Matt Holliday and Billy Beane? Sounds dangerous...........

When I first heard rumors of Matt Holliday being shopped around I envisioned the Yankees trying to find a replacement for the free agent bound Bobby Abreu. I then envisioned a package that centered around Austin Jackson to fetch the right handed hitting slugger. Say a package of Austin Jackson, Phil Coke and Brad Suttle. When I heard the A's were interested and having on-goings talks I assumed it was just Billy trying to gauge how valuable his own commodities were and thought nothing of it. But then when I saw that headlines I became confused. What was Billy Beane doing? But then the more and more I thought about it the deal made sense. Let's face it.....Billy Beane is a genius and this will be just another example. He seemingly took a centerpiece of the Dan Haren trade coupled that with a throw in of the deal and a two thousand five supplemental pick and turned it into a right handed hitting slugger that has produced along the lines of the Manny Ramirez's of the world in the last three years. In my mind Huston Street is an average to good closer at best last year he blew seven saves in twenty five chances before losing his job. No matter how you slice it gregg Smith looks like  fourth starter at best and sure Carlos Gonzalez has more tools than Home Depot but it's not like he has proven he can hit consistently at the major league level. 

If I were the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" I would be scared, very scared Billy Beane is on the prowl again and this time he's hungry, very hungry. I expect the Angels to have a big regression last year the proof is in the pudding. For one super closer Francisco Rodriguez and his record sixty two saves are gone. John Garland is gone. Joe Saunder's isn't likely to replicate either his 17-7 record or 3.44 era because his components don't lie. he gave up 187 hits in 198 innings, he hold had 101 strikeouts but also had 55 walks hiving him around a 2:1 ratio. Vladimir Guerrero is regressing. No more Juan Rivera, chances are Mark Teixeira will go where the money is which will more than likely be New York. To me all of this signals a fall from grace which should make for a very competitive American League West. I also don't expect this to be the last move from Beane. I expect Beane to trade for brewers shortstop J.J Hardy with a package that should resemble Vincent Mazzaro, Travis Buck and Justin Sellers? This would give the A's a very competitive team and a good offense to complement their young arms. 

This also allows Beane flexibility, Beane could fool all of us turn around and give Holliday to the highest bidder. He could also sell him for a C.C Sabathia esque deal in July. Or if the team is as competitive as I think, he could allow the A's to go for it all offer him arbitration (which he wouldn't accept) and would net Beane and the A's to compensation picks. If anything this deal illustrates the A's amount of jewels in their system. They didn't have to sell of practically any of their future since all of the players traded can be easily replaced. Gonzalez by Aaron Cuningham. Greg Smith by Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez, Vincent Mazzaro or Brett Anderson as soon as next season all of which can be at least number three starters long term.  Huston Street can be replaced by Andrew Carnigan or Henry Rodriguez in the not to distant future. This made me think of doing an A's system overview in the not so distant future...........either way in 2012 I'm going to get enough signatures to put Proposition B on the ballot making t illegal for Billy Beane to trade with any General Manager in baseball.