PHOENIX - It's been a tough spring for Oakland Athletics shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima as he tries to make the transition from being a star in Japan to playing in the United States.

But Bobby Valentine, who saw Nakajima play numerous games in Japan, says things likely will improve.

The former manager of the Rangers, Mets and Red Sox, who was in San Francisco for the World Baseball Classic, was asked about Nakajima by this newspaper's Dan Brown. Valentine managed against Nakajima as skipper of the Chiba Lotte Marines, and he seems relatively unconcerned about the slow spring for the shortstop.

"I think he'll be able to hit once he learns some of the pitchers," Valentine said. "He has to learn to take some of the pitches that they'll be throwing him."

Nakajima came to the A's with a .310 average and 17-plus homers per year for the last six seasons with Seibu. The knock on him was his defense, but Valentine says the A's newcomer should be able to hold his own with the glove.

"He played in the same division that I managed," Valentine said. "He's a quality player, a quality major league player. I'm not sure that he's going to be able to go to his right and be a great shortstop. But I think he could be a good player.

"I don't know that he'll play great for the Oakland A's. He has world-class abilities. His challenge will be his arm. He has to learn the speed of the runners and adjust to the length of the grass. The skills don't always translate."

Nakajima mostly played on artificial turf in Japan. With the A's, he'll play his home games and most of his road games on grass.

"The hardest thing will be adjusting to the community - but he probably should," Valentine said. "He's a very vivacious guy. He's really smart."

- The A's were off Wednesday, the club's last off day until March 31.

- The A's made one trade and completed another. In a minor league deal, they sent third baseman Stephen Parker to the Milwaukee Brewers for right-handed reliever Darren Byrd.

They completed a three-team trade with the Seattle Mariners and Washington Nationals that was made on Jan. 16 by sending left-hander Ian Kroll to the Nats as the player to be named later. Oakland received catcher John Jaso from Seattle in that swap, and the Mariners got outfielder/D.H. Mike Morse from Washington. The Nationals received four prospects, including Kroll.