Matt Holliday to A's

[BuckyTuba]

ESPN Reports Matt Holliday to the A's for a package possibly including Greg Smith.

 

I see this is in the Trade Rumors, but it's being reported by multiple sources now.

[MarquesJohnson2000]

ESPN Radio is reporting it on their updates.

[MillerParkSouth]

that is very, very surprising. Seems like kind of the anti-Beane type of move. I wonder if they'll sign him to an extension.

[fondybrewfan]

I am all for Holliday being out of the National League. Very happy the Cards weren't able to get him. I am not sure how this makes sense from the A's perspective, their is no way they sign him to an extension is there? This isn't going to get them over the hump in the division either. Very curious to see who all goes to Colorado

[MJLiverock]

One report has Greg Smith, Huston Street, and Carlos Gonzales going to Colorado for Holliday.

[Brian the Automator]

that is very, very surprising. Seems like kind of the anti-Beane type of move. I wonder if they'll sign him to an extension.

Holliday is a Boras client. I'd be shocked if he didn't go all the way to free agency. It's not an anti-Beane move from the sense that Holliday will provide two comp picks when he leaves.

[Portage Plumber]

I bet he gets traded at the deadline for prospects--

[MarquesJohnson2000]

not according to Rosenthal

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/...for-Rockies-star-Holliday

 

Also pursuing Furcal, according to this story.

[Invader3K]

They needed to add some pop to their lineup, and this certainly does that.

 

I'm just glad he's not going to a team in the NL Central, like others said, as had been rumored.

[trwi7]

I like the deal for the A's. Wouldn't be real excited about it if I was a Rockies fan. Gonzalez has some pretty good upside but Street is two years away from free agency and is going to cost over $4 million this year and Smith is going to get owned in Coors Field.

[Oldcity]

Oakland may end up trading Holliday if they have a poor record, but they definitely wouldn't have traded for him if they didn't plan on keeping him for the entire season. Brian is right when he says Beane likes his comp picks as well.

[PrinceFielder28]

Doesn't Oakland also have a new stadium opening soon?

[JohnBriggs12]

I'm thrilled that Holliday is both out of the NL and not in St. Louis. Holliday made the lineup around him better in Colorado. Nobody Oakland can offer up can make up for that.

 

Big league balance of power switch to the AL in this deal.

[colbyjack]

Holliday is a great acquisition no matter what team landed him. He's just a great, great hitter, and as others have noted, I'm glad he's not coming to the NL Central.

 

Plus, he gives some balance to the A's lineup, as most of their bigger and better hitters bat left-handed. For those more in tune with the A's, if Gonzalez is part of this trade, who plays CF for them? According to some reports they have a lot of money to play with this offseason, and could get involved with Rafael Furcal. I'm curious if Mike Cameron might be someone else they would be interested in given his OBP skills and defensive prowess.

[Ennder]

I'm not sure they have anymore major league ready trading chips to go after a CF. Holliday will likely be a 27/28 HR guy in that park but he is a good enough hitter to still put up decent numbers.

[sveumrules]

I'm curious if Mike Cameron might be someone else they would be interested in given his OBP skills and defensive prowess.

 

[blue] i don't know, that bill beane seems like an astute baseball guy. he'd probably be turned off by all those strikeouts. [/blue]

 

i really like this deal for oakland. if they really do end up in the 80 to 90 million payroll range they could make some noise next year for sure.

[GAME05]

i guess i've never pictured the A's as a "we're going for it" team, but to get a guy who's certainly going for FA next year and giving up a lot of years of Houston Street+ sure seems like this is the A's plan.

 

...strikeouts are one thing with Cameron, but he's also got a BB/8.2 AB, which Beane has to love. Though i can't figure what the A's would have to offer us anymore with Street gone.

[BrewCrewForever]

Thank God Holliday didn't go to an NL Central team. He is a awesome player, could really help Oakland. I too thought it was very un-Beane at first but like Brian said the comp picks will be nice and it gives them a good chance to compete in 2009 before he leaves. Not a bad move at all.

[Ennder]

The A's have too many OF right now, they would be looking to trade for IF if anything.

[Milltownhooker]

CBSSports.com is reporting that the Rockies are acquiring Street with the intention of moving him to a third team. It makes one wonder if they're having significant financial troubles. I wonder what the Rocks would want for Street. Pitching I would guess.

[ELCABALLO45]

Its going to be interesting to see if Holliday can put up the same numbers outside of Coors and in the AL.

[BrewCrewForever]

Its going to be interesting to see if Holliday can put up the same numbers outside of Coors and in the AL.

I would have to imagine some drop off, but I doubt it will be too dramatic. Dude can flat hit no matter what stadium it is in.

[crewcrazy]

It wouldn't surprise me if Beane does move Street in this deal...he's never been a fan of pricey closers, and Street is a pricey closer that can't seem to stay healthy lately. Beane's probably content with just moving Ziegler into the closer role for now.

 

I do like the move for the A's, though. I know an A's fan or two and they're totally in favor of the deal, even if it's only for one year of Holliday. Apparently with the addition of Holliday and the expected progression of guys like Suzuki, Barton, and the young pitching staff, they're expecting to possibly contend for a playoff spot next year. They also don't think Beane is done, either.

 

PrinceFielder28, the A's do have plans for a new ballpark a few miles south in Fremont, CA to open in 2011, but with the current economic climate, some people are starting to question if the park is going to be built on schedule. It's still in the planning stages, so I don't think the A's can count on that extra income for quite awhile yet.

[Schlitz001]

To be fair he has a 1.068 OPS at Coors field and .803 everywhere else. Add to that the fact that he is moving to a pitchers park, I would imagine a dropoff in offensive production.

[JohnBriggs12]

To be fair he has a 1.068 OPS at Coors field and .803 everywhere else. Add to that the fact that he is moving to a pitchers park, I would imagine a dropoff in offensive production.

 

It's sometimes tricky to extrapolate road splits for Rockies hitters as indicative of what they would do not playing any games at Coors. It's likely that when one plays a lot of games at altitude it takes an adjustment every time you go on the road. Now he should become more accustomed to hitting at a normal altitude. I suspect Holliday may not put up the staggering numbers he did as a Rockie, but he's a plenty dangerous hitter in any park.

 

What makes Oakland a pitcher's park is the huge foul territory more so than the dimensions of the outfield. Guys have put up some good power numbers there but usually the BA takes a hit when popups that are in the stands elsewhere are caught in Oakland.