The A's are one of the few obvious sellers this summer. Oakland will certainly move some players by next Tuesday, but it's not clear if they'll dominate the trade market. The A's don't have anyone on significant long-term commitments that they'll be trying to offload. They could move a couple middle relievers and call it a deadline.
That's not all that interesting. Their bigger decisions will be whether to deal players under team control. They've reportedly set a massive demand on Mason Miller, whom they could stretch back into a rotation role next season. Miller has been the subject of a ton of trade speculation with good reason. There's been less chatter, at least publicly, about Brent Rooker.
The front office might have an even tougher call in the coming days regarding Rooker than they do with their star closer. Rooker has been one of the most productive offensive players in baseball over the past season and a half. He could be the best hitter traded. Yet his winding career arc makes him a tricky player to value -- potentially making it tough for the A's and other teams to align on an asking price.
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I don’t think Rooker will have more trade appeal than he does right now. Doesn’t seem like that difficult a decision
Next season 30yo-that’s a nice sell off point if they can cash in on a shallow hitters market.
Closers you sell all day, but be careful with DD in Philly, as he knows how to self-scout overhyped prospects.
Miller is the “difficult” decision, I guess. The right offer makes that easy too though. The last thing that a noncompetitive team needs is a closer.
They have the makings of a good team coming along. Honestly wouldn’t hurt to stay the course but I see them trading Rooker. They must never seem to get good return in their trades and lose great players for very little.
A’s operations dept is just unparalleled… Forst, Billy Beane (he is around for sure) and their scouting staff do this scrapping job of searching players almost no one wants, with limited resources they have that is what they do, being creative enough to go on waiver claim and to get a player like Rooker who had been released by the Royals, strikes outs or else. It’s just an incredible job what they do giving opportunities to these players to showcase themselves no pressure it is what it is…
And yet, their recent draft history has been abhorrent.
I think my sarcasm detector is in the fritz, but you’re joking, right? There is nothing “creative” about claiming a guy off waivers. It’s just another example of the A’s being cheap (but they just so happened to strike gold on this occasion). They have the 26th-best farm system and the 4th worst record in the MLB. There is nothing “unparalleled” or “incredible” about anything this front office has done. The Moneyball-era is long since over. Now it’s just a terrible team with no hope on the horizon.
FO “unparalleled”. Maybe. The owner. Definitely.
Can’t think of another owner who has stayed true to the same strategy/philosophy of running a club as long as Fisher. What is the strategy? Run things on the cheap (since 2005). Oof. Glad I’m not an A’s fan.
You are giving them entirely too much credit. Look at what they got back in trades for all star players. Nothing. Esteury Ruiz? Cannot hit, just runs fast. Bunch of dime a dozen pitchers. Bleday for Puk was a win sure. Langeliers has power but Murphy was a top 3 catcher until his bad season now. Rooker was a revelation and a player that teams stubble upon relying on the waiver wire. Sorry just being brutally honest.
I am sure a lot of A’s under contract beyond this year would love to be traded, while other teams’ prospects would hate to be traded to Oakland and deal with the next three years in Sacramento.
I wonder if any veterans desperate to make a comeback or stay in MLB will sign with Sacramento. Eric Hosmer? Wil Myers?