The Athletics are among the teams pursuing the Rangers' Koji Uehara, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Orioles also remain interested in the right-handed reliever.
Last week, Rosenthal wrote that Texas might be looking to move the 36-year-old to sign a lefty reliever like Mike Gonzalez. Uehara recently used his limited no-trade clause to block a trade that would have sent him to the Blue Jays and is said to be seeking a return to Baltimore.
Rangersfan32 2
Here comes the part where JD swindles a division rival.
KyleB
The A’s don’t really have anything. It’s probably more of a salary dump.
Lefty
You both are wrong.
If the Rangers had gotten Balfour instead of Uehara, the Rangers might have won the World Series. So the A’s do have something.
Uehara is a decent pitcher, but he gets eaten alive by the better teams. As for JD swindling Beane I doubt it.
As for me I could care less is Uehara comes back to Charm City, if the O’s were to obtain anyone it would be Balfour. However, I don’t think Duquette is going to do anything except sign any and all remaining “Boxcar Willies”
KyleB
The A’s wouldn’t trade Balfour for Koji, so I don’t see your point.
JacksTigers
I’d love for Detroit to look at him. I think we could use one or two more pieces to the bullpen.
Snoochies8
yes, this actually makes sense! flip him at the deadline for a decent prospect or two
Snoochies8
but we could trade brandon allen for him, kind of like the ziegler trade, or kila ka’aiahue
KyleB
Why would we want Brandon Allen?
Snoochies8
because that’s about what koji is worth when most team’s bullpens are set at this point?
KyleB
Then they would just keep Koji, of course.
We traded Chris Davis in part for Koji, who’s 2x the player Allen is.
Rangersfan32 2
If JD trades Koji to Oakland, you can guarantee Texas will be winning the deal or it doesn’t happen.
Snoochies8
or maybe, just maybe, they’ll try to make it a good deal for both sides?
Rangersfan32 2
With all the reported interest, if Texas doesn’t like what Oakland offers (such as Brandon Allen, etc.), they’ll talk with someone else.
sportsfan07
It’s always been Beane’s MO to not make major trades within the division. And the last few times that the A’s have made a trade with the Rangers, they won those deals. (i.e. Justin Duchscherer and Guillermo Moscoso) The chances that the Rangers win this trade are slim and the possibility of a trade for Uehara is even slimmer than that. Uehara would be somewhat of an impact player in the majors and Beane just doesn’t trade or trade for those types of players within the division.
Snoochies8
what interest? a’s and o’s? o’s wouldn’t trade him for any more than the a’s would
KyleB
It would be nice if everyone could pull off fair trades, but it rarely happens that way.
KyleB
It was actually a book…then a major motion picture.
Rangersfan32 2
Let me know if either of those trades ever touch JD’s Teixiera trade.
sportsfan07
Beane turned 4 nobodies into Jermaine Dye. He swindled the White Sox in the Swisher trade and is still reaping the benefits from that trade. 1 trade doesn’t make him a great GM.
KyleB
It’s everything else that makes JD a great GM. Beane is too. There are alot of good GMs everyone.
notsureifsrs
my GM can beat up your GM
KyleB
That should be how trades are done now. Whichever GM loses the fist fight has to “lose the trade”.
Guest 4819
Adrian Gonzalez
Snoochies8
john danks
sportsfan07
Alfonso Soriano
Snoochies8
was that john daniels?
sportsfan07
Yeah it was one of his 1st trades.
Snoochies8
oh right, i looked it up, i thought you meant A-Rod for Soriano, nevermind haha
KyleB
All of these trades were early in Daniels’ career as the GM. You can’t name anything recent.
Snoochies8
ok, koji uehara for chris davis and tommy hunter
KyleB
Koji is a good reliever. JD can’t do anything about a guy not wanting to be here. Koji just wants to be in B’More. Hunter and Davis weren’t going to amount to anything here.
Zombie Romo
What did CD do once he was moved?Hunter was at best the 7th starter here so I’ll still take Koji.
sportsfan07
Cliff Lee was a pretty bad trade. Giving up that much talent away for only half a season of Lee and ending up with no ring. Pretty bad.
Rabbitov
I just don’t see how the Rangers trade Koji to the Orioles after we pulled Hunter and Davis from them. Granted, we made that trade during Texas’s playoff run so the valuation is different than right now, but Texas really got fleeced in that trade.
Rangersfan32 2
Not really. Koji was still a solid reliever in Texas. Davis is a AAAA who will never amount to anything and Hunters ceiling is much lower than what Koji is currently at.
Rabbitov
I don’t think Davis is very good and I still think the Rangers got hosed. Years of Hunter >>>> a few months of Koji.
Bleed_Orange
I think the point was that the O’s got really good value for a 36 year old pen guy. Hunter probably has the ceiling of a number 3 starter so Hunter for Koji would still have been a good pickup for a rebuilding team. Davis was just the icing on the cake, and who knows fingers crossed Davis can figure the big leagues out.
Zombie Romo
So Texas’ 7th best starter currently and soon to be 8th best and a player who can’t hit major league pitching (and was injured after the trade) for a good reliever.
oaklandfan22
why would we want this guy, when we are trying to rebuild!
Snoochies8
a few reason: at this point, when team’s bullpens are set, he wouldn’t cost much, if anything.
he’d fill in a spot in the bullpen that would probably be taken by a guy who should be in the rotation (ross, godfrey) which leaves peacock/parker/gray in AAA for a little longer to develop
and we could flip him at the deadline when someone is in desperate need for a bullpen piece for a decent prospect or two
Snoochies8
a few reason: at this point, when team’s bullpens are set, he wouldn’t cost much, if anything.
he’d fill in a spot in the bullpen that would probably be taken by a guy who should be in the rotation (ross, godfrey) which leaves peacock/parker/gray in AAA for a little longer to develop
and we could flip him at the deadline when someone is in desperate need for a bullpen piece for a decent prospect or two
Guest 4818
They have a 25-man roster they have to fill. And they’re still in need of pitching depth. They could do a whole lot worse than Uehara (who also happens to be under club control through 2014). And there’s also a good chance that he’d be a nice trade candidate at some point.
I like the idea of this. Hopefully something can get worked out. But I wouldn’t count on it really happening.
sportsfan07
Uehara always gets crushed by the good teams. That’s why he only made 3
appearances in the playoffs and got lit up every single time he came
out.
Rabbitov
Makes sense, thats why he did so well in the Al East, all of those teams are bad.
sportsfan07
Yeah and pitching for a team with no shot at the playoffs year in and year out will not help a guy either. No? Once he had his shot at the playoffs he got lit up. Admit it. He’s not as good as people think he is.
Rabbitov
I admit that your point makes no sense.
notsureifsrs
that’s big of you
Rabbitov
Baby steps, notsureifsrs, baby steps.
Hy
Sometimes, it seems that the A’s post here to help themselves make decisions.
Moneyballing 2.0.
Outsource research and fact gathering duties to a free, opinion message board.
If it sticks, or has minimal interest, there must be something worth “perusing”..
Lefty
Whether or not Koji “FINALLY COMES BACK TO BALTIMORE”, “IT DOESN’T MATTER”!
Koji is a middle of the road closer, nothing more. The Orioles were under .500 with him and without him. The only thing that would make more than a “DIME BAG” of difference would be Peter Angelos selling the team and someone with new ideas and new blood taking over this franchise.
I hope the A’s get him (Koji) as well as Manny.
GEOLINK
Did Brad Pitt suggest this move?
Iconoclast17
If the A’s can dump Allen on Texas I say go for it. Carter’s expendable, too. It will most likely be a minor league arm or two.
Randy
why dump allen
Iconoclast17
Um, he can’t hit major league pitching? Same thing with Carter. And, neither are in the future plans.
gw9999
My guess if the team willing to absorb the most salary and is not one of the 4 clubs remaining on his no-trade list will be considered the most attractive trade. If the Rangers still valued him like a top setup man, then they would not be shopping him.
Pitching in Texas was not something he ever wanted to do and I assume the club would rather spend money on Gonzalez, who expressed a desire to return to the team, than on a guy who through multiple media reports wants out.
Jason_F
I’m wondering why you “insist” on putting “quotes” around words that don’t “need” them.
Chillin_in_California
Breaking news
The A’s have decided that they are intrested in everybody nobody else wants
Iconoclast17
Funny because it’s sadly true. They also have a roster loaded with failed AAAA-types nobody else wants. Half of them are at 1B/DH.