Octavio Dotel Out for 2005, and perhaps 2006.

A's closer Octavio Dotel (which, coincidentally, is Spanish for "LaTroy Hawkins"), has elected to undergo reconstructive elbow surgery. This goes against the advice of his doctors, who prescribed rest & rehab.

Against the recommendations of four physicians, Dotel is convinced that surgery is necessary, saying that "What I have is not even close to what I had last year. It's not the same pain, not the same feeling. Tendinitis does not keep you from throwing your slider. What I have now does make me not throw my slider."

This is, obviously, a strange situation - almost unprecedented. Just one year ago, Dotel was being "promoted" by the Astros from the 8th inning, where he had been dominant - to the 9th inning, where he struggled before being shipped to Oakland in the Carlos Beltran deal. It seems that Dotel can be safely categorized as a dominant set-up reliever who simply could not close games effectively.

Note the use of the past tense - "could not". Dotel is 31 years old, and and he's electing to undergo a major, possibly unnecessary, elbow surgery that may sideline him until he is 33.

It's quite possible that Dotel's career is over.

Rookie Huston Street will continue to close games for the A's, and is now the "official" closer.