By Will Kimmey
December 16, 2003

It turns out that the Athletics weren't looking for all-star catcher Ramon Hernandez' replacement when they traded a player to be named later to get Michael Barrett from the Expos on Monday. On Tuesday, Oakland shipped Barrett to the Cubs, again for a player to be named.

The Expos likely would have nontendered Barrett later this month to avoid going to arbitration with him. He made $2.6 million during a dismal 2003 season and his salary can't be cut more than 20 percent, so he'll earn at least $2.08 million in 2004. He figures to take over the starting catching job for the Cubs, making Damian Miller expendable. The A's are believed to have some interest in Miller despite his $3 million salary for 2004.

Barrett, 27, hit just .208/.280/.398 with 10 home runs and 30 RBIs in 70 games this year, battling hip and finger injuries while losing his job to Brian Schneider. He has a level stroke good for producing line drives to all fields, but never has shown much power or on-base ability. Barrett is a career .253/.310/.388 hitter with 38 homers and 193 RBIs in 542 games. He's a good athlete for a catcher and also has seen extended time at third base. He blocks balls well and calls a solid game, but he doesn't have a great arm. He threw out a career-high 39 percent of basestealers in 2003 and has erased 25 percent during his career.

Dec. 21 update: The A's did use Barrett to fill their catching void after all, receiving Damian Miller and cash from the Cubs to complete the deal. After Chicago nontendered Barrett and then signed him to a one-year contract, it shipped Miller to Oakland. Miller, 34, stands out more for his defense than his offense. His throwing, receiving, blocking and game-calling skills are all above average. He threw out 39 percent of basestealers in 2003 and has erased 37 percent over his big league career. As a hitter he has decent power but his inability to control the strike zone hampers his ability to hit for average or get on base. He batted .233/.310/.369 with nine homers and 36 RBIs in 114 games this year. As with most catchers, he's a liability as a runner. For his career, Miller is a .262/.329/.422 hitter with 59 homers and 243 RBIs in 606 games. He'll make $3 million in 2004, the end of a two-year, $5.7 million contract he signed after being traded to the Cubs in November 2002.