There are special moments for thoughtful reflection about new developments with the Oakland A’s … and then there are moments like these where I only have time for a quick post.

 In an offseason full of disappointment and frustration for A’s fans, today brought a pleasant surprise: The team signed power hitting Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to a 4-year, $36 million deal.

The 26-year-old should settle into the middle of Oakland’s order relatively soon and provide some much-needed power through the duration of his contract.  In a winter full of notable departures such as the loss of free agent outfielder Josh Willingham and the trades of Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill, and Andrew Bailey it’s nice to see the A’s grab some favorable headlines by adding a high-profile player when no one expected it.

Would I have preferred to see general manager Billy Beane snag Jorge Soler?  Absolutely.  He’s younger than Cespedes and probably has a higher ceiling which makes him a better fit for a team trying to set itself up for long-term success.  The drawback to Cespedes is that if the A’s ever land in San Jose he’ll be a 30-year-old on the verge of free agency.  Right when the team is theoretically in position to finally enjoy a long, well-planned run of prosperity Cespedes may be ready to take his services elsewhere.

That’s a slightly disappointing thought but it’s also getting way ahead of things.  For the moment I want to enjoy the fact that the A’s made a big splash today.  I also want to enjoy the idea of a productive outfield of Grant Green, Michael Choice, and Cespedes in place for several years starting as soon as the end of this season.

A franchise that looked doomed to losing for the next few years could actually jump back into contention in less than a year if the young pitching acquired in trades over the offseason comes together in a hurry.  If anyone can quickly build a collection of young pitchers into aces it’s pitching coach Curt Young.

Who knows, maybe Green heads back to the infield now that Oakland has a glut of young outfielders.  The franchise needs a young third baseman and maybe that’s where Green’s future lies.  Considering the fact this his glove at shortstop was so bad that he was shifted to center field makes me doubt he could cut it at the hot corner but it’s not impossible to see the A’s deliver a challenge to the former first-round pick.

Cespedes stirs up a lot of tantalizing questions for the team.  Where does his signing leave players like Coco Crisp, Josh Reddick, Collin Cowgill, Michael Taylor, Jermaine Mitchell, and Chris Carter?  Something has to give and it should be interesting to see who stays, who goes and who comes back in any trade.

There’s a lot more hope and excitement in the air for the A’s now than there was a few hours ago thanks to the Cespedes signing and it’s a welcome break from nonstop trades and ballpark situation that remains trapped in limbo.

There are special moments for thoughtful reflection about new developments with the Oakland A’s … and then there are moments like these where I only have time for a quick post.

If you’re an A’s fan and you want to believe in miracles the way some kids believe in Santa Claus this time of year then USA Today’s Bob Nightengale’s tweet this morning is the gift you’ve been waiting for:

“All signs and top #MLB sources say that the #Athletics will be granted permission by Feb to move to San Jose.”

So there you have it. If it’s true (and yes, I want to buy into the idea that it’s true) then the A’s long stay in ballpark purgatory is almost over.

Some quick thoughts … which is pretty much all I have time for on Christmas Eve:

• It’s about time. After several years of looking into the A’s ballpark situation, MLB commissioner Bud Selig’s blue ribbon panel was starting to look like an absolute joke. I guess they really did do some work after all.

• I guess being Selig’s former frat brother finally paid off for A’s owner Lew Wolff.  I’d like to think that long-running friendship helped grease the wheels for this deal to go down.

• There’s a long, long way from a tweet to Opening Day in San Jose. This thing still needs voter approval in San Jose and AT&T still has the rights to a big chunk of land that’s part of any potential ballpark.

• I must say that I am amused that MLB owners appear to be on the verge of handing San Jose over to the A’s despite the Giants’ protests. I’m sure they’ll get some money out of this deal and they’ll invade the East Bay and annoy me to death with their advertising campaigns but it still cracks me up that they’re just going to have to live with the A’s in San Jose.

I can’t blame them for trying to stand their ground and drive the A’s out of town but they were always full of hot air with their claims that they can’t live without San Jose.  Everyone is going to win if Nightengale is correct.

• Jeff Fletcher, as usual, is right on the money. Letting the A’s move to the South Bay is good for baseball. There’s nothing the owners love more than a new ballpark and the money that comes with it. Taking the A’s off of revenue sharing is exactly what they want.

• It’s time for me to show a little more patience with the latest rebuilding effort by general manager Billy Beane. If a new ballpark really is on the verge of materializing for the A’s we’ll finally see what the man can do with some resources to work with.

• I guess it’s time for me to sit back and give this ownership group a chance to put their money where their mouth has been for the past several years. Wolff and Co. have been saying for years that they can’t compete in Oakland and the only solution is a new ballpark in San Jose.

Well, here you go Wolfie. You got your wish. Now it’s time to stop making excuses and field a winner. Do that and I’ll even call the new stadium “The House That Lew Built.”

There are special moments for thoughtful reflection about new developments with the Oakland A’s … and then there are moments like these where I only have time for a quick post.

If you’re an A’s fan you already know that pitcher Gio Gonzalez, Oakland’s 2011 All-Star, has finally been traded.  After weeks of speculation on where he would end up Gonzalez was sent to the Washington Nationals for a handful of prospects.

My quick take on the deal is that, overall, I’m just fine with it.  Once general manager Billy Beane found the Dan Haren-like haul he was looking for he pulled the trigger and I think he got really good value for Gio.   I trust prospect hounds like John Sickels and Kevin Goldstein who give high marks to the players Oakland got in exchange for Gonzalez.

Pitchers A.J. Cole, Brad Peacock, Tom Milone  and catcher Derek Norris all have the potential to be solid contributors to Oakland’s future with Cole and Peacock standing out as potential aces.  All in all, not a bad return for Oakland’s best pitcher.  If you can’t get Bryce Harper (and there’s no way that was ever going to happen) you might as well raid the Nationals’ stock of top prospects which is exactly what Beane did.

My only beef with the trades of Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill is that A’s didn’t come away with the one thing they really need which is a young slugger to anchor the middle of the lineup for several affordable years.

To say the least, Beane isn’t done dealing so a young slugger or two could be on the way as he continues to ship established players out of town in an effort to rebuild the franchise.  It wouldn’t surprise me to see some of the players acquired in the Gonzalez and Cahill deals packaged with someone like closer Andrew Bailey to bring in a stud hitting prospect.

Another guy who may be making his way to the trading block in the wake of today’s move is catcher Kurt Suzuki.  Derek Norris gets high marks for his work behind the plate, power and on-base skills which could make someone like Suzuki expendable to a rebuilding team like the A’s if the right deal comes along.  If Beane gets an offer he can’t refuse I can easily see Suzuki suiting up for someone else at some point in the near future.

You can’t stop this rebuild so you might as well settle in for a long, bumpy ride to what could be a bright future in San Jose if the A’s ever get their wish to pack up and leave Oakland in the rear view mirror.

On Wednesday night, after a layoff of more than 10 years, I stepped back into rec league softball. I left the game as a position player and I came back as a pitcher.

If you’re a fan of the movie “The Natural” you can see that I kind of pulled a reverse Roy Hobbs. On the big screen he comes back to the game as an old man playing the role of slugging outfielder after last being seen as an amazing young pitcher decades ago.

Of course, the big difference is that Hobbs was great as a pitcher and a hitter and I’m terrible no matter what position I play. But none of that takes away from the great time I’ve had playing ball again.

I warmed up for our opening night doubleheader with a couple of team practices and two trips to the batting cages and came away from one practice session bloody and bruised. Some things never change.

When I was younger, faster and thinner (but just as uncoordinated) I broke my leg and dislocated my ankle at a coed practice. I kept up the knack for stupid injuries by straining a muscle in my leg in my first at bat in my first game this week. The whole thing cracks my wife up.

Want to hear something crazy? I sort of like getting hurt in a “Fight Club” kind of way. The pain makes you feel alive in a primal, moronic, pig-headed fashion. Would I rather be at home fruitlessly cleaning dishes, dying a slow death every day, or dragging myself through two softball games in a mild form of agony?

I love dishpan hands as much as the next guy but I’ll take the pain that comes out of competitive activity any day of the week. I may stink when I pitch and hit but I wouldn’t even be out there if I hadn’t lost 38 pounds this year. And you know what? I’m proud to be able to be on the field again — playful mocking by my better half be damned.

In case you’re curious, we lost our season-opening doubleheader. In fact, we got killed. But I’m used to that and it’s not a big deal. The last rec league softball team I played on, the Riflemen, lost 19 in a row before pulling out an extra-inning win in the last game of our second season thanks to a free out courtesy of an opposing player ejection.

The best part of getting out there and playing again was competing with friends. There I was, back on the field for the first time in a decade as fired up (and non-productive) as ever. Spiking the ball after catching the final out of an inning, screaming out encouragement, bad jokes and all kinds of nonsense all night long.

As a pitcher working the first game in my life I threw enough strikes to hold my head high and when I stepped to the plate I made contact every time. It’s nothing to write home about when the woman you share your life with excelled as a fast-pitch softball player through high school but it means something to me.

I was finally back on the field. Maybe not better than ever, but just being there was all that mattered after a decade of sloth.