Amore?Piazza isn't the answer
By Bullpen Catcher (photo from CNN.com)
Rumors of Tommy Lasorda's little pal landing on the Twins' roster this season seem absurd. Twelve-time All-Star Mike Piazza isn't leaving the Oakland A's for the Twin Cities and anyone who thinks his arrival would change anything for the local team needs to stop picking up packages labeled BALCO at the mailbox.
Piazza cleared waivers and can be traded to any team willing to pick up $2.6 million in salary for the rest of the season.
Piazza is my age. He was also a catcher. That being said, he's probably about done with his stellar career. This season, he's appeared in 43 games with the A's, mostly as the cleanup hitting DH. He has three home runs and 22 RBI, but is hitting .297.
Shooter wrote in his column this week that Piazza has a "gentleman's agreement" with A's GM Billy Beane that allows Piazza to veto any trade despite the fact he doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract. But the A's look ready to unload for next year -- they are 12.5 back in the lowly AL West and reportedly passed CF Shannon Stewart through waivers today, when he was picked up by the Chicago Cubs. Piazza apparently has no desire to play in the Twin Cities.
My sources said the Twins pursued Piazza after last season, hoping to make him a power right-handed bat in the DH slot. That pursuit went much the way of the Frank Thomas attempt following the 2005 season: nowhere because the team wouldn't pony up money set aside for Rondell White's doctors.
Besides, Piazza is built for the coasts ... hell his wife is a former Playboy Playmate. He doesn't want to be batting in a Twins lineup that can't score runs and can't/won't pay players.
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