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The Oakland A’s State Of The Union For 2016: Beane Counting Or Picking?
Billy Beane saw his A’s have their worst record in 18 years in 2015 – and worst in his GM tenure. It was a rebuilding effort that included him trading away the AL MVP caliber player in Josh Donaldson for a list of 4 players. It will take a couple of seasons to see how bad this may have been. After that deal, it was business as usual, with the man acquiring 4 decent Starting Pitching prospects for players on the last year of their contract. The team doesn’t have any real money committed, and there is a ton of flexibility. Whether they spend it is another matter.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
It used to be that Billy Beane would wait until a player was about to hit Free Agency until he would trade that player for the next round of guys. Now he doesn’t even like his ALL – Stars to hit higher levels of Arbitration.
After last years all in effort to make a run at the postseason, Beane started the dismantle process of his squad. Perhaps the most controversial move was to flip Josh Donaldson for a package of four players.
A lot of people are still upset about that deal considering Donaldson is going to be a perennial MVP candidate, however he was that already for the A’s, and it failed to result in a placement beyond the 1st round. Read the rest of this entry
The Top 5 Holds Leaders In The MLB For 2015
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Holds is a category that is starting to garner more respect each and every campaign in the MLB. Having said that, it doesn’t always mean the pitcher is throwing well if he owns a lot of them for the year. It is just one stat that should be accompanied by others.
When searching to figure out who will have the most of these in a season, it is important to see the amount of games the guy will enter.
For the last several years, Tyler Clippard has dominated in the National League With his trade to the American League, it opens up the leaderboard for this campaign.
It has been said, that the former Nationals Reliever will see some mop-up duty as a closer for the A’s to start the year. Had Sean Doolittle been healthy from the start of the year, I would have placed a massive wager that Clippard would lead the MLB in Holds one more time.
Instead, I will go with his teammate Eric O’Flaherty to make the top 5 on the list. I also don’t think it would be a foreign idea to see Ryan Cook push the top Bullpen Holds Leaders by years end. Read the rest of this entry
The Oakland A’s Payroll In 2015 + Going Forward: Beane Counting
For the 2015 season, the staff will not cost much more money than this campaign, with the highest monies going to Kazmir ($13 MIL) the Bullpen doesn’t make much money, while only losing Gregerson, and most of the SP are on entry-level deals or 1st year Arbitration. The A’s payroll is slated to be right around $80 MIL in 2015 (down about $10 MIL from 2014), and the club should still be competitive, and if not, they have plenty of assets to trade near the deadline and reload for another run of success.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
MoneyBall 1..MoneyBall 2… So we all have seen the movie or at least read the book – or heard about somebody referencing it all the time on the Baseball airwaves. Beane does it a different way, and he keeps the rest of the landscape second guessing.
This website has been one of the frontrunners of dissecting his moves over the last few years, and have accurately predicted a lot of what would happen with the terms of the club.
As much as the MLB Reports has loved the movements the team has done, we have not picked them to advance in the postseason in any prognostications, but we have continuously marveled on how the GM keeps wheeling and dealing.
Chuck Booth likened him to a “Baseball Rounder”, using a nice analogy from the world of poker.
The A’s GM is the best at creating value to his team but exercising all of the freebies in the league, coupled with knowing how to maneuver when the time is right.
Trading Josh Donaldson may come back to haunt him, but he did receive a plethora of young talented throwers, and perhaps Brett Lawrie will emerge into his talent after all.
Being a “Baseball Rounder” is being the smartest guy in the room, and knowing your opponents moves before even they do.
For a Year to Year Breakdown For all of the A’s players salaries please visit here
How All Of The A’s Pitchers Were Acquired: Lots Of Depth Even For 2015 Without Breaking The Bank!
Part of the lure in acquiring Samardzija was that he had 1 year left of Arbitration. He will likely cost in the $12 – 15 MIL range for 2015. He tops the list of several A’s players that will be ARB eligible in 2015 like Moss, Donaldson, Cook, Parker, Jaso, Reddick and Gentry. While the club is going for it in 2014, their unloading of Cespdes’s $10.5 MIL 2015 salary will be used to pay these guys raises for next year, which should ensure them of another chance to compete for it all.. The Pitching Staff will remain almost intact, with losing just Lester, Hammel and Gregerson, while 12 guys are still under Team control, and 3 more guys with lots of MLB experience are in Sacramento waiting for a callup.
How All Of The A’s Pitchers Were Acquired:
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Billy Beane has assembled quite the Pitching Staff for his 2014 final playoff push despite having both Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin out for the year with Tommy John Surgery.
Sonny Gray, A.J. Griffin and Sean Doolittle (although he was drafted as a hitter) are the only active pitchers on their staff that are homegrown products.
Jon Lester was acquired with Yoenis Cespedes (who signed as an International Free Agent.
Much like the hitters, the ‘Moneyball GM’ has wheeled and dealt until he put together one of the best run prevention teams in the game baseball.
Bringing in Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel cost the team 2 young prospects and Dan Straily, all of whom were team draft picks. Read the rest of this entry
Oakland A’s Payroll In 2014 + Contracts Going FWD: Updated For Trade Deadline Deals
Part of the lure in acquiring Samardzija was that he had 1 year left of Arbitration. He will likely cost in the $12 – 15 MIL range for 2015. He tops the list of several A’s players that will be ARB eligible in 2015 like Moss, Donaldson, Cook, Parker, Jaso, Reddick and Gentry. While the club is going for it in 2014, there unloading of Cespdes’s $10.5 MIL 2015 salary will be used to pay these guys raises. Some of the club will be traded or released. The A’s should still have about $25 MIL to spend on 7 or 8 guys next year. Their $95 MIL projected payroll in 2014 is their highest ever recorded for any one year.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Wow. What a roster that has been assembled by Billy Beane in the last 30 days or so.
Make no bones about it, the reason the Money Ball GM was able to this was one from depth strength – coupled with being the master of financial flexibility.
We all know that the A’s have shied away from giving long term pitching contracts, or heck, from lucrative long contracts to positional players.
Ever since the team offered Jermaine Dye a big deal at the time, only to see his production fall off, then to be resurrected in other uniforms, did the management learn to ply their craft.
The team also doled out megabucks for Eric Chavez after that, then to watch him suffer through countless injuries.
Players like Nick Swisher, Miguel Tejada, Johnny Damon, Tim Hudson, Barry Zito, Mark Mulder have left the nest to make fortunes in other locations.
Beane made off like a bandit dealing Rich Harden before he eventually broke down. Oh yeah, the GM received Josh Donaldson for that trade.
It has been a brass that sees about 50 roster transactions every year. The key is to always sell high, and mix in the right amount of Free Agent veterans.
All of that ‘baseball rounding’ afforded the “Moneyball” GM to go for it this year. Read the rest of this entry
The A’s Should Trade Jim Johnson To Tampa Bay For Grant Balfour
Billy Beane made some great trades to bolster his Relief Core – and rotation for the 2014 year last winter. Unfortunately 1 move may haunt in more ways than 1 in Jim Johnson.
Billy Beane just hasn’t been on the bad end of many deals in his recent days. Trading for Jim Johnson may turn out to be his worst move ever.
Originally it looked like another genius move, trading away an MiLB player in Jemile Weeks – for a guy who has back to back 50 Save seasons on his resume, but it has been a colossal nightmare for the AL Bay Area franchise.
Johnson was given a 1 YR deal worth $10 MIL. This represents about 12% of the team total payroll of just over $80 MIL for the 2014 campaign.
The dollars doled out hurts the team more than anything else. Had this man just been inept, without carrying a heavy price tag, it would have been a 4th and 40 situation (think what you do in football in that scenario.
What is too bad is that Beane actually looks smart in not giving Grant Balfour his cash for the kind of deal he wanted either. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – June 7, 2014
Patrick Semansky, Associated Press
The 10th inning of the A’s and Orioles game last night was so surreal that we all need to savor it for a few moments.
That and some unusual draft picks on today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Dee Gordon, Torii Hunter, Tanner Roark, Dallas Keuchel, Nathan Eovaldi, Daniel Descalso and Adam Dunn all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball
Read the rest of this entry
Oakland Keeps The Magic Elixir Running With Pitching Staff In 2014: Lead The AL In Wins
Billy Beane made some great trades to bolster his Relief Core – and rotation for the 2014 year. Despite 3 of the slated Opening Day starters not currently with the club due to Tommy John Surgeries (Griffin and Parker) + Straily (Optioned to the Minors), added with early Bullpen woes, the team has righted the ship, and lead AL pitchers in collective ERA, (OBP and OPS against). Beane has allocated just around $34 MIL in players salary to his staff in 2014. He also made great judgement calls on departing pitcher Bartolo Colon, Brett Anderson and Grant Balfour – not duplicating key roles in the previous two seasons. Once again the “Moneyball Man” looks like he may come up roses one more year in the Division at least.
Billy Beane knows how to construct a Pitching Staff on a shoe string budget.
Not enough Pitching with double TJ Surgeries to A.J. Griffin and Jarrod Parker to have slowed the Rotation? Nope.
What about the loss of Bartolo Colon? Hell no, that big guy is sporting an ERA of over 5.50 in an easier NL hitting league.
Scott Kazmir a risk? Nope, wrong answer again thus far. The recipient of a 2 YRs Deal worth $22 MIL is a lot of money doled out from the A’s organization for a Free Agent Hurler.
All the 30 Year Old LHP has done in 2014, is lead the AL with a WHIP of 0.974, carried forth a 5 – 1 record, and a sparkling 2.28 ERA to date.
How about sophomore Sonny Gray having a tougher time peddling through the league for a second time? Not a chance.
Gray is 3rd in the AL – with an ERA of 2.17, and has a 4 – 1 record himself. Read the rest of this entry
Oakland Athletics Roster In 2014: How All Of The Pitchers Were Acquired
Jarrod Parker is out for the year with Tommy John Surgery. You are talking about a guy that was 25 – 16 with a 3.68 ERA over the last 2 years combined. He has top of the rotation stuff and will be greatly missed. The A’s also had a TJ scare with A.J. Griffin, but it has been downgraded to an elbow strain for now. Parker was traded for by the Athletics in a major package sent to Oakland with Collin Cowgill and Ryan Cook for Starter Trevor Cahill. The club still has Parker and Cahill. While it is bad Parker is out in 2014, he will be back. Cahill has been ineffective for the D’backs in 2014 – with a 9.17 ERA and an MLB leading 4 losses.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
I just finished writing an article about how Billy Beane was smart not to have signed Barry Zito, Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson to extensions here.
You really wont find him do this anytime soon with any of his chuckers.
The Scott Kazmir deal is the one he likes to do. It is simple as to why the man operates like this. He doesn’t have to give up any assets in the process.
Beane is a “Baseball Rounder”.
It is not unlike him to do manage 50 – 60 transactions per year. He was won more than he has lost – whether it is Free Agency or trades. His ballclub has the best record in the Majors since the start of play in 2012 – at 200 – 144 (.581 baseball).
We will go through the Pitching First, and then the hitting by the weekend. Read the rest of this entry
Oakland Athletics State Of The Union: 2014 Preview
When does Beane ever sleep? 56 transactions over the last calendar year, and he may be prepping the phone with another rash of injuries to 60% of his Starting Staff. Beane has at least addressed the teams depth for next 2 – 3 years, and when you look at the salary for their Pitchers, you will be able to detect why. They never overpay on long-term deals for Starters.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
It has been a tough week in Oakland for the Starting Pitching. Jarrod Parker will need Tommy John Surgery and is out for the 2014 year.
A.J. Griffin received better news, but also will be sidelined for the near future with a UCL strain.
To complicate the opening roster even more, Scott Kazmir has Triceps soreness and is currently also on the shelf.
Billy Beane doesn’t seem that worried, as he has Tommy Milone and Jesse Chavez stretched out to work some starts if needed. Read the rest of this entry
Oakland Athletics Payroll In 2014 + Contracts Going Forward
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Billy Beane is a master tactician when it comes to freeing up some cash in order to acquire more players.
Oakland ended last year with a payroll of about $70 MIL. So far this offseason, the A’s GM has picked up several relief pitchers and also signed Scott Kazmir to a 2 YR deal worth $22 MIL.
The team also said goodbye to Bartolo Colon,(who signed with the Mets for a 2 YRs/$20 MIL deal).
Beane has held a fantastic track record of assessing talent, so don’t be surprised if the stocky 40 year old breaks down in the Mets uniform – and not under the A’s watch. Read the rest of this entry
The Rest Of The Best Free Agents Are Now Up For Auction: Some Deals Already Done
Grant Balfour has recently been throwing verbal jabs to the Orioles on XM Radio concerning the club bowing out of his 2 YRs/$15 MIL deal – and justifiably so. The Orioles lost credibility around the league for this bow out maneuver. Now Balfour will look to administer some payback to the O’s 19 times a year for the 2014 and 2015 campaings. The Aussie just signed a 2 Year Deal – to return to the Rays for $12 MIL.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
It was a tough time being an MLB fan the last 3 or 4 weeks – waiting for the Masahiro Tanaka deal to get done.
As of today, we are about 18 days away from Pitchers and Catchers to report.
With the logjam now being freed up with the Japanese superstar being inked to a deal with New York, a bevy of transactions have already occurred.
Grant Balfour is all set to sign a 2 YR deal worth $12 MIL, and will be ready to stick it to the Baltimore Orioles 19 times a year for the next 2 campaigns. Read the rest of this entry
The Washington Nationals State Of The Union Part 1: Fall 2013 Through Spring 2014
The Nationals failed to meet expectations as the Preseason favorites to lock down the World Series in 2013. Heck, they didn’t even qualify for the playoffs. Whether it was injury, or complacency, the talent of this team didn’t maximize their potential this year. However, the club did go 24 – 12 in their last 36 Games Played, and made a late charge at the 2nd Wild Card Spot in the Nationals League. Most of the nucleus is coming back for the 2014 year. Here are some priorities for the winter.
By David Huzzard (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): Follow @davidhuzzard
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
1. Find a Manager
There are moves that can be made without a new manager in place, but this is the most important thing the Nationals have to do this off-season. Not having the leader of the team will make all the other moves more difficult.
Players want to know who they are playing for and the manager is going to have a lot of input into what free agents the Nationals go after for the bench and bullpen, which happen to be their two biggest needs personnel-wise.
It is also important to get the new manager in place early so that he has an entire off-season to communicate with the players already in the majors and to familiarize himself with the system and the minor leaguers that could help during the season.
For all of the Rosters, Depth Charts, State of the Unions and Salaries that we do, please visit our dedicated page link here.
Jordan Zimmermann Interview
September Callup Candidates For The Nationals: Washington With A Great 36 Game Sked To End 2013
At 62 – 64 with 36 games left, The Nationals will need a massive collapse from either the Pirates, Reds or Cardinals in order to qualify for the Post Season in 2013 being 10.5 Games behind the playoff bar. Despite the struggles, the club still has to go about the business of preparing a 40 Man Roster in September. Lets preview some of the news, injured players coming back, and recent performances of some of the guys in the Minor League System.
By Sean Hogan (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): Follow @seanhoganvt
September is just 10 days away. With 9 games in those 10 days, a lot of things can happen with the Nats. They can still go on a run and get back into the thick of things in the Wild Card race.
The reason for this is easy…. The Pirates, Cardinals and Reds are play each other a pile in the last 5 weeks of the year, so all the Nationals have to do is to take care of business, and they can be back in the conversation for the playoff game at least.
The Nats also have a ridiculously easy schedule coming from now until the end of the year in their final 36 games.
Coming up. 1 more @CHC, 3 @KC (they are struggling now), then a 6 game homestand versus the Marlins and Mets. They should go 7 – 3 here.
From there, they have a 10 game road trip with 3 @PHI, 3 @MIA and 4 @NYM. The team could go 7 – 3.
Followed by the road trip is a 10 game homestand: 3 VS PHI, 3 VS ATL (they may have clinched by then – or at least resting guys), and to vs the Marlins ends the stretch. The team could go 8 – 2.
The Nats end up playing their last 6 on the road versus the Cardinals and Diamondbacks in 3 game series each. If they win both series, it could be a 4 – 2 road trip.
You could see the club win 26 of their last 36 games – to have them equal 88 wins. The Pirates would need to win 15 games out of 36 in this scenario.
While it would still make it unlikely to be in the Wild Card Game, it could put some pressure on the 3 NL Central franchises.
The Cardinals would have to win 16 out of 36 games to stay ahead, and the Reds would need 17 wins out their last 35 games to stay head.
They could also go on a losing streak and drop out of the race just as easily. For the most part, the Nats’ September call-up candidates will be the same, but their eventual roles may differ.
The only player on the 40-man roster that I don’t think has a chance of making it to the Majors in September is Matt Purke, who has always struggled with injuries and is just starting to hack it in high A ball.
Jeff Kobernus – 1st Career HR
Exploring The Nationals Depth: Organizational State Of The Union
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Follow @mlbreportsSunday, May. 26/2013
With Mike Morse only being signed through the 2013 season, and the brass feeling that the Nationals had a playoff Roster of players without him, they dealt one of their best deep ball threats from the last couple of years. From one injury after another, it is too bad the club didn’t still have this guy to help the depth. Morse has hit for a 3 Slash Line of .248/.311/.766 – with 10 HRs and 18 RBI with Seattle this campaign. The Nationals were not planning on resigning “Da Beast” past this season – and were able to replenish some pitching in the Minors by re – acquiring A.J. Cole. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt the 2013.
By Sean Hogan (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): Follow @seanhoganvt
I’ve recently complained that the Nationals’ lack of organizational depth is a major reason for their mediocre start to the season. Key contributors C Wilson Ramos (twice), 3B Ryan Zimmerman, RF Jayson Werth and RHP Ryan Mattheus have all gone on the disabled list while LHP Ross Detwiler and LF Bryce Harper have narrowly avoided their own stints. None of that is even to mention 2B Danny Espinosa, who is playing with a torn rotator cuff.
Kurt Suzuki has filled in admirably for the injured Ramos, but out of that bunch, that’s pretty much the only bright spot. Anthony Rendon and Chad Tracy struggled at 3B filling in for Zimmerman while Roger Bernadina and Tyler Moore have been downright awful in the corner OF spots. Super-sub Steve Lombardozzi has limped along to a -0.3 WAR, almost as bad as Espinosa’s -0.4.
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