Barry Zito completed negotiations on a four-year contract extension with Oakland on Tuesday. The deal guarantees him $9.3M over the next four years and includes an option for the 2006 season, along with bonuses that could potentially double the value of the contract.

Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder have already been signed to similar deals so the A's have three very good pitchers locked up through at least 2005. Even if one of the three were to be seriously injured in the next four seasons, Oakland would still maintain stability in their rotation that only seems matched in the recent past by that of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz in Atlanta.

The quality and stability of their rotation gives the Athletics a much longer window in which reach the World Series. It should also help them win the Series when they do make it. They won't be forced to break in many new pitchers and will be able to focus their resources in other areas. Oakland also has a number of other players locked in for 2 or more seasons.

All three pitchers should also still have several years left in their careers when their contracts expire as Hudson, the oldest, will turn 27 in July. Mulder won't be 25 until August and Zito will only turn 24 next Monday.

Meanwhile, the Reds had to place Joey Hamilton on the DL Tuesday. Hamilton suffered a partial tear in his left hamstring during his last start while covering first base. I doubt he will be able to return as soon as his 15 days are up as he'll likely need to rest the leg for a few days.

Cincinnati called up Jose Acevedo to replace Hamilton on the roster and in the rotation. Acevedo began the season in the rotation but was demoted following his April 16th start in which he allowed Richard Hidalgo and Jeff Bagwell to homer once each and Lance Berkman to homer twice in 1.2 innings. He has good skills, and if they were going to promote him to the majors last season without any time at AAA, the Reds likely should have stuck with him for more than three starts this year.

Provided he doesn't suffer another unexpected blowout, I suspect he'll remain in the rotation when Hamilton returns. Although I'm not sure who would be bumped out off the staff since Jose Rijo, who replaced Acevedo in the rotation, has been pitching fairly well.

Philadelphia placed Robert Person on the DL Friday. A Monday MRI revealed that Person had strained his right elbow but had not suffered any structural damage. His strikeouts have been down this spring and he's given up a lot of runs despite otherwise pitching normally, primarily because he continues to allow home runs at the rate of 1.5 HR/9.

He needs to rest the elbow, and after that he will need to go through a rehab program, so it is unlikely he will return quickly from the DL. He's most likely out for a month, though the Phillies have not announced a timetable for his return.

Hector Mercado was called up to replace Person on the roster. Mercado, picked up from the Reds in the Reggie Taylor trade, has bounced between AAA and the majors the last two seasons. The 28-year-old left-handed reliever has fairly good skills though he allows an excess number of walks at 5 BB/9.

Dave Coggin will replace Person in the rotation. We mentioned Coggin briefly in the past as a potential 5th starter for Philadelphia. He did start the season in the rotation, but he was sent to the bullpen when Randy Wolf returned from the DL. If one of the other starters suffers from injury or ineffectiveness, Coggin will likely remain in the rotation when Person returns.

Detroit placed Matt Anderson on the DL Friday retroactive to April 27th. He had been sidelined with a stiff shoulder, and after consulting Dr. James Andrews, the Tigers decided they should allow him to rest and strengthen the shoulder rather than attempt to pitch through his discomfort. Reportedly Anderson did not maintain his training over the winter as he was taking classes and expecting a baby, therefore his arm wasn't ready for Spring Training or the regular season. However, Detroit does feel that he will be fine when he returns from the DL, and they expect him to return as soon as he is eligible on Mother's Day.

Juan Acevedo assumed closing duties while Anderson is on the disabled list. He doesn't really have the strikeout rate of a good closer, but his other skills are fairly solid. He's converted three of his four save opportunities and in 22 IP this season he's only allowed 16 H with 1 HR and a 15:8 K:BB.

The Tigers called up Fernando Rodney to replace Anderson on the roster. The right-handed pitcher spent most of last season at A Lakeland in the Florida State League but received a brief call-up to AA Erie. He's spent about half his time in the minors as a starter but appears headed for bullpen work in the majors.

Most of his skills are solid, though he isn't particularly dominant and he hasn't proven himself at the upper levels. However, he recently received a four-year age adjustment going from 21 to 25, so he'll need to mature quickly to stay on track for a substantial major league career. Fortunately for Rodney, the organization likes him. In his one appearance he allowed 2 hits and a walk with no strikeouts in 1.1 IP, retiring batters on four groundballs and two flyballs.

They also called up Seth Greisinger when they placed Dmitri Young on the DL. Greisinger joined the rotation and Jose Lima was demoted to the bullpen. Greisinger missed both 2000 and 2001 with injuries, so he began the season in the minors. The Tigers drafted him out of the University of Virginia with the 6th overall pick in the first round of the 1996 draft. He spent 1997 at AA Jacksonville in the Southern League. He was promoted to AAA and received a brief major league call-up in 1998. However he began experiencing arm troubles in 1999 and needed Tommy John surgery. His recovery from that surgery was very slow, which is what caused him to miss the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Since his call-up, he's pitched a total of 16 innings in three starts, allowing 15 hits and compiling a 7:6 K:BB. I expect him to remain in the rotation for the rest of the season barring injury problems.