GaryMrMets
11-02-2005, 10:22 PM
A's decline Hatteberg's option, sign Witasick, hire hitting coach
By JANIE McCAULEY
.c The Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - The Oakland Athletics parted ways with first baseman Scott Hatteberg on Tuesday, declining his $2.8 million option for the 2006 season.
The A's must pay Hatteberg, primarily a designated hitter last season, a $250,000 buyout.
Also Tuesday, Oakland signed right-handed reliever Jay Witasick to a $2.75 million, two-year contract that includes a $2 million club option for 2008 with a $250,000 buyout. Witasick filed for free agency Friday.
Witasick joined the club in a trade with Colorado at the All-Star break that also brought Joe Kennedy to the Bay Area and sent popular outfielder Eric Byrnes to the Rockies.
The 33-year-old Witasick, who gets $1 million next year and $1.5 million in 2007, made 28 relief appearances for Oakland, going 1-1 with one save and a 3.25 ERA. He was 0-4 with a 2.52 ERA in 32 relief appearances for the Rockies.
``Jay brought an element we haven't had in the bullpen here for a while,'' assistant general manager David Forst said. ``We started right after the season talking to him about coming back. The fact he was honest about coming back allowed us to get it done so quickly.''
Hatteberg's role diminished with the emergence of rookie first baseman Dan Johnson, called up in late May from Triple-A Sacramento. Johnson batted .275 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs as a rookie.
The 35-year-old Hatteberg hit .256 last season with seven homers and 59 RBIs in 134 games, 78 at DH. He spent the past four seasons in Oakland after playing for the Boston Red Sox in the first seven years of his big league career.
``The way Dan played, he kind of solidified himself as the first baseman,'' said third baseman Eric Chavez, who earned his fifth straight Gold Glove award Tuesday. ``We have so many left-handed hitters, so you could kind of see the end of the road for Scott. He was outstanding. If it was one player who was coming up with big hits in the course of a game, it was Hatteberg. He was always giving you good at-bats.''
In addition, the A's hired Gerald Perry as hitting coach to replace Dave Hudgens, whose contract wasn't renewed after the season.
Perry worked as the Pittsburgh Pirates' hitting coach the past three seasons after serving in the same capacity for the Seattle Mariners from 2000-02.
``We're excited about Gerald Perry,'' Forst said. ``We had a good meeting with him last week. He's known (manager) Ken Macha for a while. He's excited.''
The A's announced that the remainder of the coaching staff agreed to contracts: Brad Fischer, Bob Geren, Rene Lachemann, Ron Washington and Curt Young.
Washington, Geren and Young agreed to two-year deals, while Lachemann and Fischer agreed to one-year contracts. Lachemann will move from bench coach to first base, Fischer will go from first base to bullpen coach, and Geren has been promoted from bullpen coach to bench coach.
Young remains as pitching coach and Washington as third-base coach.
Both Geren and Washington were considered candidates to replace Macha, but Macha wound up rejoining the team as manager last month less than a week after the sides said they'd failed to reach agreement on a new contract.
AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this story.
11/01/05 23:17 EST
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
By JANIE McCAULEY
.c The Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - The Oakland Athletics parted ways with first baseman Scott Hatteberg on Tuesday, declining his $2.8 million option for the 2006 season.
The A's must pay Hatteberg, primarily a designated hitter last season, a $250,000 buyout.
Also Tuesday, Oakland signed right-handed reliever Jay Witasick to a $2.75 million, two-year contract that includes a $2 million club option for 2008 with a $250,000 buyout. Witasick filed for free agency Friday.
Witasick joined the club in a trade with Colorado at the All-Star break that also brought Joe Kennedy to the Bay Area and sent popular outfielder Eric Byrnes to the Rockies.
The 33-year-old Witasick, who gets $1 million next year and $1.5 million in 2007, made 28 relief appearances for Oakland, going 1-1 with one save and a 3.25 ERA. He was 0-4 with a 2.52 ERA in 32 relief appearances for the Rockies.
``Jay brought an element we haven't had in the bullpen here for a while,'' assistant general manager David Forst said. ``We started right after the season talking to him about coming back. The fact he was honest about coming back allowed us to get it done so quickly.''
Hatteberg's role diminished with the emergence of rookie first baseman Dan Johnson, called up in late May from Triple-A Sacramento. Johnson batted .275 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs as a rookie.
The 35-year-old Hatteberg hit .256 last season with seven homers and 59 RBIs in 134 games, 78 at DH. He spent the past four seasons in Oakland after playing for the Boston Red Sox in the first seven years of his big league career.
``The way Dan played, he kind of solidified himself as the first baseman,'' said third baseman Eric Chavez, who earned his fifth straight Gold Glove award Tuesday. ``We have so many left-handed hitters, so you could kind of see the end of the road for Scott. He was outstanding. If it was one player who was coming up with big hits in the course of a game, it was Hatteberg. He was always giving you good at-bats.''
In addition, the A's hired Gerald Perry as hitting coach to replace Dave Hudgens, whose contract wasn't renewed after the season.
Perry worked as the Pittsburgh Pirates' hitting coach the past three seasons after serving in the same capacity for the Seattle Mariners from 2000-02.
``We're excited about Gerald Perry,'' Forst said. ``We had a good meeting with him last week. He's known (manager) Ken Macha for a while. He's excited.''
The A's announced that the remainder of the coaching staff agreed to contracts: Brad Fischer, Bob Geren, Rene Lachemann, Ron Washington and Curt Young.
Washington, Geren and Young agreed to two-year deals, while Lachemann and Fischer agreed to one-year contracts. Lachemann will move from bench coach to first base, Fischer will go from first base to bullpen coach, and Geren has been promoted from bullpen coach to bench coach.
Young remains as pitching coach and Washington as third-base coach.
Both Geren and Washington were considered candidates to replace Macha, but Macha wound up rejoining the team as manager last month less than a week after the sides said they'd failed to reach agreement on a new contract.
AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this story.
11/01/05 23:17 EST
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.