BALTIMORE- The Orioles on Tuesday announced that they have acquired OF JAI MILLER from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for cash considerations and have also traded INF BRANDON SNYDER to the Texas Rangers in exchange for cash considerations.

Miller, 26, batted .276/.368/.588 with 32 home runs, 88 RBI and 16 stolen bases without being caught in 110 games for Triple-A Sacramento in 2011. He also appeared in seven games for the A’s, going 3-for-12 with a home run.

Miller has batted .271/.351/.516 with 85 home runs and 253 RBI in 423 games at the Triple-A level in the last four seasons. His major league time also includes 20 games with the Kansas City Royals in 2010, when he batted .236/.300/.345. He made his major league debut in 2008 with the Marlins.

“Jai Miller has the power, speed, base stealing skills and good athletic ability to be an asset in our outfield as he competes for a spot on our ballclub this spring,” said Orioles Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations DAN DUQUETTE.

Snyder, 25, batted .261/.312/.406 in 114 games with Triple-A Norfolk in 2011. He also appeared in six games for the Orioles, going 3-for-13.

The Orioles 40-man roster remains full with these moves.

Oakland Athletics lefty hurler Gio Gonzalez has at least four teams trying to trade for him and that number may grow when the Yu Darvish bidding ends on Wednesday.

CBSSports.com reports that the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers are “among the teams chasing” the 26-year-old. The Miami Marlins asked about Gonzalez at the winter meetings and the A’s wanted Mike Stanton in return, sources tell CBS.

A’s GM Billy Beane is said to “be enamored with young Tiger right-hander Jacob Turner,” whom sources say Detroit is willing to give up in a deal for Gonzalez. However, the A’s asked for two other prospects to be thrown into the deal and Detroit “balked,” the site notes.

The Philadelphia Phillies also tried to get Gonzalez, the site notes, and offered young outfielder Domonic Brown and some even younger pitchers, but were turned down.

Gonzalez, who went to his first All-Star game this past season, went 16-12 with a 3.12 ERA. He also struck out 195 in 202 innings pitched.

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Related: Gio Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays

List of American League Most Valuable Player award winners after Justin
Verlander was named as the 2011 winner on Monday.

2011 – Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

2010 – Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers

2009 – Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins

2008 – Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox

2007 – Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees

2006 – Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins

2005 – Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees

2004 – Vladimir Guerrero, Anaheim Angels

2003 – Alex Rodriguez, Texas Rangers

2002 – Miguel Tejada, Oakland Athletics

2001 – Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners

2000 – Jason Giambi, Oakland Athletics

1999 – Ivan Rodriguez, Texas Rangers

1998 – Juan Gonzalez, Texas Rangers

1997 – Ken Griffey, Jr., Seattle Mariners

1996 – Juan Gonzalez, Texas Rangers

1995 – Mo Vaughn, Boston Red Sox

1994 – Frank Thomas, Chicago White Sox

1993 – Frank Thomas, Chicago White Sox

1992 – Dennis Eckersley, Oakland Athletics

1991 – Cal Ripken, Jr., Baltimore Orioles

1990 – Rickey Henderson, Oakland Athletics

1989 – Robin Yount, Milwaukee Brewers

1988 – Jose Canseco, Oakland Athletics

1987 – George Bell, Toronto Blue Jays

1986 – Roger Clemens, Boston Red Sox

1985 – Don Mattingly, New York Yankees

1984 – Willie Hernandez, Detroit Tigers

1983 – Cal Ripken, Jr., Baltimore Orioles

1982 – Robin Yount, Milwaukee Brewers

1981 – Rollie Fingers, Milwaukee Brewers

1980 – George Brett, Kansas City Royals

1979 – Don Baylor, California Angels

1978 – Jim Rice, Boston Red Sox

1977 – Rod Carew, Minnesota Twins

1976 – Thurman Munson, New York Yankees

1975 – Fred Lynn, Boston Red Sox

1974 – Jeff Burroughs, Texas Rangers

1973 – Reggie Jackson, Oakland Athletics

1972 – Richie Allen, Chicago White Sox

1971 – Vida Blue, Oakland Athletics

1970 – Boog Powell, Baltimore Orioles

1969 – Harmon Killebrew, Minnesota Twins

1968 – Denny McLain, Detroit Tigers

1967 – Carl Yastrzemski, Boston Red Sox

1966 – Frank Robinson, Baltimore Orioles

1965 – Zoilo Versalles, Minnesota Twins

1964 – Brooks Robinson, Baltimore Orioles

1963 – Elston Howard, New York Yankees

1962 – Mickey Mantle, New York Yankees

1961 – Roger Maris, New York Yankees

1960 – Roger Maris, New York Yankees

1959 – Nellie Fox, Chicago White Sox

1958 – Jackie Jensen, Boston Red Sox

1957 – Mickey Mantle, New York Yankees

1956 – Mickey Mantle, New York Yankees

1955 – Yogi Berra, New York Yankees

1954 – Yogi Berra, New York Yankees

1953 – Al Rosen, Cleveland Indians

1952 – Bobby Shantz, Philadelphia Athletics

1951 – Yogi Berra, New York Yankees

1950 – Phil Rizzuto, New York Yankees

1949 – Ted Williams, Boston Red Sox

1948 – Lou Boudreau, Cleveland Indians

1947 – Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankees

1946 – Ted Williams, Boston Red Sox

1945 – Hal Newhouser, Detroit Tigers

1944 – Hal Newhouser, Detroit Tigers

1943 – Spud Chandler, New York Yankees

1942 – Joe Gordon, New York Yankees

1941 – Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankees

1940 – Hank Greenberg, Detoit Tigers

1939 – Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankees

1938 – Jimmie Foxx, Boston Red Sox

1937 – Charlie Gehringer, Detroit Tigers

1936 – Lou Gehrig, New York Yankees

1935 – Hank Greenberg, Detroit Tigers

1934 – Mickey Cochrane, Detroit Tigers

1933 – Jimmie Foxx, Philadelphia Athletics

1932 – Jimmie Foxx, Philadelphia Athletics

1931 – Lefty Grove, Philadelphia Athletics

 

When the Red Sox hired Terry Francona, he was a 44-year-old former major-league player with experience both as a major-league manager and as a major-league bench coach. He’d managed the Philadelphia Phillies from 1997-2000 — a tenure that ended disastrously — and he’d worked as a bench coach for the Texas Rangers in 2002 and the Oakland Athletics in 2003. He’d also had a unique experience in a pressure-cooker setting when he managed Michael Jordan with the Double-A Birmingham Barons in 1994.

No matter how it ends, there is no denying that the Terry Francona era was wildly successful for the Red Sox. The team won two World Series titles and won 86 or more games in each of his eight seasons.

Might a similar candidate land the job? Previous success at managerial stops, in that case, would not be a prerequisite; Francona did not have success in Philadelphia at all.

“He admitted he made mistakes,” Epstein said when he introduced his new manager in 2003. “It was his first time around as a manager, and he’s learned from what he did. We talked quite a bit about philosophies of pitching, and we’re comfortable with what Terry believes.”

What candidates out there look like Francona looked back then?

Here’s a list of possible successors:

Trey Hillman, Los Angeles Dodgers bench coach. An intriguing early possible front-runner, the 48-year-old Hillman was fired after three seasons at the helm of the Kansas City Royals.

John Farrell, Toronto manager. The Red Sox pitching coach for four seasons under Francona, Farrell looked like the manager-in-waiting until he took the job at the helm of the Blue Jays.

Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay manager. It seems like a longshot, but why not make a run at the all-but-certain American League Manager of the Year?

John Russell, Baltimore third-base coach. The 50-year-old Russell was fired after failing to win as a manager in Pittsburgh, but he’s not the only one to befall that fate — meaning he has something in common with Hillman. He was popular with his players, less so with fans.

Joel Skinner, Oakland bench coach. The interim manager of the Indians in 2002, Skinner worked for seven seasons on the Indians’ coaching staff under Eric Wedge before moving to the Athletics this season.

Alan Trammell, Arizona bench coach. A bench coach under Lou Pinella in Chicago for four seasons, the former All-Star shortstop managed the Detroit Tigers to disastrous results — including a 119-loss season — from 2003-05.

Don Wakamatsu, Toronto bench coach. For two years the manager of the Seattle Mariners, the 48-year-old Wakamatsu worked with John Farrell this season and has worked as bench coach of the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics — just like Francona did.

Here are some long-shot candidates:

Dave Clark, Houston third-base coach.

Dino Ebel, Los Angeles Angels third-base coach.

Chip Hale, New York Mets third-base coach.

DeMarlo Hale, Red Sox bench coach.

Glenn Hoffman, San Diego third-base coach.

Torey Lovullo, Toronto first-base coach and former manager of the PawSox.

Dave Martinez, Tampa Bay bench coach.

Bo Porter, Nationals bench coach.

Juan Samuel, Philadelphia third-base coach.

Rob Thomson, New York Yankees third-base coach.

Robby Thompson, Seattle bench coach.

bmacpherson@providencejournal.com

 

CEDAR RAPIDS — Yes, Ryan Sweeney has seen “Moneyball.”

He and his Oakland Athletics teammates attended the premiere for the ballyhooed baseball movie about their general manager, Billy Beane, in late September in Oakland, Calif. Sweeney and his wife, Natasha, got to meet Brad Pitt and get some photos taken.

“Only talked to him for about five minutes,” said Sweeney, 26. “We went to an after party with everyone, and he had a bunch of (security) guys surrounding him. It was like ‘OK, don’t bother this guy.’”

Sad to say, but getting to hobnob with some of Hollywood’s elite may have been the highlight of Sweeney’s summer. The outfielder and Cedar Rapids resident batted .265 with a home run and 25 RBIs in 108 games, with a career-low 264 at-bats.

The A’s acquired veteran outfielders Josh Willingham and David DeJesus last off-season, who cut into Sweeney’s playing time significantly. He was part-time for the first time, and that was tough for him to adjust to.

“A disappointing season for me,” he said.

Sweeney said it was difficult for him to get into a groove offensively because of his sporadic playing time. He hadn’t experienced that in pro ball and doesn’t really want to again, saying his goal is to be Oakland’s starting center fielder next season.

Willingham, DeJesus and fellow outfielders Coco Crisp and Hideki Matsui are free agents, and it’s unclear if the Athletics are interested in all or any. Sweeney made $1.4 million this season, his first as a salary arbitration eligible player.

According to an estimate by the Oakland Tribune, he is looking at about a $1.6 million salary next season. Oakland has until Dec. 13 to tender him a contract or he will become a free agent.

“We’ll see what happens,” he said. “Either way, it’s not like I’m in a bad situation. I’m not worried about it at all. I’m only 26 years old. I still feel like I haven’t touched on what I can do as a player.”

Other than a late-season problem with a quadriceps, Sweeney said he made it through the season unscathed from an injury standpoint.

The bottom line is he’s happy to be near his family and on the golf course regularly. And he’s ecstatic the 2011 season is in the rearview mirror.

“A weird season for me. Such a mentally frustrating season,” Sweeney said. “I told everybody that I’m just coming home, and I’m not watching baseball, I’m not talking about baseball for a month.”

CBSSports.com wire reports
Sep. 22, 2011

OAKLAND, Calif. — With one swing of the bat, Jemile Weeks stopped the constant ribbing he had been taking from teammates.

Weeks’ first career home run, a solo shot in the sixth inning, sparked Oakland’s comeback as the Athletics rallied past the Texas Rangers 4-3 Thursday. He was 3 for 3 with a walk and scored three runs.

Coco Crisp hit a go-ahead single in the eighth to help avoid a series sweep.

“That is awesome to see,” A’s starter Trevor Cahill said. “We’ve been joking with him quite a bit about it and he finally got it. He’s a guy we depend upon to score runs.”

Grant Balfour (5-2) pitched a 1-2-3 eighth for the win, then Andrew Bailey finished for his 21st save in 23 chances as the A’s snapped Texas’ four-game winning streak and handed the Rangers just their second loss in 10 games.

Pinch-hitter Scott Sizemore hit a tying RBI groundout in the seventh against Darren Oliver. Crisp’s hit came against Mike Adams (1-3) and helped stop a three-game skid.

Rangers catcher Yorvit Torrealba left in the eighth after experiencing some nausea following a foul tip that hit his mask.

Adrian Beltre hit an RBI double, Nelson Cruz added a sacrifice fly and David Murphy also drove in a run for the Rangers, who couldn’t hold a 3-1 lead.

Colby Lewis went 4-0 in six starts against his former A’s team this year but missed a chance to join Ferguson Jenkins in becoming the only Rangers pitchers to win five games against Oakland in a season. Jenkins had been the lone pitcher in Texas history to beat an opponent five times in one year — against the A’s and Minnesota in 1974.

Lewis struck out the side in order in the fourth and finished with seven Ks and two walks. He allowed three runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Weeks, who also doubled ahead of Crisp in the eighth, showed rare power for a speedy 5-foot-9, 160-pound leadoff man. His drive to right came in his 379th career at-bat.

“If I’m leading the league in home runs then it might as well be me who gives it up,” Lewis said. “His first one.”

Weeks snapped a 90-game homeless streak, the second-longest to start a career in Oakland history behind Mike Bordick’s 132 games without a longball before connecting on May 10, 1992.

“When I hit it, it was like a relief but I wasn’t surprised,” Weeks said. “My game is not to be a home run guy. If I try to hit home runs, it lessens my chances to get on base.”

Oakland avoided falling a season-worst 18 games below .500, which would have been its lowest since finishing the 1997 season 32 games below.

The A’s completed their home schedule a day after manager Bob Melvin received a new three-year contract to be the permanent skipper. Oakland went 43-38 at the Coliseum for its second straight winning season at home. The A’s finish with three games in Anaheim, then three in Seattle.

Crisp crashed his left side hard into the center-field wall trying to make a play on Beltre’s second-inning double. He went down briefly but stayed in the game.

Notes

Sizemore didn’t start as he nurses shoulder tendinitis. … Actor Danny Glover threw out the ceremonial first pitch. … A’s LHP starter Gio Gonzalez received this year’s “Good Guy” award from the local chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Gonzalez (14-12) starts Friday night against the Angels trying to become Oakland’s first back-to-back 15-game winner since Mark Mulder in 2003-04. Gonzalez is 5-1 with a 3.20 ERA over his last six starts.