The A's are giving up a lot of HR's and RBI's. If the A's lose Zito and Thomas, what is in their future?
2006-11-16 01:18:42 · 10 answers · asked by Shamus 1 in Sports ➔ Baseball
Although Thomas is past his prime, this is still a huge upgrade for the Jays. After having to play guys like Shea Hillenbrand and Gregg Zaun in the DH spot last year, having a guy who gets on base and hits for power like Thomas will give them an actual threat at the DH spot. It also sounds like a big raise for the Big Hurt, since the Jays seem to be offering somewhere in the neighborhood of $7-8m per year.
The A's don't have the depth they did in their system a few years ago, but that will change soon enough if their guys from the 2005 draft pan out - they had 5 of the first 101 choices in that draft. They've got some young arms in Casilla, Komine and Italiano, but I don't think they'll be in the majors for a couple of years. Losing Zito will hurt, but they've still got a good staff nucleus with Harden, Blanton and Haren, with a couple of candidates for the 4-5 spots in the rotation.
I think scoring runs will be the bigger challenge. The A's ranked in the middle of the pack in runs last season, and Thomas' absence means someone else will have to be move into that DH role, or Beane will have to find another guy on the cheap like he did with Thomas. Or, he could match the Jays' offer and keep Thomas in Oakland.
Either way, I'm not counting Beane and the A's out just yet. Many people thought they'd fall apart once they lost Mulder and Hudson, but they keep contending.
2006-11-16 02:21:30 · answer #1 · answered by Craig S 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It looks like the Jays have offered 2.6M a year for 2 years. The A's just don't look interested in making any deal with Thomas. It's a good move for the Jays as they have counteracted to some degree the Sox in trying to get what's his name from Japan. I guess the Zito situation is still up in the air but I'm thinking the Yankees might end up with him. George will open up those deep pockets and make him a deal he can't refuse.
2006-11-16 02:06:24 · answer #2 · answered by The Mick "7" 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think that the A's have realized that what they had the last 5 or so years was good but not World champion great teams. They have to start rebuilding from within their organization. To do this they are going to need to drop some of their high paying personnel to enable them to keep their prospects. They are also trying to get a new ball park probably coming in 2011 which means they are going to want some fresh new faces to be the "face of the organization". The team isn't going to want to have an older ball player to be the new face of the A's when they get their new park. To finally make my point if you are an A's fan don't expect much from your team for the next 2-3 years except for some fresh young guys and some new stadium talk. The organization will keep bringing up the new stadium especially if the team doesn't preform very well.
2006-11-16 01:31:28 · answer #3 · answered by steve0stac 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Jays have made it clear that they want another bat. They also have a big void to fill at DH, so Thomas seems like a nice fit. Personally, I said that Sammy Sosa would've been an inexpensive test, but when you want to compete the yankess and Sox, you can't afford to be testing.
I don't know how much money the A's have to spend, but they need to resign zito or get another guy who can replace him. That being said, they also need a couple of bats to bring in some more runs.
2006-11-16 02:44:44 · answer #4 · answered by Nestor Q 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, as a results of the indisputable fact that is his first season as a Blue Jay. If the question were phrased "Will Frank Thomas have yet another large season in his first as a Blue Jay?", and that i'm guessing that is what you propose through asking the question, then I have some issues to think about earlier making my answer. First, his 2006 wasn't large. It replaced into reliable, yet not large. second, he's getting on in years. really cunning pitchers are able to having large seasons even as they are pushing 40. ultimately, there is the count number of attending to face the red Sox and Yankees a lot extra oftentimes than in anybody previous season. My prediction on how he will fare in those video games is the Asian pitchers will supply him hassle even as he will dinner party at some thing of both crew's staffs. i wish i'm proper about Matsuzaka, Igawa, Wang, and Mussina, and that i wish i'm incorrect about absolutely everyone else on Boston and ny. regularly occurring, anticipate a moderate decline from the '06 numbers, yet anticipate yet another reliable season. it is way too previous due in his occupation for greatness.
2016-11-24 22:26:17 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I like Frank Thomas. But he's damaged goods. You never know if you'll have a slugger or another player on the DL. Like Nomar, a great asset to the team when he's healthy but that healthiness is a sometime thing.
2006-11-16 01:49:34 · answer #6 · answered by iwasnotanazipolka 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They will probably sign a cheaper free agent pitcher or possibly bring some help up from the minors. They may very well go after Barry Bonds to replace that big bat in the lineup.
2006-11-16 01:23:07 · answer #7 · answered by mick r 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The A's have been very sucessful with rebuilding from within. Harden, Zito, Mulder, Hudson were all farm hands within their organization. I expect them to be as competitive as they have been in recent years.
2006-11-16 01:40:04 · answer #8 · answered by Oz 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
this team does this year in and year out they will just simply replace them both with cheaper alternatives
2006-11-16 05:05:07 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
NOT GOING TO HAPPEN
2006-11-16 01:27:28 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋