Sunday Insider: Oakland won't surrender yet

No surrender, yet

The Athletics entered the season intending to be serious contenders for the first time since 2006 (full disclosure: I picked them to make the World Series in Newsday's baseball preview, which isn't looking too prescient). They knew they'd depend heavily on their pitching to support a lineup that, at its best, would probably be no better than league-average.

Instead, Oakland has staggered through the season because an awful offense -- 290 runs scored through Friday's action, second-lowest in the American League -- has utterly failed to cover for a league-best pitching staff (3.12 ERA). Hence the A's 37-46 record entering their game Saturday night against Arizona.

Billy Beane's club occupies last place in the AL West, but it isn't out of the division race because no club has excelled. So the A's will look to reinforcements, mostly on the pitching side, to boost a final run before the team has to seriously consider becoming a trade-deadline seller.

"I do want to give Bob Melvin more guys to work with," Beane said Friday in a telephone interview of his new manager, who replaced the fired Bob Geren on June 9, "and we'll evaluate from there."

Rich Harden (strained right lat muscle) made his season debut Friday, defeating Arizona, and righty Brandon McCarthy (stress reaction, right shoulder) will return from the disabled list Monday. Josh Willingham (strained left Achilles tendon), the A's best hitter, will come back Sunday. Righthander Tyson Ross (left oblique strain) is throwing off a mound.

"The good thing is we've pitched well," Beane said. "We don't need to score much."

Beane tried to sign free agents Adrian Beltre and Lance Berkman last winter and couldn't land either. Most hitters want no part of spacious, outdated Oakland-Alameda Coliseum. The A's had to settle for David DeJesus and former Yankee Hideki Matsui in addition to Willingham.

If the A's can't make a run back into serious contention, then they'll have to gauge the trade value of impending free agents such as Willingham, DeJesus, Coco Crisp and Harden. Matsui is performing so poorly right now that he probably wouldn't be a serious trade target.

Quick hits

There's once again speculation whether Japanese righthander Yu Darvish, now with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, will try to come to major-league baseball in 2012 via the posting system. Should that occur, and the general expectation is that it will, Darvish's representative is expected to be Arn Tellem, who is the agent for Matsui, as well as Yankees flop Kei Igawa.

The owners and players continue to negotiate a new collective-bargaining agreement, and a rising star on the Players Association side is former Met and Yankee Tony Clark, the union's director of player relations. Clark has been very involved in the discussions and has impressed Major League Baseball officials.

Speaking of collective bargaining, HBO will air "The Curious Case of Curt Flood," a documentary on the player who unsuccessfully challenged MLB's reserve clause in 1970, on July 13. I saw it at a screening this past week -- former union head Marvin Miller and Flood's 1969 Cardinals teammate Joe Torre were among those in attendance -- and it's fantastic. A great look at both baseball history and a fascinating, deeply flawed man.

Former Yankee Bernie Williams has written a book, "Rhythms of the Game: The Link Between Musical and Athletic Performance." He'll mix baseball and music once again when he plays the national anthem, acoustically, before the Futures Game on July 10 at Chase Field. Then he'll participate in the Celebrity Softball Game.

Continued best wishes to Hall of Famer Gary Carter, who is undergoing radiation treatment for his brain tumors. Carter was hoping to attend the Hall of Fame inductions July 24 in Cooperstown, but that's looking like a significant long shot now.

Pop quiz

In a 1988 episode of "The Wonder Years," we learn that Kevin aspired to play centerfield for a specific major-league team. Name the team.

Three tradable Dodgers assets

Jamey Carroll, IF. He gets on base and is a positive clubhouse presence.

Rod Barajas, C. The former Met, extremely streaky, still has some pop and has a good reputation for working with pitchers.

Mike MacDougal, RHP. The relief market will be plentiful, and his walk rate is horrendous. But he'll come cheap.

Three teams on the buy/sell bubble

Twins. It's not in the Twins' DNA to surrender. They've recorded too many second-half surges.

Rockies. They have been very disappointing, but there's still time to salvage their campaign.

Mariners. There's no reason for Seattle, playing in a very winnable division, to make any decisions yet.

Quote of the week: "I guess the no-hitter is next. I'll sign up for it -- tell me where." R.A. Dickey, Tuesday night, after the Mets ended a nearly two-year grand slam drought by hitting two in a 14-3 victory over the Tigers.

Pop quiz answer

The San Francisco Giants. Thanks to Gary Mintz of South Huntington for the suggestion.