Sure, 9M is nothing, relatively speaking. The guy has been scouted relentlessly for months. The consensus clearly is that he can play and have success at the highest level. Given how teams throw multi-year deals to players who absolutely can't play (Juan Uribe makes 8M per, I believe), there's not much risk here. Marlins reportedly offered in the neighborhood of 8M per, so they obviously wanted him.
Just a strange fit in Oakland. With a 1 or 2 year deal, they're likely to deal him for a package of prospects if/when he surpasses expectations and becomes in demand. Unlikely that will happen on a 4-year deal. And the A's aren't contending until they get a new park and can attract fans and bring in some revenue. That organization is dead. So makes little sense to tie up a large chunk of your resources on one player.
