September 21, 2011; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics center fielder Michael Taylor (23) at bat against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at O.co Coliseum. Texas defeated Oakland 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

Every Thursday, Swingin’ A’s will unveil a top Oakland A’s prospect. Starting from number 10 and finishing with number 1, be sure to stop by every Thursday to see who makes the list of the Top 10 Oakland A’s prospects. Let’s turn our attention to outfielder Michael Taylor, who claims the No.8 spot on our Top 10 list of A’s prospects.

While his star is fading by the minute, outfielder Michael Taylor still remains a top prospect in the Athletics’ organization. Acquired by the A’s in whole Cliff Lee-Roy Halladay trade of 2009, Taylor has been shifted around various organizations, but the young 26-year old outfielder remains regarded as a talented player.

Oakland obviously saw something in Taylor when they flipped prospect Brett Wallace, who was acquired in the deal that sent Matt Holliday to St. Louis, for Taylor. The A’s didn’t see much promise in Wallace over at third-base, but they did see some promise in the 6’5″, 255 pound Taylor.

Upon his arrival, though, Taylor hasn’t exactly “wowed” anybody. Moreover, in his only shot in Oakland, Taylor put together a .200/.314/.300 slash line with a home run and an RBI. In his defense, Bob Melvin didn’t exactly use Taylor in the most ideal way. Melvin opted to give David DeJesus, who had a terrible year in Oakland, starting time over Taylor in meaningless September games. (more…)

Oakland's Next Outfielder? Could the A's make a run at OF Ryan Ludwick? (Photo Credit: AP)

There are reports circulating around the rumor mill that seem to suggest that the A’s are interested in free-agent outfielder Ryan Ludwick. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com recently tweeted that at least four teams are interested in Ludwick.

The A’s recently re-signed their own free-agent OF Coco Crisp earlier this month, but general manager Billy Beane is reportedly interested in exploring the free agent market for outfield help. There’s certainly nothing wrong with wanting a little extra help, right?

Oakland’s new-look outfield corp currently includes Crisp, Michael Taylor, and Josh Reddick. Adding a veteran player like Ludwick could help add a little depth in an area most regard as being razor thin for Oakland.

Ludwick, 33, was originally drafted by the A’s during the second-round of the 1999 amateur draft, but was traded to Texas in 2002. Over his career, Ludwick has made stops in Texas, Cleveland, St. Louis, San Diego, and Pittsburg. (more…)

Cuckoo For Coco: The A's have reportedly signed Coco Crisp to a two-year deal worth $14 million (Photo Credit: AP)

According to recent report on the San Francisco Chronicle, the A’s are going to retain their outfielder Coco Crisp for two more seasons with a two-year deal worth $14 million. The deal, while not official, includes an option for 2014 worth $7.5 million with a $1 million buyout.

That’s a lot of money for the penny-pinching A’s, especially given their current goal of going younger and cheaper in 2012. This Crisp signing definitely goes against everything we’ve read in Moneyball.

Crisp returns as Oakland’s starting center-fielder, most likely, and it only cost the A’s a guaranteed $14 million. Oh, and if the A’s do end up trading Crisp at this year’s trade deadline like many believe could happen given the team’s lack of big-league talent, it’ll end up costing them financially.

According to Susan Slusser of the SF Chronicle, the A’s must pay Crisp an additional $250,000 if they decide to trade him. Given the team’s less than stellar expectations heading into this season, I wouldn’t be surprised if the team decides to flip Crisp at the deadline for a few prospects. (more…)