Why the A's Should Trade for a Starter

The A’s are looking good this season, despite losing their last two series to the Boston Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners. They are sitting atop the American League West with a 20-15 record and a game and a half lead over the second place Texas Rangers. So yes, they are not in any danger right now and are looking like playoff contenders.

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Besides the pitching of former closer Jim Johnson, the A’s pitching has been strong which has been a surprise to many since they lost two of their starters for the year to Tommy John Surgery, Jarrod Parker andA.J. Griffin. However their four and five starters have been slowing down the rest of the team. Not that Dan Straily orTommy Milone have been terrible but look at it this way, the A’s are 16-5 when their top three starters Sonny Gray, Scott Kazmir and Jesse Chavez pitch, when the other two and one time call up Josh Lindbloom have pitched the A’s have a record of 3-10. That means something needs to change at the back end of the rotation.

(*stats do not include Milone's eight inning gem last night, but let's face it ... he can be inconsistent that way and the premise of this story written before yesterday's game still stands*)

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VIDEO: Soriano makes improbable catch, almost impeded by Steve Bartman?

11 years later and it's still like it was yesterday. The Cubs were oh so close to tasting National League Pennant victory for the first time in a century, when Steve Bartman reached over the wall. That's all the guy, a life long cubs fan, did. It was so much more than that though. The misstep of one man kept the Cubs from pennant victory, the closest they had been to a World Series in 100 years.

This highlight took place earlier in the week, in the Bronx and it's not October but it reminded me of well ... Steve Bartman. I feel for the man who had to move and I think I heard changed his name but bro, really?

Anyway, this play begs the question, "Will Cubs fans ever learn not to interfere in the game?" Maybe if Alfonso Soriano hadn't made the catch it wouldn't have been an out for the Cubs, maybe the Cubs fan caught the ball it wouldn't have either. It could have been reviewed and called fan interference. Even though it is a different venue, completely different circumstances and it's definitely not October, at least the last time I checked - this Cubs fan made me think of Bartman. After 11 years even an A's fan stills remember the pain of that season and not because the Red Sox killed the Oakland A's in the American League Division Series but because of the heartbreak that befell the city of Chicago.

Rangers Have Big Day; Acquire Murphy, Release Hanson and More ....

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The Texas Rangers have had quite a busy final Wednesday before the start of the season. Rumors have abounded and reports have been changed. When it comes down to it however, the Rangers have filled a hole a second base, acquired a little pitching depth, released a player and announced their 2014 starting pitching rotation.

It had been reported earlier by T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com that the team was interested in the Chicago Cubs infielders Donnie Murphy and Darwin Barney to replace Jurickson Profar, who is out 10-12 weeks with a torn shoulder muscle. Profar was and still is supposed to be the Rangers second baseman of the future, which is why they traded away Ian Kinsler to the Detroit Tigers for the power hitting Prince Fielder. The Rangers were also linked to Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks by Tom Haudricort of the Journal Sentinel. While ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick also pointed out that veteran infielders, Ronny Cedeno, Kevin Frandsen and Cesar Izturis had all recently become free agents. Frandsen was taken off the market Wednesday morning by the Washington Nationals, still leaving the Rangers with quite a few options.

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Zambrano Brawls, Sandoval Injured During Venezuelan League Championship Game

It's news to most, not all but most, baseball fans that there is plenty going on in the game during Major League Baseball's off-season. Besides just contract negotiations and player trades, there are leagues being played in other countries such as Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Those leagues also just happen to be filled with future, current and former Major League Baseball players who are practicing for the upcoming season, preparing for their future careers or finishing up what's left of theirs.

Saturday's game three of the Venezuelan League Championship Series between the Navegantes de Magallanes and Caribes de Anzoategui was full of excitement. It started with a bench clearing brawl led by free-agent MLB pitcher Carlos Zambrano, formerly of the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins, and ended with an injury to current MLB player, Pablo Sandoval of the San Francisco Giants. 

Zambrano, only 32, should be trying to resurrect his dying career but this incident was not conducive to such a plan. Already known for his fiery temper, Zambrano was not even on the field when the brawl began. As soon as it did however, he was suddenly found in the middle of the fray swinging furiously at any player around. Despite having tried to get his anger issues under control over his 11-year MLB career, it appears little or no progress has been made by the right-handed pitcher.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported from during the brawl. However, it appears that the Giants' third baseman was injured during the game. According to Andrew Baggarly of the San Francisco Chronicle, Sandoval tweaked something while attempting to run out a grounder during the eighth inning. The extent of the injury is unknown. While the third baseman did spend time on the disabled list last season with a strained tendon in his left foot, there is no indication that this injury is at all related to that one.

Yet two incidents in one game, in one of many winter leagues, does show that there is plenty of baseball excitement all year round.

For More MLB News you can visit MLB Nation

& now a quick note from Oakland A's Sock's Girl to any of you gnats "fans":

** Any of you gnats "fans" probably won't be reading this because you don't care about baseball at all unless the gnats are winning, let alone even actively playing during the MLB regular season - Sandoval is that guy you call "Panda" who btw is NOT your mascot though thanks to Bat Kid you probably now know that your actual mascot is a ______. (either you know or you don't but I won't help you out! ha!) Anyways, I just think it's funny because last week was all about his weight loss and consequently his GINORMOUSLY disproportionate head and then this week he may be injured ... that's funny to me. Can't imagine why .....lmao! (to those of you Giants fans actually reading this I am not talking to or about you!! Because you're well - reading this - I just had to get in my little dig because it's my blog and because I can!) **