The Athletics see themselves as sellers rather than contenders, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reported earlier today. Meanwhile, the Rangers continue monitoring Cole Hamels and Zack Greinke in anticipation of possible trades, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Here's the latest from the AL West…
- Athletics owner Lew Wolff told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that he doesn't intend to move the team anywhere but San Jose (Twitter links). "We have no interest in leaving our two-team market. Our only focus is on San Jose," he said. "We are not leaving the Bay Area and that's the end of it."
- Josh Hamilton said he’d love to stay in Texas, but noted that contract talks are on hold, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. Hamilton’s on track to hit free agency this coming offseason, when he’ll be positioned for a lucrative multiyear contract.
- Mike Napoli, who’s also in the last year of his contract with the Rangers, said he would love to stay in Texas as well, Heyman tweets. “If something doesn't get worked out it's my time to be a free agent," Napoli said.
- Mariners ace Felix Hernandez told Heyman he'd love to stay in Seattle (Twitter link). The Mariners have Hernandez under contract through 2014.
Very few players will openly say that they want to leave.
Why are the A’s always sellers? Charlie “O” was hammered unmercifully for dismantling 1 team and given grief from fellow owners and fans, yet successive owners have never caught flak from the other owners, or fans for dismantling the A’s wonder teams of the late 80’s, nor selling off every piece they have developed since.
Just why is that A’s fans? Have Oakland fans just resigned themselves to becoming a farm system for the rest of the game after O’Finley was forced into selling off/losing some of the greatest talents in the game a few decades back for the same very reasons they can’t afford them now?
Just once I’d like to see an impending free agent say: “To be honest, I’m going where the money is. If that happens to be with the , great, I won’t have to pack. If that’s somewhere else, that’s fine too, as I can hire people to pack my stuff”.
You say you’d be happy for them to say that, but you know how crucified they would be for saying that.
Yeah I know..just would be fun to see the fallout.
You won’t hear that from Felix he is very loyal to Seattle and i expect him to sign an extension next season he always said he wants to play his whole career and judging by his actions i can believe him. You don’t hear this out of Cole Hamels all you hear about is the $ and playing on the West Coast.
Boy, I’m sure glad old Bud appointed a “committee” to figure out what to do with the A’s. Things should start to move along a little faster in the decision process now.
Wait. What? The “committee” was appointed three and a half years ago?
Oh, crap…
lol give me a year and ill figure out what to do with the A’s. Sell them to someone who likes to win and will spend money to win and keep his prospects around.
try again. the a’s weren’t drawing much when they were winning 90+ games. a simple payroll boost really isn’t going to boost attendance.
Hahaha look at that Felix staying true to his word like i have been saying. Again he signed the last contract in the final year of his deal what makes you think he won’t do it again? He actually stayed true to his word.
sooner or later he will get tired of losing year in and year out. he will want to win a championship before he retires. the mariners are like the A’s. their the farm teams for the rest of MLB.
How so? We pay our players we don’t just trade them away.
“he signed the last contract in the final year of his deal”
no he didn’t. why are you all so bad at this
Yes he did which is why he was being shopped until he signed his extension in 2011. Not Sure If Serious.
he signed his extension in january of 2010, two full seasons before free agency
how does it feel to be so wrong
My bad it was 2010 but i know it was his final year because he was about to be traded to Boston for 4 prospects before he signed it.
this is amazing
Too bad Mike Napoli isn’t playing this year like he wants an endless line of bidders throwing big money at him! Obviously there is no telling at what $s and years the negotiations with Texas got hung up in the off-season, but there’s a good chance he’ll fall short of that if his bat doesn’t wake up in the second half.
Mariners are in a perfect spot with Felix. They can keep him for the next two years, see how their top pitching prospects do in AAA/MLB and then either trade him for a bunch of top prospects or extend him. It’s win-win for them. Well played, Jack, well played.
I hope Felix stays with the Mariners his entire career. I am sick to death of everyone thinking that he MUST go because the Mariners are not competitive. Do they still have to field a team? Do they still need someone to pitch their games? Do they need to hang on to a player that actually brings fans to the park?
I get that they could stock their team by trading him. Is that going to guarantee they will turn into winners? No, it’s not. The Mariners still need someone to pitch their games and as long as their rotation is going to be cycling in young, developing pitchers it’s a nice to have a youngish, reliable, veteran to anchor that staff.
Plus, he’s going to shatter every pitching record ever for the Mariners. What is wrong with the Mariners and their fans wanting that? Again, trading Felix guarantees them nothing. If they do trade him, I’d be willing to bet that they will be spending the next several years looking for someone just like Felix to anchor their staff. Those guys a hard to come by. They have one and I think they should try to keep him.