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According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, in addition to their pursuit of O’s LHP Erik Bedard, the Reds have also had discussions with the A’s about RHP Joe Blanton.
…the buzz from Oakland is that the A’s are seeking a very specific type of package in exchange for blanton…my sense is that 
they’ll only pull the trigger on a deal if it meets that mark, otherwise they’ll revisit trade talks in late summer…
…from what i can gather, while the Mets have expressed interest in blanton, the A’s hope to acquire more than the Mets will offer…and so, yes, the Mets have a shot at blanton, but they’ll need oakland’s other options to run dry, at which point the A’s may just look to trade him during the summer instead…
Last season for the A’s, Blanton was 14–10 with a 3.95 ERA through 34 starts, during which he allowed an average of just one walk per start.
He made at least 32 starts in each of the last three seasons.
He is eligible for salary arbitration this off-season, and the two after that, and is eligible for free agency after 2010.
Billy Beane is going to end up asking as much for Blanton as will be given up for Johan, and he’s not worth half that. Ordinary stuff makes an ordinary pitcher.
If Santana doesn’t come here, there is no reason the Mets should pursue this guy.
Billy Beane is regarded as one of the better GMs in baseball, but when is the last time the A’s won? This guy is a has-been, and should be regarded as such.
A has been.. really?
They were in the ALCS in 2006.. same time we were in the NLCS.. and neither team made the playoffs last year..
Billy Beane is one of the top 3GMs in the game today… he is in no way shape or form a has been
He is incredibly overrated mostly by himself.
How is over rated? Cause he wasn’t won a world series on a 30 Million Dollar Budget yet in the AL?
He’s only won what 5 division titles?
Drafted Mulder Hudson AND Zito?
Traded a washed up Mulder for a pacakge including Danny Haren.. who he just used to re-stock his farm system?
Got a King’s Ransom for Swisher
Got Johnny Damon and Jermaine Dye for pennies back in the day
Discovered Chad Bradford
And countless other moves… he puts Omar to shame.. I’d love it if he were running the Mets.
Lets not start this debate here. I think it has more to do with this stupid money ball idea as the reason I dislike him. However, his division titles are as much the cause of a bad division as anything else. Is Joe Torre over or underrated based on division titles?
Torre is over rated too.. he’s going to flop in LA like my fat cousin into a swimming pool..
Moneyball and OBS is one thing.. but its hard to argue against his track record as a GM.. and the talent he has acquired and produced on a budget.. very impressive.
It’s hard to argue Joe Torre’s success too if you just look at wins and losses and division titles.
Investigative reporting at its finest.
Blanton is not worth the asking price. He is a bit overhyped. Not to say he isn’t a good pitcher, but for what Bean is asking we might as well stand pat.
I think Blanton could see improved numbers in the NL, but I don’t wan to pay asking price.
If we are really in the Santana race, we shouldn’t even be taking Billy Beane’s calls right now.
We can revisit this later in the season.
If we don’t get Santana, I am now completely content with going with what we have.
Pedro, Maine, Perez, Elduque, Pelfrey.
If Pelfrey struggles then give Humber a chance. If that does not work then let Mulvey get a shot. You can always fall back on Sosa again too. We missed the playoffs by a game or 2 and got complete junk from the 5 spot last year. We can always trade for a pitcher later on. I would, however, go ahead and sign Garcia or Chacon as they could step in if needed.
I still think that out of Colon, Loshe, Garcia, Livan, Chacon, Jennings, and the rest of the subpar starters that one will be left out like Sosa was and we can pick them up on the cheap for insurance.
I could go either way on Santana, I would be incredibly excited if we got him but I am also very intrigued by the potential of seeing what Pelfrey, Humber, Mulvey, Guerra, Gomez, and Martinez all do this season.
Agreed. If we can’t get Santana, I’d rather go into next season giving the kids a shot. Maybe with a cheap veteran option there as competition. Such as a Jon Lieber.
Under no circumstances would I pay that price for Joe Blanton.
My question what did Blanton do to Beane for him to be considering sending him to Cincy. The stadium is a bandbox and the manager is now Dusty “Never Met An Arm I Couldn’t Wreck” Baker. If I was Blanton I would be telling I will play for the minimum or do anything you want just do not send me there.
Beane will not back off his demands for Blanton this year, in fact he may be even feel compelled to take less for Blanton until the trading deadline of 2009. There are three arbitration years left on Blanton’s service time, his value in trade is not coming down any time soon.
He is much more valueble for the A’s to through his first two arbitration years than he is to any team that would be interested in trading for him. I sense they will consider moving him more next offseason, and then be compelled to move him at the deadline rather than take less for him with only one year of arbitration left
Jim Callis at BA regarding Beane:
“Oakland’s farm system had fallen into such a state of disrepair that the A’s decided they had to shed Haren and Swisher to bring in some minor league talent for the future.
Billy Beane has proven himself to be one of the game’s best general managers, but how he escapes blame for the collapse of his farm system is beyond me. Yes, big league promotions have thinned out Oakland’s store of minor league talent, but with 19 first-round or supplemental first-round picks in the last six drafts, there’s no excuse. Funny, I seem to remember reading a book a few years ago about how the A’s were revolutionizing the draft.”
He followed that up with this comment today…
“Since Grady Fuson left Oakland after the 2001 draft, they’ve done next to nothing after the first round. I’ll do my best to resist making a snide comment about “Moneyball” but in that 2002 draft in which the A’s cracked the secret code of college statistics, they had seven first-round and sandwich choices and hit on three guys (Swisher, Blanton, Teahen) who were consensus top prospects—and got nothing else of value.
After the first and sandwich rounds in the 2003-05 drafts, the A’s found only two players with any real value: 2003 second-rounder Andre Ethier and 2004 second-rounder Kurt Suzuki.”
So basically Beane’s claim to fame was better evaluation of college players, and he’s gotten nothing out of it that any other team wouldnt have as well.
On that note… I am VERY excited that the Mets have 2 First round Draft Picks. They both better pitchers! Does anyone know where I can get a list of the top Draft Canidates?
Good point, If Beane were GM of the Mets for as long as he has been with the A’s he would be looking for a new job. His success I think could only be duplicated with another small market team. Just like the fact that I am not sold on Girardi as a mananger of a veteran team.