That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

OAKLAND–In the last two years former Baltimore Oriole closer Jim Johnson who saved 50 games last year and 51 in 2012, joined the Oakland A’s on Monday as the new closer of the club, former A’s pitchers Grant Balfour and Bartolo Colon will not return to Oakland and will seek new teams. Johnson will be the key closer and this was a great pick up by A’s general manager Billy Beane.

The A’s also signed Scott Kazmir on Monday for $22 million for two years, Kazmir is a lefty whose your typical five inning pitcher. He had some arm problems in the past I remember when he was a rookie with the Angels in 2007 in Anaheim and he was pretty good and he’s been around he pitched in Tampa Bay. Kazmir is a rotation guy and you put him in the rotation but I like the Johnson acquisition better and he could help the A’s a lot coming in in the ninth inning.

Johnson did have some arm problems but who hasn’t in the big leagues in this day and era a lot of guys come out a lot better after Tommy John surgery so Johnson is a good acquisition for Oakland. For Colon his agent is asking for a two year deal from Oakland and Beane is offering one so there is a good chance that Colon might sign with the Angels and he would love to be back in Southern California.

Colon won the Cy Young Award in Anaheim and that was in 2005 with the Angels that year he used to throw 98 MPH he threw like a Justin Verlander and last year wasn’t his best year for the A’s but it was that 2005 year for the Angels when he went 21-8 with a 3.48 ERA and the Angels would love to have him back and he’s asking for two years and after those two years he might retire. He’ll hang it up he’s 41 Colon is not coming back with the A’s and will shop other clubs and the A’s will not be able to sign him.

Balfour is a free agent and when Johnson was signed Balfour who was the A’s representative All-Star player with Colon last year will be looking for another team as Johnson will be the A’s closer starting next season and Balfour will be somewhere else. The meetings with the baseball owners begin next Monday in Orlando Florida and things are already happening there’s a lot of trading going on this week.

Giants looking to sign five players: The San Francisco Giants are looking to sign five players who are arbitration eligible, first baseman Brandon Belt, outfielder Gregor Blanco, pitcher Yusmeiro Petit, infielders Joaquin Arias, and Tony Abreu. Arias is versatile he can play third, short, and he can play any place. Petit is a Venezuelan pitcher who had a great year and almost pitched a perfect game, he has a good arm. The Giants are not sure if they are going to keep him and of course Barry Zito is gone after pitching for the Giants for seven years.

Blanco he’s your basic fourth outfielder he’s not an everyday outfielder. I’m surprised that the Giants have not signed somebody else to play leftfield and maybe they want to stay away from Nelson Cruz whose still a free agent but as we know last year he was suspended for PEDs and former Reds outfielder Shin-Soo Choo is a very good outfielder but his price might be too high for the Giants.

The Giants might have fortified themselves as far as pitching is concerned with Timmy Hudson and signing Timmy Lincecum. The Giants got Javier Lopez a left hander specialist. The Giants still need another bat because the truth about this the Giants and the Giants might not want to talk about this you don’t know what kind of Pablo Sandoval your going to get. There is only one superstar. everyday player and that is Buster Posey. Posey is the only guy who you can trust to hit .300 every year. You don’t know what kind of Pablo your going to get and signing Arias could be a plus he could help Pablo out at third base.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for Oakland A’s baseball and does News and Commentary each week for Sportstalk