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The Oakland A’s won’t have to worry about losing a large quantity of players this offseason in free agency as they only have two players who can test the open market.  Those players are the A’s two All-Stars in Bartolo Colon and Grant Balfour.

Most of the players who were instrumental in bringing a second straight A.L. West title to Oakland are under team control.  Then there are the several players with contract options such as Coco Crisp, Kurt Suzuki, Chris Young and Brett Anderson.

Anderson can be bought out for $1.5 million or can have his option exercised and be on the 2014 roster for $8 million.  

When you combine a low-payroll team like the Oakland A’s and an injury-prone player who has appeared in 22 games between the last two seasons, the outcome is not good.  Oakland will be paying him $8 million when he has not played more than 20 games in a season since 2009.

When you do the math, the A’s would save $6.5 million to buy out Anderson and let him walk.  For the small-market A’s, that amount of money could be put to a much better purpose.

Oakland will need to compete financially with the open market to re-sign Balfour and Colon. If the A’s could offer that $6.5 million to Balfour instead of Anderson, they will have a much better shot at keeping their All-Star closer.

There was a time when Anderson looked like the future ace of the A’s rotation, but the times have changed in Oakland.  The A’s have Sonny Gray, Dan Straily, Jarrod Parker, Tommy Milone and more prospects who are far cheaper than Anderson and can play all—or at least most—of the season.  I didn’t include Colon on that list because of his free-agent status.

I’m not against Anderson staying in Oakland.  If the A’s were to buy him out and then re-sign him with a cheaper, incentives-based contract, they would save some money and keep a pitcher with potential.  The A’s could continue to use him as a relief pitcher to see if that helps his durability issues.  

I am against paying him $8 million when he has not proven himself capable of playing a full season.  That’s $500,000 more for Anderson than Coco Crisp’s club-option is worth.  There is no way that Anderson means more to Oakland than Crisp.  The A’s can’t afford the mistake of exercising Anderson’s club-option for 2014. 

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One of the biggest questions facing the Oakland A’s front office in the offseason is what to do about Bartolo Colon. 

As the veteran explained to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the right-hander doesn’t plan to stop pitching anytime soon:

Three more years? 

That’s a bit bold considering he will be 41 years old in May. It’s hard to see any team giving Colon a three-year deal, but a two-year contract isn’t off the table. Plenty of teams are desperate for starters. Colon is certainly getting up there in age, but it’s impossible to ignore the results.

In 2013, Colon was one of the best pitchers in the AL. The righty ripped off 18 wins and posted a 2.65 ERA, while earning an All-Star berth along the way.

As GM Billy Beane put it to John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group:

Ultimately, the deal will come down to dollars.

How much money will the team have to pay to keep Colon around? There are no obvious comparisons from last year’s class of free agents because there simply aren’t that many starters still pitching at his age. There are even fewer who are posting numbers similar to those of Colon. 

The best comparison came nearly 10 years ago.

In 2003, Jamie Moyer won 21 games as a 40-year-old for the Seattle Mariners and then earned $7 million in 2004. That was almost a decade ago, but it provides a framework for a potential deal for the A’s ace. 

The front office will also have to evaluate just how vital Colon will be to the starting staff in 2014. Here are the six starters that the team has under club control for next season:

• Sonny Gray
• Jarrod Parker
• A.J. Griffin
• Dan Straily
• Brett Anderson
• Tommy Milone

In the case of Anderson, the team still needs to pick up the $8 million option on the lefty. According to Slusser, the team is leaning that way:

Anderson’s durability is a huge question mark, but that’s still a solid group of starters. However, depth is crucial. In the wake of the team’s ALDS exit, Jane Lee of MLB.com reported that both Sonny Gray (thumb) and Jarrod Parker (elbow) had to undergo MRIs. 

It’s still too early to know how serious those injuries will be, but they serve to remind just how quickly health problems can deplete a team’s depth. 

There’s also the PED angle to consider. 

MLB hit Colon with a 50-game ban back in August 2012 for PED usage. Ever since then, there have been questions every time the veteran rears back and fires off a 96 mph heater.

It’s worth noting, though, that it wasn’t power than made Colon so dominant in 2013. It was his remarkable control. According to FanGraphs, the righty finished the season with a 1.37 BB/9. That was second only to David Price in the AL. 

Nobody will expect him to win 18 games again in 2014. If he can maintain his pinpoint control, though, there’s no reason why Colon can’t be a highly effective starter for Oakland next season. 

Beane and manager Bob Melvin both told Joe Stiglich of CSN Bay Area that the team would love to keep Colon.

In particular, if the team can secure a deal on similar terms to the $3 million that Colon earned in 2013. That would be ideal, but there figures to be far more interest in the 18-game winner this offseason.

A more realistic target would be around $5 million with incentives that would allow Colon to earn as much as $8 million. If the A’s wants to be really aggressive, the club can even offer him an option for 2015 based on Colon making a certain number of starts next year.

Admittedly, that’s a lot of money for a pitcher at Colon’s age.

Then again, $5-8 million just doesn’t go that far on the market for free-agent starters. Look no further than Anderson. With all the inexpensive, young starters the team has under control, it’s a gamble that the club can afford to make.

In the end, though, the decision could be out of Beane’s control. If another team offers the starter  multiple years, then Colon’s time in Oakland is up. 

All salary figures courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

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The Oakland Athletics are one win away from clinching the 2013 American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers and will have to go through Tigers starting pitcher Doug Fister if they want to do so in Game 4, which will start at 5:07 p.m. ET on October 8.

Fister finished the regular season with a 14-9 record and a 3.67 ERA.

Fister will have to contend with an Athletics team that has turned up the heat as of late.  After scoring a combined three runs in their first two games of the series, Oakland eventually scored six against Tigers pitcher Anibal Sanchez en route to their series lead.

Now, Detroit has to count on Fister to keep the team in the series and avoid elimination.

The A’s are wondering which Fister they will face in Game 4.  Will it be the pitcher who threw seven innings of two-run ball against Oakland in Game 2 of last year’s ALDS and owns a 1.71 ERA over five career postseason starts?

Or will Fister emulate the start he had against the A’s back on August 28 when Oakland put up 13 hits and seven earned runs over five innings?  In that game, Oakland was able to find Fister‘s weaknesses and went on to win 14-4.

It is safe to assume the A’s are hoping for the latter.

Fister owns a career 3.17 ERA against Oakland over 12 starts.  He has faced only the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals more.  Yet the A’s roughed him up during his lone start against Oakland in 2013, and that is a good sign for a team that has all the momentum in their dugout.

Which A’s bats will make the difference?  Well, Coco Crisp owns a .368 batting average against Fister, and there is the saying, “How Coco goes, so do the A’s.”

If Crisp can set the tone for Oakland’s lineup, the A’s should be able to continue their offensive surge, which came to life in Game 3.  Crisp reaching base would be a great start to giving the rest of the lineup a chance to do some damage.

With the Tigers’ bats mostly silent in the series thus far, Oakland hopes to put up just a few runs early against Fister and counter with starter Dan Straily, who is 4-1 with a 2.00 ERA over his last six starts.

If Oakland can muster the same success it enjoyed against pitchers like Sanchez in Game 3, there should be little reason to assume the A’s will not clinch the series in Game 4.

The only thing standing in their way is Fister.

All statistics and records courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise stated.

Peter Panacy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report.  Follow him @PeterMcShots on Twitter.

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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 major league rosters expanded on September 1, the Oakland Athletics promoted a handful of players to compete for first place against the Texas Rangers.

While cellar-dwelling teams are warming their prospects up for future big league opportunities, the A’s called up four players who will contribute in the playoff run.

Outfielder Michael Choice, infielder Andy Parrino, utility man Jemile Weeks and relief pitcher Pedro Figueroa were all promoted from the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats with specific roles in mind.

Michael Choice

Sonny Gray has reached the majors. Addison Russell is playing for the River Cats at the age of 19. And Choice, the organization’s third phenom, is on his way to breaking into the crowded Athletics outfield.

Choice rose through the minors after being taken with the A’s first pick in the 2010 draft. The outfield mashed 30 home runs at High-A Stockton in 2011, impressing baseball insiders like Peter Gammons.

After emerging as a middle-of-the-order threat for the River Cats, Choice was rumored to be the headliner in a deadline deal for Jake Peavy, per the San Francisco Chronicle‘s Susan Slusser.

The A’s refused to part with Choice, and he rewarded them with a .303/.390/.445 line before being called up. He started two key games against the Rangers last week, collecting his first major league hit off of Martin Perez.

Though Choice came up as a center fielder, he switched off with Shane Peterson between all outfield positions in Sacramento and has played in right field and designated hitter since coming to Oakland.

Minor league scouts, who judge players on a scale from 2-8, gave Choice’s speed a 5, his glove a 5 and his arm a 4. With good-not-great defensive tools, he seems destined for a corner outfield spot.

Andy Parrino

Parrino became Oakland’s backup second baseman after Scott Sizemore tore his ACL early in the year but was demoted after recording three hits in 10 games.

The A’s will use Parrino largely as a defensive replacement, since he has played second base, shortstop, third base, left field and right field. He made no errors in 140.2 major league innings with San Diego in 2011.

His versatility is an asset, but Parrino‘s .210/.300/.302 line in Sacramento suggests that the switch-hitter will be the last bat off the bench.

Jemile Weeks

Flash back to 2011 when Weeks tore up the basepaths as a rookie. He hit .303 with eight triples and 22 steals in 97 games.

But like his brother Rickie, Weeks proved to be more hype than performance. He crashed back down to earth with a .221 batting average in 2012 before being demoted in August.

Weeks struggled defensively in Oakland and moved to center field after his demotion to capitalize on his wheels. With Chris Young, Coco Crisp and Yoenis Cespedes all capable of playing center, Weeks probably won’t get many innings in the A’s outfield.

He is also unlikely to crack second base, since the A’s brought in Alberto Callaspo and have Eric Sogard on the bench. Weeks also played 23 games at shortstop for Sacramento, but Sogard and Jed Lowrie are blocking his path.

The “Jemile High Club” will likely see their man as a pinch runner in late innings, where he can motor around the bases in a throwback uniform.

Pedro Figueroa

P-Figs is armed with a nasty 95-mph sinker, as well as a low-90s four-seamer and a high-80s slider. All 12 pitches he threw in his first game on September 3 were sinkers.

In 19 games as a reliever for the A’s last season, Figueroa compiled a 3.32 ERA and held hitters a .216 batting average.

To stick in the majors, Figueroa needs to improve his control. He allowed 6.23 BB/9 last season and had a 1.43 WHIP despite his low BAA.

The A’s already have Sean Doolittle and Jerry Blevins for late innings, and Brett Anderson has been a long reliever since returning from a broken foot. Figueroa should be nothing more than the last mop-up man out of the ‘pen.

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After winning Wednesday’s series finale against the Texas Rangers, the Oakland Athletics are in spitting distance of first place in the American League West with a favorable September schedule ahead.

Breakout seasons from Jarrod Parker, Josh Donaldson and Jed Lowrie have helped the A’s repeat as surprise contenders.

As ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick said, September is the best time for baseball. A’s fans can look forward to the home stretch, where 20 of the 22 remaining games are against teams with losing records.

Houston Astros

The A’s go from battling the AL West’s best to the sorry Lastros, who will spend September 5-8 fighting at O.Co Coliseum.

Third baseman Brett Wallace, first baseman Chris Carter and catcher Max Stassi all played for the A’s minor league affiliates. Carter leads the Astros with 27 home runs, but sports an ugly .217 batting average.

Thursday night’s game featured Sonny Gray against another former Athletics farmhand, Brad Peacock. Peacock has struggled to a 5.62 ERA and 1.45 WHIP, but didn’t allow a run until the eighth inning in Houston’s 3-2 win.

The A’s face rookie Brett Oberholtzer on Saturday, who is 4-1 with a 2.79 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in his first six starts. Oberholtzer outdueled Hisashi Iwakuma last week, and will be the A’s toughest test over the weekend.

At 47-93, the Astros are the only MLB team without 50 wins this season. Oakland is 12-5 against the ‘Stros, and will be looking for an easy series win.

Minnesota Twins

The A’s hit the road for Minneapolis after the Houston series, then host the Twins from September 19-22.

While the Twins are well under .500 and recently lost Justin Morneau, the roster has some talent. Second baseman Brian Dozier has 17 home runs, while Glen Perkins has 32 saves in 36 chances.

Problem is, Perkins is essentially useless if Minnesota’s starting pitchers get shelled early in the game. Recent call-up Andrew Albers is the only starter with an ERA under 4.00. 

The Twins have won four of their last six games, two of which were against the Rangers. The A’s can’t afford to underestimate their opponents, especially if Joe Mauer returns soon.

Texas Rangers

The rival Rangers are the A’s only remaining opponent with a winning record. As both teams attempt to avoid the unpredictability of a wild-card spot, the September 13-15 series could have a major impact.

Texas is 9-7 against the A’s this season, but Oakland took two of three in the last series. If players like Brandon Moss, Coco Crisp and Daric Barton stay hot, the A’s will crush the ball all over Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

The A’s pounded a combined six home runs in the first and last games of the recent series, but managed just one run against Martin Perez in Game 2. 

The Rangers precede the series with three games against the Pittsburgh Pirates, then move onto the Tampa Bay Rays and Kansas City Royals after the A’s leave town.

Facing four contenders in a row could drop the Rangers deep into second place, and the A’s have a chance to bury them in the Texas dirt. A sweep could give the A’s a firm hold on the division.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Diehard A’s fans remember going into the last series of the 2004 season tied with the Angels for first place, only to watch in horror as Anaheim took the first two games thanks in part to a fella named Bartolo Colon.

The A’s and Angels don’t hate one another like the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers, but as SB Nation’s Grant Brisbee said, the “other” California rivalry is picking up steam.

Oakland hosts the Angels from September 16-18. After a three-game series against the Twins, the A’s head south for a rematch in Anaheim.

The Angels have offensive stars like Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo and Howie Kendrick, but the A’s pitching and depth has been better over the last two years. Oakland went 10-9 against the Halos in 2012 and is 8-2 this season.

Seattle Mariners

The A’s went 12-7 against Seattle in 2012, including a 7-0 run to end the season. The dominance hasn’t carried over to this season, as Oakland has lost every series after the opening four-game split.

The two teams face off again in the final days of the season, when the A’s are likely to be fighting for the division.

Relievers Jerry Blevins, Sean Doolittle and Grant Balfour need to iron out their kinks before playing the Mariners. The A’s don’t want to give up another walk-off like the highlight on the right.

If the Mariners’ current rotation holds up, Felix Hernandez will start the first game against Dan Straily. The game’s 7:05 PM start time is bad news for Straily, who has a 2.63 ERA during day games and a 5.21 mark at night, 

Oakland aces Bartolo Colon and Jarrod Parker will finish the year against Erasmo Ramirez and Taijuan Walker. Both Mariners starters are inexperienced, but Walker is considered the No. 5 prospect in baseball and Ramirez has a 2.81 ERA in his last four games.

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A month that began with the A’s scuffling and ultimately losing their lead in the American League West ended with a 5-1 flourish that enabled the team to record its ninth straight winning month at 14-13. And don’t be fooled, that record is indicative of how the A’s played in the month of August: up and down and all around. 

Even the nice finish was dulled a bit by the three-run lead lost in Detroit on the 29th as the A’s let a chance at a rare four-game sweep against the Tigers slip away. But as of this writing, the A’s have put themselves in prime position for another fantastic September finish by pulling back to within two games of the front-running Texas Rangers.

So like the month of July, the grades for the club will begin with the pitching staff. 

Begin Slideshow

Blue, Hunter and Fingers. Hudson, Mulder and Zito. Gonzalez, Cahill and Bailey. Parker, Griffin and Straily. Who’s next?

The Oakland Athletics are known for bringing pitchers up through the minor leagues, and they have a group of future stars waiting for the next promotion.

Prospects were analyzed based on their potential and performance, in that order. Pitchers who already have a shot in the bigs, like phenom Sonny Gray or veteran Hideki Okajima, are ineligible for consideration.

All advanced stats from FanGraphs.

Begin Slideshow

When Michael Lewis’ best-selling book “Moneyball” hit the market in 2003, baseball was changed forever. Lewis chronicled the inner workings of the Oakland Athletics, the team that somehow managed to turn bands of rejects into playoff contenders.

Since joining the A’s in 1998, general manager Billy Beane has sent the team to playoffs six times despite continually having one of the league’s lowest payrolls. 

A “Moneyball” player is someone with perceived flaws or a questionable background who joined the A’s on a small contract, but contributed in a big way. Players’ success is measured on the qualities Beane and his staff found important, like not chasing pitches, getting on base and generating runs.

All advanced statistics taken from FanGraphs.

Begin Slideshow

Even as the Oakland A’s fight for their second consecutive American West League Championship over the last six weeks of the Major League Baseball season, there is a truth that should hearten fans in the East Bay and everywhere else: This team is built to last. They are young and—although inconsistent at times—this team’s core is full of talent. 

With that said, even as this team fights to secure a spot in the postseason, they will likely be underdogs to capture the team’s first title in 24 years. However, with the nucleus likely in tact, it isn’t too early to project how the team’s starting lineup might look in 2014. Here is my highly unofficial look at that lineup, but first and just for fun, here was a projection NBC Sports baseball writer Matthew Pouliot had in February 2012.

Lineup
2B Jemile Weeks
CF Grant Green
1B Daric Barton
RF Yoenis Cespedes
DH Seth Smith
3B Scott Sizemore
LF Michael Choice
C Derek Norris
SS Cliff Pennington

Obviously Pouliot could not account for trades and other factors but look at that lineup. Two players are no longer with the club (Green and Pennington), two have fallen so far that they can’t get playing time in Oakland (Weeks and Barton), and two lost their jobs due to either injury (Sizemore) or lack of production (Norris). 

As a matter of fact, the only player you can say will be on this team in 2014 is Yoenis Cespedes. And you know what?

That is not a bad thing.

Billy Beane converted a middling roster on the fly into a potential back to back division champion. So anyone who projected Oakland’s lineup for next year would be inaccurate.

So, what will that lineup look like in 2014? Here is my take:

2B Jed Lowrie

Lowrie is not a conventional lead-off hitter, but with Coco Crisp turning 34 and hitting free agency, I have a feeling the A’s will need a new bat at the top of the lineup. Lowrie has been steady, if not spectacular, at the plate and that is the kind of player the A’s need leading off.

DH Seth Smith

I have a feeling that 2013 was more of a fluke for Smith even though, for the second year in a row, his batting average has paled in comparison to his production in Colorado. Who doesn’t struggle when compared to time spent at Coors Field? I expect to see the power return and Smith is a solid number two guy initially.

CF Yoenis Cespedes

Cespedes will move to his natural centerfield with the departure of Crisp. My lofty predictions might have to wait a year, but I think Cespedes will have a big year in 2014. 

RF Josh Reddick

Much like fellow neo-Bash Brother Cespedes, Reddick has had a largely underwhelming 2013. Is he as bad as he has been this year? No. Is he as good as he was in his 32 home run, Gold-Glove-winning 2012? Maybe not. But something in between would be a nice improvement for the A’s at this spot.

3B Josh Donaldson

Donaldson’s year has not been a fluke. While ultimately this position will be filled by phenom Addison Russell, for now Donaldson is entrenched at the hot corner for the A’s. 

1B Brandon Moss

Moss was destined for a fall off after a pretty remarkable burst in 2012 (.291/.358/.596 splits) which saw him smash 21 home runs in 84 games. So even though he is hitting under .240 and has few home runs after 110+ games than he did in all of 2012, Moss is still the man at this spot. He may alternate time with— 

LF Michael Choice

The curveball comes with prospect Michael Choice. Scouted as an all-or-nothing type power-hitter, Choice has displayed an improved eye in 2013 and, while his power numbers have dipped, he looks like a better hitter. Choice impressed in the spring and probably would have been the first guy from Triple-A in the outfield if the A’s weren’t so deep at that spot. He gets his chance in 2014.

C Derek Norris

If John Jaso were to ‘win’ the battle at catcher (imagine them likely platooning next year again), you could swap Jaso and Smith at the number two and eight spots. But I think Norris gets a chance to finally put a solid season together. Ultimately, whoever is behind the plate must improve defensively as the A’s catchers have struggled in 2013.

SS Hiroyuki Nakajima

Nakajima has a giant INC for a grade next to his 2013 as his spring injury and the play of Lowrie and Eric Sogard kept him from getting up to Oakland. But the contract plus the talent (he is up to .293 at Triple-A Sacramento) will merit an opportunity for the Japanese star. At least initially.

So there you have it. I think the A’s might try to bring Chris Young back at a discounted price, but he will likely draw attention on the free agent market. Alberto Callaspo should step in for Adam Rosales as the A’s utility player du jour in 2014. That is a marked improvement. I look at Eric Sogard backing up Nakajima more in terms of money than production because quite simply, we don’t know what the Japanese star has yet. 

Ultimately, some of the major components to upgrade the roster are likely a couple years away still. This includes Russell, Renato Nunez, and not Michael Taylor. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. Taylor reminds me of that line from the X-Files: I want to believe. But after all this time, it is pretty clear that in Oakland, he is a AAAA player and not the potential stud he appeared to be when acquired. 

Oakland’s offense will improve as key components improve. I’m not saying that there might not be a trade or two as well as a couple of signings. But these will likely add to depth and not supplant the core players currently on the roster. What you see is what you get. And, even though the little things drive you crazy as an A’s fan (situational hitting!), there is still enough talent to win again next year.

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