Travis Buck

hses options are good bets to be much of an improvement over the 2008 efforts.

Right Field

2008 Travis Buck 172 PAs .226 .291 .432

2008 Ryan Sweeney 292 PAs .286 .350 .383

This is probably the A's best bet for an improvement for a returning player.  Buck hit .288/.377/.474 as a rookie in 2007, and whie he may have been playing over his head a little, his minor league numbers do not suggest that his 2007 was a complete fluke.  Even if you split the difference between Buck's 2008 and 2008 you get a .265/.347/.459 hitter, which is much better than what A's right fielders produced last year.  

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Oakland certainly wins, as they shed the risky Harden in return for an everyday outfielder—Travis Buck wasn’t cutting it and Ryan Sweeney’s hurt—a utilityman with good upside, and two good prospects. Chicago assumed some risk, while giving themselves a much better shot to put together a complete, pennant-winning team than the Brewers did by acquiring Sabathia.

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