After spending much of the season in first place and making the biggest splash of any team in July trades, the A’s scuffled with an ailing offense and were eliminated by the Royals in a one-game Wild Card playoff. They’ll have to deal with a number of escalating contracts as they look to retool and return to the postseason for a fourth consecutive year in 2015.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Coco Crisp, OF: $22.75MM through 2016 (including buyout of 2017 option)
- Scott Kazmir, LHP: $13MM through 2015
- Sean Doolittle, LHP: $9.75MM through 2018 (including buyout of 2019 option)
- Eric O’Flaherty, LHP: $5.5MM through 2015
- Nick Punto, SS/2B/3B: $2.75MM through 2015
Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projections via Matt Swartz)
- John Jaso, C/DH (5.032): $3.3MM projected salary
- Jeff Samardzija, RHP (5.028): $9.5MM
- Kyle Blanks, 1B/DH (5.005): $1.3MM
- Brandon Moss, 1B/OF (4.160): $7.1MM
- Sam Fuld, OF (4.140): $1.6MM
- Jesse Chavez, RHP (4.108): $2.5MM
- Craig Gentry, OF (4.084): $1.5MM
- Josh Reddick, OF (4.050): $3.7MM
- Fernando Abad, LHP (3.073): $900K
- Eric Sogard, 2B (3.064): $1MM
- Fernando Rodriguez, RHP (3.051): $900K
- Ryan Cook, RHP (3.036): $1.3MM
- Jarrod Parker, RHP (3.000): $900K
- Josh Donaldson, 3B (2.158): $4.5MM
- Non-tender candidate: Rodriguez
Contract Options
- None
Free Agents
The Athletics suffered a surprising postseason exit in the Wild Card round after aggressively adding Jon Lester, Jeff Samardzija, Jason Hammel and, to a lesser extent, Sam Fuld in July trades. While the narrative that the absence of Yoenis Cespedes derailed the offense was powerful, there’s little to actually support that thinking. Cespedes’ offense actually declined upon his move to the more hitter-friendly AL East. Meanwhile, Brandon Moss was dealing with a hip injury that required offseason surgery, Coco Crisp was playing through neck injuries, John Jaso was out with a concussion and the previously hot-hitting Stephen Vogt quite literally limped to the finish on a bad ankle. Josh Donaldson’s bat went cold in September as well, though it’d be a stretch (to say the least) to pin that on the absence of Cespedes.
All of this is meant to say that while the offense should probably be addressed this offseason, it isn’t for the reasons that many would initially believe. A healthy Moss at first base will go a long ways toward reviving the offense, and Blanks provides an affordable and able platoon partner, assuming his own health rebounds. Donaldson provides a potential 30-homer bat at the hot corner. In center field, Crisp will reprise his role, and Reddick seems likely to again man right field following a strong finish (he hit .299/.337/.533 in 200 PA following a return from the disabled list). The A’s can deploy a defensively gifted platoon of Craig Gentry and Sam Fuld in left field should they wish, and some combination of Derek Norris, Jaso and Vogt will be entrusted with catching duties.
The obvious hole for the A’s is in the middle infield. Top prospect Addison Russell is no longer a consideration after heading to the Cubs in the Samardzija/Hammel deal. Jed Lowrie is hitting the open market, and the team never had a reliable offensive option at second base in 2014. A reunion with Lowrie (at either position) is certainly a possibility, and other options include Asdrubal Cabrera, Stephen Drew and Emilio Bonifacio. GM Billy Beane may need to get creative, as top shortstop prospect Daniel Robertson has yet to play at Double-A (though he was excellent at Class-A Advanced in 2014). One option on the trade market could be Luis Valbuena, who drew interest from Oakland at the trade deadline.
Alternatively, the A’s could look to the international market and pursue Korean infielder Jung-ho Kang or one of two Cuban second basemen who will soon hit the market: Jose Fernandez and Hector Olivera. However, Kang’s 38 homers aren’t seen as likely to translate to the Majors, and one scouting director to whom MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes spoke made the unfavorable comparison of Kang to Hiroyuki Nakajima. The A’s know all too well that gaudy stats from overseas often don’t translate, as they’ve received no return on the two-year deal they gave Nakajima. And, Nakajima posted those stats in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, which is commonly regarded as a more advanced league than the Korea Baseball Organization. Fernandez and Olivera may come with more upside, but neither is technically a free agent yet, and there’s no telling exactly when they will be cleared by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control and Major League Baseball. So while either Cuban second baseman would make sense, the A’s would probably need to at least solidify shortstop (a one-year deal for Drew, perhaps?) if it’s decided that Fernandez or Olivera is the answer at second.
One possibility that has been bandied about is a trade of Donaldson, though when asked about it, one Oakland official gave Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle a very frank reply: “That would be stupid.” Nonetheless, Donaldson projects to earn $4.5MM and will hit arbitration three more times as a Super Two player, making him an increasingly expensive option for the A’s. I’m of the mind that the A’s are not yet under pressure to move Donaldson. I can’t see the team parting with him for anything short of a massive return that would yield immediate help for the middle infield and possibly a cheaper alternative at third base. (One possibility I’ve envisioned would be a trade sending Mookie Betts and Will Middlebrooks, among others, to Oakland. That, however, is pure speculation, and the Red Sox are said to be loath to trade the highly touted Betts in any deal.) Suffice it to say, while a Donaldson trade is a possibility, it also strikes me as unlikely.
The D’Backs present a plausible trade partner, with three young shortstops all more or less ready to contribute in the Majors (Didi Gregorius, Chris Owings and Nick Ahmed), and the Cubs of course have a bevy of middle infielders as well, including Javier Baez, Starlin Castro and Arismendy Alcantara. It’s unlikely, of course, that the Cubs would consider parting with Russell in any trade to send him back to Oakland. Beane could also rekindle talks for Yunel Escobar. Whatever route he takes, the lack of anything resembling a league-average bat to place at second or shortstop is a clear obstacle for the A’s.
Turning to the rotation, however, things don’t look too bleak. The A’s will be getting both Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin back at some point during the 2015 season, and in the meantime they’re hardly wanting for arms. Samardzija, Scott Kazmir, Sonny Gray, Drew Pomeranz and Jesse Chavez can all open the season in the rotation, with Chavez perhaps eventually returning to a bullpen role as he did in 2014. Each of those pitchers turned in an ERA of 3.55 or better as a starter.
The A’s will likely add a depth piece or two, perhaps on minor league deals, as Parker and Griffin can’t be counted on immediately next season. We also probably shouldn’t rule out the possibility that the A’s add a mid-range free agent despite already having a seemingly solid crop of in-house arms from which to draw. They were in a similar situation last offseason but signed Kazmir anyway, and they added Lester, Samardzija and Hammel in July despite a respectable group of starters. Justin Masterson would present a nice buy-low option, while Francisco Liriano and Brandon McCarthy present attractive mid-range possibilities.
Adding a starter would allow the team to shift Chavez or Pomeranz to the bullpen, which is indeed an area that may need some addressing. Gregerson will hit the open market and could land as much as $20MM in Dierkes’ estimation (I’m inclined to agree), leaving a fairly significant hole. Sean Doolittle will return for a second season as closer and be joined by Eric O’Flaherty, Dan Otero, Ryan Cook and Fernando Abad in the ‘pen. Rodriguez will be 31 next June and has yet to establish himself in the bigs, making him a non-tender candidate. Evan Scribner has been outstanding at Triple-A for the past three seasons and could get a longer look, though he’s yet to be a major factor in their plans. He’ll be out of options, which could help him get a look. Even if that’s the case, Oakland still seems to need at least one additional relief arm. Jason Grilli, Joba Chamberlain, Jason Frasor, Luke Hochevar and Jason Motte all strike me as possibilities for Oakland.
Whatever additions the A’s make could have to be creative, as the team currently projects to have a payroll of just under $77MM between its guaranteed contracts, arb-eligibles and league-minimum players needed to round out the roster (assuming a non-tender of Rodriguez). Last year’s Opening Day mark of roughly $83MM was a franchise record, and while it’s possible that Beane and assistant GMs David Forst and Farhan Zaidi will have more money to work with, a significant hike doesn’t sound expected.
It’s that thinking that has likely led to speculation on a trade of Donaldson, but I personally wonder if they’ll be more open to moving a different pair of more expensive players: Samardzija and Kazmir. With Samardzija set to earn nearly $10MM and Kazmir locked in at $13MM, the A’s could theoretically make either available and replace him either via free agency or by acquiring a younger, less expensive arm in that trade. Samardzija will likely seek $100MM+ on the open market following the 2015 season, pricing him out of Oakland’s range (though they will make him a qualifying offer if he remains with the team at that point). Kazmir is more expensive and comes with a troubling injury history. That might make him more difficult to trade, but teams with larger payrolls likely won’t have major trepidation about committing that type of money to a pitcher with a 3.77 ERA and even more encouraging peripheral stats in 348 1/3 innings since returning to the Majors in 2013. He’d be an attractive option for a team looking to bolster its rotation on a short-term commitment rather than committing to a similarly risky starter on a multi-year deal.
The A’s have a number of excellent pieces in place, but some of those pieces are becoming more expensive, which limits Beane’s freedom in crafting next year’s roster. As such, I do expect some pricier veterans to be shopped this winter, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a play for an international free agent with a more backloaded contract that becomes more expensive in 2016 once Samardzija, Kazmir, O’Flaherty and possibly Jaso are all off the books.
Oakland faces an increasingly difficult division, with the resurgent Angels, the improving Mariners and a presumably healthier Rangers club all looking like serious competition in 2015 (to say nothing of an Astros club that did make a 19-win improvement in 2014). Next season could be the final shot for this core group to make a deep postseason run before we see another of the significant roster overhauls we’ve come to expect from the Athletics.
Oakland A’s 2014 off-season to do list:
1. get a new owner.
Truth!
the A’s have the same team as last year minus Lowrie and Cespedes. Go bring in another bat and they will be fine.
until the playoffs
A healthy catcher and the A’s beat KC easily. Injuries cost the A’s the playoffs this year but remember both WC teams went to the series not the teams with the most wins.
Dude, they were the worst team in baseball for like two months. When it counted the most. They backed into the playoffs and probably won’t again.
I wonder who had a worse two month record, the A’s or Brewers. That description sounds like the Brewers, well except for the playoff part.
“Easily”?
The Royals led MLB in steals…those bases likely get swiped anyway. I’ll give you this much though…a healthy catcher..let’s say Johnny Bench standing on the mound aiming at second with a bazooka…and those are sure outs.
What got the A’s in that game was Lester having an off night
Norris shoulder was so bad he couldn’t even start the last few weeks of the season. That is why they had Soto start who broke his thumb in the 2nd inning. If Billy Butler is trying to steal you know the catcher can’t throw. Norris should have been on the DL if the A’s were not so cheap.
It was the worst single game meltdown scenario the A’s could have faced. Lester getting roughed up AND having a catching staff go down against the games best base running team. Even under this scenario…they probably STILL win that game most of the time. Royals were hot, though, no doubt.
every team has to face injuries. it’s part of the game, so it’s no excuse. they’re not really a franchise that’s shown they can succeed in the playoffs, and this year’s collapse only showed that they have some other issues as well.
Cespedes in the lineup and we don’t even play KC, at least not in the wild card. We run away with the division. Instead, we give away our most feared bat for a chance that we will be able to ride Lester to the World Series. Look how well that turned out.
And Lester and Hammel and Gregorson. And without Russel waiting in the wings.
Lester and Hammel were only with the team for 2 months and will be replaced with Parker and Griffin. Gregorson choked in clutch situations and can be replaced in FA. Move back to the cubs board.
Congrats to the Giants! Great World Series!
Bumgarner was amazing. I’m also happy for Peavy.
They rode Bumgarner! Probably the favorite for most disappointing pitcher in 2015! Half kidding, he is the MVP
Now he gets to ride his new Chevy truck with the MVP passenger side. Well deserved!
Of course this is posted right when the Giants win another World Series…
It’s all we got brother, looking ahead to ’15.
It hurts soo much man
Agreed.
Makes sense for PV… Oakland fans were looking for an outlet. MLBTR gave it to them!
Blow the team up
No, that’s an emotional reaction rather than a logical one. If you can even get to 88 wins, you can win in the playoffs if everything breaks right, and the 2015 team can get to 88.
Doubtful. The records with and without Cespedes are polar opposites. We were the best team in baseball for three straight years with him in the lineup. Without him and you’re almost longing for the Bob Geren days (almost).
How many years will it take for an A’s outlook or recap to not include something about how they’d look a hell of a lot better with Addison Russell?
That one is going to leave a mark.
Have you seen what Robertson has done in the AFL? He out played Russel. He might be a better prospect than Russel.
Umm … single A player. Had a solid year but not particularly highly regarded. Little power and an average at best SS fielder, with below average range. Projected as either an average ML starter, possibly at 3B, or a utility guy. Most systems have a guy or two like that.
That is only your opinion. The only thing he doesn’t have is Russel power. He is rated as the A’s top prospect and was the reason the A’s were able to trade Russel. He is projected as a solid SS that can hit .300 not a utility player. One of the top hitters in the AFL and Russel went home after a sub par AFL.
And that of most scouts. Hell, I would be a top prospect in the A’s system now that we have moved anyone of value
Irrelevant to my question.
A team is allowed more than one prospect.
I hope they settle back into their underdogs role and surprise us in ’15. ’14 started out has my favorite A’s season, aside from 2000, and quickly turned to the worst.
Royals are losing James Shields. Maybe rather than try the FA market, they’ll wanna trade for a Jeff Samardzija, but I’m just not seeing a top 50 or 100 guy without health issues that’s close enough to the bigs that the A’s would want.
I think another concern for the A’s is a catcher who can throw. KC stole 7 or 8 bases against them in the wild card game.
I’m thinking the Twins would be looking at moving Eduardo Escobar or possibly selling high on Brian Dozier if they elect to move Danny Santana to SS full-time. Both would work for the A’s, although they’d have to clear a salary to take on Dozier. I’d guess they’d be looking for pitching and/or a CF in return.
I would love for my Rays to trade Molina and Joyce to the A’s to get back Jaso and Fuld.
Red Sox should send Devin Marrero (a SS who has MLB ready defense and can’t hit much worse then Drew probably would) and two SP prospects other than Owens and Rubby for Kazmir or Shark.
The A’s have Parino who is a top defensive SS that can’t hit so there is no need for Merrero. Holding on to Shark and the A’s get 2 top draft picks when he is a FA so why trade him for a couple of mid level prospects.
They will get one draft pick if he walks after the end of the season. Eduardo Rodriguez, Brian Johnson, and Matt Barnes are all pretty well regarded SP prospects that are near MLB ready. Didn’t know about Parino but maybe the A’s would be interested in Brock Holt to play 2B/SS/3B or Sean Coyle who is an offensive minded 2B.
Also, I was thinking more about Kazmir.
Happy thought–not– there with Parino. A middle IF with Parino (.152), Sogard (.223) Punto (.207) and/or Callaspo (.223). Two (almost) guaranteed outs/per AB/per game. Their OBP is equally abysmal.
Even worse, those four combined for 157K’s and none of them is remotely close to being a power hitter. (Sogard, Punto, and Callaspo combined for 143 of those.) 2Bmen with little power should be spraying the ball, not flying ( or striking) out with regularity.
Parino is just a example of a SS that can’t hit. If Parino is the A’s starter the team has problems. The A’s will get a 2b or SS this off season that can hit. not sure about both being filled but baseball is loaded with all D no O players.
Almost a third of Parino’s outs were K’s. It’s inconceivable to me that your SS and 2B can hit as poorly as the A’s returnees, especially if Coco returns to form with no one on base in front of him.
1 draft pick
That hole at 2B is a portal to outer space. Sogard, Punto, and Callaspo were absolutely awful, especially in the last month. Their hitting was nearly non-existent, their contributions in the field underwhelming. They were worse than the team as a whole, if that’s possible.
Let’s give it one more try beane. Kazmir is expandable because he is replaceable, Lets get a Bat to ease the pressure of moss and JD, add a solid second baseman like bonifacio and we are good to go, at SS we might as well give parrino a shot.
The a’s need a new middle infield. unfortunately there’s no one in the farm close to the majors at that position and no affordable decent free agents.
If I were BB, my priorities would be getting a SS who can field first, then another starter, trade/replace ryan cook, then a new 2b.
Now everyone can see what Bean saw in Jon Lester. He was THE Mad-Bomb before This yr’s playoffs and WS…And there’s not too many GM”s that would not have made that trade!
I think the A’s should shop some of their more mid-tier players in an attempt to shed some salary and add some depth to the farm. Go out and make Punto, Chavez, Jaso, and Gentry available. See what they would attract on the trade market and if it’s decent enough, deal them. I would like this approach because it would not necessarily mean throwing in the towel for 2015, but would begin a replenishing of the farm. If we could shed those players salaries/projected salaries, then there would be enough budget room to go out and sign a lower-tier FA to provide as a stop-gap. If by the deadline we aren’t in it, then trade Samardzija, Kazmir, and maybe O’Flaherty. Overhaul the farm system, and look to 2017 or ’18.
What’s the trade value of a 36-year-old 2B who hit .207 with an OBP of .296? Who strikes out in a quarter of his AB’s while delivering no power whatsoever?
Well let’s see, Punto is a veteran of the MLB and has been a winning a player. He can also play both middle-infield spots and if needed, 3rd base. Oh, and just to point out, a .296 OBP paired with a .207 avg. is actually quite impressive; it’s an on-base/ba differential of 87 points which is above league average. Another point I’d like to make is that his BAbip was lower than his career number, which hints he may have been getting slightly unlucky at times. Punto has never been one to provide much offense, but he has had a job for as long as he has and it is because he in fact does have value. I didn’t say he was a great player who is going to attract tons of interest, all I said was throw him out there and test the waters.
Huge difference between is and was. His postseason stats? 38% of his AB’s have been K’s. I would expect more of a veteran and a “winning player.”
Sure, throw him out there. What harm can it do? None of the A’s 2B provide much offense. but a 36-year-old with declining skills may not be very attractive. But testing the waters can’t hurt.
The “is and was” reason can be applied to literally every player out there, especially during the offseason.
If there’s a market for a 36-year-old with declining skills and little plate power who strikes out far too much, I hope the A’s can tap it.
Cespedes’ offense didnt decline in his move to the AL East. With the Sox he had a higher batting avg, obp, slg and ops than he did in Oakland. The last 2 months of the season the Sox offense got a noticeable boost once he was added in there.