The A's continue to talk with the Pirates about left fielder Jason Bay, but a trade remains unlikely — the Pirates want more than the A's are willing to give. The A's are trying to build a long-term contender as they prepare for the opening of their new ballpark in 2012. Acquiring Bay for the rest of this season and next season would do little to help them accomplish that goal.
Well, right. The A's do have the prospects necessary to acquire Bay, but the question is why they'd want to. Already this season they've traded Rich Harden--who had a reasonably-priced option for 2009--and Joe Blanton. The A's seem to have their sights set on 2010 at the earliest, and by that point, Bay could well be gone via free agency.