With the Oakland A's officially locking down the AL West title, it's time for GM Billy Beane to build his ALDS roster.
Oakland is lining up to face the Detroit Tigers in a rematch of last year's first-round series. The Tigers will be throwing four right-handed starters, which on paper is a favorable matchup for an A's team that leans heavily to the left side.
When Beane and his staff sit down to draw up the team's 25-man roster for the ALDS, there are quite a few directions that they can go with it.
For an insight into how the roster will shake ...
Oakland Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson has emerged as a bona fide American League Most Valuable Player candidate in his first full year in the majors.
Were it not for Miguel Cabrera's Triple Crown run, Chris Davis' power surge or Mike Trout's all-around brilliance, Donaldson would be the clear choice for American League MVP.
Some writers, like USA Today's Jorge L. Ortiz, say the A's third baseman stands out over all his competition.
Unlike Cabrera and Davis, Donaldson can play defense. Trout is a more complete player, but he couldn't carry the Angels to a winning record.
Hitting
Donaldson doesn't lead the league in any ...
While the Oakland Athletics may not duplicate their 15 walk-off wins from last season, 2013 has had no shortage of last-gasp wins.
The A's have won games on home runs, singles, walks and even errors, beating some of baseball's best relief pitchers in the process.
Josh Donaldson hit the A's eighth walk-off last night in the 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. His recent game-winner was impressive but doesn't come close to topping the list.Begin Slideshow
It's no surprise the Oakland Athletics are playing well as a unit; it's just a bit surprising who's leading the charge. Likewise, guys who were originally expected to propel the A's toward the postseason haven't quite gotten the job done.
The team has a bit of everything.
There's guys like Grant Balfour who have dominated, but it isn't a surprise. There's men like Jarrod Parker and Yoenis Cespedes who've had some ups and down but overall they've had decent years. Players like A.J. Griffin aren't having the best of years, but it's neither a surprise nor a disappointment.
To make it on this ...
The A's are in prime position to return to the postseason—three games ahead of the second-place Texas Rangers in the American League West as of this writing. Considering the expectations for this team just one short year ago, that is nothing short of remarkable. Ask fans of the Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners or Miami Marlins.
But the postseason will dictate whether this season has truly been successful for the Oakland organization. Part of the reason for that stems from the Moneyball phenomenon, which continues to unfairly define what has been a successful organization over the last 12 years.
All that said, much of what ...
The Oakland Athletics have a history of excellence, with four World Series trophies and 16 playoff seasons since moving from Kansas City in 1968. Along the way, a number of A's have become stars at O.Co Coliseum.
Seven different Athletics have won the American League Most Valuable Player award, and five have won the Cy Young award. The best of the best form the A's all-time lineup, pitching staff and bullpen.
Only players from the Oakland era were considered for the all-time roster. Players were ranked on how well they performed for the A's, so Hall of Famers like Billy Williams, who came over ...
In hopes of avoiding a jinx, there's a strong indication that when it comes to the Oakland Athletics and the 2013 postseason, it's a matter of when and not if.
If the season ended today, the team would be the AL West champions for the second consecutive season.
And if it weren't enough to repeat, they'd be playing the Detroit Tigers in the first round yet again. But based on the fact they played out all five games of last year's ALDS and look to be even stronger this year, we're going to challenge the jinx further by examining potential matchups throughout ...
Since becoming the Oakland Athletics' general manager in 1997, Billy Beane has made a career out of trading big names for young talent.
Beane tore up a potential dynasty in the early 2000s because of financial constraints, then brought the A's back into the playoffs in 2006 and 2012 with different rejects like Frank Thomas and Brandon Moss.
After his knack for finding hidden gems was chronicled in Michael Lewis' Moneyball, opposing teams picked up on some of Beane's strategies. Still, deep-pocketed contenders are often willing to sacrifice future stars for established contributors.Begin Slideshow
When major league rosters expanded on September 1, the Oakland Athletics promoted a handful of players to compete for first place against the Texas Rangers.
While cellar-dwelling teams are warming their prospects up for future big league opportunities, the A's called up four players who will contribute in the playoff run.
Outfielder Michael Choice, infielder Andy Parrino, utility man Jemile Weeks and relief pitcher Pedro Figueroa were all promoted from the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats with specific roles in mind.
Michael Choice
Sonny Gray has reached the majors. Addison Russell is playing for the River Cats at the age of 19. And Choice, the ...
After winning Wednesday's series finale against the Texas Rangers, the Oakland Athletics are in spitting distance of first place in the American League West with a favorable September schedule ahead.
Breakout seasons from Jarrod Parker, Josh Donaldson and Jed Lowrie have helped the A's repeat as surprise contenders.
As ESPN's Jerry Crasnick said, September is the best time for baseball. A's fans can look forward to the home stretch, where 20 of the 22 remaining games are against teams with losing records.
Houston Astros
The A's go from battling the AL West's best to the sorry Lastros, who will spend September 5-8 fighting at O.Co Coliseum.
Third baseman Brett Wallace, first ...