I see the Swisher connection, but it's a totally different situation. Ellis is coming off a serious injury, and that's a huge part of why he didn't explore free agency. He and his agents knew there wouldn't be much interest out there.

And there won't be any interest in Ellis from teams looking to trade for a second baseman unless and until Ellis proves that he's 100 percent healthy. If he does that, as an A's fan, you should know that there's always a possibility he'll be dealt if the team thinks it has someone cheaper ready to take over.

That said, the A's absolutely love Ellis, who should have two or three Gold Gloves by now, and he's not exactly breaking the bank. I see him sticking around for at least another year or two.

Let's say the A's sign Rafael Furcal and don't trade Bobby Crosby. Is there any chance Crosby would see playing time at first or third in the event that Eric Chavez is injured or Daric Barton doesn't improve his numbers?
-- Trevor K., Nashville, Tenn.

Sure there is. But if Furcal signs with the A's, I don't think there's much of a chance that Crosby won't be traded. There are a lot of teams out there with a need at shortstop, and Crosby's $5.25 million salary for 2009 probably won't scare off any teams that are in a pinch at the position.

If the A's sign Jason Giambi, I assume he will be playing first base and Jack Cust will be the DH. Does that put Daric Barton on the trading block or just sent down to the Minors for more seasoning? The Barton situation reminds me of Carlos Pena's situation when general manager Billy Beane traded him.
-- Wes B., San Jose, Calif.

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Your assumption is correct: Giambi would be at first, with Cust at DH. As for Barton, your guess is as good as mine. But given the monster year Chris Carter had in the Minors and the promise that Josh Donaldson and Sean Doolittle have shown in the Arizona Fall League this year, I could certainly see Barton being part of a trade package at some point.

Regarding the Pena comparison, I don't see it. Pena showed tremendous pop and Gold Glove potential right away, and now he's living up to it. Barton, according to most talent evaluators, projects to more of a high-average, high-OBP guy with average pop and defense at first base.

By the way, Doolittle, who is listed as an outfielder for the Phoenix Desert Dogs but has played some first base, is among the AFL home run leaders. Donaldson is the catcher who was acquired in the Joe Blanton deal, and he's at first base in the AFL because that's the only slot the team had available. A's director of player personnel Billy Owens said both players have handled the infield just fine.

Can you explain the difference between a Type A free agent and a Type B free agent and the compensation picks that are attached to signing or losing them?
-- Tammy K., Santa Barbara, Calif.

I'll do my best. Type A free agents are considered as ranking in the top 20 percent in their position groups by the Elias Sports Bureau, and a Type B free agent is a player who is ranked in the top 40 percent. There's a statistical formula used to come up with the rankings, and it includes games played, which is why Furcal is unranked.

Teams that lose a Type A free agent are compensated with two picks in the next First-Year Player Draft. One of the picks is a "sandwich pick" between the first and second rounds, and the other pick comes directly from the team signing the player. If team that signs the player is picking in the top 15 of the next Draft, it only has to give the other team its second-round pick. If the signing team is picking in the bottom 15, it gives the other team its first-round pick. Teams that lose a Type B free agent only get one pick, a sandwich pick, so the signing team doesn't have to give up any of its own.

Can you explain MLB Draft rules as to how they pertain to American players and international players from Japan, the Dominican or defectors like Dayan Viciedo from Cuba? What makes a free agent a free agent?
-- Steve L., Patterson, Calif.

The short and simple answer is that only players who attend high school or college in the United States, any of its territories or Canada are eligible for the annual First-Year Player Draft. Everyone else is a free agent. There are some other rules pertaining to how long the players have been in school, but that's the gist of it.

What does Oakland see in Gio Gonzalez? Every time I looked into the box scores during the season, his stats were a mess.
-- William J., Maracay, Venezuela

You must have been looking only at Gonzalez's Major League stats, and a mess they were. Take a look at his Minor League numbers, though. He was named the Pacific Coast League's top lefty starter for a reason.

What do the A's see in him? They see a 23-year-old southpaw with a live arm and a lot of upside. Don't let a handful of poor big league starts muddy the big picture. There's a lot of value in guys like Gonzalez.

Will the A's sign any lower-level free agents? They always seem to add veteran guys like Alan Embree, Mike Sweeney, etc. Who would be on their radar this winter?
-- Jeremy M., Modesto, Calif.

I'm sure there will be a late signing or two once the market shakes out. It's part of Beane's M.O., the A's have been pretty good at it over the years. I'd be guessing if I threw specific names out, but one area of the team that hasn't been discussed much is the bullpen, and I think the A's could use some help there.

I also think they need to bring in another veteran starting pitcher or two as insurance, because the A's rotation is full of unprovens and question marks, but Beane has said that if he were to add starting pitchers, they'd be brought in as non-roster guys without a Major League deal.

I've been hearing that Chavez won't be healthy next season. Are we kidding ourselves by hoping that he is?
-- Justin D., Stockton, Calif.

Have you heard this from anyone with a medical background and access to Chavez's most recent post-op evaluations? Have they been supervising his offseason workouts? If so, go ahead and believe them.

If not, all you have to go on is Chavez's word, and when is the last time Chavez flat-out lied or was overly optimistic about anything baseball related? The answer is never. He's as honest of an athlete about himself as you'll ever find, so when he says that rehab is going well and he expects to be healthy, I'm going to take him at his word.