I'm going to boldly go where no-one has gone before.

I'm an A's fan. I demand to know why I should be excited, or even pleased, about this. Have we punted 2010 already?

Have we punted 2010 already?

No. You don't sign Crisp for 1/$5 if you're punting the season.

Unfortunately, it seems they just called for a quarterback sneak on 4th and 12.

If he's really healthy, he could have a surprise good year. I don't think I'd spend $5 million to find out, but for $2 million, this would be a good move.

If he's really healthy, he could have a surprise good year.

Maybe. He's certainly got a good chance of being worth $5 M but the A's have a lot of guys like this, costing less than $5 M. But he hasn't been good good since 2005. And he's averaged fewer than 105 games a year. And he's coming off what appears to be his most serious injury and turning 30. Either he wasn't really that good to begin with or injuries have sapped his talent or he's injury prone ... or there's maybe a, what, 5% chance he returns to 2005 form.

In isolation this deal won't suck -- i.e. he'll probably be worth that $5 M. But he won't make a hill of beans difference to the A's and he'll take playing time away from younger, potentially better players -- not that they have a lot of potential. They'd have been better off beating the White Sox offer for Teahen. Not that I have any other particularly good uses for their $5 M. Good lord there's nothing out there at 3B.

Good lord there's nothing out there at 3B.

I'd have taken Beltre. Now they have to trade for a 3B. Hopefully Crisp makes that easier.

I'm assuming Beltre will cost a lot more than $5 M so I wasn't including him.

OK but they're still talking to Duchscherer and Cust. Beltre instead of all those guys would have been preferable. I doubt he's more than $10M/year.

They should work out Hairston and Patterson at third. Can't be any worse than the mummified corpse of Eric Chavez. I am excited for the quality of this defensive outfield, though.

You don't sign Crisp for 1/$5 if you're punting the season.

If it were someone other than Moore, I'd disagree. I'd say that it's possible to recognize that a team is almost certainly going to suck in the upcoming season and still give 1/$5 contracts to players that might help you go 78-94 instead of 70-102. That difference in record is, even at the low end of baseball success, worth real money in terms of attendance. Both in-season and going forward to what you hope will be further success.

If Crisp is sufficent upgrade over the alternatives in the OF spot the Royals put him in and they don't have any better use for the $5 that year, it's a fine signing. And, hey, maybe six different Royals will break out and they'll actually contend. It's really unlikely, but it wouldn't be the unlikeliest thing to happen in a baseball season.

If it were someone other than Moore, I'd disagree. ... If Crisp is sufficent upgrade over the alternatives in the OF spot the Royals put him in ... And, hey, maybe six different Royals will break out and they'll actually contend.

A’s - Signed Crisp
Oakland A's - Signed OF Coco Crisp to a 1-year, $5 million contract.

Hmm.