A's Closing in on Piazza, sign Embree

[Balta1701]

Linkity.

 

The Oakland Athletics and left-handed reliever Alan Embree agreed to terms on a two-year contract Wednesday, and the club also was closing in on a deal with Mike Piazza to be designated hitter.

 

Embree's contract also includes a team option for the 2009 season. He will upgrade an already strong bullpen for the defending AL West champions and could replace Joe Kennedy, who might be in the starting rotation.

Sad. I thought Piazza might make a decent option for the White Sox as a backup Right handed catcher/DH.

[knightni]

He wouldn't get enough at bats.

[Chisoxfn]

I don't think Piazza is that good of a player anymore. I still don't get why so many teams gush all over him. Than again this is coming from the one person in the world that doens't feel he's a hall of famer (mainly because I refuse to call him a catcher since he was so ungodly awful defensively).

[santo=dorf]

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 02:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Linkity.

 

Sad. I thought Piazza might make a decent option for the White Sox as a backup Right handed catcher/DH.

I asked you before, but didn't get an answer.

 

If Piazza is the right handed DH, AJ (who is worse than Thome against LHP) catches leaving us weaker in the lineup. God forbid AJ were to go down in the game, Piazza would move from DH and the pitcher would bat.

[Balta1701]

I asked you before, but didn't get an answer.

 

If Piazza is the right handed DH, AJ (who is worse than Thome against LHP) catches leaving us weaker in the lineup. God forbid AJ were to go down in the game, Piazza would move from DH and the pitcher would bat.

Obviously not the best option, but for 1 game due to an injury it could have been tolerable. But anyway, doesn't look like it'll be happening, so oh well.

[stickycarrots]

I don't think Piazza is that good of a player anymore. I still don't get why so many teams gush all over him. Than again this is coming from the one person in the world that doens't feel he's a hall of famer (mainly because I refuse to call him a catcher since he was so ungodly awful defensively).

lol...that makes two of us...I totally agree

[witesoxfan]

I don't think Piazza is that good of a player anymore. I still don't get why so many teams gush all over him. Than again this is coming from the one person in the world that doens't feel he's a hall of famer (mainly because I refuse to call him a catcher since he was so ungodly awful defensively).

 

Funny, because I think he'd be a HoFer if he retired right now, regardless of his position on the field.

 

30+ homers in 9 of 10 years from 1993 to 2002, .300+ BA in 9 straight years from 1993 to 2001, .900+ OPS in 10 straight years, along with a .309 career average, .930 career OPS, and 419 homers. By the end of his career, his average will probably be closer to .300, if not in the .290 range, with his OPS hovering right around .900, but he'll probably have 450-475 career homers too, making him a good hitter throughout his career, and one of the best for a stretch of 10 years. If that's not HoF material, then you can make arguments against many others too, including Frank Thomas.

[Balta1701]

1 year, $8.5 mil for Piazza.

 

I'm sorry, but I think the A's just got a lot worse compared to the monster they had at DH last year. That' what, $500k less than Thomas will be making? And all they had to do was commit to another year.

 

Anyway, the good news is, this is one less place for Barry Bonds to bring his black cloud.

[YASNY]

Funny, because I think he'd be a HoFer if he retired right now, regardless of his position on the field.

 

30+ homers in 9 of 10 years from 1993 to 2002, .300+ BA in 9 straight years from 1993 to 2001, .900+ OPS in 10 straight years, along with a .309 career average, .930 career OPS, and 419 homers. By the end of his career, his average will probably be closer to .300, if not in the .290 range, with his OPS hovering right around .900, but he'll probably have 450-475 career homers too, making him a good hitter throughout his career, and one of the best for a stretch of 10 years. If that's not HoF material, then you can make arguments against many others too, including Frank Thomas.

 

Oh yeah. Piazza's a HOF'er. No doubt.

[beautox]

I don't think Piazza is that good of a player anymore. I still don't get why so many teams gush all over him. Than again this is coming from the one person in the world that doens't feel he's a hall of famer (mainly because I refuse to call him a catcher since he was so ungodly awful defensively).

 

Skip Bayless is that you?

 

but seriously i think Piazza is a Hofer even if he was a butcher behind the dish, he still had to deal with the grind beind the plate.

 

and all i can say about his 1997 season is wow!

[southsider2k5]

1 year, $8.5 mil for Piazza.

 

I'm sorry, but I think the A's just got a lot worse compared to the monster they had at DH last year. That' what, $500k less than Thomas will be making? And all they had to do was commit to another year.

 

Anyway, the good news is, this is one less place for Barry Bonds to bring his black cloud.

 

It wasn't that simple apparently. I guess Toronto offered Frank $8 million up front, where as Oakland just offered him a salary.

[fathom]

It wasn't that simple apparently. I guess Toronto offered Frank $8 million up front, where as Oakland just offered him a salary.

 

As I heard on the radio, sounds like Frank is having some more cash flow issues.

[knightni]

As I heard on the radio, sounds like Frank is having some more cash flow issues.

 

Just like the old days when Reinsdorf loaned him cash ahead of time.

 

 

Is he a compulsive gambler or something?