Every year, Billy Beane goes shopping to make sure he is stocked up on about seven starting pitchers. He puts five of them in the Oakland fridge for immediate consumption, and dumps two in the freezer in Sacramento for future use. This year, he was eyeing some Mark Redmeat, but today he decided it was too much flank steak at filet mignon prices. So now he must keep shopping, hungrily eyeing today's butcher block for the best deal he can find on fresh, non-tenderized beef.

Justin Duchscherer gets to stay in the fridge for the moment. Meanwhile, Menechino scutaros off, and Fikac is free to agent himself around. I wonder why Billy kept Frankie and Jeremy on the 40-man roster for the Rule 5 draft? I don't know. Mabeus A's didn't really care for those guys they lost. But it's not like Jeremy didn't slider or something. For A's fans, what else is Neu? Nothing, apparently, and that's what they got for him. Perhaps we're wishing farewell to them because they happened to get caught with a Hammond the new cookie jar.

The duration of Durazo's A's tenure was extended a year. It's the right thing to do. So only one guy left: whither Chad Brad Ford? I've not heard a word. It would be wise if he were tenderized. In his case, no news is good news.