A’s, Duchscherer agree on 1-year deal
December 24, 2009
Right-hander Justin Duchscherer(notes) has reached a preliminary agreement on aone-year contract that would keep him with the Oakland Athletics, a person withknowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement has notbeen finalized. Duchscherer’s deal is pending a physical, so an announcement bythe team might not come until after Christmas.
A two-time All-Star, the 32-year-old missed all of the 2009 season becauseof an elbow injury and was treated for clinical depression. He has spent thelast six of his seven major league seasons with Oakland, becoming a full-timestarter for the first time in his career during 2008. He went 10-8 that yearwith a 2.54 ERA while pitching a career-high 141 2-3 innings.
Duchscherer earned his second All-Star selection in 2008 and certainly ishoping for a successful return to baseball come 2010.
Having Duchscherer back will add a key veteran presence to a young rotationthat featured mostly rookies this past season, including highly touted BrettAnderson(notes) and Trevor Cahill(notes).
The A’s finished with 75 wins for the second straight season and in lastplace in the AL West, losing their final seven games.
General manager Billy Beane has been busy this winter. The A’s signedoutfielder Coco Crisp(notes) on Wednesday and Beane acquired third baseman Jake Fox(notes),second baseman Aaron Miles(notes) and cash considerations from the Chicago Cubs forthree players.
Oakland also was included in the big four-team, nine-player swap last weekfeaturing Cliff Lee(notes) and Roy Halladay(notes) that brought outfielder Michael Taylor tothe A’s. Oakland sent third baseman Brett Wallace(notes) to Toronto.
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