Busy off-season for A’s but they are still a long way behind big spending duo

GM Billy Beane’s tenure at Oakland has resulted in a best-selling book and an Oscar nominated film, but success on the pitch has been hard to come by in the last few years and it appears 2012 will be no different as the Athletics are some way from claiming a play-off berth.

Division foes the Texas Rangers are coming off back-to-back AL pennants, while the Angels signed the most coveted free agent in the game, in Albert Pujols, and the most coveted pitcher in C.J. Wilson. The A’s on the other hand continued the Beane tradition of selling talent that they can no longer afford for young prospects, with the likes of Andrew Bailey, Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill departing.

Last season, the young pitching staff performed admirably, although with the three most important cogs having departed, it will be interesting to see who steps up to the challenge. The offence, however, was inconsistent and poor, with only one player hitting above .265 and, the departed Josh Willingham apart, nobody accounting for more than 15 HRs or 75 RBIs. While hitting homers may not be the ‘Moneyball’ way the A’s offence will need to improve if they are to have any hope of competing in a very tough division. Could the MLB return of ‘Mannywood’ help on that front?

IN : Bartolo Colon (SP – N.Y. Yankees), Ryan Cook (RP – Arizona), Collin Cowgill (OF – Arizona), Jonny Gomes (OF – Washington), Edgar Gonzalez (SP – Colorado), Jim Miller (RP – Colorado), Tom Milone (SP – Washington), Brandon Moss (OF – Philadelphia), Jarrod Parker (SP – Arizona), Brad Peacock (SP – Washington), Jason Pridie (OF – N.Y.Mets), Manny Ramirez (DH – unattached), Josh Reddick (OF – Boston), Seth Smith (OF – Colorado), Merkin Valdez (RP – Texas)

OUT : Andrew Bailey (RP – Boston), Craig Breslow (RP – Arizona), Trevor Cahill (SP – Arizona), Bobby Cramer (RP), David DeJesus (OF – Chicago Cubs), Gio Gonzalez (SP – Washington), Rich Harden (SP), Andy LaRoche (INF – Cleveland), Trystan Magnuson (RP – Toronto), Hideki Matsui (DH), Jai Miller (OF – Baltimore), Guillermo Moscoso (SP – Colorado), Josh Outman (SP – Colorado), Ryan Sweeney (OF – Boston), Josh Willingham (OF – Minnesota), Michael Wuertz (RP – Retired)

Catchers : Kurt Suzuki is regarded by many as one of the most underrated catchers in the Big Leagues, but the 28 year old is coming off his worst year, batting average wise, having dipped under .240 for the first time in his career. Another 28 year old, Anthony Recker, is expected to be the back-up this year, but has just 17 at-bats to his name in the Majors. Youngsters Derek Norris and Josh Donaldson will be in the running if they impress during Spring Training and could move up the depth chart. Norris arrived from Washington in the trade that sent Gonzalez in the opposite direction and is seen as a top prospect.

Infielders : The infield saw only one departure, Andy LaRoche moving to Cleveland, and no new arrivals, so it will have a very familiar look to it. The main battle could be at first base between Daric Barton and Brandon Allen. Both are solid defensive lefties that struggled at the plate last year, with Barton’s .212 batting average being slightly higher. Scott Sizemore is expected to man third, and, relatively speaking, can provide some pop but will need to improve on his defensive skills as he enters his first full season in Oakland. Cliff Pennington and Jemile Weekes will rule the middle. Weekes was particularly impressive last year, hitting .303 and stealing 22 bases, while Pennington was solid, but hasn’t really lived up to the high expectations placed on him earlier in his career. Could this be a breakout year for the 27 year old? There is decent depth in the infield with the likes of Kila Ka’ahuie and Adam Rosales both having decent Major League experience and the ability to cause opposing pitchers problems. After an impressive 2010 as a bit-part player in Oakland, Rosales did regress massively, hitting just .098 last year in 24 games and will be desperate to show coach Bob Melvin that he deserves another shot. Chris Carter and Eric Sogard are also options, but, as appeared to be the case for too many Oakland hitters, they struggled when called upon last year.

Outfielders : Unlike the infield, the outfield is full of new faces, with Coco Crisp being the only returning starter, as no fewer than six outfielders arrived in Oakland during the off-season. Crisp was typical Crisp last year, stealing 49 bases and hitting a respectable .264, while providing a defensive specialist in centre field. Crisp, entering his third year with the A’s, has stolen 81 bases in the last two seasons. Partnering the speedster in the outfield will likely be Seth Smith, who arrived in a trade from Colorado, and Josh Reddick who arrived in a trade from Boston. Both are tall lefties looking to further their careers. Reddick hit .280 in 87 games with the Red Sox last year but will be a starter for the first time in his young career, while Smith is coming off a great season, having hit .284 and 15 homers but has been plagued by inconsistency and niggling injuries. Jonny Gomes is another new arrival and he’ll provide some pop off the bench, having hit 118 homers in the last seven seasons. Collin Cowgill arrives with little experience but has youthful exuberance in abundance. Jermaine Mitchell and Michael Taylor are career Minor Leaguers that will have to rely on injuries for a starting role, despite Mitchell having hit .332 splitting time between AA and AAA last year. Jason Pridie and Brandon Moss are non-roster invites that have decent Major League experience.

Designated Hitter : Despite retiring early last year following a failed drugs test, and being suspended for the first 50 games of the season, the most intriguing name in the hat for the DH role is 39 year old Manny Ramirez. The 13 time All-Star has hit 555 homers in an illustrious career that has often been sullied by his demeanour and actions. Whatever happens, it’ll sure be fun though. Should Ramirez not make the roster, and during his suspension, Carter and Gomes are probably the favourites for the spot, although it is likely to be shared around based on who is most in need of a rest.

Starting Pitchers : What was a young rotation became even younger and less experienced this off-season following the departures of Gonzalez, Cahill, Moscoso, Harden and Outman. The quintet amounted for 111 starts last season, so the front office certainly had their work cut out. Brandon McCarthy becomes the de facto ace of the rotation, having recorded a 3.32 ERA last year, a career year after his move from Texas. Dallas Braden and Brett Anderson are very talented lefties that haven’t had their injuries to seek in recent years. Despite expecting to be big parts of the rotation, they managed just 16 starts between them in 2011. An injury free season is a must for both players. Brad Peacock arrives from Washington and will be in line for a place in the rotation. He went 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA in 12 innings during his first spell in the Majors last season, while Jarrod Parker is another highly talented youngster that arrived in a trade, this time from Arizona. His sole Major league appearance was a scoreless 5.2 inning effort last year. There is depth, albeit inexperienced depth, with Tom Milone, Tyson Ross and Graham Godfrey looking to challenge for a roster spot. All three showed potential as rookies last year, combining for a 3.41 ERA in 19 games (15 starts). The future appears bright for the A’s rotation. Bartolo Colon is the veteran option, at 38 years old. The 2005 Cy Young winner will need to earn his place during Spring Training, but is certainly in the picture.

Relief Pitchers : Following the departure of closer Andrew Bailey, the role is up for grabs at Spring Training, although Brian Fuentes is the pitcher with the most experience in the role. The 36 year old lefty is just one save shy of the 200 mark for his career. Another veteran, Grant Balfour, returns and will be a crucial part of the bullpen, both with his stuff and his veteran leadership. Fautino de los Santos is considered an option at closer, due to his speed and high strikeout rate, but his rookie campaign was somewhat inconsistent. Joey Devine will play a significant role and is coming off a renaissance year, having not pitched in the Majors in 2009 and 2010 following Tommy John surgery. Jerry Blevins and Sean Doolittle are lanky lefties, but Blevins is higher up the depth chart and should make the roster. Andrew Carignan will be desperate to taste more Big League action following a 6.1 inning spell as a rookie last year. The likes of Ryan Cook and Jordan Norberto are waiting in the wings, while those that miss out on the rotation race may well be utilised in the bullpen.

PREDICTION : As is often the case with Oakland, the roster is young and full of potential. That, however, will only take a team so far, especially when you have the Angels and Rangers in your division. There will be some bumps along the way, but they have enough about them to cause a few shocks and make a good account of themselves. They’ll likely finish a fair way back of the big spending duo, but they’ll finish above the Mariners in third place.