It was the logical thought process, once the Blue Jays cut Frank Thomas last week - “Bring him back to the A’s! We loved him here!”

Now, it sounds like there are rumblings of that actually happening.

I wouldn’t bet on it though, as who would be sacrificed to bring him back? Jack Cust, who has disappointed so far (.148/.361/.241)? Or Mike Sweeney, who has been doing well enough to keep a roster spot (.288/.367/.346)? I don’t see the A’s giving up on Cust that quickly after the season he had last year. It’s still only April.

Keith Foulke was odd enough. But this?

More rumblings that the A’s are on the lookout for a center fielder: According to a major-league source, Oakland recently inquired about the Dodgers’ Juan Pierre.

Juan Pierre, who is still under contract for the next four years at $36.5 million. Juan Pierre, who is going to turn 31 this season. Juan Pierre, who had a 2007 OPS of .685.

Um, no.

I still don’t see a spot for Dan Johnson on this team, and was waiting for his name to come up in light of Carlos Delgado’s injury. But on Sunday, when Buster Olney laid out some possibilities, D.J. was not mentioned.

“Dan Johnsoooooon!” I sang at the computer screen while reading the column. Apparently Buster eventually noticed, because he brought him up (along with Doug Mientkiewicz) yesterday. The Mets certainly wouldn’t have to give up much to get him.

A good spring, of course, would help. D.J. is hitting .214 with a homer and two RBI in 14 at-bats.

It’s Pitchers and Catchers Eve, so let’s getting to a few of the developing A’s items as our green and gold battery mates descend on Phoenix!

1. The A’s signed Mike Sweeney to a minor league deal. We love us some former Royals, don’t we?

I know it is is just a minor league deal, but I can’t imagine them signing him to be the Rivercats’ DH. This seems to spell the end of Dan Johnson’s green and gold days, as Daric Barton is definitely the full time first baseman and Sweeney and Cust could platoon at DH (Sweeney vs. LHP). There is really no place for Johnson anymore. He should be wearing a different uniform come Opening Day.

2. Joe Blanton is on the front burner of the hot stove again, now that Santana, Haren, and Bedard have all been moved. He’s the best available pitcher, and Beane is looking for a Swisher-like package for him, or even more. Sounds good to me, as with Haren, we don’t have to trade Blanton. Give us what we want though and we will.

MLBTradeRumors.com reports the Reds are pursuing him the most aggressively, and they definitely have an attractive group of prospects in their system. Jay Bruce ain’t happening (though I did trade him to the A’s in Baseball Mogul once), but guys like Homer Bailey, Joey Votto, Johnny Cueto, and Drew Stubbs are being discussed.

A lot of other teams have been mentioned, with varying sources saying they are and aren’t interested: Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, Rockies, Indians, Devil Rays, Twins, Angels.

3. I’m going to squeal with delight the first time I see a green catcher’s mask this year. Woooooo! I can hardly stand it!!!

This year for Christmas, my husband and I decided that, in lieu of getting each other gifts, we are were going to get ourselves a Nintendo Wii. Emphasis on the “were” - as you know, Wiis are extremely hard to come by and we have all but given up hope of having one to play with on Christmas Day.

So instead, we’re figuring we’ll have to wait until the desperation to get one dies down. But how long after Christmas will we have to wait? After the new year? Will we have one by Martin Luther King Day? How about by the time pitchers and catchers report for spring training?

So we’re playing the waiting game on a Wii, much like we’re playing the waiting game when it comes to whatever the heck Billy Beane is going to do with our 2008 Oakland Athletics.

First, during the winter meetings, we were hearing all kinds of Dan Haren rumors, and then there was the Barry Bonds talk. But maybe the Barry Bonds talk was there to fuel more Dan Haren talk, as Ken Arneson at Catfish Stew suggested.

The Haren talk is still alive and well, and the Diamondbacks are still at the front of it. There is supposedly an offer on the table, and they’re waiting for the A’s answer or (probably) counter-offer. And Buster Onley suggested this weekend that the Indians, who have oodles of young pitching, could be in the running as well.

So, we continue to wait. Will Billy blow up the team or add some pieces (potentially controversial) for a run at 2008?

And who will strike first - me or Billy?  Stay tuned…

OK, I’m going to just add to this as the day goes and hopefully cover the important stuff for the A’s as the Winter Meetings continue in Nashville.

1. Hank Steinbrenner says the Yankees aren’t going to deal with the A’s for Haren because the asking price is “ridiculous.”

As for Haren, a 27-year-old righthander who was 15-9 with a 3.07 ERA this season, Steinbrenner stomped on the idea of the Yankees acquiring him. Oakland general manager Billy Beane has told teams he would need to be blown away to deal Haren. He would want a similar haul from the Yankees as the Twins asked for in exchange for Santana.

Steinbrenner called that price “ridiculous” and vowed: “It won’t happen, not with us.”

2. That’s OK though, because there are not any shortage of suitors for Haren if trading him is something Billy really wants to do. The Arizona talk is heating up and possibly at the forefront of rumors involving Haren.

Yesterday we heard that first baseman Connor Jackson was in the deal, but that’s apparently not the case. That makes sense because we have enough 1B/DH types.

Top prospects Carlos Gonzalez (RF), Emilio Bonifacio (2B), and Brett Anderson (LHP) are in the talks. Jack Magruder speculates that Dustin Nippert (RHP) and Alberto Callaspo (2B) could also be had in a deal in which Billy is seeking SIX (6!) players in return.

Another name that has come up is Jose “Crazy Eyes” Valverde, and Magruder says that by acquiring him, it’d open the door for the A’s to trade Huston Street. WTF? He’s a good pitcher and all, but I don’t know if I want my closer looking like he wants to eat babies after he strikes someone out.

3. The Dodgers are the other NL West team loaded with young talent, but they apparently don’t want to give up enough to get Haren, as they’re supposedly still showing strong interest in Joe Blanton. Not that Blanton comes that much cheaper, though. But I can imagine they wouldn’t have to give up their top gun in Clayton Kershaw like they might for Haren.

4. This one’s a doozy - from MLBTradeRumors.com:

Mets send Jose Reyes, Kevin Mulvey to A’s
Mets send Hector Pellot to Twins
A’s send Bobby Crosby and Dan Johnson to Mets
A’s send Dan Haren to Twins
Twins send Johan Santana to Mets

So the A’s would end up with a pitching prospect and a big-time upgrade at shortstop in exchange for Haren and a couple of guys most A’s fans wouldn’t mind seeing gone. Hmmm…

EDIT: Billy squashed this rumor:

“I rarely comment on trades publicly, but let me comment on this one: It is an absolute, total fabrication.”

This morning I had read speculation that the Diamondbacks might be in on a Blanton deal, but now the Boston Herald reports that the A’s and D-Backs are talking about a deal involving first baseman Connor Jackson, outfielder Carlos Gonzalez and two other players going to the A’s for Haren.

A couple thoughts on this little nugget:

1. If the A’s acquire Jackson, certainly he and Daric Barton would share first base/DH duties. Where would that leave Jack Cust? Would Travis Buck move to center, opening a corner outfield spot for Cust? Or maybe the A’s aren’t counting on Cust. That’s not a bad idea, really.

2. This news leaking out has to help the A’s on the Yankees/Red Sox front. The loser of the Santana sweepstakes might feel more desperate, knowing a deal with another team is in the works.

3. If Haren does go to the Diamondbacks, the thought of a Webb-Haren 1-2 punch in Arizona should make the Rockies, Dodgers, and Padres crap their pants.

Usually we talk Oakland, but today we’re talking Nashville. Of course, Oakland is in Nashville this week, though not geographically, because that’s not possible.

Anyway, Billy and company arrived in Nashville for the Winter Meetings last night. We’re, of course, glued to the coverage waiting for the names Haren and Blanton to pop up.

Things have changed on the possible trade front, as once-sought-after outfielder Lastings Milledge is now a Washington National. And now, with the Johan Santana talks being a tug-o-war between the Yankees and Red Sox over the last several days, the loser of the sweepstakes looks to have Billy Beane’s suite on speed dial.

Rumors abound, so let’s look at a few:

1. Billy supposedly asked for an astronomical amount of talent in return for Haren from both the Yankees and Red Sox. From New York, he is said to have asked for two of Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy. From the Red Sox, he wanted two of Jon Lester, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Clay Buchholz. Not even the Twins could get that for Santana.

If this is true, what is Billy doing? He could be a) starting high, making them more likely to make a deal when he lets up on his demands, or b) really wanting that much of a haul, because after all, he doesn’t have to trade Dan Haren; he’s under club control through 2010.

2. The Red Sox are supposedly in the lead for Santana as of this morning. I’m shocked the Twins couldn’t pull the trigger once Hughes was in the deal. They may look at him one day as the one that got away and wonder what if.

Anyway, if the Red Sox land Santana, the Yankees and A’s officials may be spending a lot of time talking to each other over the rest of the Winter Meetings.

3.  Beyond Yankees and Red Sox, the Tigers may be also in the mix for Haren’s services. Top prospects Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller are the targets, and it’d seem nuts that the Tigers would give that up, but one source says they might actually be willing to do that. Wow.

4. The Mets and Dodgers are still on board for a possible Joe Blanton deal, and Arizona may be in the mix as well. But, this is definitely on the backburner while we watch the Johan sweepstakes play out and see if someone will pony up for Haren.

Deal or no deal this week for the green and gold, it’ll be an interesting week. Stay tuned…

According the Ken Rosenthal, the A’s are no longer interested in Lastings Milledge or Aaron Heillman in a package for one of their starting pitchers, as Lastings is a corner outfielder and the A’s already have Swisher and Buck. And apparently Heillman’s relief status has made him more unattractive.

Center fielder Carlos Gomez may be the prize now. Baseball America’s scouting report on the #3 prospect in the Mets organization:

Strengths: A true five-tool athlete, Gomez has game-changing speed and a well above-average arm, tools that help make him a premium defender in center field. He also has excellent bat speed that leads to projections of at least average power, if not more. Scouts said Gomez brought needed energy to the Mets.

Weaknesses: Hitting will be the last tool to develop for Gomez. He’s still searching for the balance between aggressiveness and plate discipline. While he showed increased patience in 2007, it came at the expense of his power production.

Despite my love for Lastings, the fact that they may be now a) not counting on Mark Kotsay and b) not viewing Tavis Buck as a platoon player are good things.

I can’t believe it’s Thursday already. Last week at this time, I was getting ready to put a turkey in the oven. Time sure goes fast, but at least I just ordered my first Christmas gift this morning from Half.com.

Let’s get to some A’s talk, shall we?

1. Tuesday we talked about the Johan Santana effect on the trade market and possible dealings for A’s starters. Yesterday New York Newsday speculated that the the Mets are figuring to be out of the Santana sweepstakes, given the competition, and instead are focusing on Dan Haren and Joe Blanton.

I’ve made it known several times how much I’d like to see Lastings Milledge in Oakland. David Lennon speculates in the article that the package a year ago of Aaron Heillman and Milledge will only be a starting point this time around, in this market that Billy Beane can more easily exploit. I sure hope he’s right, even in the case of Blanton.

Lennon also points out that the A’s don’t want to go to arbitration with Blanton, which makes me wonder if something may go down in Nashville next week.

2. Interesting factoid - ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark points this out about our slugging DH Jack Cust:

The inimitable Jack Cust accumulated only 395 official at-bats this year — but still almost led the AL in both walks and strikeouts. He was first in whiffs (164) and second in walks (105) to David Ortiz (111).

Nobody has ever had that many walks and that many punchouts in a season without getting 400 at-bats — and the only guy in history who ever did it without getting 500 at-bats is Jim Thome (494, in 1999).

Way to go, Jack! This is why it took you until age 28 to get your first MLB starting job. But as long as you lead the team in OPS again, I guess it doesn’t matter so much.

3.  The A’s grabbed 1B Wes Bankston off waivers from the Royals. He’s just 24 and will provide some nice insurance in case Cust or Daric Barton goes down with injury.

Happy Thursday, everyone!