approach to the starting pitching market)

To some degree. I think that the starters that we’ve considered and talked about, and in some cases pursued, are a pretty broad range of pitching options. We’ve just felt, to this point, that the deals that we liked the best on the trade front were the Melancon deal and now this deal. We’re going to continue to work. We’re actively considering and looking at starting pitching options also, but we haven’t found one yet where we feel like the acquisition cost is the right one. That doesn’t mean that it won’t come. It just hasn’t come yet.

I do think our situation has been one where we can afford to be a little bit patient in the starting pitching market because of what we have at the front of the rotation. If we can find ways to build depth in the rotation, we will. We don’t feel like we’re forced into doing that. With what we have at the front of the rotation, and with Bard and [Alfredo] Aceves both coming to camp as starters and giving us options there, along with Andrew Miller and [Felix] Doubront and others who will be in camp showcasing their abilities as starters.

Red Sox Acquire Closer Andrew Bailey From Athletics

The Boston Red Sox have acquired Oakland Athletics closer Andrew Bailey, according to a tweet from Buster Olney of ESPN.com.

  According to Olney, the Red Sox will send Josh Reddick to Oakland as part of the deal. The 24-year-old outfielder hit .280/.327/.457 with seven home runs and 28 RBI in 87 games for Boston last year.

Bailey, 27, has served as the Athletics closer over the past three seasons. In 2011 he posted a 3.24 ERA with 24 saves in 42 appearances. He boasts a career ERA of 2.07.

Thanks to Yank.

Oakland Athletics Will Be Granted Permission To Move To San Jose, According To Report

Rosicrucia

n

l Park!

The Oakland Athletics may not be in Oakland for much longer, if new reports about the prove true: USA Today writer Bob Nightengale reports that sources say the Athletics will be granted permission to move to San Jose by February.

This move has been a possibility simmering on a back burner for some time now; Rob Neyer wrote about the potential of the San Jose A’s in September. But while it has been a possibility for many years, with the A’s looking to improve their accommodations from the outdated O.co Coliseum to a new ballpark and/or get out from under the shadow of the successful San Francisco Giants, this new approval may accelerate a timeline to get the A’s out of the city they have called home since 1968.

Beane expects A’s to make more deals

Billy Beane’s Oakland swap meet is open and ready for business—just don’t show up on Christmas Day.

“We won’t do [any moves] on Christmas, as a matter of principle,” Beane said Friday night on a conference call after making the Gio Gonzalez trade official. “We’re still having conversations and I anticipate on having conversations [Saturday].”

“We’re trying to collect as many young players as we can,” Beane said. “I think that’s our best long-term strategy.”

...Beane made no bones that Oakland would have a hard time competing with the Rangers or Angels this season, or really in the next couple of seasons. The A’s, instead, are building for the future and know times will be difficult in the next couple of years.

“We’ve been through this cycle numerous times and it gets shorter and shorter because the gap between us and everyone else grows and grows. For us to compete, we need a new stadium,” Beane said. “I don’t think there was a move we could make to compete with the Angels and Texas in the moves they’re making. They’re going to be somewhere around $150 million payroll. We’re not a business that can put that payroll on the field. For us to catch up to Seattle we’d have to spend an extra $40 or $50 million. From our standpoint, I don’t know that there’s a move we could make to compete with them this year.”

Thanks to Lenny.

Report: Gio Gonzalez traded to the Nats for four top prospects

here were multiple reports in the past hour or so that the Athletics were moving close to trading Gio Gonzalez, with most suggesting the Nationals as the most likely destination and some random Red Sox speculation.  Now Keith Law reports that a deal has been struck:  Gonzalez to the Nationals for four prospects: A.J. Cole, Brad Peacock, Derek Norris, and Tom Milone.

This is a huge haul for Gonzalez, it seems to me. According to John Sickels, these guys rank as the Nationals’ third, fourth, sixth and ninth best prospects.  And given how good the Nationals’ number one and number two prospects are — Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon — you could easily move all of those numbers up if they had come from other organizations.

Thanks to Chet.