Right-hander Chad Gaudin has agreed to terms with the A's to help shore up their injury-riddled pitching staff, three days after being released by the Yankees, according to an Associated Press report. Gaudin was released by New York on Thursday after losing out to Phil Hughes for the No. 5 slot in the team?s rotation. Oakland assistant GM David Forst on Sunday confirmed the deal.

Commissioner Bud Selig made his annual stop at A's spring training headquarters Sunday, but said he's still awaiting a committee's report on options for a new stadium in the Bay Area. Selig dispatched a three-person panel last March to research the best locations for a new A's ballpark. "They're getting reasonably close to completing their work, but they have some left," Selig said. "They're working their way through a lot of things and they've made no recommendations to me."

John Meloan told The Chronicle that an MRI exam done Friday showed a ligament tear in his right elbow, and he expects to have season-ending surgery. Meloan believes he will go to Dr. James Andrews, who has performed ligament replacement surgery for several A's, including Joey Devine, Andrew Bailey and Josh Outman.

Athletics closer and reigning American League Rookie of the Year Andrew Bailey has been shut down for five to seven days with tennis elbow. "It's just a little discomfort," Bailey told MLB.com. "I felt something after my last outing [Sunday], so I figured I should have it checked out. I'll just be doing some therapy and give it some rest. "Last year was probably the heaviest workload on my arm, so this is probably just from kicking it back up and my arm trying to get used to it again."

Athletics pitcher Ben Sheets has struggled mightily this spring. An American League scout sitting behind the plate during Sheets' latest outing said the righthander's fastball was hitting 91-92 mph, but was "big," or awfully straight. "Everything was clicking, but it was one of those days - they were hitting everything, there's nothing you can do," A's catcher Kurt Suzuki said following the game against the Reds. "The positive thing is Ben felt great."

Ben Sheets was beat up on Monday, allowing 10 runs without retiring a batter as the Reds beat the Athletics 13-5. Sheets signed a one-year, $10 million contract with Oakland after missing last season with elbow problems that required surgery. He allowed eight hits and a walk, while hitting another hitter. One of the hits came off a comeback grounder that bounced off Sheets' glove, keeping the rally going. "It was a bad one," Sheets said. "I could have at least got an out if I could catch the ball. I don't care whether they called it a hit or an error. It was hit right to me. "I felt great," he said. "The problem is my good pitches were just a strike and my bad ones were hits. You need your good pitches to be put in play. That's how you get outs. When you can't even get out of the first inning, it's ridiculous."

Adrian Beltre turned down a three-year, $24 million offer from the A's to accept what Scott Boras has called "a pillow contract." A pillow contract is essentially a place to rest his head for one season. Beltre has a $5 million option for 2011 that increases to $10 million if he gets 640 plate appearances.

Facing hitters for the first time in 17 months, Athletics pitcher Ben Sheets pitched 1 2/3 innings against the Brewers on Friday. "I thought it went great," Sheets said after his 32-pitch outing. "Any time I come off the mound healthy it's a plus. I know I'm getting better. I feel it, my body feels it. The more throwing I get in, the stronger my arm gets. That's as good as I wanted." Sheets signed a one-year, $10 million with Oakland.