Today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a followup story today about Jason Kendall officially joining the Athletics. It's your standard player departure story with very little surprises, but I was struck by the accompanying photo. I was surprised how odd it looked to see Kendall holding up anything other than black and gold uniform. Even a week after the trade, it just seems weird to think he won’t be suiting up for the home team.

Say what you will about the guy, he was the face of the Pirates. He played hard and by all accounts he provided some solid leadership on the field. Sure he had some outbursts, but considering the continually dismal state of the team, I think that could be expected. Kendall got a lot of grief for not being as productive as his contract (especially in a small market) would indicate. However, it’s not his fault that Cam Bonifay locked him up with a ridiculous (for the Pirates) contract. And its not his fault that he was never surrounded by an offense that complimented his abilities, rather than leave his deficiencies exposed.

Now that he's getting a fresh start, I think Kendall can prove what I always believed -- that with the right supporting cast he can be a valuable member of a winning club. Oakland may not be his ideal situation, but I don’t doubt it will prove a far more suitable environment than Pittsburgh ever was.

I plan to write a more in-depth look at the Kendall trade and what I think it means for the Pirates in the next week or so.