Coming in at #14 is the Oakland Athletics. It's been a while since a team has fallen so far, so fast. At the All Star Break this team was the best team in the league, by far. Then Billy Beane, the Greatest GM that never actually won anything, proceeded to royally (no pun intended) screw up the team. I have no problem with the first Samardzija trade. Good teams are supposed to trade prospects (no matter how good they are) for players that can help them win now. Bad teams are supposed to collect prospects to possibly be better next year and in the future. However, the Jon Lester trade was just silly. Even if Cespedes was overrated, when you don't have a lot of offense you don't trade your best power hitter to improve an already solid rotation. Of course that's what happens when you build a team only to beat Detroit in the playoffs. The incredibly savvy Billy Beane just somehow forgot that you need to win in order to get to that Detroit series.
Now that the offseason has started and the A's are having a Marlins-type fire sale, everyone truly see the consequences of the hubris of this general manager. Even with trading all of their good players for questionable returns over the past month, I am still not going to doubt that Oakland will win next year. In 2012, they traded away Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez, and Andrew Bailey and then proceeded to win the division the next season. Although this time I think Billy Beane has made Moneyball 2 a horror movie for A's fans.
ATHLETICS
TEAM TRIVIA
Total # of Athletics in 2014 - 48
# of new Athletics in 2014 - 23
Best score in 2014 - July 24 vs. Astros 13-1
Worst score in 2014 - June 24 at Mets 10-1
Border color that worked best with this team - Purple
# of new Athletics in 2014 - 23
Best score in 2014 - July 24 vs. Astros 13-1
Worst score in 2014 - June 24 at Mets 10-1
Border color that worked best with this team - Purple
Border color that worked least with this team - Yellow
(surprisingly)
Position on last year's list - #15 = UP 1
Let's take a look at the first half of the 2014 Oakland Athletics with the manager's card leading the way.
PURPLE
GREEN
BLUE
I'll be back tomorrow with Part 2. As usual, your thoughts are always welcome and encouraged.
Thanx for reading.
4 comments:
The Cespedes transaction definitely hurt the A's but there were allegedly doubts that they could keep him around long term (he's a free agent next year) so he was probably going to be out the door soon.
I agree with you completely, which is why he should have been moved this offseason. You don't break up a winning club mid-season to add a big name pitcher. The Tigers proved that as well by trading Austin Jackson and struggling to replace him the rest of the year.
Ugh, I'm suffering right now because the Padres have made zero moves so far this offseason, but the A's fans are REALLY suffering, seeing a once promising team dismantled for scraps. But you're right, I wouldn't bet against them, they're the A's. LOVE the Gentry card, and good to see my man Kyle Blanks again, even if he's wearing green instead of Padre blue.
Love the green A's cards.
Post a Comment