Chisox73
12-06-2005, 10:36 PM
Quiet A's considering Big Hurt, Piazza
GM Beane not likely to make moves until after Thursday
By Mychael Urban / MLB.com
http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20051206&content_id=1277491&vkey=news_oak&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak
DALLAS -- A's general manager Billy Beane isn't often uncertain about anything, but he admitted to being so Tuesday when discussing his morning meeting with free agent slugger Frank Thomas and his representatives.
"I don't even know how to talk about [going after] free agents," he said in his suite here at the massive Wyndham Antole hotel. "I've never really had to do it, quite frankly."
But after conferring with assistant GM David Forst as to whether going on the record about the meeting was appropriate, talk he did.
"He looks fantastic," Beane said of Thomas, who turns 38 next May. "The best I've ever seen him, actually."
An impressive physical appearance, of course, is no guarantee that Thomas is primed for his first healthy season since 2003, when he hit 42 homers, drove in 105 runs and walked 100 times in 153 games. He's been limited to 108 games over the past two seasons while battling a variety of injuries, the most recent being a fractured bone in his left foot.
"That's part of our due diligence," Beane said of exploring Thomas' medical issues.
Even if Thomas gets a clean bill of health, it's unlikely that the A's would make a formal offer before Thursday. The deadline for clubs to offer their own free agents arbitration is midnight (ET) Wednesday, and the White Sox aren't expected to tender Thomas. By waiting for the deadline to pass before signing Thomas, the A's wouldn't have to surrender a compensatory draft pick, as they did when signing free-agent righty Esteban Loaiza last week.
Beane wouldn't get into detail about what the A's might offer Thomas, but it's safe to assume it would be an incentive-laden deal that would fall well short of the $8 million Thomas made with Chicago last season.
Asked if adding another free agent would force him to trim payroll elsewhere, Beane said, "We're hoping that's not the case."
If healthy and productive, Thomas, listed at 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, would represent everything the Oakland offense needs. A right-handed hitter with 448 career homers, he's notoriously patient at the plate -- his career on-base percentage is .427 -- and hit 12 home runs with 29 RBIs in 105 at-bats last season.
"He's quite a presence," Beane said of Thomas, a first baseman who likely would serve as Oakland's designated hitter. "His picture is probably next to the word 'presence' in the dictionary."
Thomas also is considered a positive clubhouse presence, unlike mercurial Dodgers outfielder Milton Bradley, for whom the A's were said to be discussing a trade Monday. A source said the A's and Dodgers are no longer talking about Bradley, with the Cubs having emerged as his top suitor.
Oakland, in fact, now appears to be looking more at the pool of free agent hitters available -- Mike Piazza is another potential fit that Beane will explore --- as opposed to adding a bat via trade.
"It was a pretty slow day," said Beane. "We followed up on some things from yesterday, but nothing big."
A's fans can probably expect the club to be similarly quiet for the next couple of days. Beane flew out of town Tuesday night and won't return.
After explaining that Forst will be in charge the rest of the meetings, Beane looked over his shoulder at his top assistant and said, "Don't go getting all Alexander Haig on me, either."
Moments later, Beane dropped a "Clark Griswold" on a reporter who had driven to Dallas from the Bay Area, likely making him the first GM to reference a power-hungry politician and a bumbling Chevy Chase character in the same media scrum.
To be sure, Forst won't be closing any deals like the one reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Tuesday. The newspaper said the Rangers and A's have discussed a deal that would send lefty Barry Zito to the Texas in exchange for outfielder Kevin Mench, second baseman Ian Kinsler and pitching prospect Thomas Diamond. The Rangers also are said to be looking for a 72-hour negotiating window in which to discuss an extension with Zito, who is entering the last year of his contract.
The chances of getting Zito to sign a long-term deal with Texas are slim at best. A native Californian whose eclectic interests outside the game include surfing, music and acting, Zito has made it no secret that he'd prefer to play in a major media market should things not work out in Oakland, where he's spent his entire career.
In fact, it appears less likely every day that Zito is going anywhere but back to Oakland for the 2006 season. Beane won't come right out and say that, but he continues to talk up the strength of his current starting rotation, which features Zito, Loaiza and hotshot young righties Rich Harden, Dan Haren and Joe Blanton.
"We had a very good rotation last year, and we've strengthened it," he said. "You can point to the White Sox, who had five great starting pitchers, and see what that can mean to a team over the course of a season."
Mychael Urban is a national writer for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
GM Beane not likely to make moves until after Thursday
By Mychael Urban / MLB.com
http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20051206&content_id=1277491&vkey=news_oak&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak
DALLAS -- A's general manager Billy Beane isn't often uncertain about anything, but he admitted to being so Tuesday when discussing his morning meeting with free agent slugger Frank Thomas and his representatives.
"I don't even know how to talk about [going after] free agents," he said in his suite here at the massive Wyndham Antole hotel. "I've never really had to do it, quite frankly."
But after conferring with assistant GM David Forst as to whether going on the record about the meeting was appropriate, talk he did.
"He looks fantastic," Beane said of Thomas, who turns 38 next May. "The best I've ever seen him, actually."
An impressive physical appearance, of course, is no guarantee that Thomas is primed for his first healthy season since 2003, when he hit 42 homers, drove in 105 runs and walked 100 times in 153 games. He's been limited to 108 games over the past two seasons while battling a variety of injuries, the most recent being a fractured bone in his left foot.
"That's part of our due diligence," Beane said of exploring Thomas' medical issues.
Even if Thomas gets a clean bill of health, it's unlikely that the A's would make a formal offer before Thursday. The deadline for clubs to offer their own free agents arbitration is midnight (ET) Wednesday, and the White Sox aren't expected to tender Thomas. By waiting for the deadline to pass before signing Thomas, the A's wouldn't have to surrender a compensatory draft pick, as they did when signing free-agent righty Esteban Loaiza last week.
Beane wouldn't get into detail about what the A's might offer Thomas, but it's safe to assume it would be an incentive-laden deal that would fall well short of the $8 million Thomas made with Chicago last season.
Asked if adding another free agent would force him to trim payroll elsewhere, Beane said, "We're hoping that's not the case."
If healthy and productive, Thomas, listed at 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, would represent everything the Oakland offense needs. A right-handed hitter with 448 career homers, he's notoriously patient at the plate -- his career on-base percentage is .427 -- and hit 12 home runs with 29 RBIs in 105 at-bats last season.
"He's quite a presence," Beane said of Thomas, a first baseman who likely would serve as Oakland's designated hitter. "His picture is probably next to the word 'presence' in the dictionary."
Thomas also is considered a positive clubhouse presence, unlike mercurial Dodgers outfielder Milton Bradley, for whom the A's were said to be discussing a trade Monday. A source said the A's and Dodgers are no longer talking about Bradley, with the Cubs having emerged as his top suitor.
Oakland, in fact, now appears to be looking more at the pool of free agent hitters available -- Mike Piazza is another potential fit that Beane will explore --- as opposed to adding a bat via trade.
"It was a pretty slow day," said Beane. "We followed up on some things from yesterday, but nothing big."
A's fans can probably expect the club to be similarly quiet for the next couple of days. Beane flew out of town Tuesday night and won't return.
After explaining that Forst will be in charge the rest of the meetings, Beane looked over his shoulder at his top assistant and said, "Don't go getting all Alexander Haig on me, either."
Moments later, Beane dropped a "Clark Griswold" on a reporter who had driven to Dallas from the Bay Area, likely making him the first GM to reference a power-hungry politician and a bumbling Chevy Chase character in the same media scrum.
To be sure, Forst won't be closing any deals like the one reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Tuesday. The newspaper said the Rangers and A's have discussed a deal that would send lefty Barry Zito to the Texas in exchange for outfielder Kevin Mench, second baseman Ian Kinsler and pitching prospect Thomas Diamond. The Rangers also are said to be looking for a 72-hour negotiating window in which to discuss an extension with Zito, who is entering the last year of his contract.
The chances of getting Zito to sign a long-term deal with Texas are slim at best. A native Californian whose eclectic interests outside the game include surfing, music and acting, Zito has made it no secret that he'd prefer to play in a major media market should things not work out in Oakland, where he's spent his entire career.
In fact, it appears less likely every day that Zito is going anywhere but back to Oakland for the 2006 season. Beane won't come right out and say that, but he continues to talk up the strength of his current starting rotation, which features Zito, Loaiza and hotshot young righties Rich Harden, Dan Haren and Joe Blanton.
"We had a very good rotation last year, and we've strengthened it," he said. "You can point to the White Sox, who had five great starting pitchers, and see what that can mean to a team over the course of a season."
Mychael Urban is a national writer for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.