Today in Oakland, my cellar-dwelling (43-58, 17.5 out in the AL West) fading favorite team did a useful little fire sale trade, by sending Orlando Cabrera to the Twins for prospects. (What did they get? What does it matter? The last time Billy Beane won a trade was three Michael Lewis books ago. But O-Cab is old, so, um, young guys. Yay, trade.)Rather than give the now open job to no one's idea of a shortstop in the ancient and inadequate Nomar Garciaparra (.688 OPS) or the truly horrible Bobby Crosby (.637 OPS), the team decided to bring up former first-round pick Cliff Pennington, who probably isn't a major-leage player either, but is, at least, younger and with the possibility of hope. Here, for the record, is Crosby's reaction."It's an absolute joke." Um, Bobby? A little clarity here. Would the joke be how you have somehow managed to suck out 2,342 career ABs with a .306 on-base percentage for an organization that used to, well, value guys that got on b...
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