MLB teams had until yesterday to add players to their 40-man roster, before the players would be available to all the other MLB clubs in the upcoming Rule 5 draft.  Jay Marshall and Ryan Goleski were taken by the A’s last year (and are now out of the system) but a man was lost, and his name is Jared Burton, a member of the 2002 Vancouver Canadians.

Four former Canadians, and one future Athletic, were added to Oakland’s 40-man roster yesterday, keeping them in the system for the next few months.  RHP Jeff Gray, SS Gregorio Petit, C Landon Powell, and OF Richie Robnett were selected to the MLB roster, as was fireballer Henry Rodriguez, who was with Kane County this season.  Oakland now has two spots available on the 40-man roster.

Gray, a 2005 C’s alumnist, has had an excellent season, and is continuing his success in the Arizona Fall League, after spending 2007 with Sacramento in AAA.  Rodriguez is an up-and-coming prospect with the A’s, and his speeds are Bobby Jenks-like.  Petit spent ‘04 with the Red and Blue, and also played in AAA this season.  Powell was injured with the Rivercats, giving him two injuries that have hampered his professional career (he was sidelined a few years ago, missing a full season of ‘ball).  Robnett was a top pick in the 2004 draft (as was Powell) and reported to Vancouver in late July of that same year.

The additions aren’t too surprising, and with Powell being added you know it means he’ll be ready for the 2008 spring training, otherwise why bother?

The A’s also signed three minor-league free agents, including a name most C’s fans will recognize.  Troy Cate, Todd Donovan and Todd Linden are members of Oakland’s system after being signed over the last few days.  

Cate is a LHP who is in the Mexican Winter League as we speak, and played at Nat Bailey in 2002 as a member of the Everett Aquasox.  His time in the Mariners system brought him to Tacoma in 2003, where he pitched in one game picking up the win, but after four years he was stuck in the California League and went over to the St Louis system.  Side note, he was suspended for 15-games a few years ago for using steroids, hopefully that era of his life is over.

In 2006 he put up great numbers in Palm Beach (Single-A) and Springfield (AA, where he had an ERA of 0.57 in 10 games) but he couldn’t keep up that success in 2007, pitching out of Memphis in the PCL and St Louis in the Majors.  In the bigs, he appeared in 14 games with no decisions, and an ERA of 3.38 coming out of the ‘pen.  He started his career as a starter, but was a reliever in ‘07, and from what the stats say he’s one of those set-up men (ala Kiko Calero, Ricardo Rincon).

The mormon who is also a father, told Joe Weiss of Scout.com, that "I always knew I’d make it," in May of 2004 while still a member of the Mariners organization.

Turning 30 years old in August of 2008, Todd Donovan is not your typical outfielder.  He started his career at the age of 20 with Idaho Falls of the Pioneer League 8 years ago, and has progressed to AAA since.  A career .267 hitter, Donovan was picked up by the A’s last week after being let go by the Rangers.  His career has brought him to stops like Ottawa, Akron, Bowie, Las Vegas, Mobile, and Fort Wayne to name a few.  Most recently, he played for Frisco in the Texas League.

He’s played for six different organizations, with Oakland being the 7th, never making it to the show.  He’s had chances, in Spring Training (and two stints in AAA), and with the big boys during the March training, he has a home-run, three doubles and a total of 9 hits in 36 at-bats.  Batting .250 isn’t terrible but for spring training it could be much better.  Let’s hope he shows Oakland what he’s really got, in what may be his final years as a pro ball player.

Todd Linden may not be a house-hold name to baseball fans, but his brother is in Vancouver baseball houses.  Brother of 2007 Canadians colour-man Mark, Todd has been with the other Bay-Area team his whole career, in the minor leagues.  Todd is 27 and a power-hitting outfielder.  He has a total of 85 home-runs in six minor-league seasons, to go along with eight dingers with the San Francisco Giants, after 502 plate appearances. 

He’s been anything but sloppy in the minors, with a career average of .289 but in the big leagues (and this is in a combined five years in the majors) he has batted only .231.  AAA could be the next move for him (once again) and consider this – he started 2002 in AA and hasn’t been back there since that time with Shreveport (a now defunct AA team).  That’s a long time between four clubs (Fresno – San Francisco’s AAA affiliate, San Francisco and the Florida Marlins who picked him up in the 2007 season, along with Albuquerque with whom he spent time with this year).