The Oakland A’s have dealt 34-year old righty swinging 2B Mark Ellis and cash considerations to the Colorado Rockies for 25-year old righty reliever/starter Bruce Billings and a player to be named later. Ellis played in 62 games for the A’s this year and he was 47 for 217 (.217 avg, .544 OPS) with 21 runs scored, 1 homer, 16 RBIs and 7 stolen bases. He played in 1,056 games in 9 years with the A’s and he was 1,015 for 3,828 (.265 avg, .729 OPS) with 533 runs scored, 86 homers, 434 RBIs and 62 stolen bases. Rookie 2B Jemile Weeks bumped Ellis out of his starting job with the A’s while he was on the D.L., which made him expendable.

Bruce Billings made his major league debut by working 2 innings for the Rockies in which he gave up 5 hits and 1 run (it was earned). It was his only appearance in the majors this year before getting sent back to the minors. Billings also has pitched in 29 games (0 starts) in AAA-ball so far this year and he is 6-2 with 1 save, a 4.47 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP. Billings has now pitched in 126 games (76 starts) in his first five years in the minors and he is 36-31 with 2 saves, a 3.80 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. He has whiffed 503 batters in only 499 1/3 innings in the minors, so he does have a good arm.

The A’s have placed 33-year old righty reliever Grant Balfour on the 15-day disabled list with a right oblique strain. Balfour has pitched in 33 games (0 starts) for the A’s so far this year and he is 4-1 with 2 saves, a 2.48 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. He has only given up 23 hits in his first 32 2/3 innings this year while whiffing 35 batters. The A’s should be able to manage until Balfour is ready to return to action because they have one of he best and deepest bullpens in all of baseball.

23-year old lefty swinging 2B Adrian Cardenas came into this season as the A’s #15 prospect according to Baseball America. Cardenas has played in 70 games in AAA-ball this year and he is 81 for 259 (.313 avg, .800 OPS) with 35 runs scored, 3 homers, 27 RBIs and 4 stolen bases. He has now played in 586 games in his first six years in the minors and he is 676 of 2,243 (.301 avg, .780 OPS) with 339 runs scored, 27 homers, 299 RBIs and 68 stolen bases. Cardenas is now blocked at 2B by Jemile Weeks who leapfrogged him.

24-year old switch-hitting rookie 2B Jemile Weeks has taken over as the starting 2B of the Oakland A’s. He has played in 18 games for the A’s so far this year and he is 21 for 68 (.309 avg, .827 OPS) with 12 runs scored, 0 homers, 6 RBIs and 6 stolen bases. Weeks has turned 34-year old righty swinging Mark Ellis into a bench player. Ellis has played in 62 games for the A’s this year and he is 47 for 217 (.217 avg, .544 OPS) with 21 runs scored, 1 homer, 16 RBIs and 7 stolen bases. Usually, you aren’t supposed to lose your job when you are on the D.L., but Weeks snatched it away from Ellis.

Righty swinging outfielder Jose Canseco was a freak of nature as a player. Not many guys could hit the ball farther then he could, but he had helpers. In his book “Juiced” he admitted using steroids and injecting other players (Mark McGwire among the many) with them. No one has sued Jose Canseco yet, so he must be telling the truth. Canseco burst onto the scene in 1986 with the A’s when he won the A.L. Rookie of the Year Award. Canseco played in 157 games for the A’s in 1986 and he was 144 for 600 (.240 avg, .775 OPS) with 85 runs scored, 33 homers, 117 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. He also made the All-Star team in 1986 and he was 20th in the MVP Voting. Canseco then turned in a monster season in 1988 for the A’s. Canseco played in 158 games for the A’s in 1988 and he was 187 for 610 (.307 avg, .959 OPS) with 120 runs scored, 42 homers (led the majors), 124 RBIs (led the majors) and a incredible 40 stolen bases. Canseco was named the MVP of the American League in 1988. Canseco also won a Silver Slugger Award and made the All-Star team in 1988. Canseco played in 1,058 games in 9 years with the A’s and he was 1,048 for 3,970 (.264 avg, .851 OPS) with 662 runs scored, 254 homers, 793 RBIs and 135 stolen bases. Canseco is 4th in A’s history in homers with 254. He is also tied for 10th in OPS (.851) and he’s #6 in RBIs (793) in A’s history. Jose Canseco might have been the biggest cheater in baseball, but none of his numbers have an asterisk by them in the record books.

The Oakland A’s have placed 32-year old righty swinging LF Josh Willingham on the 15-day disabled list due to a strained left Achilles tendon. Willingham has played in 64 games for the A’s so far this year and he is 53 for 229 (.231 avg, .718 OPS) with 27 runs scored, 10 homers, 42 RBIs and 4 stolen bases. The A’s have called up 24-year old righty swinging 1B/OF Chris Carter to replace Willingham on the active roster. Carter has played in 29 games in A+AAA-ball so far this year and he is 28 for 109 (.257 avg, .917 OPS) with 15 runs scored, 8 homers, 28 RBIs and 1 stolen base. Carter got his first taste of the majors for the A’s last year when he played in 24 games in which he was 13 for 70 (.186 avg, .585 OPS) with 8 runs scored, 3 homers, 7 RBIs and 1 stolen base.

26-year old lefty starting pitcher Josh Outman missed the entire 2010 season due to Tommy John Surgery. He then started this year in the minors before getting a chance due to injuries and he’s running with it. Outman has started in 4 games so far this June and he is 2-1 with a 3.32 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. He has now pitched in 6 games (all starts) for the A’s and he is 3-1 with a 2.86 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. With the way that Outman is pitching, the A’s won’t be able to take him out of the rotation when the other guys come off the D.L.

The A’s have signed 28-year old righty starter/reliever Doug Mathis to a minor league deal. Mathis has pitched in 13 games (all starts) in AAA-ball for the Giants this year and he is 0-4 with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP. He has pitched in 45 games (6 starts) in his first three years in the majors and he is 3-3 with 1 save, a 4.84 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP. It never hurts to stockpile pitchers like Mathis in AAA, so I like this signing for the A’s.

24-year old switch-hitting 2B Jemile Weeks is off to a fast start to his major league career. Weeks has played in 9 games so far in the majors and he is 11 for 32 (.344 avg, .957 OPS) with 6 runs scored, 0 homers, 5 RBIs and 1 stolen base. He also has 2 doubles and 3 triples as he is hitting the ball hard and using his speed. 34-year old righty swinging Mark Ellis better get back from the D.L. soon, or it might be hard getting his old job back. Ellis has played in 59 games for the A’s so far this year and he is 44 for 209 (.211 avg, .533 OPS) with 21 runs scored, 1 homer, 15 RBIs and 7 stolen bases.

The Oakland A’s really expected more out of the team this year. This team was built to win now but they are 30-40 and are in last place in the N.L. West. The good news is that they are only six games out of first place, so they can get on a hot streak and turn things around quickly. If they continue to fade though, A’s G.M. Billy Beane is going to be very active at the trade deadline. Kurt Suzuki, Daric Barton, Mark Ellis, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Coco Crisp, David DeJesus, Hideki Matsui, Conor Jackson, Ryan Sweeney, Craig Breslow, Jeremy Blevins and Brian Fuentes will all likely garner interest from other teams. If the A’s continue to struggle, I see them having a big firesale. But, if they get hot, I could see them buying a hitter or two (especially a 1B).