Oakland’s big fish is gone, Matt Holliday having been traded to the Cardinals last week. But a recent rumor suggested that the A’s and Cards are talking again, this time about 40-year-old righty reliever Russ Springer, who enjoyed the best two years of his career working for St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan in 2007-2008.

One of Springer’s best friends on the A’s, fellow righty Michael Wuertz, has seen his name bandied about in a number of ways over the past few weeks, but given the constitution of Oakland’s bullpen, it’ll take a solid return package to prompt A’s GM Billy Beane to surrender his most reliable reliever.

Shortstop Orlando Cabrera is will being mentioned in trade rumors, too, most notable with the Twins, but Cabrera isn’t in any hurry to leave. He’s on a one-year deal with the A’s and seems to be very happy living in the East Bay, and with no clear heir at the position, Oakland might decide to keep and re-sign him as one of the few veterans to anchor what will almost certainly be an extremely young team next season.

–Mychael Urban