Together with the A’s offseason evaluate, we’ll be internet hosting an A’s-focused chat later this afternoon at 2pm CT. You possibly can submit a query upfront, and test again to take part at 2:00.
The A’s started the offseason with a altering of the guard in baseball operations, as longtime govt vp of baseball ops Billy Beane shifted into an advisory function and turned autonomy over to normal supervisor David Forst. The A’s in all probability spent extra in free company than some anticipated — a low bar to clear — however they continued to commerce away established expertise with an eye fixed towards the longer term. Whether or not that future can be in Oakland, Las Vegas or one other metropolis stays an open query; the workforce’s present stadium lease expires after the 2024 season and there’s been no settlement with the town of Oakland on a website for a brand new stadium.
Main League Signings
Aledmys Diaz, INF: Two years, $14.5MM
Jace Peterson, INF: Two years, $9.5MM
Trevor Might, RHP: One yr, $7MM
Shintaro Fujinami, RHP: One yr, $3.25MM
Jesus Aguilar, 1B: One yr, $3MM
Drew Rucinski, RHP: One yr, $3MM
Complete spend: $40.25MM
Choice Choices
Trades and Claims
Notable Minor League Signings
Extensions
Notable Losses
Heading into the offseason, the A’s had been in a nearly unprecedented spot: zero {dollars} in assured wage on the 2023 payroll, a small arbitration class (that featured just a few commerce/non-tender candidates) and little or no in the way in which of established large leaguers on the roster. It was a clean slate that each lent itself to a point of creativity and in addition spoke to the dire state of affairs in Oakland, the place the preliminary levels of a hearth sale designed to reduce payroll and construct up the farm had solely succeeded within the former of these two targets.
The potential for a Sean Murphy commerce loomed giant over the Athletics’ offseason and dominated A’s-related headlines all through the winter. It’s simple sufficient to see why. Murphy has cemented himself as one of many sport’s prime defenders behind the plate, and he jumped from a roughly common exhibiting with the bat in 2021 to a properly above-average yr in 2022 (with a very sturdy end to the season). Add in that he entered the offseason as a first-time arbitration-eligible participant with three remaining years of membership management, and there merely weren’t many groups the place Murphy didn’t make sense as a goal.
Regardless of that, Murphy arguably landed on a type of very golf equipment that didn’t seem like a logical suitor. Although the Cardinals, D-backs, Giants, Astros, Cubs, Guardians, White Sox, Twins and Rays had been among the many groups to inquire on Murphy’s providers, it was the Braves — who already had three catchers on the roster — who wound up orchestrating a three-team commerce to convey Murphy to Atlanta.
Oakland’s return within the Murphy commerce has usually been panned; the Braves weren’t solely a shock commerce companion for Murphy resulting from their very own catching surplus (Travis d’Arnaud, William Contreras, Manny Pina) but additionally as a result of their prior sequence of trades and prospect graduations had thinned out a once-vaunted farm system. Atlanta was keen to half with Contreras, who broke out with a .278/.354/.506 batting line over 97 video games in 2022 and had 5 remaining seasons of membership management, largely as a result of Murphy is seen as a vastly superior defender. Relatively than settle for Contreras as a headliner, although, the A’s flipped him to Milwaukee (together with reliever Joel Payamps) so as to purchase heart area prospect Esteury Ruiz, whom the Brewers had acquired from the Padres just a few months prior within the Josh Hader blockbuster.
The Murphy return is usually seen as a quantity-over-quality assortment of gamers. Ruiz brings elite pace — he stole a ridiculous 86 bases in 103 tries in 2022 — however doesn’t have a lot potential for making laborious contact. Muller has stable Triple-A numbers however hasn’t had a lot success in restricted large league time but and is taken into account extra of a possible fourth starter than a higher-end pitching prospect. The opposite arms within the deal — Freddy Tarnok and Royber Salinas — have had success within the minors but additionally include a good bit of bullpen danger. It wouldn’t essentially be a shock to see any of the three pitchers get pleasure from a run within the A’s rotation, neither is it out of the query that Ruiz’s blazing pace and baserunning acumen make him a table-setting sort of outfielder for the foreseeable future.
Nonetheless, the final expectation when buying and selling a participant of Murphy’s caliber — significantly three years of management over such a participant — is extra certainty and extra ceiling. The Athletics have had success with bulk returns that don’t essentially function high-end prospects prior to now (e.g. buying Marcus Semien, Chris Bassitt and Josh Phegley in trade for a yr of Jeff Samardzija), partly as a result of they appear to habitually buck the trade consensus in terms of prospect analysis. A part of that’s absolutely recognizing that the distinctive dimensions of their house park have a tendency to permit back-end starters (Cole Irvin, for instance) to search out success even when they’re not prototypical, extremely touted pitching prospects.
Talking of Irvin, he joined Murphy amid the most recent offseason exodus in Oakland. Traded to the Orioles alongside minor league righty Kyle Virbitsky, he introduced infield prospect Darell Hernaiz to the A’s. Irvin wasn’t a clear-cut commerce candidate, as he had 4 years of workforce management remaining and wasn’t even eligible for arbitration but, however the A’s absolutely be ok with buying him in trade for money in 2021 and flipping him for a prospect of some observe simply two years later. Keith Regulation pegs Hernaiz No. 6 amongst A’s prospects over at The Athletic, calling him a possible common at second base or a super-utility choice who can bounce across the infield. Both can be a pleasant end result for an Oakland system that was gentle on infield depth.
It needs to be famous, too, that Irvin is a pitch-to-contact starter who’s thrived with the A’s partly because of the spacious confines of the Coliseum. He has pronounced house/highway splits and has been fairly inclined to the lengthy ball when pitching away from Oakland. He additionally completed out the 2022 season in a protracted droop, and there was definitely danger that with a poor begin to his 2023 season or an damage, the commerce worth he possessed may’ve rapidly dried up.
The third notable A’s commerce of the offseason shipped lefty A.J. Puk to the Marlins in trade for minor league outfielder JJ Bleday. It was a “problem” commerce to some extent — a direct swap of the 2016 No. 6 general choose (Puk) for the 2019 No. 4 general choice (Bleday).
On this occasion, the A’s gave up the participant with large league success so as to purchase the youthful, more moderen draftee, however it was one other considerably curious swap for Oakland. The 6’7″ Puk rattled off 66 1/3 innings of three.12 ERA ball in 2022, fanning a properly above-average 27% of his opponents towards a stable 8.2% stroll fee and 43.4% ground-ball fee. 5 of the 23 runs surrendered by Puk got here in a single nightmare outing towards the White Sox, and his ERA exterior that disastrous exhibiting was an excellent sharper 2.47. Puk might not ever pan out as a starter — he’s already had shoulder surgical procedure and Tommy John surgical procedure since being drafted, and that damage historical past absolutely factored in Oakland’s determination to commerce him — however he at the least seems the a part of a possible high-end reliever.
Bleday, in the meantime, is a profession .225/.337/.409 hitter throughout three minor league ranges with strikeout charges which have risen as he’s ascended the organizational ladder. He’s punched out in 27% of his Triple-A plate appearances and fanned at a 28.2% clip in 238 large league plate appearances final yr, ending with a .167/.277/.309 output in his debut effort. Bleday walks at a excessive clip however doesn’t make a lot contact and hasn’t proven greater than above-average energy so far.
The Marlins have spent two offseasons in search of a middle fielder and, regardless of developing empty, felt snug buying and selling Bleday, who has spent extra time in heart area than within the corners so far in his profession. The A’s are making a giant wager on Bleday. We all know the kind of packages a southpaw like Puk might command on the commerce deadline if he’s wholesome and within the midst of a giant season. Certainly one of these two groups is kind of improper about Bleday, and for the A’s to reverse their development of underwhelming commerce returns over the previous calendar yr, it’s paramount that they received this one proper.
The remainder of Oakland’s offseason featured a handful of smart free-agent additions. Aledmys Diaz and Jace Peterson give the A’s some inexpensive infield flexibility — veterans who can maintain down a beginning place however deal with a number of spots if a youthful farmhand usurps their spot within the lineup. Peterson’s OBP-and-defense talent set on the sizzling nook, specifically, appears like a classic Oakland play. Neither veteran’s signing garnered important consideration, however they’re stable fingers who might simply maintain some commerce attraction — significantly Peterson, given his decrease wage.
The Athletics additionally tapped into the KBO and NPB markets, signing righties Drew Rucinski and Shintaro Fujinami to low cost one-year contracts in hopes of catching lightning in a bottle. At 34, Rucinski is an older MLB reclamation mission however has been nothing in need of sensational in South Korea (732 2/3 innings, 3.06 ERA, 21.5% strikeout fee, 6.3% stroll fee, 66% ground-ball fee). The youthful Fujinami is a 28-year-old flamethrower who was as soon as a highschool rival of Shohei Ohtani (and a equally touted prospect). He was dominant as a starter early in his NPB profession however has battled command woes lately as his inventory has dropped. For a one-year dedication at this value level, there’s little to dislike in regards to the A’s taking an opportunity and hoping to unlock one thing within the 6’6″ right-hander.
One-year offers with Trevor Might and Jesus Aguilar give the A’s a possible late-game bullpen choice and an affordable roll of the cube on an influence bat who’ll hope to show issues round in a change of surroundings. Might limped by means of an injury-plagued 2022 season however from 2016-21 had a stable 3.71 ERA with a large 32.2% strikeout fee. Dwelling runs have been a difficulty, however his new house park will assist with that. Aguilar, in the meantime, isn’t any stranger to pitcher-friendly parks, having swatted 22 homers in simply 130 video games with the Marlins as just lately as 2021. Final yr’s .235/.281/.379 slash was an eyesore, however relationship again to 2017 he’s a .257/.326/.456 hitter with 109 round-trippers.
Whereas most of the Athletics’ free-agent additions had been smart in a vacuum, additionally they underscore the style by which the 2021-22 offseason’s slate of trades has come up quick to date. Not one of the pitching prospects the A’s acquired in trades of Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Chris Bassitt and Sean Manaea has solidified a spot on the roster but, regardless of a number of arms receiving alternatives to just do that. Left-hander Zach Logue, acquired within the Chapman deal, was designated for task and misplaced to the Tigers on waivers lower than a yr after being acquired.
Within the lineup, each heart fielder Cristian Pache and third baseman Kevin Smith struggled enormously. Pache is now out of minor league choices after batting simply .166/.218/.241 in 260 plate appearances with Oakland final yr. He’ll need to attempt to refine his offensive talent set on the large league degree, however with Ruiz and Bleday now becoming a member of veteran Ramon Laureano, it’s not totally clear that Pache can be given an on a regular basis function, which solely additional complicates his growth.
Broadly talking, that’s a microcosm of your complete 2023 season for the A’s. It’ll be certainly one of large-scale auditions for younger gamers as Oakland hopes to piece collectively the makings of a core that sadly didn’t start to take type in 2022. The one considerably established starter within the rotation is righty Paul Blackburn, who had an out-of-the-blue, All-Star first half in 2022 earlier than a torn tendon in his hand tanked his numbers within the second half. Others vying for spots will embody Rucinski, Fujinami, Muller, Tarnok, Ken Waldichuk, Adrian Martinez, JP Sears and James Kaprielian.
Along with Pache, Bleday and Ruiz within the outfield, the A’s will hope some mixture of catcher Shea Langeliers (acquired within the Olson commerce) and prime prospect Zack Gelof (drafted sixtieth general in 2021) can emerge as mainstays on the roster. Shortstop Nick Allen, a light-weight hitter however high-end defender, will get one other crack at shortstop, and the aforementioned Smith will possible get a giant league mulligan sooner or later someplace within the infield as properly.
Because the summer time approaches, extra A’s veterans will floor in commerce talks. Anticipate every of Blackburn, Pina, Laureano, second baseman/outfielder Tony Kemp, first baseman/outfielder Seth Brown to floor in commerce chatter this summer time together with this offseason’s veteran signees — significantly those that inked one-year offers.
It’s a troublesome time for A’s followers, with no viable path to rivalry and — regardless of the gutting of a core that helped produce a 316-230 document from 2018-21 — one of many worst-ranked farm techniques within the sport. There can be loads of alternative for younger gamers, and among the veteran additions will assist, however yr two of the workforce’s rebuild feels much more like yr one than it ought to.
How would you grade the Athletics’ offseason? (Hyperlink to ballot)
