The A’s are finally starting to make some moves this offseason. Patience is a virtue I’m told, but I wanted to see waves crashing in the free agent pool early and often with the money they had available to spend. We barely missed out on the Crawford and Lee sweepstakes, and according to my insider information, they were in the running for both players, until someone else put in their first offer that we couldn’t quite match. Oh well, today we got a Japanese guy, but not the one I originally thought we would. Initially it looked like Hisashi Iwakuma would be joining the A’s pitching rotation next year, but the talks hit a stalemate, and he decided to stay in Japan or maybe the A’s were just blocking their division opponents from getting him. Today we found our DH for the upcoming season though in Hideki Matsui or as most know him Godzilla. We paid Matsui just under $5M for the up coming season, which is about double what Cust was making last year as our DH. I can tell you for sure that I’d much rather see Godzilla striking out with runners on base than Cust. Maybe the Asian bias comes in a little, but he is a big upgrade over Cust, which MCeezy already expressed. Who knows since the A’s never say anything that was said behind closed doors. It already feels like a much better buy than last year’s acquisition of Ben Sheets who never really saw the mound that much. Matsui at least has a better health track record, and since DH isn’t exactly a strenuous spot I’m not worried. Am I super excited about this signing? Not to the point of writing 1,000 words, but it’s a step in a direction filling a spot that we really needed filled. If he hits 21 homers again like he did last year, he will easily lead the team in that department. Also, I’ve been reading about his signing a lot today, and found out that Matsui has been a longtime A’s fan, and even had their cap back in the 80’s while he was living in Japan. He was really into the Bash Brothers growing up, and that alone just gave me a million extra reasons to like him. Nihon Gambare Godzilla! (Long live Godzilla in Japanese)
December 14, 2010
A’s Make a Ripple in the Free Agent Pool
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December 14th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Dude, that Phillies pitching staff is slowly starting to look like the Miami Heat.
December 14th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Ha! I’m glad I’m an AL fan!
Did you hear Lebron’s comments about the Lee signing for less money to win championships was just like him? Funny stuff if you ask me!
December 15th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Dude, I totally missed that.
Since when has BronBron become an expert on Major League Baseball?
December 15th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Since he put that Yankee cap on and called himself a fan 🙂
December 14th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
chappy
Well it looks as if after one season with the Angels and that was it for Matsui ? The organization now looks as if it hasn’t a pot to p_ss in and a window to throw it out of in spite of Arte Moreno’s money.
Hopefully this’ll set the A’s in order for them to head in the right direction and become even more competitive within the American League .
😛
tophatal ………………..
December 14th, 2010 at 6:31 pm
I hope this jumpstarts them into the market. We need some more upgrades than just Matsui. We need some more offense and pitching, so hopefully this is just the beginning! With Texas losing out on Lee, I think the A’s chances just went up that much more!
December 15th, 2010 at 8:15 am
chappy
If the A’s front office somehow gets the memo then perhaps things will change for the better ?
As to LBJ griping on about Lee’s </a. return to Philly and not signing with his beloeved Yankees perhaps he ought braoch the subject with Lee and then with the Cavs' fans he left behind in Cleveland ? LBJ simply gets dumber by the second !
tophatal ………
December 15th, 2010 at 9:38 am
chappy
Is it me but there are some real dumb asses out there in thinking or acting surprised that Lee re-signed with the Phillies . Let’s put it this way once the obnoxious Yankees’ fans berated his wife and family , what made these idiots simply think that he’d want to come to NYC ? Never-mind the fact the insults aimed at his family were also directed at his young son who just happens to be autistic as well developmentally challenged.
It was more about being wanted and feeling comfortable than wanting the money ! And that’s what these as_holes have failed to understand. At the same time the Rangers simply haven’t done anything to show Lee that they intended to strengthen their roster .. With all that money the front office is said to now have its disposal they’ve done absolutely nothing at all ! They have two billionaires on their board as well as having Nolan Ryan and GM Jon Daniels recently negotiated a cable and broadcast deal said to be worth over $3 billion to the organization over the next two decades. So what does that suggest to you ?
I’ll be doing a piece on this and will have it up before the end of the day as it’s slack here at work presently.
tophatal …………..
December 15th, 2010 at 11:23 am
Can’t argue there. I thought Lee might stay in Texas, but he saw how much of a launching pad that place is during the summer. He probably just liked the teammates he had in Philly more, and wanted to go there. I agree the Yankees fans dug thier own grave by heckling lee’s fam.
December 14th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
chappy
Pretenders , Contenders , Airbenders And A Slop of Crap That Now Makes Up The NFL
I don’t know what I found to be more embarrassing over the past few days with regard to the rather idiotic prognostications that were made by players as it regarded their teams and the fans out there parading their hearts on their sleeves with the most asinine of prognosis for a number of NFL games that took place over the weekend . Anyone who witnessed the game between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles may well have felt that the Eagles were on their way to what would have been deemed a sure fire win and perhaps making light work of their divisional rivals . Suffice to say an Eagles’ fan wrote on his blog site that it was his belief that the team would manhandle and put a ‘four spot’ (40 pts) on the Cowboys’ beleaguered defense . At times I tend to ask myself what these individuals are either watching or for that matter taking ? Click here to read on ……………….
Or you can click on the below .
Pretenders , Contenders , Airbenders And A Slop of Crap That Now Makes Up The NFL
🙂
😛
tophatal ………………… 🙂
December 16th, 2010 at 8:54 am
chappy
LeBron became an expert on baseball about the time Paris Hilton simply thought that Walmart was simply just another big box store.
Lee left the Rangers simply because there were no real assurances from Nolan Ryan or Jon Daniels of their intent to strengthen the roster . Besides I do also believe that the Phillies are his best option win a World Series title . The Yankees have problems beyond their pitching .
🙂
tophatal ……… 😛
December 16th, 2010 at 9:01 am
Here’s my take on the Lee situation !
It’s Not Always About The Money But Common Sense And Where The Heart Takes You …..
tophatal . …………………