Well crap. I guess they really are serious about this. If it means they can stop pretending Adrian Cardenas is a shortstop, then even better.

They used the DL 47 times, and that doesn't include the roughly 3000 games that guys like Crosby, Kotsay, and Chavez actually played even though they were moving like my grandmother.

Former A's star Jason Giambi could be another, but Beane said their hiring of former Giambi trainer/manservant Bob Alejo should not necessarily be seen as a precursor to a return for Giambi, who managed to hit fine last year with the Yankees without Alejo.

This is from Heyman. It made me chuckle.

Does Furcal make them a contender or is their pitching staff too young? I think Furcal is a big risk but since the SS prospects in the system are so far away (or can't hit in Petit and Penington) this seems like a potential home run signing.

Does Furcal make them a contender or is their pitching staff too young? I think Furcal is a big risk but since the SS prospects in the system are so far away (or can't hit in Petit and Penington) this seems like a potential home run signing.

I want to say yes, but it still depends on what kind of production they get from 1st and 3rd. I'm confident that they have enough good, young pitchers that the rotation will be strong by June when they sort out what they have. Still, a Randy Johnson would be nice!

I would really like to see this signing. Viewed in a utopian offseason Furcal isn't the perfect fit but SS seems to be pretty thin and Furcal looks like a much better bet than Renteria. Also getting a league averagish one year SP should be pretty doable (especially since that pitcher might not be needed all year).

I guess the other option is to try and make a trade for somebody like JJ Hardy. This would require giving up talent though which would be counter productive.

I would really like to see this signing. Viewed in a utopian offseason Furcal isn't the perfect fit but SS seems to be pretty thin and Furcal looks like a much better bet than Renteria. Also getting a league averagish one year SP should be pretty doable (especially since that pitcher might not be needed all year).

I'd rather just go with Pettit than sign Renteria. Furcal just makes a lot of sense for the team. But Furcal makes sense for a lot of teams, so I'm not going to get my hopes up.

I'm so confused. If Beane is going for it in 2009, why did he trade Haren and Swisher and Harden, given their incredibly team-friendly contracts? Wouldn't they have been key pieces of a contender next year?

I'm so confused. If Beane is going for it in 2009, why did he trade Haren and Swisher and Harden, given their incredibly team-friendly contracts? Wouldn't they have been key pieces of a contender next year?

Sure. But Gio Gonzales, Matt Holliday (acquired with 2 pieces from the Haren deal), Ryan Sweeney, Aaron Cunningham, Dana Eveland and eventually Brett Anderson will go a long way to being part of a 2009 contender, as well. And their contracts--except for Holiday, of course--are even team friendlier.

Swisher's contract may be team-friendly, but only if he doesn't suck.

I know Barack Obama promised me change, but this I could not have foreseen.

Well if there's anyone that can read medical reports of oft-injured players, its the A's medical staff.

Are any of those guys besides Holliday really going to be significant '09 contributors? I never liked Beane's going for quantity over quality in those deals...me, I'd just have offered Haren-for-Justin Upton straight up if I was going to punt on 2008.

I'm so confused. If Beane is going for it in 2009, why did he trade Haren and Swisher and Harden, given their incredibly team-friendly contracts? Wouldn't they have been key pieces of a contender next year?

Without trading those guys, they'd still have a relatively empty farm system and would wouldn't be guaranteed contenders. Trading for Holliday and signing Furcal won't empty their farm system, and those two--along with all the guys Shooty mentions--will leave them just as likely to contend as they would have with Swisher, Haren, and Harden.

I like Furcal for $10M per year if his medical records check out; he was pretty durable before last year. All of the A's internal options at SS are replacement level or below, and the only guy in the pipeline (Cardenas) doesn't have the range to play even 2B according to some scouts. Furcal seems like the best way to upgrade the team in the free agent market.

Signing Furcal would leave the A's with offensive holes at just 3B and 1B--which is pretty good compared to how many holes they had last year--and I think they have to wait out Chavez's recovery and Barton's development for at least another year. I'd like to see what UZR says, but Dewan's plus/minus makes it seem like Hannahan's glove would make up for a lot of his bat.

I'm not hot on the idea of Giambi. His glove is enough of a liability that I don't think he'd be all that much better than Barton. I'd rather see them use that money to shore up the back of the rotation, where the 4th and 5th slots seem up for grabs.

Are any of those guys besides Holliday really going to be significant '09 contributors?

ZIPS projects Sweeney to be a bit above average for a CF with the bat, Eveland and Gallagher are projected to be above average SPs, and Devine (who they got for Kotsay) projects to be a decent closer.

Signing Furcal also wouldn't just be for 2009; a lot of the prospects they got in those deals seem to be on path to contribute in 2010-2012.

And according to reports at the time, Upton was untouchable from the start (as was Max Scherzer).

Also it's tough to count on anything from Harden I'll take Gallagher next year just since he's more likely to throw 150+ innings.

I think they have to wait out Chavez's recovery and Barton's development for at least another year.

I had all but given up on him ever playing third again, but just yesterday Chavez said his rehab is going "really, really well" and there's "almost no doubt" he will be ready for spring training and that he "fully expects" to play third base. So... fingers crossed. If Chavvy can't come back, I am okay with Hannahan again, he plays good D and will hopefully hit better in 2009 than 2008. I wouldn't want to spend any money or make a trade for only a minor upgrade over Hannahan (e.g. Wiggington). As I have mentioned, Adrian Beltre would look great in an A's uniform.

Barton is a mystery to me. I agree they need to give him at least one more chance.

Hmmm ... SS and back injury doesn't sound like a promising combination.

Furcal looks like a much better bet than Renteria

Do you mean Renteria now or Renteria back when he signed his "big" 4-year contract? I agree with the first but the second looks like a toss-up to me -- quite similar players through age 30.

Chavez said his rehab is going "really, really well" and there's "almost no doubt" he will be ready for spring training and that he "fully expects" to play third base.

He went on to say that he's seen pigs fly, doesn't believe in dinosaurs but does believe in UFOs.

I meant don't sign Renteria now.

Also Chavez is usually the first person to be pessimistic and tell the media. Right around the time of this surgery he said his shoulder was toast and that he would have to play first or DH. That said it's hard to say if he'll be able to stay healthy.

Yeah, Chavez has generally been honest to a fault. If he says things are going well, there's a good chance they are.

The problem is, he's basically lost two seasons in a row and I don't know if he can get the skills back to be a contributor. Of course, if he can just do something like .260/.350/.440 that is light years ahead of what they got last year.

Given Furcal's back, if they sign him I hope the A's also trade for a Plan B better than Petit or Pennington. A young, expendable formerly highly rated guy like Hu or Lillibridge would be nifty to stash at AAA. These two are also good defenders supposedly, which would be helpful to a future groundball staff including Cahill, Anderson, Rodriguez, Mazzaro, and Ziegler.

If Furcal is damaged goods, I suspect the Red Sox will trade Lugo (while paying most of his contract) and sign Furcal for 5/55. They'll then deal Lowrie for a good but more expensive pitcher, only to see Lowrie blossom into a perennial MVP candidate.

I like Furcal for $10M per year if his medical records check out; he was pretty durable before last year.

Furcal plays through injuries. He was injured in spring training 2006, but played through it, and after a slow start was awesome once he got to full strength. He played 138 games in 2007 - but should have played fewer, having been (once again) injured in spring training, and came back before he was healthy, and was hobbled all season. And of course he was injured most of last season.

That being said, $10M per year won't come close to cutting it for him, unless the A's guarantee a lot more years than anybody else. I know the Dodgers want him, and they are used to paying him $13 million per. The only snag would be years - and Furcal's last contract was relatively short but for more per year than was expected. Unless Beane was willing to guarantee five years the annual cost is going to be significantly higher than $10 million.

If Furcal is damaged goods, I suspect the Red Sox will trade Lugo (while paying most of his contract) and sign Furcal for 5/55. They'll then deal Lowrie for a good but more expensive pitcher, only to see Lowrie blossom into a perennial MVP candidate.

Poor, poor Red Sox fans.

I want Furcal so badly I can taste him.

(Umm, I hope that's not a weird thing to say...)

(Umm, I hope that's not a weird thing to say...)

no such luck.