The Athletics hired Bob Schaefer as bench coach Wednesday to work under first-year manager Bob Geren.

The Kansas City Royals have traded infielder Donnie Murphy to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for cash considerations, Royals Senior Vice President- Baseball Operations/General Manager Dayton Moore announced on Tuesday.

Marco Scutaro is not the type of player opposing teams fear.

The Athletics and right-hander Scott Dunn agreed to a one-year contract on Monday.

With Tom Glavine wavering on whether or not he wants to return, the Mets are zeroing in on Barry Zito.

The A's have emerged as a possible new home for Barry Bonds, although the stars must be perfectly aligned for that to happen, said Lewis Wolff, the team's managing partner.

Bob Geren will be promoted from bench coach to manager of the A's, according to a high-ranking baseball official.

The Toronto Sun reported Thursday on its web site that Frank Thomas has reached a tentative agreement with the Blue Jays on a two-year contract worth $20 million.

Athletics GM Billy Beane plans to announce Oakland's new manager by week's end, saying Tuesday he had yet to choose between the three remaining candidates.

The Athletics unveiled plans Tuesday to move south and build a long-awaited, state-of-the-art stadium they hope will soon transform the small-market club into a big spender.

The Athletics narrowed their list of managerial candidates to three Monday, eliminating Trey Hillman from consideration.

Mets bench coach Manny Acta has withdrawn his name from consideration for the manager's job with Oakland, where A's bench coach Bob Geren is still a favorite to be hired.

The Oakland A's are set to announce a major step forward next week in their plans to move down the Nimitz Freeway and build a 36,000-seat ballpark in Fremont.

Ron Washington has always been a popular coach with players, stressing communication and letting them be themselves.

A's coach Ron Washington has done the interview circuit this offseason, and it looks like it might pay off in a regular gig.

Athletics coach Ron Washington is scheduled to have a second interview Sunday with the Rangers, who are expected to hire their new manager next week.

Longtime A's coach Ron Washington interviewed for the club's managerial opening for close to 3 1/2 hours Tuesday and deemed the meeting with Oakland GM Billy Beane a success.

The Athletics essentially knew that Barry Zito would test the waters of free agency this winter.