Kuzul

Last year, the Oakland A’s went on a run for the ages, and they almost snuck into the ALCS.

The A’s won their last six regular season games to stunningly capture the AL West, before rallying from down 2-0 to force Game 5 of the ALDS. They lost Game 5, but it let Oakland experience a run for the ages.

However, the A’s haven’t done much in the offseason. They signed Hiroyuki Nakajima from Japan, but only to replace Stephen Drew. They re-signed Bartolo Colon and traded for Chris Young, but that’s really been it.

Oakland isn’t expected to do as well in 2013 because of their lack of big names. However, the offensive went on a home run spree in the second half, and while Brandon Moss won’t be smashing 21 homers in 265 at-bats, he, Josh Reddick and Yoenis Cespedes could provide pop for the middle of the lineup.

Crisp and Nakajima will likely be table-setters, while Young will be relied on to provide pop from the bottom of the order. The offense looks fine right now, because they were in the top half of the league in runs scored. And, the pitching staff will look to protect that.

A good season may not be realistic to expect from Travis Blackley, but Jarrod Parker and Tommy Milone can only be better in their second season. Brett Anderson finished the 2012 season with a bang, and Colon did a good job before being suspended for steroid use. So, the pitching staff has talent, and they can be one of the league’s best.

Factor in a mean bullpen with Sean Doolittle, Ryan Cook and Grant Balfour and you have a good team. Unfortunately for the A’s, a complete team just isn’t enough.

On paper, the Rangers, Angels, Blue Jays, Tigers, Red Sox and Yankees all look more talented than the A’s. Texas has Nelson Cruz, Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus on the offense and Matt Harrison and Derek Holland on the pitching staff, and the Angels have Albert Pujols, Mike Trout, Josh Hamilton, Jered Weaver and others.

Both are in the division, and if games were won on paper, Oakland would finish third. However, they pride themselves on being a resilient team which doesn’t win games on paper, and they are wound up around the middle of the pack in the AL.

Baseball is about getting hot at the right time, but in a 162 game season, the best teams almost always find their way into the postseason. The A’s have some talent, but there are still question marks in the pitching staff. Teams like the Angels and Blue Jays are fine with the pitching staff, as the Blue Jays practically have a new team due to some offseason spending and dealing.

Detroit didn’t dominate Oakland, although they would have won the ALDS in four games with a better closer. Justin Verlander overwhelmed the A’s and Yankees, while Doug Fister, Max Scherzer and Anibal Sanchez did the same to all three teams that Detroit faced in the playoffs.

Even though baseball is unpredictable, it won’t be easy for the A’s to sneak into the playoffs. The AL is great this year, and it will be harder than ever to win the AL West. Even if they do make the playoffs as a Wild Card, they will be down to a one game playoff without a true ace (yet).

Oakland is definitely a talented team, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they reached into their bag of tricks and pulled out more magic to find their way to the playoffs. But they are still unproven, and there are question marks. With all the talent around them in the AL West and the AL in general, I’m not seeing them in the playoffs.

The only thing that I think could get them into the playoffs is some more magic, which the A’s sure know how to provide. 

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Last night, the Oakland Coliseum was rocking. And no, it wasn’t for the Raiders.

Because of their improbable, amazing second-half run, the Athletics had finally earned the fan support they strived for. It seemed inevitable that the A’s were going to miss the playoffs, especially after entering the All-Star break with a 43-43 record.

Oh, and September wasn’t going to be very kind to the A’s, either.

However, the A’s dominated in July and August, excelling in close games. They didn’t limp through September, when everyone thought they would crumble. The Rangers, Angels, Orioles, Tigers and Yankees were among the teams who faced the A’s, and Oakland dominated in those games.

Their poor hitting didn’t stop them. Their lack of experience didn’t stop them. Actually, nothing stopped them. Now they are in the playoffs, and they are just two wins away from winning the AL West. 

In their game last night against the Rangers, Grant Balfour, Oakland’s inexperienced closer, threw a nasty, cut fastball. It hit 97 mph, and it was enough to fan Mike Napoli. Balfour struck out the side in the ninth, mixing his high heat with his nasty slider to KO the Rangers.

A whole city erupted with joy. Everyone in the country smiled. The A’s did it. A team without much talent or money came through in the clutch, just like the 2002 team that had a movie and book dedicated to them.

A’s fans were clamoring to bring in top prospects and make a big trade. After all, the Rangers and Angels were in their division, the Orioles and White Sox were doing well and the Red Sox were sure to make a run at the playoffs (they didn’t, though). And how could you count out the Rays, who had made an improbable run in 2011.

Then, their offense exploded against the Twins, as they swept Minnesota. The Rangers took the first of a two-game set, but a walk-off home run from Brandon Hicks propelled the A’s to a win in the second game.

The Yankees were next, and that was the series that changed the season for the 47-44 A’s. They won four consecutive one-run games, capping it off with a comeback win. Seth Smith hit a tying home run in the ninth, and Coco Crisp capped off the sweep with a walk-off hit.

Balfour, Ryan Cook and Brandon McCarthy were sure to stay in Oakland. The fans got into it. Everyone started talking about the A’s. Eventually, they climbed into the playoff race, winning nine straight at one point. Now, the team with 14 walk-offs is headed to the playoffs.

Despite having Cliff Pennington (or Adam Rosales), Derek Norris and Josh Donaldson in their lineup, Oakland’s offense exploded. Yoenis Cespedes performed well, Brandon Moss always came up with clutch hits, Crisp and Stephen Drew got on base a lot at the top of the order, Donaldson exceeded expectations while replacing Brandon Inge at third base and much, much more happened.

Jarrod Parker won 13 games while getting the win in the clincher and pitching like an ace, especially with the pressure elevated. Balfour, Cook and Sean Doolittle became a formidable relief trio, while Tommy Milone, Travis Blackley and A.J Griffin exceeded expectations as inexperienced rookies.

Now, the lights are shining even brighter. Blackley and Griffin are in charge of winning the AL West for Oakland, which would make them the top seed. Even if they can’t, there will be a one-game playoff at Camden Yards, Yankee Stadium or the Coliseum. 

Playing in Yankee Stadium would frighten most young, inexperienced teams. But the A’s aren’t like those teams. They come up with big hits, key pitches and great performances. Usually, that leads to wins. It has certainly led to wins in the second half, where Oakland is 49-25.

Oakland has power, pitching and clutch hitting. This formula has been amazingly successful in the second half, and Bob Melvin has helped. He has mixed and matched his team to perfection, and his strategy is working perfectly.

Can the A’s continue their magical run? Certainly. The teams around them won’t overwhelm the A’s. They’ve had success against the Yankees, Rangers and Orioles, and the Tigers are definitely beatable.

Parker will have to pitch like an ace and continue to hit his spots. Griffin will have to keep his magic going. Blackley will have to piece together a decent performance, and Milone will, too. Balfour will have to be as dominant as he was against the Rangers, and Doolittle and Cook will need to lock down the seventh and eighth innings.

But in all honesty, there’s no limit for the A’s. They are a great team, they play the game the right way and they come up clutch. So, while it might seem like the A’s are going to falter, they won’t. Because they aren’t going to back down. So unless the A’s are outplayed, they won’t lose. What does that mean?

It means that the A’s can win the World Series.

This article was originally published on Golden Gate Sports. 

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When people mention the name of Oakland A’s general manager, Billy Beane, many adjectives follow: Overrated, brilliant, shrewd and ring-less are a few. And while there are those who may never give Beane the credit he deserves for having built a solid small-market playoff contender during the 2000s, the job he has done in 2012 simply cannot be overstated.

Understand, the A’s were simply supposed to be a bad rebuilding team working towards a new stadium in Oakland or elsewhere. It was expected that their nucleus would not be solidified until at least 2014, and this was supposed to be the year when the bottom finally fell out completely to allow the A’s to reload through the MLB Draft like the Washington Nationals and Tampa Bay Rays.

Instead, the Oakland A’s sit on top of the American League Wild Card and a mere four games from the top of the AL West standings. Much has been made of this story, but considering that Beane made moves that all seemed to shake in Oakland’s favor, it is high time he is given the credit due for turning this team into a mostly unlikely playoff contender.

The moves Beane made have turned a middling franchise into the talk of baseball. And here are his best of 2012 and why he should be Executive of the Year.

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Baseball is so unfair. How can a small-revenue team like the Boston Red Sox hope to contend against a big-market team like the Oakland Athletics?

Yesterday was an example of how momentum in baseball is not always simply seeing who the next day’s pitcher is. Sometimes, it is a direct reflection of the team.

The Oakland Athletics are a team that, against all odds, have arrived at September in the lead for a playoff position. They are doing it with deep pitching and power from multiple sources. Seven Oakland hitters are in double digits for home runs.

And it seemed like they hit all of them last night against the Red Sox last night.

Boston’s West Coast road trip has seen the Red Sox do their best Houston Astros impersonation. They were swept by the Angels and looked like they were totally unprepared to play in Oakland.

In their last 17 games, Red Sox pitchers have surrendered five or more runs 12 times. That’s a problem.

Then came last night. Last night’s 20-2 A’s victory looked and felt like a major league team playing a minor league squad. It was an embarrassing massacre during which the Athletics not only looked like the big bullies, but they did so with former Boston Red Sox players.

In fact, if Red Sox fans wanted to feel anything positive about last night, they could feel good about old friends who are doing well elsewhere.

One-time Red Sox Brandon Moss went 4-5 with a homer and four runs batted in. Former Boston catcher George Kottaras homered twice and drove in five runs.

Josh Reddick, the Red Sox’s right fielder in 2011, doubled and hit a grand slam. 2007 world champion Coco Crisp did not get a hit, but walked and scored.

The Red Sox used to be the ones that stole players from Oakland. They won the 2004 World Series with big contributions from Johnny Damon and Keith Foulke.

Now, it is the Red Sox who are playing out the string with a lineup that resembles a split squad spring training game.

The A’s? The American League West-leading Texas Rangers are only four games ahead of them. They are ahead in the wild-card race and are taking their momentum to October.

They have won 13 of their last 15 games including seven straight. Will their winning continue? They are playing the Red Sox again today.

If yesterday is any indication, the Red Sox are not even in the same league as the A’s.

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Ryan Cook allowed a ninth-inning game-tying home run for the second straight game. Toronto scored twice in the 11th inning to stun the Oakland A’s 3-1 Saturday afternoon at the Coliseum.

David Cooper blasted Cook’s 1-1 fastball to right center field to tie the game at one. The A’s had a chance to win in the 10th inning, but Josh Reddick struck out looking with the bases loaded. 

Oakland got a great performance from their bullpen until the ninth inning, as starter A.J. Griffin left after just 1.2 innings with tightness in his right shoulder.

Jordan Norberto was fantastic, going 3.2 shutout innings. The A’s scored their only run in the second inning after a Brandon Inge walk and wild pitch. Derek Norris hit an opposite-field slicing double to right field to make it 1-0.

With great relief from Norberto, Pat Neshek and Grant Balfour, it appeared the one run would hold up. But Cook could not hold the lead, blowing his seventh save in 18 chances.

Jerry Blevins took the tough loss, giving up two runs in the top of the 11th inning.

The A’s appeared to have a chance to escape damage, as Blevins struck out Jeff Mathis swinging with runners on first and second.

However, the throw by George Kottaras to third base was wild, allowing the running Edwin Encarnacion to score. On the next pitch, Moises Sierra doubled to left field, plating the final run of the game.

The loss drops the A’s to 58-49 and Oakland will try to win the series Sunday afternoon. Tom Milone looks for his 10th win and to bounce back from a rough start last weekend against the Blue Jays.

He will be opposed by fellow southpaw Aaron Laffey.

First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.

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Talk about a good walk spoiled. Brian Fuentes gave up a two out, three-run home run to former Oakland slugger Josh Willingham and the A’s lost their seventh straight game, 3-2 in Minnesota. Fuentes took the loss, giving up all three runs on two hits and a walk. 

The blown save negated a solid start by Jarrod Parker, who went six shutout innings and was staked to a 1-0 lead when Colin Cowgill singled in the first run of the game in the seventh inning. Coco Crisp, who has been mired in an awful hitting slump, went 2-for-2 with a walk and a sacrifice and his eighth inning RBI single appeared to be insurance as the A’s lead 2-0. But the win and ultimately the game both slipped away.

Fuentes began the ninth by allowing a single to Jamey Carroll and walking Denard Span. After Ben Revere’s attempted sacrifice was bunted back to Fuentes, Joe Mauer hit into a fielder’s choice putting the runners on first and third. Willingham then hit a 1-0 pitch to left center to end the game.

Good: Coco Crisp. He reached or produced in all four plate appearances. Considering he was hitting .156 entering the game, that is remarkable. In all seriousness, it is a great start to hopefully turning his season around at the plate.

Bad: Twelve men left on base. Too many chances to score runs and too many left on base. It came back to bite the A’s again.

Ugly: Brian Fuentes. The merry-go-round at closer continues as Fuentes can not get the job done. The A’s can only hope this is a blip and not what appears to be a real issue finishing games.

Now 22-28, the A’s look to salvage the final game of this series as Tyson Ross faces Francisco Liriano. First pitch is scheduled for 10:10 a.m. Manny Ramirez was expected to make his season debut for the A’s, but it appears as though that will be pushed back a couple of games.

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This weekly column will focus on guys who are out there to be had for nothing in most leagues that can help your team even if only as a short term fill in. So if you’re like me and have Evan Longoria, Jason Bay, Brian Matusz and Chase Utley sitting on your DL, these are some names you might have to call to the rescue!

Jeremy Guthrie: SP Baltimore Orioles (40 percent owned in Yahoo, 29 percent in ESPN leagues)

Current Stat Line: 1 W/6 K/ 0.00 ERA

While clearly we can not expect his next few starts to go as well or better than his first, Guthrie is a solid starter backed by an improved offense in Baltimore. He may not make Sunday’s start due to a bout with Pneumonia, but beyond that, he should be ready to go. We can expect wins in the teens, an ERA under 4 and 125+ strike outs.

Coco Crisp: OF Oakland A’s (42 percent Yahoo, 62 percent ESPN)

Current Stat Line: .280 Avg/5 R/0 HR/1 RBI/3 SB

Coco has gone overlooked, especially in a lot of Yahoo leagues, but if we look at his recent seasons this is a guy who can definitely help your team when healthy. Last year in 75 games he had 32 stolen bases, 51 runs scored and a surprising 8 home runs. I wouldn’t count on the pop, but if you need runs and steals, Crisp can get them in bunches. Assuming no injuries, look for a .280 Avg, 45+ steals and 100 runs scored.

Jordan Walden: Closer LA Angels (65 percent Yahoo, 59 percent ESPN)

Current Stat Line: 1 S/7 K/0.00 ERA

Well, the Fernando Rodney experiment in LA is over—all hail the new closer Jordan Walden. Jordan is more heavily owned in both leagues than guys I would normally talk about here, but his upside is undeniable. He’s a young fireballer out of the K-Rod mold and has already converted on his first opportunity. Walden has the potential to be a top-tier closer this season. I’m looking for 35 saves with an ERA under three and about 1.5 K’s per inning.

Brennan Boesch: OF Detroit Tigers (20 percent Yahoo, 18 percent ESPN)

Current Stat Line: .421 Avg/7 R/1 HR/5 RBI/0 SB

Boesch is looking much more disciplined at the plate right now and appears to look more like the hot player from the first half of last season at this point. With Rayburn slow out of the gate, Boesch has an opportunity to lock up LF all to himself. I would stay conservative with projections until playing time is solidified, .270 Avg, 20 home runs, 50 runs, 70 RBI and five steals.

Brian is a Senior Writer for 4thandHome.com where this, and other work, can be found. Additionally, he is co-host of the 4th and Home Radio show on Blog Talk Radio.

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After an amazing 2010 season last year, which included unforgettable moments like Armando Gallaraga’s near perfect game, Jose Bautista ripping a league-high 54 Homers, Roy Halladay’s playoff no-hitter and a perfect Mother’s Day for Dallas Braden, fans everywhere are anxiously awaiting 2011, which they hope will be even more special.  

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I admit that if the Athletics had lost this game, I would probably have fallen into the crowd that says “well this is just spring training and doesn’t matter, we’ll get them in the regular season.” Thankfully, the A’s took care of business (and the Giants) today behind a solid pitching performance and plenty of support from the lineup beating the World Champion Giants, 6-0.

In his three innings of work, Brett Anderson gave up only one hit and one walk while striking out five. Anderson was followed by a scoreless inning from Joey Devine, two scoreless innings from Fernando Cabrera, an inning from Gabe DeHoyas, and a combined inning from Fautino De Los Santos and Brad Ziegler. Ziegler returned to the mound to shut down the Giants in the ninth.

On the offensive side, the A’s received contributions from Coco Crisp (1-3, two RBI), Daric Barton (1-3), Mark Ellis (1-3, one RBI), Eric Sogard (1-3) and Michael Choice (2-4).

The A’s got the scoring started in the first inning when Mark Ellis singed on a fly ball to San Francisco center fielder Aaron Rowand, scoring Coco Crisp. Oakland pushed two more runs across in the fifth inning on a Coco Crisp single to right fielder Nate Shierholtz, scoring Landon Powell and Michael Choice.

In the seventh inning, the A’s scored another run when Jai Miller scored as Josh Willingham reached base safely on an error by San Francisco left fielder Thomas Neal. Michael Taylor reached on another error by San Francisco in the seventh inning, scoring Josh Donadson to give Oakland a 6-0 lead.

Brett Anderson was credited with the win, improving to 1-1 in his spring appearances. Madison Bumgarner received the loss for the Giants, moving to 0-2, although he did not give up an earned run in his three innings of work.

The Giants allowed three unearned runs to the Athletics on four errors by Mark DeRosa, Miguel Tejada, Thomas Neal and Charlie Culbertson. Oakland had one error by left fielder Michael Choice.

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Is speed something you look for late in your draft? 

Here are five guys who are generally available after Round 18 (meaning they have an ADP of 216 or above, according to Mock Draft Central), and I currently have them projected to steal at least 25 bases each. 

If you have the need for speed, these are certainly names worth targeting:

Jose Tabata – Pittsburgh Pirates

I discussed him briefly as part of a wild prediction (click here to view) and there certainly is reason for fantasy owners to take notice.  With an ADP of 271.02, he has the potential to be a bargain.

In his first taste in the Major Leagues (405 AB), Tabata hit .299 with 61 R and 19 SB. That doesn’t mention the 25 SB he had at Triple-A in 224 AB prior to his recall, so no one should be doubting his speed. 

Throw in the fact that there has been talk that the Pirates are going to be more aggressive on the base paths, and there is even more to like.

I know people are going to point to his lack of SB prior to 2010, but remember he just turned 21 years old in ’10.  He was young and inexperienced and still learning the nuances of the game.

I also believe that there’s a good chance Tabata ultimately settles into the leadoff spot (if he doesn’t open the year there), with Andrew McCutchen moving down to the third spot.  That would provide Tabata even more opportunities to run.

Is he going to be one of these guys who steals 60-70 bases?  Of course not, but how many guys are?  He could easily steal over 25 bases, with the potential for significantly more.

Rajai Davis – Toronto Blue Jays

Before the addition of Scott Podsednik, we may have felt a little bit more comfortable with Davis’ use as a late-round steal option (current ADP of 289.92). 

There is now a chance that he loses a few at bats, so keep that in mind in comparison to the other options listed.

Over the past two seasons, Davis has stolen 91 bases for the Oakland Athletics, though the team seemed to prefer Coco Crisp (who we will talk about shortly) as the leadoff option when he was healthy. 

Why?  Well, Davis is not the best OBP option, something that teams obviously look for at the top of the order.

I know he had a .360 mark in 2009, but he was at just .320 last season.  He has a career walk rate of just 5.9% and was at 4.6% in ’10.  He needs to improve those marks so he can make the most of his speed (though he showed that he can still steal bases even if he doesn’t have an elite OBP). 

As long as he maintains regular playing time, he is going to be a solid late-round option, but there is a bit of risk.

Angel Pagan – New York Mets

You would think that people would believe in Pagan after he broke out in 2010, wouldn’t you?  Alas, owners seem to be a bit skeptical after he hit .290 with 11 HR, 69 RBI, 80 R and 37 SB. 

Maybe it is his injury-prone history?  Or is it the return of Carlos Beltran that has owners concerned?  Regardless, it would appear like Pagan is a bargain at his current ADP of 297.10.

Do not get me wrong, as I think there is little chance that he improves on his ’10 success and very well could see a bit of a regression.  However, that is a story for another day. 

What we are looking for here are players who can provide plenty of speed late in your draft, and Pagan fits the bill.

Over the past two seasons, he has 51 stolen bases in 67 attempts.  There is no reason to think that the Mets are going to put the brakes on, even with a change in leadership. 

Pagan should get the green light hitting second in the Mets order, meaning 30+ should be realistic for a second consecutive season. 

Desmond Jennings – Tampa Bay Rays

Sooner or later, he is going to be looked at as the replacement to Carl Crawford, it is just a matter of when. 

The signings of Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez may have delayed his arrival slightly, but that doesn’t change his potential outlook, it only drives down the asking price (306.59 current ADP).

Over his minor-league career, he has stolen 171 bases in 204 attempts.  Last season he had 37 SB in 399 AB at Triple-A. 

In ’09 he had 52 SB in 497 AB between Double-A and Triple-A.  The guy can run and, if he’s given an opportunity, he is going to show it.

Obviously he may not have much value early on, especially for those in shallower formats, because he could easily open the year at Triple-A. 

However, for those in deeper formats, stashing him for usage later on is certainly appealing.

Coco Crisp – Oakland Athletics

Can he stay healthy?  That really is the question.  He had just 290 AB in ’10, yet he managed to steal 32 bases in 35 attempts.

Of course you can call that a bit of an aberration, considering he had never stolen more than 28 bases in a season since his Major League debut back in 2002.  Or maybe it was just the A’s finally gave him the green light and let him run wild? 

With an ADP of 334.76, it certainly is worth rolling the dice to find out if you find yourself lacking in speed late in the draft.

What are your thoughts of these options?  Which would you target late in your draft if you were in need of speed?  Is there another option you would consider?

**** Make sure to order your copy of the Rotoprofessor 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide, selling for just $5, by clicking here. ****

Make sure to check out our previous late round articles:

• Catchers
• First Basemen
• Second Basemen
• Third Basemen

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM

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