Plan? What plan?
I have no idea how this move fits into KW's off season plan. But I do know that the Sox sucked last year mainly because the bullpen was one of the worst in baseball. Which is odd considering last year's off season plan was to build a strong bullpen. Going into this offseason I think most of us thought the needs for this team were CF and bullpen. Of course now Jon Garland's gone so that adds starting pitching to the need list. We acquired a shortstop no better than what we had, a second baseman, a reliever and a Nick Swisher (whatever position he is ... IMO he's a 1B, LF, CF). After the moves so far made, we need help in CF, the bullpen and the starting rotation....
I wonder what Detroit and Cleveland will have to do to keep pace now....get rid of Sabathia and Dontrelle Willis?

You can't necessarily set out to fix a bullpen. Relievers performances vary too much year to year. As it is, I think MacDougal & Thornton are decent bets to bounce back.

The offense was awful last year because guys like Podsednik, Owens, Uribe, Gonzalez, and Ozuna got too many AB's. Cabrera, Quentin, and Swisher will be a significant improvement.

They'll be contenders if two of Danks, Floyd, Contreras combine for 60+ starts.

I saw the numbers for Gonzalez, Sweeney and De los Santos over at wsi last week. The prospects are looking a little suspect as well.

De los Santos was shut down with arm soreness this week after his ERA climbed to nearly 6 in A ball.

Gio Gonzalez ERA has balooned to over 5 in AAA.

Another person mentioned in this thread: Jaques Jones DFA by the Tigers.

Nas your central argument was that KW overpaid (and I agreed). I wonder if the A's would be willing to make that deal today, even though Swisher is slumping.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Fautino De Los Santos "had elbow-ligament replacement surgery this week."

The newspaper doesn't go into any further details, but he was recently shut down because of elbow soreness and Tommy John surgery would sideline him for the remainder of this season and much of 2009. Acquired from the White Sox this offseason as part of the package for Nick Swisher, De Los Santos was one of the A's top prospects.