With Sacramento still involved in the triple-A playoffs, only Esteban German, OF-S Nick Swisher, and Justin Lehr have joined Oakland this September. The A's drafted Swisher out of Ohio State University with the 16th overall pick in first round of the 2002 draft. He split the remainder of that season between Vancouver in the Short-Season Northwest League and Visalia in the A+ California League. Swisher then opened 2003 at A+ Modesto in the California League before advancing to AA Midland in the Texas League midway through the year. At the time of his promotion, he was hitting .269 with a .406 OBP and .537 SLG on 119 H, 28 2B, 2 3B, and 29 HR with a 103:109 BB:K and 3/6 SB% in 443 AB at AAA Sacramento. The 23-year-old clearly knows how to take a walk and possesses considerable power skills, but his high strikeout rates distract observers into wondering how much better he would be with an improved contact rate. He also lacks a solid defensive reputation.

OF-R Jermaine Dye remains sidelined waiting for his left thumb to heal. He injured the digit in early August and played ineffectually for the rest of the month. When Swisher joined the team, Oakland decided to rest Dye until he recovers. Dye's set to begin swinging a bat with a splint on the thumb, but he likely will not be ready to return to the starting lineup for at least another week. Swisher should continue to start until Dye is healthy. He's currently hitting .240 with a .387 OBP and .560 SLG on 6 H, 2 2B, and 2 HR with a 5:5 BB:K in 25 AB. A strong performance this month could help him overcome any reservations the organization might have about his strikeouts and defense, earning him a starting job next year.