12/21/2006 11:14 AM ET
A's invite Durazo to Spring Training
Slugger returning to Oakland, will compete for roster spot
By Mychael Urban / MLB.com
OAKLAND -- Erubiel Durazo, whom A's general manager Billy Beane called his personal "Holy Grail" after acquiring him in a three-team trade at the 2002 Winter Meetings, will be back in green and gold come spring.
Currently starring for Hermasillo of the Mexican Winter League, Durazo on Tuesday told a Mexican radio station -- after hitting three home runs in a game -- that he was rejoining the A's.
Asked to confirm Durazo's announcement, Oakland assistant GM David Forst, responding to a voicemail from MLB.com while traveling late Wednesday, promptly did so with a brief text message.
"On a plane," Forst wrote. "Minor League deal for Ruby. Invite to camp."
Durazo, who in 2004 set the Oakland record for batting average as a designated hitter (.324), was let go after missing much of the 2005 season with an elbow injury. He was picked up by the Rangers and played for Team Mexico in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, but he ended up splitting the 2006 season at Triple-A with three organizations -- the Rangers, Yankees and Twins -- and batted a combined .286 with five homers, 25 RBIs and a .389 on-base percentage in 58 games.
"I loved it in Oakland," Durazo said during the Classic. "I wanted to go back, but they had other plans."
The plan now is to bring Durazo to Spring Training, where he might get a look at first base. He was primarily a DH during his three seasons with Oakland, but the A's recently signed Mike Piazza to fill that role for 2007. Durazo broke into the big leagues as a first baseman with the D-backs in 1999 and has played there in 236 of the 624 big-league games in which he's appeared.
Nick Swisher was Oakland's main first baseman in 2006, playing in 90 games there, but he could be moved to left field full-time in the wake of the departure of free-agent outfielder Jay Payton, leaving first base to Durazo or Dan Johnson, who was a unanimous selection to the 2005 Topps All-Rookie team but struggled in 2006 and spent much of the second half of the season at Triple-A Sacramento.
Through Wednesday, Durazo, 31, was batting .345 with 17 homers, 51 RBIs, a .454 on-base percentage and a .641 slugging percentage through 57 games with Hermasillo.
A's invite Durazo to Spring Training
Slugger returning to Oakland, will compete for roster spot
By Mychael Urban / MLB.com
OAKLAND -- Erubiel Durazo, whom A's general manager Billy Beane called his personal "Holy Grail" after acquiring him in a three-team trade at the 2002 Winter Meetings, will be back in green and gold come spring.
Currently starring for Hermasillo of the Mexican Winter League, Durazo on Tuesday told a Mexican radio station -- after hitting three home runs in a game -- that he was rejoining the A's.
Asked to confirm Durazo's announcement, Oakland assistant GM David Forst, responding to a voicemail from MLB.com while traveling late Wednesday, promptly did so with a brief text message.
"On a plane," Forst wrote. "Minor League deal for Ruby. Invite to camp."
Durazo, who in 2004 set the Oakland record for batting average as a designated hitter (.324), was let go after missing much of the 2005 season with an elbow injury. He was picked up by the Rangers and played for Team Mexico in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, but he ended up splitting the 2006 season at Triple-A with three organizations -- the Rangers, Yankees and Twins -- and batted a combined .286 with five homers, 25 RBIs and a .389 on-base percentage in 58 games.
"I loved it in Oakland," Durazo said during the Classic. "I wanted to go back, but they had other plans."
The plan now is to bring Durazo to Spring Training, where he might get a look at first base. He was primarily a DH during his three seasons with Oakland, but the A's recently signed Mike Piazza to fill that role for 2007. Durazo broke into the big leagues as a first baseman with the D-backs in 1999 and has played there in 236 of the 624 big-league games in which he's appeared.
Nick Swisher was Oakland's main first baseman in 2006, playing in 90 games there, but he could be moved to left field full-time in the wake of the departure of free-agent outfielder Jay Payton, leaving first base to Durazo or Dan Johnson, who was a unanimous selection to the 2005 Topps All-Rookie team but struggled in 2006 and spent much of the second half of the season at Triple-A Sacramento.
Through Wednesday, Durazo, 31, was batting .345 with 17 homers, 51 RBIs, a .454 on-base percentage and a .641 slugging percentage through 57 games with Hermasillo.
