OKAY...KOTSAY?

So, when a trade goes through that forces you to look at the wire reports, constantly searching for the ever present with the A's 'and cash' amount, stretching out the possible next move(s) to be made with any recently traded player while the vapor still hangs in the air, future third and fourth parties to be invlolved and as always - the player to be named later (doesn't the player already have a name?) or that undervalued-uber-prospect in the rough...what do you do to pass the time?


We make phone calls and search for confirmation.


We've known about the Terrence Long, Ramon Hernandez for Mark Kotsay trade for a little while. Not a lot of while, just a little.


The report 'broke' via Peter Gammons on ESPN.com early today (8:00'ish PST). There was very little information to go on until later in the day. Hmm, Oakland A's, lack of public information made available. Yup, everything is perfectly normal.


We were expecting Jason Kendell to go to San Diego which is why we thought the Hernandez deal made sense in an eventual catcher swap. That didn't happen. Gammons is also reporting the A's are interesting in landing Bobby Kielty. Hey, wasn't there an Oakland A's blog that mentioned that months ago when Kielty was initially traded from the Twins to the A's North (Blue Jays)?


Before fans start clamoring for GM drug testing and field sobriety tests let's look at a few numbers and other factors before even talking about OBP and the like.

TWO

That's the sufficient numbers of legs that a major league catcher should have. Ramon currently has two legs and both his knees bend at the very least a 90 degree angle.


That's good.


Ramon's knees have averaged 137 games caught and 1116 innings a year behind the plate the last four seasons.


That's bad.


The pitchers Ramon caught averaged a 3.60 ERA over that span.


That's good.


For most A's fans, the initial call up of Ramon was the start of their rebirth. Ramon was called up for his offense and to get A.J. Hinch the hell out of an A's uniform. Ramon has not hit to what the A's had hoped when they first brought him up.


That's bad.


Speaking of A.J. Hinch, Terrence Long is gone.


That's good.


Mark Kotsay will now play centerfield for the A's.


That's just okay.

MOTIVES

What the A's are hoping for is a depreciation on the free agent market and for a catcher, say Javvy Lopez, to slip below the $4-5 range. Remember, the more the A's add to their offense, the cheaper Keith Foulke becomes. The acquisition also brings up two questions, Eric Byrnes and Jose Guillen.


Let us scour the numbers and we'll show you what the A's have in the catcher department in the minor leagues. You're going to be surprised.