Jay Gibbons is a decent hitter but he's probably at his peak. He's a sub-par fielder. I don't know what the Dodgers obsession is with half-decent hitters. They need a MONSTER bat. Odalis Perez would be a big mistake however. He allowed 28 home runs for the Dodgers last season. Putting him in Camden Yards, a big home run park, could spell disaster. And if the Dodgers part with Edwin Jackson for Gibbons, the Dodgers are nuts.
No surprise. With three quarters of the Yankee infield signed for the next several years, the Yankees have no room for another free agent acquisition. Chavez is the best position player the A's have had throughout this run, so of course the A's will do their best to keep him.