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On the one hand, the moves made by Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane this winter seem out of character for a team that had a payroll of $61.9 million in 2013. The team has spent money to bring in an experienced closer in Jim Johnson and also signed free-agent starter Scott Kazmir.

The $32 million dollars of investment may not sound like a lot when it is compared to the spending of the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers this winter. But two of those teams reside in the AL West with the A’s and will likely continue to spend this season and next. 

What Oakland has done again is look at the market of players and their potential values.

The Baltimore Orioles viewed Johnson as too expensive an option for a team looking to save money this winter. Johnson is projected by MLB Trade Rumors’ Tim Dierkes to make $10.8 million this season through arbitration and then become a free agent. Johnson was traded to the A’s in a deal reported by Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.

Instead of viewing Johnson’s one-year commitment as a negative, Beane has chosen again to view it as a strength. Johnson could be the piece to push the A’s over the top this season or he could be the piece to dangle at the trade deadline and get a huge return.

Oakland will be losing Grant Balfour and they are replacing him with a better pitcher. The cost was only Jemile Weeks, a player who never reached his potential in Oakland after a strong beginning in 2011. 

Selling a closer who has thrived in the tough AL East during his career and would only require a team to pay the remaining $5 million or so on his contract makes Johnson an extremely valuable commodity this summer. Six to eight teams could be in the market for someone like Johnson at the deadline. 

The 30-year-old Johnson is coming off of two seasons of 50-plus saves for the Orioles and should benefit moving into Oakland’s spacious stadium.

Signing Kazmir was first reported by ESPN’s Jim Bowden. The deal allowed the A’s to trade Brett Anderson to the Colorado Rockies in a move that was reported by Fox Sports’ Rosenthal.

Any move done by Oakland is done in conjunction with another move in mind. Anderson was a risk due to his injury history and his remaining $9.5 million salary. Trading Anderson now let Oakland get from underneath the majority of Anderson’s remaining salary, allowing the A’s to spend that money on the more dependable Kazmir. 

Kazmir pitched almost as many innings last season (158) as Anderson has pitched over the past three seasons (163). It is easy to understand why Oakland would want to move Anderson’s contract, especially after having spent $10.25 million over the past three seasons with very little return. Kazmir has had his injury struggles as well, but his fastball velocity seemed to return last season. 

Acquiring Kazmir also means that Oakland might be able to flip him during the the two-year contract, something the A’s always seem to be open to doing if it makes the team better.  

It’s not that Oakland is constantly looking to save money. The A’s are just looking to spend money on players who are more likely to return that investment. It’s how Oakland has managed to stay one step ahead of the MLB landscape. 

*Information used from Cot’s Baseball Contracts/Baseball Prospectus, Tim Dierkes/MLB Trade Rumors, Ken Rosenthal/Fox Sports, Baseball Reference, Jim Bowden/ESPN

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The Oakland A’s have several position players whose performances will decisively dictate the overall success of the team in 2014.

One of those key players is first baseman Brandon Moss. In 2013, Moss played a full season for the first time in his career, and he performed exceptionally. He blasted 30 home runs, drove in 87 runs and slugged .522, the latter of which was good for sixth in the American League.

Those totals came one year after Moss compiled a .954 OPS with 21 home runs in only 265 at-bats in 2012. In total, Moss hit 51 home runs in 711 at-bats between 2012 and 2013.

Moss’ breakout year in 2013 came during a season in which the A’s ranked third in the majors in home runs. However, the high total is a bit misleading.

Yoenis Cespedes hit 26 home runs, but he performed so poorly in every other hitting category (.294 OBP, 137 strikeouts) that his relatively high homer total didn’t mean a whole lot.

Josh Donaldson also added 24 home runs, but his role was clearly not that of a slugger. He was a fantastic middle-of-the-lineup hitter, but the A’s certainly didn’t expect him to hit home runs with regularity when he stepped to the plate. His .384 OBP, 93 RBI and 89 runs showed his true value: driving in runs when given the opportunity and getting on base. (He hit .336 with runners in scoring position.)

In short, Moss was the Athletics‘ de facto power hitter in 2013. And they’ll be looking for him to play that same role in 2014.

History has shown that successful teams almost always have a true slugger in the lineup. In fact, since 2000, only the 2012 and 2010 World Series-winning San Francisco Giants have lacked a 30-home run hitter among title-winning teams.

In each of those years, the Giants featured exceptional pitching, even for World Series-winning standards. Also, their World Series counterparts each year featured teams with 30-plus home run hitters. The trend speaks for itself.

Clearly, the absence of a reliable power bat on a team means they will have trouble going far in the playoffs.

That’s not to say that if Brandon Moss hits, say, 27 home runs, the A’s automatically can’t win the World Series. There is no “golden rule” that a team must have a 30-home run hitter to win the title. But it certainly makes it easier to have a hitter who can drive in runs in a hurry, and when scoring is at a premium in the postseason, that ability becomes especially valuable. As the late, great Earl Weaver once said, “The key to winning baseball games is pitching, fundamentals, and three run homers.”

Furthermore, a power-hitting bat forces pitchers to sometimes pitch around that hitter, creating more RBI opportunities for other batters. For example, on the 2013 Red Sox, Dustin Pedroia saw many additional good pitches to hit because teams were wary of walking him in front of David Ortiz’s power bat. Also, when teams pitched around Ortiz, that gave Mike Napoli, Daniel Nava and all the other succeeding hitters additional RBI opportunities.

The bottom line is that almost all successful teams have at least one big power hitter. Most even have two. For the A’s, Cespedes has shown he isn’t necessarily a reliable threat at the plate. That means Brandon Moss will have to step up this year. Again.

Luckily, a power outage won’t necessarily spell doom for the A’s. They have a solid rotation that is capable of dominating teams when the offense goes stagnant.

Yet, that rotation doesn’t quite stack up to that of the title-winning Giants. It is filled with question marks, including the performance of free-agent signee Scott Kazmir. There’s no telling whether the left-hander will have a year akin to his 2013 performance, when he was a respectable 10-9 with a 4.04 ERA, or to his time with the Angels, when he had a 5.31 ERA in 188 innings.

The lack of a dominant rotation and the historical precedent that title-winning teams almost always have power hitters means the A’s need Moss to step up this year. If his last two seasons are any indication, he should be more than up to the challenge.

All statistics courtesy of baseball-reference.com.

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It’s safe to say that Oakland A’s outfielders struggled in 2013. In fact, they ranked 28th in the majors with a collective batting average of .236.

Yoenis Cespedes was perhaps the biggest disappointment. Cespedes, the Cuban sensation who batted .292 with an .861 OPS in 2012, fell off in almost every major category in 2013. His home run total jumped from 23 to 26, but he posted an alarmingly low .294 OBP, and his OPS fell by 125 points to .736. Additionally, his WAR was cut in half, from 3.4 to 1.7.

Josh Reddick was actually worse than Cespedes. Reddick, who won a Gold Glove in 2012 and hit 32 home runs, also fell off in most statistical categories. His home run total fell by 20, he hit .226 and his OPS was a dismal .686.

Reddick figures to start the season behind newly acquired Craig Gentry on the depth chart, but he should still see plenty of playing time throughout the season. The A’s will need him to step up when he gets opportunities, as his inconsistency at the plate is a serious detriment to the lineup.

Luckily, the A’s shipped Chris Young and his .280 OBP to the New York Mets, so his ineptness at the plate will not be a problem in 2013. Also, the addition of Gentry (.373 OBP in 2013) is a huge improvement offensively.

Despite their struggles at the plate, A’s outfielders are tremendous defensively. Gentry is their second best fielder, as he ranked 10th in the majors in UZR in 2013, according to Fangraphs. Reddick, who was seventh in UZR, is their best defensive outfielder and provides value as a late-inning defensive replacement.

It wasn’t all bad for A’s outfielders offensively though. In fact, they ranked third in RBI and sixth in runs in 2013. Coco Crisp had a solid year, especially with his late-season resurgence. (He hit .287 with 12 home runs in the season’s final two months.)

The outfielders’ high RBI total was mostly a product of the success of other position players. Third baseman Josh Donaldson was an on-base machine (.384 OBP, sixth in the AL), first baseman Brandon Moss had 30 home runs and 87 RBI and shortstop Jed Lowrie hit .290 with 80 runs.

In short, the outfielders’ RBI and runs totals aren’t indicative of good performances because they were made possible by the solid hitting of the infielders. With that being said, if the A’s outfielders can keep doing what they typically do defensively while making a jump back to 2012 levels of production, then 2014 will be a fun season indeed in Oakland.

All statistics courtesy of ESPN, unless otherwise noted.

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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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For the first time in a while there isn’t “50 feet of crap” between everyone else and Oakland.

Also, for the first time since anybody can remember, the Oakland A’s seem to be making some serious moves this offseason.

And for the first time in a long time, the A’s may gives fans reason to again scream the famous phrase of late A’s announcer Bill King, “Holy Toledo!”

Yes, the same Oakland Athletics who were seen as merely a Triple-A team from 2007-11, finishing four of those five seasons with sub-.500 records, who have won the American League West pennant the last two years only to have their underdog World Series hopes dashed by Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers twice, are actually spending money this offseason.

Yes folks, sound the alarms, light the flares and, for those in the Bay Area, do the Bernie; A’s general manager Billy Beane has opened up the wallet! Just like he said he would during the GM Meetings last month.

But he’s also spending smart. Not bringing in stars, but filling needs.

Beane began the spending when he brought in utility infielder Nick Punto on a $3 million deal back on Nov. 13th. Punto split time between second, third and shortstop in 116 games for the Dodgers while batting .255 with two homers and 21 RBI.

That, however, was just the appetizer.

Yesterday, the A’s agreed to a two-year, $22 million deal with lefty Scott Kazmir and followed that signing by acquiring closer Jim Johnson from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for second baseman Jemile Weeks.

Johnson fills the A’s need at closer after Grant Balfour “raged” his way into free agency, while Kazmir fills the hole in the A’s rotation left by Bartolo Colon.

Johnson finished the 2013 campaign with 50 saves in 59 opportunities for the O’s, with a 2.94 ERA.  His 50 saves tied with Atlanta‘s Craig Kimbrel for most in the bigs.  Johnson has only blown 12 saves over the past two years (101 saves in 113 opportunities) spent as the Orioles’ closer.

According to Tim Dierkes of MLBtraderumors.com, Johnson was due a big raise in arbitration following his two stellar seasons.  Baltimore saves money by acquiring the young Weeks, while Oakland’s increasing payroll allows them to afford Johnson.

Kazmir will arrive to the Bay Area following a 2013 season in which he posted a 10-9 record with a 4.04 ERA and 162 strikeouts. Kazmir also brings some much needed postseason experience, including two World Series starts with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008 against the Philadelphia Phillies. In those two games he took a loss and a no decision over 10 innings pitched, allowing five runs while striking out nine.

The addition of Kazmir, assuming he can reproduce what he did for the Tribe in 2013, is a huge boost to a rotation that was second in the American League in ERA (3.56) and features young stud pitchers like A.J. Griffin (14-10, 3.83, 171 K), Tommy Milone (12-9, 4.14, 126 K), Jarrod Parker (12-8, 3.97, 134 K), Dan Straily (10-8, 3.96, 124 K) and Sonny Gray (5-3, 2.67, 67 K).

Earlier today, Steve Adams of MLBtraderumors.com reported that the A’s also acquired 30-year-old outfielder Craig Gentry, and pitcher Josh Lindblom from the Texas Rangers in exchange for 24-year-old outfielder Michael Choice.

Gentry, quite possibly one of the game’s best defensive outfielders, hit .280 for the Rangers last year, with two homers and 22 RBIs. 

The A’s plan to make the 26-year-old Lindblom into a starting pitcher, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports.  Lindblom carries a 3.82 career ERA as a reliever, appearing in 109 career games with the Dodgers, Phillies and Rangers.

To see this organization increase their payroll while still maintaining their way of business is definitely progress for Oakland, proving that 2012 wasn’t just a one-hit kind of year.  However, with all of that said, now that Oakland is spending more money, expectations will be high as well.

Another loss in the ALDS won’t cut it in Oakland anymore.

Yet, should everything work out for Oakland as they hope… well, “Holy Toledo!”

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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.

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Grant Balfour has been a force at the back of the Oakland Athletics‘ bullpen for the last three years, but could be on his way out now that his contract has expired.

After the A’s second straight trip to the American League Division Series in 2013, MLB.com writer Jane Lee said the team wants to maintain its solid core.

Retaining Balfour would help the A’s return to the playoffs, but he comes with a lot of baggage. A’s general manager Billy Beane needs to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of bringing backs his closer.

Pros:

He Locks Down the Ninth Inning

Balfour served as a set-up man for the Tampa Bay Rays and worked the eighth inning in front of Andrew Bailey in his first year with the A’s.

Once Bailey was traded in the Josh Reddick steal of a deal, Balfour took over as the team’s closer and proceeded to slam the door for the next two years, averaging a 2.56 ERA and 1.05 WHIP.

The veteran reeled off 44 consecutive saves, breaking Dennis Eckersley’s club record, and earned his first All-Star nod in 2013.

He’s a Great Fit in Oakland

On a team full of young stars like Josh Donaldson and Sonny Gray, Balfour and fellow free agent Bartolo Colon are two of the only vets.

Pitching talents aside, Colon’s mild-mannered demeanor is far more replaceable than Balfour’s fiery rage. If Balfour leaves, the silence and stillness from the right field bleachers will be deafening.

Balfour has flashed his competitive spirit twice in the playoffs, getting into it with Orlando Cabrera in 2008 and Victor Martinez last year before retiring both hitters. It never hurts to have an enforcer at the end of a close game.

Cons:

He’s Old

Balfour may be relatively new to closing, but he has spent plenty of time in the majors. He broke in with the Minnesota Twins back in 2001, and will turn 36 this winter.

That’s awfully old for a pitcher, especially one with a history of forearm, shoulder, knee and elbow injuries. While Balfour has moved on from his Tommy John surgery from 2005 and torn rotator cuff and labrum from 2006, the A’s have reason to be concerned as he ages.

He Broke Down Late in the Season

Balfour put together a legitimate case as the American League’s best closer in the first half of the season. Come August and September, things were a little different.

He couldn’t throw strikes, and when he did, they were hard-hit mistake pitches. Balfour had a 1.76 ERA on August 26, but closed out the year by giving up eight earned runs in 11.2 innings.

Every late-season save situation seemed to end with Balfour saying he was gassed, running on fumes or some other declaration of being burnt out. Sure, he’ll have the offseason to recover, but the A’s will have to watch his workload if he returns.

He’s Replaceable for a Lesser Price

Billy Beane pioneered the art of trading the closer, pulling in lucrative packages for Billy Taylor, Andrew Bailey and Billy Koch. While Balfour’s free agency makes him untradeable, Beane‘s track record shows how little faith he has in long-term closers.

Balfour is due for a big payday after raking in $4.5 million last year. As always, the A’s will need to be financially conservative and might not meet Balfour’s salary demands.

So who would replace Balfour? Set-up man Ryan Cook is the obvious answer, though Beane could also look for outside help like the Rays’ Jesse Crain.

Balfour has been very good for the A’s over the past three years, but it’s time to cut ties. Re-signing him would be a sizable investment, one Oakland cannot afford to make.

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