I recall the good old days
But thankfully, they’ve gone
Now the ponies all are broken nags
That stumble as they groan
And throw the jockeys from their throne
When there are pitches left to dodge
And lions left to tame
But it’s nothing but a dirty rotten shame

–Elvis Costello

This is a transition year, and I was hoping that even as such, Fortune might favor the A’s, and we would still witness a competitive season. Alas, Fortune has ignored the A’s, and Murphy and his Law have stepped in to fill the vacuum.

The A’s are seven games under .500 with five more games this week against the reigning monsters of the AL East. And now Rich Harden is probably out for several weeks with a pulled oblique muscle. I’d ask what else could possibly go wrong, but I’m afraid Murphy might decide to answer that question.

Billy Beane is walking around repeating his Hitchhiker’s Guide mantra (“Don’t Panic”), but that’s a far cry from a mantra like “This Is Our Year”. It’s someone else’s year, and the best the A’s can hope for is to be a nice, minor decoration in the larger artwork, like a solid-colored gonfalon hanging from a jewel-studded cross.

Don’t Panic aside, I fully expect some kind of move to be made soon. Beane and Macha have had two closed-door meetings in the last week. With the draft coming up in early June, Beane would probably prefer to make whatever move they’re going to make now, so that he can focus on the draft for the next few weeks. (Wouldn’t this time of year be really fascinating if draft picks were tradeable?)

I wouldn’t expect a trade, since he’d probably be selling low with most of his chips slumping. He’s better off letting them play and seeing if they can increase their trade value for July. But for a spark, I’d probably just call up Dan Johnson, rotate him into the mix with Hatteberg and Durazo, and see what happens.

Update: Oh yes, I forgot to add: and make Zachary happy, too. Matt Watson is getting called up. I haven’t heard about anyone getting sent down, so I’m assuming Harden goes immediately to the DL, Watson takes his roster spot, and the A’s go with 11 pitchers.

But with Watson here, that makes Jermaine Clark less necessary. I’d send Clark down and bring up Johnson.