The A’s got themselves two new players today: Alan Embree and Mike Piazza.

Starting with Embree, it looks like a good deal. Embree is a good reliever, a bit old, but good. The free agent market is not strong this year, and Embree was a good grab since he had a strikeout per walk ratio of 3 last season. The other thing the signing allows for it allows the A’s move Joe Kennedy, once a starter in Colorado, into the starting rotation.

Now to the former 62nd round draft pick. Piazza is a slightly cheaper version of Frank Thomas, and probably will not produce at that same level. Piazza rarely walks, one of the best traits of the Big Hurt. Big Frank got on base by simply picking up a bat and walking up to the plate. Piazza won’t do that for the A’s. But I do hope that with some rest, that Mike can stay healthy and might pick up his production back to All-Star levels. I guess in the end my only hesitation to put my stamp of approval on this signing is that Piazza is using this deal to springboard himself back into the NL next year and once again be a full-time catcher. So this time next season the A’s are going to be without a DH once again, the only hope being that young first baseman Daric Barton will develop fast enough to be a part of the Athletics’s plans in 2008.

And in another late breaking story, it seems that Brian Sabean, general manager of the San Francisco Giants held a press conference to announce that they will be brining in Will Clark to man first base in 2007 and is in talks with Gary Carter to split time with Bengie Molina behind the plate.