Not that he is lacking appreciation, but the work general manager Billy Beane has done with the Oakland Athletics over the last two years only adds to his illustrious legacy.
Prior to the 2012 season, when the team traded Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill and Andrew Bailey, it was assumed the A's were in full-blown rebuilding mode and would need time before contending in the American League West again.
Now, two years later, the A's have won back-to-back division titles and have built an impressive roster of young talent that includes Jarrod Parker, Josh Donaldson, Yoenis Cespedes, Josh Reddick, Sonny Gray and Dan ...
The calendar has turned and as we head toward spring training, it's time to look ahead to who will be part of the Oakland A's starting rotation.
2013 ended with a rotation of Bartolo Colon, Jarrod Parker, Sonny Gray, A.J. Griffin and Dan Straily. Brett Anderson spent the majority of his time on the disabled list and did a stint in the bullpen. Tommy Milone—an effective starter in 2012—was relegated to Triple-A at one point and pitched out of the bullpen a few times, too.
Colon signed with the New York Mets. Anderson was traded to the Colorado Rockies.
In their place, the ...
On the one hand, the moves made by Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane this winter seem out of character for a team that had a payroll of $61.9 million in 2013. The team has spent money to bring in an experienced closer in Jim Johnson and also signed free-agent starter Scott Kazmir.
The $32 million dollars of investment may not sound like a lot when it is compared to the spending of the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers this winter. But two of those teams reside in the AL West with the A's and will likely continue ...
The Oakland A's have several position players whose performances will decisively dictate the overall success of the team in 2014.
One of those key players is first baseman Brandon Moss. In 2013, Moss played a full season for the first time in his career, and he performed exceptionally. He blasted 30 home runs, drove in 87 runs and slugged .522, the latter of which was good for sixth in the American League.
Those totals came one year after Moss compiled a .954 OPS with 21 home runs in only 265 at-bats in 2012. In total, Moss hit 51 home runs in ...
It’s safe to say that Oakland A’s outfielders struggled in 2013. In fact, they ranked 28th in the majors with a collective batting average of .236.
Yoenis Cespedes was perhaps the biggest disappointment. Cespedes, the Cuban sensation who batted .292 with an .861 OPS in 2012, fell off in almost every major category in 2013. His home run total jumped from 23 to 26, but he posted an alarmingly low .294 OBP, and his OPS fell by 125 points to .736. Additionally, his WAR was cut in half, from 3.4 to 1.7.
Josh Reddick was actually worse than Cespedes. Reddick, who won ...
You might consider the Oakland Athletics to be winners this offseason. You might say the flurry of moves they made were average. But each move had major implications—some good, some bad—for the individual players involved.
For example, certain guys held on to their role while others lost theirs. One guy in particular made out like a bandit with the money he'll make, while another essentially lost out on millions.
Then there's a certain piece of offseason news that affects the fans.
So who comes out of the A's offseason looking like a winner, and who heads to spring training wishing there was better ...
On Dec. 3, the Oakland A’s traded their prized outfield prospect, Michael Choice, to the Texas Rangers, along with second baseman Chris Bostick, for Craig Gentry and Josh Lindblom. This was a move that the A’s clearly made with a win-now mentality in mind, as Choice’s potential inarguably surpasses Gentry’s current ability, while Gentry is the more experienced player.
Choice, currently MLB.com's 91st-ranked prospect, was drafted in the first round of the 2010 draft. He batted .302 in 600 plate appearances at Triple-A last season.
Despite Choice's potential, Gentry is the more polished player right now. Choice has shown a propensity to strike out, ...
Last week I gave out grades for all of the transactions made by the Oakland Athletics. This week, I'm going to power rank them.
What's the difference?
The grades were for all of the moves made—both big and small—for the A's roster and for the minor league rosters. I also graded predominantly based on short-term repercussions (from right now through the end of the 2014 season).
This time around I will power rank with the long-term impact in mind (covering 2014 and beyond if applicable). I'll also stick to the major trades and signings.
Considerations include the impact the incoming player will have long-term ...
It isn’t exactly news that the Oakland A’s badly need a new ballpark, and on Monday, a new stadium proposal was unveiled.
The details, reported by Matt Snyder of CBS Sports, are that a group in Oakland proposed a $500 million stadium to be built on the waterfront at Howard Terminal. Unfortunately, A’s owner Lew Wolff shot it down.
"All I care about is getting a new home for the A's in the best possible circumstances -- and under any circumstances, Howard Terminal would be as close to impossible as anything," Wolff said.
With the waterfront location effectively thrown out the window, there ...
The old adage of "you win some, you lose some" sure rings true when it comes to the moves the Oakland Athletics have made so far this offseason. Assembling a bullpen of this caliber could be an A+ by itself. But the A's failed to fill crucial holes with big trade chips.
The starting rotation is young and talented.
Bartolo Colon was the lone veteran of the staff, but he became a free agent. Rather than look internally, the A's filled Colon's spot in the rotation with another free agent.
The bullpen was outstanding in 2013. At times there were moments when fans ...