Winter Plans: Oakland Athletics

The 2014 Story

After the Oakland A's shocked the baseball world two years running by winning the AL West despite a limited payroll, it has almost come as no surprise to see them setting the pace in their division once again in 2014. However, after disappointing early play-off exits in both the last two seasons, Billy Beane has gone to some lengths to ensure that his roster is in the best shape possible entering October. Mid-season acquisitions Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel haven't quite worked out as expected considering Oakland gave up their two very best prospects, including one of the best in baseball in the form of Addison Russell. However, his blockbuster trade with Boston saw Jon Lester join the A's on the trade deadline, and he has even acquired ageing left-handed slugger Adam Dunn to try and boost his team's post-season chances. The Angels have begun to stretch out a lead in the West, increasing the chances the A's will face a tough wildcard test, potentially against their nemesis Detroit, but this is a team that is built to win in 2014.

Major Potential Free Agents

Nick Punto, INF
Jed Lowrie, SS
Alberto Callaspo, 3B/2B
Jonny Gomes, LF
Sam Fuld, LF
Jason Hammel, SP
Jon Lester, SP
Luke Gregerson, RP

The one downside to going for broke in 2014 is that it will leave the A's with a pretty barren roster heading into 2015. It will however take $42m in salaries off the Oakland payroll leaving them with a reasonable amount of financial flexibility heading into the free agent market.

Off-Season Plan

Hitting: The A's will have a number of decisions to make on the infield, with their starting middle infielders both hitting free agency, and Josh Donaldson and Brandon Moss entering arbitration. Donaldson has been highly productive in his time with the A's, whilst a Moss/Freiman platoon at first base is one that should succeed. Up the middle, the trade to send away Russell leaves them devoid of internal options at least until 2016, but there are a few options they could look to in free agency. Kelly Johnson strikes me as a classic Billy Beane target as a versatile player with good on-base skills coming off a disappointing season so he should be reasonably affordable. At shortstop, a reunion with Stephen Drew wouldn't be out of the question, whilst JJ Hardy would represent a defensive upgrade with pop. In the outfield, Coco Crisp will man center-field provided he can stay healthy but the A's could do with a platoon partner for the disappointing Josh Reddick. Chris Denorfia would be a cheap option, although Nelson Cruz might be a target given the availability of the DH. The trade of Cespedes and impending free agency of Gomes leaves a hole in left field. Speedster Billy Burns is one of the most exciting prospects in the system, but whether he has the bat to stay in the line-up remains to be seen, so the A's might look for a free agent option, such as Sam Fuld or Melky Cabrera. The A's are going to be busy, and with Beane at the helm it's safe to expect the unexpected.

Pitching: The rotation will be anchored once again by young right-hander Sonny Gray who isn't arbitration eligible until 2017, whilst Jeff Samardzija has one more year of arbitration left that he will presumably see out in Oakland. Scott Kazmir has struggled in the second half, but is under contract for $11m in 2015 and has proven an astute signing after his unlikely comeback. Jesse Chavez will be on the roster once again for the A's in 2015, and after impressing as a back-end starter earlier this year he may get another chance to stick and save the A's some money. If the A's want to make a splash in free agency, then one of Shields, Scherzer or Lester will be a top target, but it seems unlikely the A's will want to guarantee more than around $40m, ruling out the latter two. More astute targets like former A's Brandon McCarthy and Brett Anderson seem likelier, although Francisco Liriano could be a good fit in their rotation provided he can be acquired at a reasonable price. In the bullpen, Sean Doolittle will continue as closer, ably supported by Ryan Cook and Eric O'Flaherty although the A's will need to replace Gregerson either internally or on the market.

Trade Possibilities

If there is one thing we can take away from this season, it is that Billy Beane is not scared to wheel-and-deal when he sees an opportunity present itself. With a decimated minor league system, he may struggle to put together the kind of package that could acquire him quality major leaguers, but Beane is unlikely to let a hurdle as trivial as that stop him from exploring his options. The Dodgers outfield surplus might be an area that he looks towards, as he would not have to give up much in the way of prospects for the likes of Ethier or Kemp provided the team can take on a decent amount of salary. One prospect that could build some value provided he stays healthy is Dillon Overton. Having signed way below slot in 2013 after the revelation that he would need Tommy John surgery, he has bounced back emphatically since his rehab this season, striking out 53 in 37 innings, albeit in the low minors.

Overview

The A's are built to win now, and with 2014 the priority, it's only natural that 2015 might suffer. There are going to be a lot of holes to fill if Oakland doesn't resign any of it's free agent-eligible players, and with a restricted payroll it is going to take some more Billy Beane magic to make up the gap to the Angels. If there's one thing we've learnt about the A's however, it's that you can never rule them out.