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January 16, 2008

Transaction Analysis

Challenges and Carousels

by Christina Kahrl

OAKLAND ATHLETICS Team Audit | Team DT Cards | Team Articles | Team Statistics

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Dealt CF-L Mark Kotsay and lots of cash to the Braves for RHPs Joey Devine and Jamie Richmond.

A nice little exchange, in that the A's had to consider Kotsay a very sunk cost. Like ditching Jason Kendall last summer, they were better off exchanging him for anything that freed up the playing time, some small amount of the already-committed money, and ideally brought in some extra talent. Just as stealing Jerry Blevins from the Cubs while creating time for Kurt Suzuki worked out quite nicely in that regard during the season's final third, this deal has every bit as good a likelihood of delivering. Setting aside what they get back from the Braves, just by making the exchange, Billy Beane got back something like $2.6 million that would have otherwise been part of Kotsay's $8 million salary for 2008. If you start off with the assumption that Kotsay's useless—not an implausible suggestion—that borders on found money, although admittedly found money that had previously fallen out of the A's collective pocket.