Goodbye, Esteban Loaiza. Thanks for last August (4-0, 1.48) and 2006 ALDS Game 2. I’m not sure it was worth the $13 million the A’s paid you for that, especially considering the 2006 ALCS Game 2, and the DUI, and all the time spent on the DL, but what’s done is done…
I suppose saving the $8 million remaining on Loaiza’s contract is a good thing. The A’s filled in quite nicely this year without him for a lot less money. I’d hoped that the A’s could get something in return for Joe Kennedy and Loaiza except salary relief, but I guess that’s not how things work these days.
If the days of unloading veterans for prospects are over, you have to wonder what methods are left for the A’s to rebuild. Suck for a few years, so you can get some top draft picks? If that’s the case, maybe dumping salaries is the thing to do. It will be an interesting winter of Beane-watching, for sure.
1. I'm not going to cry that Loaiza's gone--he was maybe my least favorite player on the team--but I can't believe that Beane didn't get SOMETHING back for him. Is he too busy watching soccer to seal a deal, or what?
2. At least the A's finally have high end talent in their farm system again. The only problem is that they are a couple years off from contributing.
3. No cash. No considerations. No problem?
Do the A's get some VIP passes to some clubs in LA? Tour of the Playboy Mansion? Something? For a team that is supposedly one of the most stacked farm systems in baseball you'd figure Beane would be able to do better than just salary relief.
4. Hey 1 and 3, Loiza was a curse. It is amazing that he had two respectable starts in 2007. Oh boy what a deal! Unloading this timebomb is an A's gain through attrition. Pity the Dodgers and consider the Top 25 Least Favorite A's post at 406318 .