Today's ATM Report says that the A's have signed fan favorite Loomer Loney (i.e. Lou Merloni) to a minor league contract. Fittingly, they also resigned Antonio Perez recently, so Merloni can likely be seen as Perez's backup, waiting at AAA for Perez to have another 0-80 (or whatever) season.

That the A's are keeping Perez around is really a testament to their recognition that small sample sizes create all kinds of havoc. They know he's not a .100 hitter, and it's a smart thing to keep some guys around who can play the infield when you've got a bunch of glass-jawed starters in those positions.