On Friday, Oakland signed 11-year major-league veteran Todd Walker to a minor-league deal.

Athletics first baseman Dan Johnson will begin the season on the disabled list after being diagnosed with torn cartilage in his left hip, manager Bob Geren said Thursday.

Oakland has shown some interest in Kim as a starting pitcher, but other teams, including Texas, Kansas City and Florida, have considered him as a possible reliever, and the move of him to the bullpen could give the Rockies the next 10 days to showcase him in that role in hopes of facilitating a trade.

Bobby Crosby's second at-bat showed the Athletics their shortstop is back.

They appear to be deciding between Byung-Hyun Kim and Josh Fogg for the fifth spot.

What's been fairly obvious for a while now was confirmed Sunday when A's manager Bob Geren announced that righty Dan Haren will start against the host Mariners on Opening Day.

Huston Street made $338,635 last year, not much above the major-league minimum.

The A's have been in touch with Joe Bick, Nick Swisher's agent, about renewing talks on a multiyear deal that would take the outfielder/first baseman through his arbitration years.

Barry Bonds hit his first home run of spring training, connecting in the fourth inning against Esteban Loaiza on Friday in the Giants' 5-3 loss to the Athletics.

Milton Bradley felt like he had a kindred spirit in Mark Kotsay.

A's center fielder Mark Kotsay told MLB.

Athletics shortstop Bobby Crosby faced live pitching Sunday for the first time this spring and showed no lingering effects from the back injury that sidelined him for the final two months last season.

Center fielder Mark Kotsay, out since Monday with the same type of lower-back spasms that cost him chunks of playing time in the past two seasons, didn't hear anything new on Thursday when relayed the results of his MRI exam.