The A’s have signed 23-year old switch-hitting 2B/SS Darwin Perez to a minor league deal. Perez played in 126 games in AA-ball for the Angels last year and he was 87 of 407 (.214 avg, .600 OPS) with 51 runs scored, 6 homers, 36 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. He has now played in 652 games in his first seven years in the minors and he was 564 of 2,228 (.253 avg, .687 OPS) with 349 runs scored, 16 homers, 244 RBIs and 92 stolen bases. He will likely start the 2013 in AA-ball for the A’s.

51-year old manager Bob Melvin has been named the 2012 A.L. Manager of the Year. He narrowly beat out Buck Showalter of the Orioles, but he deserved to win the award. No one thought the A’s were going to be worth a damn in 2012 and Melvin led them to the A.L. West title. The A’s were 94-68 (58%) during the regular season and they were 2-3 in the playoffs. Melvin is now 141-120 (54%) in his first two years as the manager of the A’s. I look for him to continue to get the most out of the roster that GM Billy Beane gives him.

The A’s have signed 28-year old lefty reliever Justin Thomas to a minor league deal. Thomas pitched in 11 games (0 starts) for the Red Sox and Yankees last year and he was 0-0 with a 8.22 ERA and a 1.96 WHIP. He has now pitched in 31 games (0 starts) in his first three years in the majors and he is 0-2 with a 6.93 ERA and a 2.11 WHIP. Thomas will likely start the 2013 season in AAA-ball for the A’s.