Holliday trade gives A's fans mixed signals This is confusing.
The A's have preached "MoneyBall" for years. General manager Billy Beane has preached getting more out of less in building a winner. The players he acquires must have an on-base percentage that can milk runners from any lineup. Now the A's throw all of the cards in the air and trade for Matt Holliday, one of the top sluggers in the game. Or did they just reshuffle the deck?
Not since 2001, when they traded for Johnny Damon (who was 27), have they acquired such a young star (Holliday is 28). Yes, they have had Frank Thomas and Mike Piazza as designated hitters recently, but those two were playing out their careers.
So what does this trade mean? Are the A's going to spend money to make a pennant run? Or will they use Holliday as a midseason trading chip?
Holliday is a free agent after next season and his agent is Elk Grove's Scott Boras, who will ask for a huge contract the A's do not normally pay.
I'm betting he's trade fodder.
