Sale of the A's: Aftermath

The LA Times is now reporting that the A's will announce the extension of Beane's contract for four more years and a piece of ownership. This article has some very nice scoops and you have to wonder where was the local papers...

• "Do we pay $100 million for a player or do we extend Billy's contract?" Wolff said. Of course, every new owner since John Hendry and Jeffery Loria have made a splash at the beginning of a new team purchase; in this case, Wolff makes several motions that this is the splash.
• "We're looking at this as a long-term investment, and the reason we can is because the former owners are handing over an extremely well-run operation, both on and off the field," Wolff said. "That gives us, we think, breathing room to work on the venue and work on other activities that will increase the value of the investment without having to micromanage every aspect of the team." And...
• Although Wolff recommended one be built in the parking lot, adjacent to the current stadium, he said he was not necessarily wedded to that site. Another plus; this depends on if he is going off of the 2002 HOK sites or some newer ones.
• He said he planned to add a few minority investors with expertise in various ventures the A's could explore to raise revenue, possibly including a broadcasting outlet. Nice; aren't you tired of the Giants always getting their games on tv?
• "I'll tell him(SJ Mayor Gonzalez) our focus is on Oakland, we're going to honor the territorial rules, and that's the end of it," Wolff said. That's good enough for me; Wolff needed to put his foot down and focus on working with somebody.

Well, it looks as if Wolff's plan is to get revenue streams that can raise the intake of the A's. By keeping Beane, he is able to keep the profits so that once the streams open, the A's can boost payroll without going into pocket. Good enough for me although I wish Beane was extended for a bit longer. Also, on the broadcasting issue, one has to wonder whether it would be a radio station or a cable channel...