The A’s wrapped up their 16th AL West Title in 46 years since moving to Oakland yesterday. They have clinched the Division at home the last 2 years.  They beat out the Rangers and Angels  – clubs that double their Team Salary of  roughly $65 MIL in 2013.

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst and Website Owner) Follow @mlbreports

It is a simple rule of economics how these teams have built their teams.  Yep, but you must look a little deeper.  Over the course of the last year, I have constructed both teams entire Roster Trees.

Both managements constructed these teams by selling high on players (usually trading their ALL – Stars for 2 – 3 players back in return, and continuing the cycle.)

The Athletics and Rays have been incredible at finding Free Agents, that cost exactly zero assets back in return.

Just look to Bartolo Colon, Coco Crisp and Yoenis Cespedes for the A’s, while Fernando Rodney, James Loney, Casey Kotchman and Rafael Soriano all have signed Free Agent contracts on limited years recently over the last several seasons.

It corresponded with the players having the best years of their careers, or complete renaissance’s for a bargain based salary.

Oakland A’s Clinch The 2013 AL WEST

Beane has seen his club prove their worth, winning back to back Division Titles, and have the best record in the Majors over the last two years. Since starting the year 23 – 32 in 2012, the team has gone 165 – 99, (.625 Win Percentage). The A’s have used savvy management to add a deep depth Roster of players 1 – 25, that have all collectively help the team win, where high prices salaried teams have had crippling injuries, suspensions and faced Father Time. Their rise to the top has come of a surprise to some people, but how much also can be attributed to a stronger JDA agreement and the ban of amphetamines as well? How long will the current team be kept together before being broken up due to player salaries escalating? Plus can Billy Beane keep weaving his magic on trades of such players?

When you are playing around $45 – $65 MIL in team players salary, competing against the Yankees and Red Sox in the AL East, while the Rays have the free spending Angels to contend with, you must be creative.

It goes further than just a plan.  The club coaches have to be on page with whatever the brass’ philosophy are.  Enter Joe Maddon and Bob Melvin.

Interchangeable

It is my firm belief that the biggest reason these clubs are able to function is that they are replicating their players.

Instead of having superstars that warrant massive contracts, (A type talent players if you will:  Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, David Ortiz), the club works on acquiring B- to B+type of guys that are team controllable (Brandon Moss, Jed Lowrie, Ben Zobrist, Matt Joyce ) if you will.

These guys are all still starters, however if you look at the players listed, the B- to B+ can play multiple defensive positions, giving the skippers many more possibilities in the event of pitcher matchups or injuries.

The interchangeable players make a manager’s job so much better.  In fact, that maybe a reason why the Angels have suffered since losing these type of players.

Mike Scioscia has seen his once versatile and more fast team be decimated by expensive incoming Free Agents – that have been injury prone. He really doesn’t suit the type of ball club he is running. The former Dodger’s Catcher would be better off running a team similar to what the Rays and A’s possess.

While Chone Figgins never amounted to a hill of beans anywhere other than Los Angeles, you can’t take away from him, that he was one of the most exciting players during his time with the Halo’s.

‘Figgy’ played 6 different positions with the club when they won the 2002 World Series.

Mike Scioscia used to have a team filled with guys like this.  It is an old school way.  Now that the Angels have been spending every year like no tomorrow, the roster is void of these kind of players.

The big former Dodger Catcher is not left with the type of club he is strongest with.  Meanwhile his former coach Joe Maddon has thrived using the concept.

Bob Melvin grew up in the Bay area, and has the pulse of both of his team and the fanbase. He has brought in a winning attitude and accountability among his players. Melvin loves to platoon players, work matchups, and tweak his players 1 – 25 for the purpose of winning games. Can the Oakland Athletics head back to the ALCS for the 1st time since 2006?  Even though the team will only win a few more games than last campaign, this club is more well-rounded this time around in the post season.

Platooning

Bob Melvin uses Brandon Moss and Nate Freiman at a 1B platoon – depending on who the starter is.  Joe Maddon will use Matt Joyce and a plethora of other Outfielders based on LHP or RHP starters on the opponents side.

Another example of how this works, is that their Roster players of 13 – 25 tend to be stronger than most other franchises.  Team Depth is able to makeup for a long season of injuries.

The Yankees, Rangers and Angels all suffered multiple injuries, players leaving for other teams in the 2012 offseason, and guys were lost to suspensions.

I have long often thought that sooner or later the big budget teams will overtake the lower budget ones and force the MLB into changes.

The Dodgers have not won or appeared in the World Series since 1988. With the spending the ownership will do in the next decade, I would be surprised if the team doesn’t rake in a multiple championships. The team finished off clinching the Division by going 58 – 23. They are one of the only free spending teams that have done well over the last 3 – 4 years in the MLB. I still maintain the notion, that the Dodgers will spend even more money if they do not win or go to the World Series this year.

While I still think the best test case is the Los Angeles Dodgers for this example of the disparity in the team’s salaries, and a flawed CBA for this, the Giants and Cardinals have taken 4 of the last 6 years World Series trophies.

The Red Sox, Phillies and Yankees did hoist the trophies straight from 2007 – 2009 respectively, St. Louis and San Francisco have had decent payrolls, but definitely not earth shattering.

The Cardinals and Giants were able to use strong pitching staffs and homegrown talent for their World Series runs.

Tampa and Oakland have also benefited by the game using more strict drug and amphetamine testing.

While we will never know the exact percentage of the players using HGH, steroids or amphetamine’s, you can bet your bottom dollar that a some of the best players did, and naturally they would be coveted as expensive Free Agents.

The game has gone through a metamorphosis back to more speed, defense and Pitching, which only helps younger teams, with talented athletes become eligible to compete with the high – priced older teams.

Guys are not bucking the trend, by cheating Father Time, and as such it has leveled the playing field for everyone else.

This is not to say that the Los Angeles Dodgers will still not blow the balance out of the water by outspending every other club.

Joe Maddon has a career coaching Record of 684 – 626 (.522) , but is 544 – 421 over the last 6 years from 2008 – 2013 (.564) He runs his offenses like the Angels used to, with a NL style built on speed contact and great Starting Pitching. He may be the best AL Skipper when it comes to utilizing players versatility and matchups.

While the way the Rays and Athletics have built their teams can work for a stretch of time, the players they possess now, will start becoming pricier as they head towards Arbitration and Free Agency again, thus starting a new cycle of selling off their best players.

The A’s went through this from 2007 – 2011, the Rays have played over 110 games over .500 since the start of the 2008 year, however David Price will likely cost $15 MIL to sign in Arbitration for 2014.

Last year, the 27 Year Old, was 20 – 5, with a 2.56 ERA. Price led the AL in Wins, Win% and ERA. This year hasn’t been as kind to the LHP. however rarely does a player not see a big bump in Arbitration. The Rays probably can’t afford to have he and Evan Longoria eating up more than half of the $60 MIL Team Salary in 2014, as the rest of the club’s Depth would suffer, he will probably be traded this offseason.  If he is not dealt then, it could be half way through next campaign.

The Rays have some tough decisions on the 2012 AL Cy Young Winner.  I think they will have to trade the guy. 

Either that, or that $15 MIL would not be spent on the Team Depth of their club, thus making taking away from the clubs decisive edge over other teams in their pay structure.

Platooning, plus having a bunch of interchangeable parts in their organizations may have been forced on these teams out of neccesity, however that may also have been the direct result of both of their recent successes on the field.

The Rays can wrap up their 4th playoff position in the last 6 years this week, if they can take care of their business. Coming on the heels of 9 straight losing seasons before that, it is truly incredible how they have been competitive for so long in the vaunted AL East. It is a testament to their management level, and adopting an old school mentality towards building a team.  Sooner or later the franchise will have some tough decisions to make about their home at Tropicana Field, and the city they play in.  For them to be this good for so long, and not able to draw attendance, must be frustrating for ownership.

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