If there is any player who you couldn't be happier for signing a guaranteed multiyear contract, it's Mark Ellis, particularly because of what he went through.

(Macha) did a fine job. We obviously had significant player turnover and injuries. The end result was good. It was great to see the young guys make the progress they did.

We've got to use every piece of data and piece of information, and hopefully that will help us be accurate with our player evaluation. For us, that's our life blood.

After all my years, there are two things I've never got used to - haggling with a player over his contract and telling a boy he's got to go back.

Anyone would welcome a player like Michael back into the team. He'll be on a high after signing for Newcastle,

I've always been intellectually restless, but it is the building part of it that most interests me. It is the constructing of the team that is my favorite part. Anyone who is familiar with the history of the A's franchise, even dating back to Philadelphia, knows that every five or 10 years, you have to tear it apart and rebuild it.