At last, Adam Melhuse has escaped! The evil double shadow of Jason Kendall and MLB rules have the poor backup catcher in their clutches no longer. Melhuse was traded to Texas this afternoon for Cash Considerations.
Considerations is a lousy player to get in return, and I guess Melhuse is still technically a subject of MLB rules, but I won’t complain. He is, at least, going to a place where he’ll get more opportunity than he was ever going to get in Oakland. I am happy for him; he deserves this.
The presumed A’s catcher of the future, Kurt Suzuki, will be called up to replace Melhuse. I suppose this is what Beane has been waiting for all along–enough of the season has passed now that Suzuki likely won’t be eligible for Super Two arbitration status. It give the A’s an extra cheap year of Kurt Suzuki, plus puts some pressure on Jason Kendall to get his act together, and fast. Somebody is gaining on him.
As much as I think Melhuse has been treated unfairly by the system, Billy Beane should get some kudos for getting Melhuse a new home as soon as he was able. Likewise for releasing Jay Witasick. Players make a lot of money, and the rules are the rules, but that’s never a reason not to treat people with simple, ordinary decency. I’m glad to see my favorite team show some.
1. "Players make a lot of money, and the rules are the rules, but that's never a reason not to treat people with simple, ordinary decency."
As long as they're not named "Halsey."
2. Is anyone else wondering if Suzuki is just coming up until Piazza gets back from the DL, at which point Piazza will start getting time behind the plate? I know Piazza's a bad defensive catcher, but Kendall can't throw anybody out, either. In this scenario, the A's could run out a lineup that looked something like this (assuming everybody actually gets off the DL together):
Stewart/Buck
Swisher
Bradley
Piazza
Chavez
Johnson/Buck
Crosby
Kotsay
Ellis
That's not terrible. Add Harden and Street back to the pitching staff, and that team might catch the Angels.
3. 2 The problem with the Piazza scenario is that given the nature of his injury (shoulder) and the fact that he hasn't played defensively since the end of the 2006 season, bringing him back to play catcher would probably extend his time on the DL, so that he can rehab the shoulder more, get re-accustomed to catching, etc. He can probably come off the DL faster is his sole purpose is to hit.
Which is not to say that the A's won't do that -- just that it's not as straightforward as them saying, OK you're a catcher now.
4. With you on Melheuse. Hope it works out better for him in Tejas.