A's Sign Loaiza

[yankeessuck013]

Loaiza joins Zito, Harden, Haren and Blanton in rotation

 

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland Athletics and free-agent right-hander Esteban Loaiza agreed Monday to a three-year contract worth $21,375,000, adding an experienced pitcher to a starting rotation that already includes Barry Zito and Rich Harden.

 

The deal includes a 2009 club option on Loaiza, a 12-game winner with the Washington Nationals last season. His victories total was the second-best in the 33-year-old Loaiza's 11-year major league career -- he won 21 games for the Chicago White Sox in 2003.

 

Loaiza joins a team that has almost its entire roster returning from last season, when the A's failed to reach the playoffs for the second straight year. Oakland had a 91-win season in 2004 and 88 victories this year.

 

After a slow start by its young rotation, Oakland pitched well down the stretch thanks to impressive performances by rookie Joe Blanton and Danny Haren, a 14-game winner in his first full season as a starter.

 

Loaiza was 12-10 with a 3.77 ERA in 34 starts last season, striking out 173 and walking 55 batters in 217 innings. A two-time All-Star, he bounced back from a 1-4 start this year to go 11-6 with a 3.86 ERA in his 23 outings after June 1.

 

Loaiza's deal includes a $3 million signing bonus with a spread-out payment schedule and yearly salaries of $5 million, $6 million and $7 million. The A's have a $7.5 million option for 2009 with a $375,000 buyout.

 

Manager Ken Macha, who parted ways with the team briefly after the season before signing a new deal, was pleased with how well Oakland performed with such a young roster. The A's also dealt with injuries to shortstop Bobby Crosby and No. 2 starter Harden, who took on a greater role after the team traded Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder during a three-day span last December.

 

Loaiza has a 112-99 career record and a 4.60 ERA in 334 games, 297 starts. His 112 wins are second most in major league history by a Mexican-born pitcher to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.

 

Loaiza joins his seventh team after breaking into the big leagues with Pittsburgh in 1995. He also played for Texas, Toronto, the White Sox, the New York Yankees and Washington.

[riverside sluggers]

Rotoworld has indicated Zito might now be on the trading block with the acquisition of Loaiza. If this true, Id say for Sox to pursue this very much so.

[Beckett95]

Rotoworld has indicated Zito might now be on the trading block with the acquisition of Loaiza. If this true, Id say for Sox to pursue this very much so.

 

what do you think theyd have to give up to get Zito??

[riverside sluggers]

just thinking top off of my head, mind you

 

Wells going to a team on the West Coast, Shoppach, Stern

[yankeessuck013]

what do you think theyd have to give up to get Zito??

 

I know we don't really have much in terms of value except Lester, and he is off limits.

 

but I can't help but think of that nasty rotation:

 

Schilling

Beckett

Zito

Wake

Papelbon/Clement

 

Beane wont let Zito hurt him though, same thing with mulder and hudson, if zito gets traded it will be to the nl. Plus beane would want lester or papelbon for sure.

[Cityofchampions33]

If they signed him just for the heck of it I'd be suprised, he's old, not consitent throughout his career, and they paid a heck of a lot for him. Yeah, that would be a sick and suprisingly young rotation. Also Lester would join em next year and would make for a sick 1-5 if Schilling stays for 2007 too.

 

Beckett

Schilling

Zito

Papelbon

Lester

 

It's almost perfect that Zito gets on the block, because that opens up a better trading partner over SD, this way we can unload Wells, and other spects, however I would not give anything major at all.

[Beckett95]

ya id be willing to give up any combination of wells, arroyo, youk, shoppach and stern to get zito

[Cityofchampions33]

If we get him, i'd put our rotation right up there with the White Sox and depending on how everything plays out, we could get better than them by the end of this upcoming season.

[Beckett95]

A's get---arroyo, Nixon, Shoppach or youk, abe alvarez

Sox get-- Zito, joe kennedy (long reliever)

[schillingouttheks]

Too much IMO. Including Arroyo, Nixon, and 2 prospects doesn't appeal to me. We should give them Wells if anything. But that's why I just don't see this happening. I'm not willing to give up a Lester, Papelbon, Youk or Hansen. Not happening. Again, he will most likely be dealt to the NL as stated before.

[ksushi]

Beane will soak us, he won't give up Zito cheap. Apparently though he plans to keep Zito right now. I don't disagree with him either, because hes quietly built himself one of the best staffs in baseball and i think that the A's might be something to mess with next year.

[26 to 6]

I dont know exactly how I feel about this one. Loaiza isnt much of a threat, aside from 2003 I dont think the AL is for him. We'll see how it pans out though.

 

If Zito is on the block I would expect the Yankees to make a huge push at him, the Red Sox of coarse, and the Mets. I think he is more likely to go to the Mets of the three. He loves Rick Peterson, and the Mets are in the NL, wouldnt be able to hurt Oakland. But Beane is smart, he would destroy the Mets farm on that trade, or what is left of it after they make all of these trades. The Sox probably have what it takes to get him, and the Yanks have what it takes, we're just not willing to part with it. And rightfully so.

[ahhchon]

you guys need to stop dreaming.. we are not going to get zito, not for wells and unproven talent aka minors. zito is a stud, he had a rough first half but he was a very good pitcher afterwards.

 

i'm still trying to figure out this EL 3/21 deal..

 

john