Kuzul

As Major League Baseball’s arbitration deadline passed January 17th, the Oakland A’s locked up all of their eligible players except one: Josh Reddick. What happens next is anyone’s guess.

There aren’t too many options, though.

The two teams can work out an agreement before they head to arbitration court in February. If they can’t, then an arbitration panel will choose Reddick’s desired salary, or the Athletics‘ proposed salary.

A’s beat writer John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group provides the salary exchange:

If the two sides meet exactly in the middle, then Reddick will receive $2.625 million in 2014.

Since arriving on the big league scene in 2009, Reddick has played a full season just once. He’s also only hit above .250 just one time as well, and that was in 87 games with the Boston Red Sox in 2011. Looking at the two seasons he’s played in Oakland, he averages 135 games and a .236 batting average. But when he’s healthy and hitting, he brings quite a bit of power to the lineup.

But that’s just offensive contributions.

Reddick has provided a ton of highlight-worthy plays in the last two seasons. It was in his first year with the A’s that he won a Gold Glove, lest we forget.

So what do you pay a guy who plays phenomenal defense but hasn’t hit particularly well outside of one season?

Looking at his Baseball-Reference.com page, Reddick compares closely to guys like John Mayberry Jr., Brennan Boesch, Logan Morrison and Domonic Brown.

Mayberry avoided arbitration this year by signing a one-year, $1.5875 million contract. Boesch signed a $2.3 million deal. Morrison heads to arbitration as well, seeking $2.5 million according to Greg Johns of MLB.com.

Based on that, it’s difficult to see Reddick winning his desired $3.25 million deal.

Then again, none of those guys have a Gold Glove. However, Boesch was in the running for Rookie of the Year in his first season, and Brown was an All-Star in 2013.

Here, the middle ground ($2.625 million) actually makes perfect sense.

Oakland A’s blogger Chris Kusiolek tweeted that the two parties were to reach an agreement shortly after deadline day:

That didn’t come to fruition as of Jan. 19, but if there are murmurs already, the chances this deal is done before the case makes its way to arbitration are high. It’s been quite some time since the A’s and a player went before the arbitration panel.

Fans, meanwhile, seem to be in agreement with Oakland.

To be fair, the player does have his supporters:

Of the two options presented, Oakland’s right fielder is more likely to be overpaid than underpaid, so the $3.25 million is more plausible than $2 million. But that’s if it even gets to that point, which it shouldn’t.

Josh Reddick will make $2.625 million in 2014.

If the number deviates, it will be upward, not downward, but it won’t go higher than $3 million. That you can take to the bank.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

You might consider the Oakland Athletics to be winners this offseason. You might say the flurry of moves they made were average. But each move had major implications—some good, some bad—for the individual players involved.

For example, certain guys held on to their role while others lost theirs. One guy in particular made out like a bandit with the money he’ll make, while another essentially lost out on millions.

Then there’s a certain piece of offseason news that affects the fans.

So who comes out of the A’s offseason looking like a winner, and who heads to spring training wishing there was better news? Continue reading to find out.

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Last week I gave out grades for all of the transactions made by the Oakland Athletics. This week, I’m going to power rank them.

What’s the difference?

The grades were for all of the moves made—both big and small—for the A’s roster and for the minor league rosters. I also graded predominantly based on short-term repercussions (from right now through the end of the 2014 season).

This time around I will power rank with the long-term impact in mind (covering 2014 and beyond if applicable). I’ll also stick to the major trades and signings.

Considerations include the impact the incoming player will have long-term and a look at how much the loss of the outgoing player will hurt long-term.

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The old adage of “you win some, you lose some” sure rings true when it comes to the moves the Oakland Athletics have made so far this offseason. Assembling a bullpen of this caliber could be an A+ by itself. But the A’s failed to fill crucial holes with big trade chips.

The starting rotation is young and talented.

Bartolo Colon was the lone veteran of the staff, but he became a free agent. Rather than look internally, the A’s filled Colon’s spot in the rotation with another free agent.

The bullpen was outstanding in 2013. At times there were moments when fans were forced to hold their breath, but in general, they were a force to be reckoned with. And Grant Balfour’s consecutive win streak was the icing on the cake. Unfortunately, he too is a free agent, so the A’s went ahead and filled his spot through a trade.

On paper, the lineup is filled with quality hitters from Yoenis Cespedes to Brandon Moss. But with so many question marks—can Josh Donaldson and Jed Lowrie repeat career years?—it would have been wise to solidify this lineup.

They didn’t.

Instead, Oakland made one strength stronger and one weakness weaker. All the while they tinkered with the farm.

As we head into the holiday break, see how well the A’s did on their end-of-year finals.

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The acquisition of Nick Punto sparked a few rumors surrounding other members of the Oakland A’s infield. Add to it plenty of talk regarding the starting rotation, and it can be tricky determining which will come into fruition and which is just plain false.

Is Alberto Callaspo on his way out now with a crowded infield? Is Jed Lowrie the missing piece for the St. Louis Cardinals? Will the A’s sign a power bat? Or will they spend the money on a veteran starting pitcher?

There are five major rumors floating around the Web. Here’s a look into each of them with a final verdict of fact or fiction.

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Though Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell appears to be a runaway for AL Manager of the Year, Oakland A’s manager Bob Melvin has a strong case to pull off the upset.

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced the three candidates: Farrell, Melvin and the Cleveland Indians‘ Terry Francona. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. ET on the MLB Network.

Of course there are those who will claim he has no chance, so let’s take a look at the others first. In fact, this tweet doesn’t even list Melvin in the debate:

In his first year with Boston, Farrell led the Red Sox to a World Series victory. Not only that, Boston finished last season with the worst record in the AL East, the third-worst record in the AL and the seventh-worst record in the league. From 69 wins in 2012 to 97 one year later.

You might make the argument that 2012 was a down year. The talent was the same, but the season was marred by dysfunction.

Then again, Farrell proves how much of an effect a manager can have on a team. Good talent with Bobby Valentine? Fail. Same talent with Farrell? World Series winners.

Still, the list of superstars on that team is large.

Their rotation is filled with guys who could all be aces. David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Napoli—these are all big-name guys. As long as they’re happy, they’re expected to compete at a high-level.

Boston.com writer Matt Pepin thinks it’s no contest:

The Indians had the fourth-worst record in the league. With one less win in 2012 than Boston, Francona managed the team to 92 wins this season. That’s an equally impressive turnaround, and Francona did it with less talent.

Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer explains why he chose Francona:

“Did anyone really believe the Indians would win 90 games this season? Especially if you knew that ace Justin Masterson wouldn’t make one start after September 2? Or that closer Chris Perez would have a nightmare second-half? Or that big-ticket free agents Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn would have seasons that are slightly below their usual standards?”

Then there’s Melvin.

Few expected the A’s to compete in 2012, and in Melvin’s first full season, he led them to 94 wins and a postseason berth. Even so, entering 2013, there were talks of 2012 being a fluke, and the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels still were viewed as heavy favorites for an AL West crown.

And yet the A’s won it again, with ease this time.

Additionally, Oakland improved on last season’s record—albeit not by 20-plus wins like Boston and Cleveland—by two wins, from 94 to 96.

That’s just it, though.

The Red Sox and Indians had those expectations. They have the talent. They have the big-name superstars and big-name managers. If all three teams had the same record, you can guarantee the A’s would come up short in power rankings and in odds.

Melvin improved even though he lost key locker room guys like Brandon Inge and Jonny Gomes. He also lost Brandon McCarthy, Stephen Drew and Chris Carter. Likewise, he had to welcome in and figure out where to play Jed Lowrie and Chris Young.

Beginning the season, Melvin—the entire A’s organization and fanbase really—figured Hiroyuki Nakajima would be the starting shortstop. That didn’t pan out from the start, and Melvin successfully found the solution quickly.

Because he didn’t have the superstars, he turned back to platooning. And that may be the strongest argument in favor of Melvin as Manager of the Year again.

Melvin found a way to do as much damage, with less.

As tweeted by 95.7 The Game, MLB Network’s Greg Amsinger agrees:

Parker started out awful. Melvin stuck with him and he rebounded. Tommy Milone faltered. Melvin adjusted the rotation accordingly. He lost Carter and inserted rookie Nate Freiman into a platoon. Josh Reddick, Yoenis Cespedes and Coco Crisp all missed a big chunk of time, but he made it work.

Writing lineups and running a team is like a puzzle. Farrell inherited a large, eight-piece, colorful and distinct puzzle. Francona put together a 40-piece puzzle of a mostly clear picture.

Melvin chipped away at a 100-piece puzzle with bland colors.

Ultimately, Farrell finished his puzzle first, and it’s prettier. However, Melvin should be heavily considered just based on how well he did constructing his much more difficult puzzle.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It’s no surprise the Oakland Athletics are playing well as a unit; it’s just a bit surprising who’s leading the charge. Likewise, guys who were originally expected to propel the A’s toward the postseason haven’t quite gotten the job done.

The team has a bit of everything.

There’s guys like Grant Balfour who have dominated, but it isn’t a surprise. There’s men like Jarrod Parker and Yoenis Cespedes who’ve had some ups and down but overall they’ve had decent years. Players like A.J. Griffin aren’t having the best of years, but it’s neither a surprise nor a disappointment.

To make it on this list, one of two things has happened.

The player entered the season with fairly big expectations and he hasn’t met them. But not just that, he hasn’t even come close. Or there’s the opposite. A player had little expectations and wildly overshot them.

There are eight players on this list: four in each category.

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When it comes to the MLB waiver trade deadline, the Oakland Athletics‘ approach could be aptly titled “All Quiet on the Western Front.” Then again, general manager Billy Beane has never been one to show his cards, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

At this point, the A’s have talent on both sides of the ball. It’s just a matter of the two clicking simultaneously.

Four-fifths of the starting rotation could end up with a dozen wins. The offense is well-rounded with speed from Coco Crisp and Eric Sogard, consistency from the left side of the infield and power from Brandon Moss and Yoenis Cespedes.

There isn’t much news on the green and gold front, but here’s a look at a few tidbits that have circulated.

The A’s Might be in the Market for a Catcher

According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland might be forced to kick the tires on a catcher.

It’s not necessarily that Derek Norris’ .230 average is the factor. It’s more that John Jaso is currently on the 15-day disabled list with no timetable for a return. Moreover, Norris, Donaldson—a former catcher—and Luke Montz (Triple-A) aren’t 100 percent healthy either, writes Slusser.

That leaves Stephen Vogt as the lone healthy catcher on the roster.

Unfortunately, the A’s don’t exactly have an Easter basket full of goodies to choose from at this point when it comes to available catchers.

John Buck might be available, but a .217 average (.182 in the last 14 days) isn’t much of an improvement. If Oakland is simply looking for anyone with experience behind the dish, he could do, but giving up any kind of prospect for Buck doesn’t make too much sense.

Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune speculated in early July that the Chicago Cubs might move Dioner Navarro. He’s hitting a quality .287 with nine home runs in a limited role, including an average over .400 against lefty pitchers. Those same stats should inflate his price tag, though.

MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki questioned whether the Philadelphia Phillies‘ Carlos Ruiz would stick around.

Zolecki does a pretty good job of turning everyone off of Ruiz, though, with a powerful statement such as this:

He turns 35 in January, he has spent each of the past five seasons on the disabled list and he is in the midst of his worst offensive season since 2008, which comes on the heels of a 25-game suspension for using a banned stimulant.

When it comes to Jaso, concussions aren’t the type of injury that one fully recovers from in a set amount of time. Just ask the NHL’s Sidney Crosby. And the more Norris continues to play, the more difficult it becomes to restore to full health.

But the AL West race is tight.

Because of that, the A’s might not be in a position where they can afford to hope for the best from Norris and Jaso. Navarro is a great option, but he’s going to cost the most in terms of prospects. Ruiz is much too risky.

If the A’s just need a healthy body for cheap and aren’t worried about upgrading, Buck might be the guy to look into.

Adam Rosales claimed by Texas

For the third time in 11 days, utility infielder Adam Rosales switched teams, as confirmed by Xander Zellner of USA Today.

The A’s designated Rosales for assignment after trading for Alberto Callaspo. The Rangers originally picked him up but then designated him a few days later. The A’s claimed him, only to DFA him once more to make room for Sonny Gray.

And so he goes back to Texas.

Will he come back to Oakland for a third stint? It’s quite unlikely, simply because the events that have already unfolded have been so bizarre. The chances of it happening once again seems quite slim. The next most plausible move sees Gray or Dan Straily go down in favor of Tommy Milone coming back up.

Then they’ll have yet another decision to make once Brett Anderson returns from injury.

Talk of Adding a Reliever Hushes

Back on July 30, Slusser spoke about the potential Jake Peavy trade, but said:

The one area where there are available players is the bullpen, with several teams dangling relievers, so it’s quite possible that if the A’s cannot land a big fish such as Peavy that they might settle for adding a reliever, even though Brett Anderson could come off the DL next month in a bullpen role. Many years, Beane has added a reliever or two after the All-Star break.

Jim Bowden of ESPN confirmed the sentiment one day after:

Since then?

Nada. Nothing. Zip. Zero. Zilch.

There’s a variety of relievers that could be available. MLBTradeRumors.com does a fabulous job of breaking them down by right-handers and lefties. But how deep is the need for another bullpen arm?

With Gray proving his worth and Anderson returning, it seems there’s a plethora of arms.

Both of these guys could move into the bullpen. Or they could take two spots in the rotation and bump others (Straily, Griffin and Milone are options) into the ‘pen. With the addition of an outside reliever, Oakland would then have 15 pitchers to choose from.

With so many pitchers already, it doesn’t seem likely that the A’s add a reliever. I wouldn’t hold your breath on a Rosie return either. And a catcher may not be en route.

When the A’s were thought to need a major splash most, Beane brought in Callaspo only. It’s hard to see him making a move now when the need is even less.

Then again, stranger and more surprising moves have happened.

Rosales can attest to that.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

What if each of Major League Baseball’s awards were given out to every team—who would end 2013 as the Oakland A’s Most Valuable Player? Who would be their Cy Young winner? What about Most Improved Player or Comeback Player of the Year?

Whether any player actually wins any award is yet to be seen. Regardless, there’s going to be a top hitter and a top pitcher. Someone will rebound. Guys will improve.

Count on it.

Here’s an analysis of who could win these awards if they were doled out, one to each team.

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A repeat as AL West champions for the Oakland Athletics starts with manager Bob Melvin. Without him at the helm, it’s not happening this year and it wouldn’t have occurred last season either.

The team is talented, but Melvin pulled the right strings at the right times throughout the 2012 season. With the first base platoon returning and five outfielders for four spots, he’ll have to hope his magic touch hasn’t waned.

Take comfort, A’s fans.

There’s a reason Melvin is a two-time Manager of the Year winner. After nine years of coaching in Major League Baseball, he holds a .502 winning percentage. Furthermore, he’s managed teams to 90 or more wins three times, including in his first full year as Oakland’s manager.

In 2012, he did it with low expectations. Now he’ll have plenty—from fans and management.

The roster hasn’t seen much turnover in the offseason, so Melvin will face similar challenges. However, this time he’ll be more accustomed to the pieces he’s playing with.

These are the nine reasons Melvin holds the keys to the green and gold machine.

You might find that most are no-brainers. Nearly all of these reasons should be written in a manager’s job description. But with a team this young, the role becomes that much more important for success.

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