Oakland has fared well so far this season, far exceeding expectations by finishing at the .500 mark at the All-Star break despite being tagged as being in a “rebuilding” mode.However, with the A’s still crippled by their small-market budget and lack of a new ballpark plan, they could still find themselves on the selling end at the trade deadline despite trailing by just 2.5 games in the AL Wild Card race. But who exactly is the top candidate to fall victim to Billy Beane’s trade machine?Well, it should come to no surprise for longtime A’s fans, as well as persons ...
Can you smell it yet? That faint aroma off in the distance, growing ever closer?Football is coming.Soon, we’ll be rescued from the steamy doldrums of summer by the sounds of shoulder pads colliding, footballs whistling through the air and Jaguars fans weeping because Blaine Gabbert is still their quarterback. As teams inch closer to the opening of training camp, there are still a handful of free agents who are out of work, and could still be of some service. When you’re dealing with a team like the Raiders, who ended the 2011 season at 8-8 and then overhauled the front office, ...
Jarrod Parker has had a more than OK start to his career as an Oakland A’s starting pitcher after being thrust into the rotation in late April. The A’s rookie has a 2.86 ERA through 85 innings pitched so far this year and has only had three starts where he’s allowed more than two earned runs and hasn't given up more than two in the rest. Parker has been solid so far because he’s playing in a spacious ballpark in addition to having the talent that’s expected of a former first-round draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2007. He’s ...
A huge thing for a new coach is to have the team's veteran players behind him, and Richard Seymour has got Dennis Allen's back. In a recent interview, the veteran NFLer, who has had four coaches in the last three seasons, said to Adam Schein and Rich Gannon on Sirius XM, "Some coaches just have the 'it factor,' and Dennis Allen has it. I can't stress enough about everyone being on the same page."Seymour is typically outspoken; so if he had a problem with the head coach, he would likely say so or just keep his mouth shut. So, it seems ...
One of the greatest weaknesses last season was the linebackers. A mid-season trade for Aaron Curry helped and he became a starter immediately, but there wasn't much at the position. Kamerion Wimbley was solid, but a much better pass rusher with his hand in the dirt than linebacker.Quentin Groves played well on special teams, but his lackluster play as the starter prompted the trade for Curry. The 2011 linebacker group was poorly constructed and lacked depth and scheme versatility. When Reggie McKenzie was hired, he immediately recognized a need for linebackers and completely revamped the position. Only Curry remains from ...
The Oakland Athletics are no stranger to deal their top pitchers recently and could deal another in Brandon McCarthy before the July 31 trade deadline. McCarthy—currently on the 15-day DL with a strain in his right shoulder—is 6-3 with a 2.54 ERA in 12 starts for Oakland this season. Last season—his first with the A’s after three years with the Texas Rangers—he went an even 9-9 with a 3.32 ERA in 170.2 innings. During this past offseason, Oakland GM Billy Beane wasn’t afraid to trade his two top pitchers—Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill—in order to acquire talented prospects that will ...
The Raiders will be the last team to open training camp, but when they do on July 29, expect the backup running back and fullback camp battles to get heated.Darren McFadden is the undisputed starter and lynch pin of the entire Oakland offense. McFadden's job is as secure as they come; if he's healthy, he should see 75 percent of the carries in 2012. Running BackThe Raiders didn't attempt to re-sign Michael Bush, and he signed in Chicago as the backup to Matt Forte. With only Taiwan Jones to back up McFadden, the Raiders executed a trade to send offensive tackle ...
After clawing their way back to .500 with a 13th inning win over the Seattle Mariners last night, it appears as though the A's may not go down so quietly as the season progresses through summer. However, still having to go up against Texas and Los Angeles, actually securing a playoff spot is still somewhat of a stretch.It'll be interesting to see what exactly the A's do come the trade deadline. Already names like Bartolo Colon, Coco Crisp, and even Brandon McCarthy have been mentioned as trade possibilities, so if any one of these players were to be moved that means ...
The first half of the baseball season is over. Actually, mathematically, more than half of the season is over. Most teams have played 85 to 86 games of the schedule of 162. But traditionally the All Star break is the halfway point.Going into the break, the A's are at break even. They are 43-43. A .500 team. But for this Oakland team, that is a winning record.Bill Parcells famously said "You are what your record says you are." But not all records are created equal. The Athletics have the same record as the Red Sox and Blue Jays.For the Red ...
The Oakland Raiders have made plenty of moves this offseason; new general manager Reggie McKenzie (along with the help of new head coach Dennis Allen) is turning over a new era in the Bay Area. After cutting ties with players who were overpaid or underperforming, McKenzie has done well to add pieces to this roster in order to compete. This offseason, however, the Raiders didn't have many draft choices after the selection of quarterback Terrelle Pryor in last year's supplemental draft and the trading of this year's first-round pick and next year's second to Cincinnati for new franchise quarterback Carson Palmer. Speaking of ...