Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

The A's bring back Big Hurt. I don't think it's going to work out. Many people expect that Thomas is just in an early season slump but I think he may be done. And I think the more the slump worsens the more surly Thomas will become... Selective memory? Scott Miller lists off a number of moves Texas GM Jon Daniels has made in an effort to question the young GM. It is telling though that Miller left off his list the trade that sent Eric Gagne to Boston and the Mark Teixeira trade to Atlanta. The Gagne trade was a steal for Texas. They netted a very nice 3rd starter in Kason Gabbard (3-1 with a 4.43 ERA since being traded to the Rangers) and David Murphy (hitting .312 since being traded) for the succubus Gagne. Teixeira was traded for Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Beau Jones, Elvis Andrus, Matt Harrison, and Neftali Feliz. Miller noted that Texas' minor league system is now ranked 4th in baseball but he neglects to say that it was the Teixeira trade that had a big deal to do with that... Josh Beckett has missed a number of starts this season due to what could be termed minor ailments. I - in no way - question these injuries. I will say that knowing the Boston media - if the Red Sox had made the Johan Santana deal these injuries would have been played up as some sort of work stoppage by Beckett in the hopes of a new contract. That's the way the Boston media would be playing the situation and anyone who is a Boston fan knows it...