According to the Contra Costa Times, the Athletics have two priorities this off season: Find replacements for Mark Ellis and Frank Thomas, and add a low cost pitcher for the bottom of the rotation.Knowing Beane, he isn't likely to pursue a top of the line free agent, mostly because he does not want to surrender a draft pick. However, there are still several good players who would not cost them. If they were not afraid to take a chance on Nomar Garciaparra, he would come cheap and could turn out to be a good bet at the DH spot. However, Garciaparra is hitting just .234 in 45 games this season, so they are better off going after someone more reliable, perhaps Hank Blalock or Jim Edmonds.
As for second base, there have been grumblings that they would give Eric Patterson a shot. While Patterson has potential to be a great player, he is probably a year or two away from being an everyday starter. They could give Tadahito Iguchi a start. In order for the Athletics to be affective in the division, it might need to cost them a draft pick. They will probably look to trade Huston Street before signing a Type A free agent, but they will need to take a step back before going forward.
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