The Oakland Athletics
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We signed Nomar on Friday....
A's, Garciaparra ready to finalize deal
(03-04) 04:00 PDT Mesa, Ariz. --
Nomar Garciaparra will be Oakland's second high-profile acquisition this week when his one-year deal is made official.
A source close to Garciaparra told The Chronicle on Tuesday that the veteran infielder has agreed to terms with the A's and that the deal will be announced Friday. A team source said the timing sounded about right. Garciaparra will be Oakland's backup third baseman and first baseman along with providing a right-handed bat off the bench.
Orlando Cabrera agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal with the A's on Monday. That deal also has not been announced as the team awaits medical documentation, which is a formality. Cabrera is expected to arrive in Arizona from South Carolina on Thursday.
"He's a phenomenal guy, phenomenal," A's designated hitter and first baseman Jason Giambi said of Cabrera. "I've played against him for a lot of years, and he's been an impact player on every team he's been on."
Shortstop Bobby Crosby becomes the A's backup middle infielder with the Cabrera acquisition, but there could be some interest in him before the spring is over - including from the Cubs, according to one source. One of Chicago's top scouts was watching Tuesday's game and is known to have been a fan of Crosby in the past.
Crosby singled in the fifth inning of Oakland's 6-4 loss to Chicago and is batting .444 this spring.
Duchscherer checked: Justin Duchscherer is still having elbow discomfort, so he was sent to orthopedist Dr. Doug Freedberg. A similar problem cost Duchscherer most of the spring in 2006 and 2007.
Should Duchscherer open the season on the disabled list, it's likely that one of the more experienced nonroster starters, such as Edgar Gonzalez or Jerome Williams, could win a spot, assuming the A's don't add a veteran starter.
Old team time: Sean Gallagher started against his former team, and his first pitch was driven to right for a home run by Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano.
"I knew it was going to happen when it left my hand," said Gallagher, who came to Oakland in the Rich Harden deal in July. "I knew he'd swing at the first pitch, and the ball was up in the zone. I saw it staying up and I knew it was at the fence or over." Gallagher gave up two more hits but no other runs in his two innings. He also walked one. Gio Gonzalez, in contention for the fifth starter job, retired all six batters he faced.
Briefly: Right-hander Henry Rodriguez, known for his triple-digit fastball, has been out since hernia surgery in December, but pitching coach Curt Young said Rodriguez looked good in a 30-pitch bullpen session Monday. He could throw again Thursday and his next step before a game would be to throw batting practice. ... Jemile Weeks, the A's top pick in June, might make his spring debut Thursday. He missed several days sick last week. ... Jack Cust hit second Tuesday, a spot that manager Bob Geren said before spring training he was kicking around as a possibility. The acquisition of Cabrera makes that less likely, however. Cabrera has hit second much of his career and bats right-handed, making him a potential good fit there for Oakland.
A's, Garciaparra ready to finalize deal
(03-04) 04:00 PDT Mesa, Ariz. --
Nomar Garciaparra will be Oakland's second high-profile acquisition this week when his one-year deal is made official.
A source close to Garciaparra told The Chronicle on Tuesday that the veteran infielder has agreed to terms with the A's and that the deal will be announced Friday. A team source said the timing sounded about right. Garciaparra will be Oakland's backup third baseman and first baseman along with providing a right-handed bat off the bench.
Orlando Cabrera agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal with the A's on Monday. That deal also has not been announced as the team awaits medical documentation, which is a formality. Cabrera is expected to arrive in Arizona from South Carolina on Thursday.
"He's a phenomenal guy, phenomenal," A's designated hitter and first baseman Jason Giambi said of Cabrera. "I've played against him for a lot of years, and he's been an impact player on every team he's been on."
Shortstop Bobby Crosby becomes the A's backup middle infielder with the Cabrera acquisition, but there could be some interest in him before the spring is over - including from the Cubs, according to one source. One of Chicago's top scouts was watching Tuesday's game and is known to have been a fan of Crosby in the past.
Crosby singled in the fifth inning of Oakland's 6-4 loss to Chicago and is batting .444 this spring.
Duchscherer checked: Justin Duchscherer is still having elbow discomfort, so he was sent to orthopedist Dr. Doug Freedberg. A similar problem cost Duchscherer most of the spring in 2006 and 2007.
Should Duchscherer open the season on the disabled list, it's likely that one of the more experienced nonroster starters, such as Edgar Gonzalez or Jerome Williams, could win a spot, assuming the A's don't add a veteran starter.
Old team time: Sean Gallagher started against his former team, and his first pitch was driven to right for a home run by Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano.
"I knew it was going to happen when it left my hand," said Gallagher, who came to Oakland in the Rich Harden deal in July. "I knew he'd swing at the first pitch, and the ball was up in the zone. I saw it staying up and I knew it was at the fence or over." Gallagher gave up two more hits but no other runs in his two innings. He also walked one. Gio Gonzalez, in contention for the fifth starter job, retired all six batters he faced.
Briefly: Right-hander Henry Rodriguez, known for his triple-digit fastball, has been out since hernia surgery in December, but pitching coach Curt Young said Rodriguez looked good in a 30-pitch bullpen session Monday. He could throw again Thursday and his next step before a game would be to throw batting practice. ... Jemile Weeks, the A's top pick in June, might make his spring debut Thursday. He missed several days sick last week. ... Jack Cust hit second Tuesday, a spot that manager Bob Geren said before spring training he was kicking around as a possibility. The acquisition of Cabrera makes that less likely, however. Cabrera has hit second much of his career and bats right-handed, making him a potential good fit there for Oakland.
Also signed Orlando Cabrera
A's announce Nomar, Cabrera signings
With newcomers, Oakland now has significant veteran presence
By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com
PHOENIX -- It may only last a season, but the Orlando Cabrera and Nomar Garciaparra era in A's land finally opened on Friday with the official announcement by the club it had signed the free agents to a pair of one-year contracts.
The infielders join Jason Giambi and Matt Holliday on an Oakland roster that suddenly owns some veteran offensive pop. Giambi was also signed as a free agent and Holliday was obtained in a trade with the Rockies.
"A lot of my decision was just having Giambi back here and Holliday," Cabrera said during a hastily setup media conference. "[Eric] Chavez is one of my favorite third basemen and just the challenge of taking over the [American League] West. I think we have a good chance to do it and go to the postseason. I think we've got a great chance here."
Garciaparra seemed so thrilled with his new surroundings that he walked around a conference table set up for the occasion and shook hands with all the media in attendance.
Both players agreed to terms earlier and had passed physicals on Thursday, making the formal announcement somewhat perfunctory. Cabrera, wearing No. 18, was actually in uniform early on Friday morning, was on the field for drills and had his picture taken by the team photographer hours before the club was cleared by the Commissioner's office to make the official announcement.
Garciaparra was wearing his No. 1 white jersey and green workout shorts. When asked how long it would take him to play, he said, "About a day. Actually, I'm only kidding."
Exactly a month before Opening Night on April 6 against the Angels at Anaheim, an A's official said that the players won't be quickly pushed into action.
"I'm sure that they're anxious to get in the box, but we're not going to rush them," said A's assistant general manager David Forst, who sat in on the conference in lieu of general manager Billy Beane. "There's plenty of time. Both guys have been in the game a long time and won't need too many at bats to be ready to play.
"We'll wait for their conditioning to catch up. Most of these guys have been out here three, four weeks. If it's two weeks from now, fine. If it's a week we'll get them out there."
Both players waited the entire offseason and almost a month into Spring Training to sign for vastly different reasons.
The 35-year-old Garciaparra was considering retirement until he could determine whether his legs were in good enough shape to carry him for a 14th big league season.
He has lost his range at shortstop, and last season, playing through various injuries -- including a broken bone in his right hand and persistent calf problems -- he appeared in only 55 games for the Dodgers at short, third and first base and as a pinch-hitter. He batted .264 with eight homers and 28 RBIs and was placed on the disabled list three times, including one long stint on the 60-day DL.
"The biggest thing for me was to make sure I was capable of going out there and playing," said Garciaparra, who earned $8.5 million last year with the Dodgers and signed a one-year deal with the A's for an undisclosed amount.
"I had teams [during the offseason] that definitely talked to me. It just didn't feel right for me to commit to them without knowing whether I could give them what they deserved. I would hate to have committed early to a team, rehabbing and now knowing myself if I could play."
Cabrera, 34, was the last Type A position player to sign a free-agent contract this offseason. Ben Sheets, who contemplated arm surgery, is the only Type A free agent remaining on the market.
A veteran of 12 seasons, Cabrera played 161 games for the White Sox last season, batting .281 with 186 hits, 33 doubles and 93 runs scored. He's so durable that he hasn't played in fewer than 140 games since the 2000 season when he appeared in 125 for the old Montreal Expos.
"I don't know, it was just like a weird market," said Cabrera, who signed a one-year deal for $4 million, down from $9 million last year with the White Sox. "I talked to my agent four times the entire time. Other teams were interested, but there was nothing great, nothing exciting. I like to compete. I like to be with a team that has a chance to win.
"There's going to be more years to come. We're not worried about stuff like that. I'll let my agent worry about that stuff."
Now, all Cabrera and Garciaparra have to worry about is getting ready to compete, something Garciaparra now says he's prepared to do.
"That's why I'm here," he said. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't feel that way."
A's announce Nomar, Cabrera signings
With newcomers, Oakland now has significant veteran presence
By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com
PHOENIX -- It may only last a season, but the Orlando Cabrera and Nomar Garciaparra era in A's land finally opened on Friday with the official announcement by the club it had signed the free agents to a pair of one-year contracts.
The infielders join Jason Giambi and Matt Holliday on an Oakland roster that suddenly owns some veteran offensive pop. Giambi was also signed as a free agent and Holliday was obtained in a trade with the Rockies.
"A lot of my decision was just having Giambi back here and Holliday," Cabrera said during a hastily setup media conference. "[Eric] Chavez is one of my favorite third basemen and just the challenge of taking over the [American League] West. I think we have a good chance to do it and go to the postseason. I think we've got a great chance here."
Garciaparra seemed so thrilled with his new surroundings that he walked around a conference table set up for the occasion and shook hands with all the media in attendance.
Both players agreed to terms earlier and had passed physicals on Thursday, making the formal announcement somewhat perfunctory. Cabrera, wearing No. 18, was actually in uniform early on Friday morning, was on the field for drills and had his picture taken by the team photographer hours before the club was cleared by the Commissioner's office to make the official announcement.
Garciaparra was wearing his No. 1 white jersey and green workout shorts. When asked how long it would take him to play, he said, "About a day. Actually, I'm only kidding."
Exactly a month before Opening Night on April 6 against the Angels at Anaheim, an A's official said that the players won't be quickly pushed into action.
"I'm sure that they're anxious to get in the box, but we're not going to rush them," said A's assistant general manager David Forst, who sat in on the conference in lieu of general manager Billy Beane. "There's plenty of time. Both guys have been in the game a long time and won't need too many at bats to be ready to play.
"We'll wait for their conditioning to catch up. Most of these guys have been out here three, four weeks. If it's two weeks from now, fine. If it's a week we'll get them out there."
Both players waited the entire offseason and almost a month into Spring Training to sign for vastly different reasons.
The 35-year-old Garciaparra was considering retirement until he could determine whether his legs were in good enough shape to carry him for a 14th big league season.
He has lost his range at shortstop, and last season, playing through various injuries -- including a broken bone in his right hand and persistent calf problems -- he appeared in only 55 games for the Dodgers at short, third and first base and as a pinch-hitter. He batted .264 with eight homers and 28 RBIs and was placed on the disabled list three times, including one long stint on the 60-day DL.
"The biggest thing for me was to make sure I was capable of going out there and playing," said Garciaparra, who earned $8.5 million last year with the Dodgers and signed a one-year deal with the A's for an undisclosed amount.
"I had teams [during the offseason] that definitely talked to me. It just didn't feel right for me to commit to them without knowing whether I could give them what they deserved. I would hate to have committed early to a team, rehabbing and now knowing myself if I could play."
Cabrera, 34, was the last Type A position player to sign a free-agent contract this offseason. Ben Sheets, who contemplated arm surgery, is the only Type A free agent remaining on the market.
A veteran of 12 seasons, Cabrera played 161 games for the White Sox last season, batting .281 with 186 hits, 33 doubles and 93 runs scored. He's so durable that he hasn't played in fewer than 140 games since the 2000 season when he appeared in 125 for the old Montreal Expos.
"I don't know, it was just like a weird market," said Cabrera, who signed a one-year deal for $4 million, down from $9 million last year with the White Sox. "I talked to my agent four times the entire time. Other teams were interested, but there was nothing great, nothing exciting. I like to compete. I like to be with a team that has a chance to win.
"There's going to be more years to come. We're not worried about stuff like that. I'll let my agent worry about that stuff."
Now, all Cabrera and Garciaparra have to worry about is getting ready to compete, something Garciaparra now says he's prepared to do.
"That's why I'm here," he said. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't feel that way."
