Kuzul

Is there ever a season where the Oakland Athletics’ farm system isn’t absolutely loaded? Headed into the 2012 season, power-hitting outfielder Michael Choice ranked as the team’s top prospect and was beginning to heat up when a hit-by-pitch resulted in a broken hand after the All-Star break.

The A’s system was also highlighted by the meteoric rise of right-hander Dan Straily from organizational arm to legitimate pitching prospect. The 23-year-old led all minor league pitchers in strikeouts (190 in 151 innings) at the time of his call-up, and he logged nearly 40 innings over the final two months of the season in the major leagues.

Furthermore, the organization possesses two projectable right-handers in Brad Peacock and Sonny Gray—Peacock was acquired before the season in the Gio Gonzalez trade—who are on pace to contribute at the major league level in 2013. Also included in the aforementioned trade was 20-year-old A.J. Cole, who may have the highest ceiling of all the pitchers in their system.

The A’s also netted three top 10 prospects in the first round of the 2012 draft—Addison Russell, Daniel Robertson and Matt Olson, all high school players—who could comprise a homegrown infield by the 2015 season.

In general, the A’s have a prospect pool loaded with talent that should pay dividends in the major leagues for years to come. At the same time, their system depth, especially on the mound, could give them the flexibility to execute a trade at some point during the 2013 season.

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After trading shortstop Cliff Pennington to Arizona for outfielder Chris Young and losing Pennington’s eventual successor Stephen Drew in free agency to the Boston Red Sox, the Oakland A’s once again took to the international market to fill a void.

One year after striking gold with the signing of Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes to a four-year contract, A’s general manger Billy Beane filled the hole at shortstop with the signing of Japanese infielder Hiroyuki Nakajima to a two-year, $6.5 million contract according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Slusser also reported that the A’s had come close to a trade for shortstop Yunel Escobar earlier this winter before backing out amidst concerns over Escobar‘s character.

In Nakajima, the A’s get a player who will turn 31 next season and has nowhere near the potential upside that the tooled-up Cespedes offered last winter. However, Nakajima comes with a measure of certainty because of his experience playing professionally in Japan, a more accessible venue for scouts and statistical analysts compared to the Cuban League.

Nakajima slashed .311/.382/.451 for the Seibu Lions last year, and hit .310/.381/.474 in his six-year professional career in the Nippon Professional Baseball league. 

For statistical comparison, Norichika Aoki came over to the Milwaukee Brewers last season after hitting .329/.408/.467 in Japan, numbers comparable to Nakajima‘s. Aoki had a very solid rookie year stateside, hitting .288/.355/.433.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Twins signed Tsuyoshi Nishioka prior to 2011 after he had hit .297/.370/.424 in Japan. Nishioka hit only .215 in 254 plate appearances over parts of two seasons with the Twins before earning his release.

Just like with minor league numbers for prospects coming to the show, statistics from Japan are not all that predictive. Thus, in order to get a better idea of what Nakajima will do with the A’s, it’s better to look at the scouting reports on him.

An executive of one major league club told Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports that Nakajima‘s range at shortstop is going to be just average “at best,” and there are also questions about his arm strength for the position. Buster Olney of ESPN backed up that view via Twitter.

Some teams have wondered if Nakajima can play shortstop in the majors. But OAK needs a shortstop and Nakajima represents best FA solution.

While there are serious questions surrounding his glove, reports on his bat are more optimistic. Earlier this winter, A’s manager Bob Melvin told Slusser that Nakajima “looks like a hitter.” Rosenthal reported that Ichiro Suzuki, the most successful hitter to transition from Japan to Major League Baseball, predicted that Nakajima would be able to hit in the majors.

Ichiro isn’t a scout, but Patrick Newman of FanGraphs scouted Nakajima and wrote,

Nakajima is a good contact hitter who uses the whole field. I see him as a line drive/gap hitter…He’s also gotten better at drawing walks over the last few years…Like many Japanese NPB hitters, he has a complex swing, with a long stride and a lot of leg movement. I think he will shorten up his stride and cut down on his lower body movement in MLB, which will likely cost him some power.

In today’s inflated market, the $3.25 million average annual value on Nakajima‘s contract will be a huge bargain for the A’s if he can develop into an average regular at shortstop.

If his bat is good enough for the position but his glove falters, the A’s can slide him over to second base and move Scott Sizemore back to third base. In the worst case scenario, Nakajima will become an expensive utility player for the A’s.

The A’s other options at shortstop were to keep the light-hitting Pennington, pay a lot of money for Drew—who is coming off of another down year while struggling to overcome a broken ankle suffered in 2011—or to trade for the mercurial Escobar, who is also coming off of a subpar offensive season.

Given their success in turning up a gem on the international market in Cespedes last winter, the A’s were wise to gamble on the cheaper alternative in Nakajima, who should be able to outhit Pennington’s tepid .215/.278/.311 batting line from last season. 

The Brewers turned up a solid contributor from Japan on the cheap in Aoki last offseason, and the low-budget A’s are hoping to do the same thing with Nakajima. The financial risk is tolerable, and the potential reward is high.

Beane has a track record of finding creative ways to add talent at below-market prices, and Nakajima could be the next feather under the GM’s cap.

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Once again and for the last time, let’s look back at the special season that was 2012 for the Oakland A’s. From Bob Melvin to Yoenis Cespedes to Josh Reddick to Jonny Gomes to Ryan Cook to Josh Donaldson, this was a team that truly was greater than the sum of its parts. As a journalist, they were fun to cover because it brought back memories of the early 2000s.

But as a fan, I have never had more fun watching an A’s team than the one in 2012. They defied expectations, a sluggish start and more rookies than a police academy to take down the two-time defending American League champion Texas Rangers at the finish and win the AL West for the first time in six years.

It was a remarkable story, and while duplicating it seems daunting, we shouldn’t forget this team wasn’t even supposed to be in a position to have expectations in the first place. So watch and enjoy…a retrospective on the A’s amazing season.

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The highlight reel for the Oakland Athletics‘ 2012 season rivals the likes of recent years in the East Bay. Between the 15 walk-off wins and the comeback victory over the Texas Rangers to solidify the AL West crown, Oakland fans have much to reflect on. 

Bartolo Colon was on the losing end of the 2012 Athletics’ storybook year, though. His 50-game suspension for the illegal use of testosterone brought the RHP’s season to an abrupt end. 

The A’s recently announced their $3 million, one-year deal with the veteran pitcher for the 2013 season, though honoring the five remaining games that Colon is under suspension. 

Colon (10-9, 3.43 ERA in 2012) proved to be an optimal force when called upon to take the hill for Oakland—though the validity of his dominance is now called into question, as with any case of cheating. 

Following the Athletics’ July campaign that left opposing teams in the dust was the news of Colon’s required departure. 

When Colon’s suspension planted doubt in the Athletics’ remaining games, the resilient Oakland pitching staff carried on with little interruption. 

The question is, will signing Colon to a single-year deal be beneficial for the A’s clubhouse in the upcoming year? 

There is no doubt that having Colon’s veteran presence among the extraordinarily young pitching staff will pay dividends for Oakland’s growth.  

The pressing issue is, however, whether or not the Athletics will be receptive to Colon’s wisdom and guidance in light of his mistake. 

The signing of Colon to another year in Oakland exemplifies Billy Beane and Bob Melvin’s level of faith and forgiveness in the pitcher—unlike what was shown to his Bay Area counterpart, Melky Cabrera. 

Ultimately, Colon needs to be heavy on the win-column in 2013 in order for his contract to be just another one of Beane‘s chess-like decisions. 

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The Oakland Athletics are re-signing Bartolo Colon to a $3 million contract. He was suspended for 50 games earlier this year after testing positive for testosterone. And all of that seems to be in the rearview mirror for Oakland management.

According to the AP’s Janie McCauley, Oakland general manager Billy Beane feels that Colon is “cost effective and good.”

Colon has been pitching in winter ball—and that was all Beane needed to know, as the A’s need pitching depth to retain their American League West title.

The team is bringing back Tommy Milone, Jarrod Parker, Travis Blackley, A.J. Griffin, Dan Straily and Brett Anderson. Grant Balfour and Ryan Cook are also coming back.

Why not bring back Colon, who threw 152.1 innings, averaging 6.1 innings per start? Obviously, the Athletics are not squeamish about bringing back a suspended player.

He lost nearly half a million dollars in salary last year and will be suspended the first five games of the 2013 season.

When he comes back, the Oakland team that will go into the season will have the deepest staff in the American League West. Throw in the addition of Chris Young and the possibility of dealing an outfielder for infield depth, and the A’s might have already done everything they need to do for their defense without making a major move.

Is that worth a cheap contract to a former Cy Young winner with a PED problem? Billy Beane says yes. And he hasn’t been wrong yet.

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To the surprise of this writer, the Oakland A’s announced the re-signing of suspended starting pitcher Bartolo Colon for a one year deal worth up to $3 million with performance bonuses. 

Don’t get me wrong, Colon was solid with the A’s in 2012 up until his suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. His stat line was 10-9 with a 3.43 ERA in 24 starts. By all accounts, he had a very good season.

However, what can the Oakland A’s reasonably expect from a 39-year-old starting pitcher whose performance was almost certainly amplified by his use of PEDs? If nothing else, he becomes a stopgap in the event of sophomore recession from Tom Milone or Jarrod Parker.

You have to wonder if Dan Straily and A.J. Griffin will have a spot in the rotation now with Colon’s return (he is slated to miss the first five games of the 2013 season to complete the 50-game suspension levied in August).

As it stands, you can reasonably assume Brett Anderson, Jarrod Parker and Tom Milone are the top three starters. Colon likely slides into the fourth spot. So barring any injury, it becomes a battle between Griffin and Straily, with dark horses in the form of prospects Brad Peacock and Sonny Gray.

What that certainly means is that the A’s could part ways with Brandon McCarthy. McCarthy has been a top-tier starter during his time in Oakland, but has also consistently battled injury. In that way, he reminded me of the tantalizing, but too-often-injured Justin Duchscherer. Of course, we all know he continues to recover from the frightening line drive he took off his skull against the Los Angeles Angels on September 5. 

According to Jane Lee of MLB.com, Oakland general manager Billy Beane insists that it will not impact McCarthy’s return, but realistically, how can it not? Colon’s return puts in the A’s in a spot where even without McCarthy, there are eight pitchers for five spots in the rotation.

And unlike 2012, there are no guys like Tyson Ross and Graham Godfrey in this mix. Granted, Oakland’s recent injury issues with starting pitching makes it a practical move.

But I have not forgotten that Lew Wolff still owns this team. Any type of excessive payroll is not going to be allowed as long as the A’s are still inhabitants of the Coliseum. So the recent history has shown that if Oakland adds, it will ultimately have to subtract. Chris Young’s return was the symbolic end of Jonny Gomes’ time. Derek Norris sped up the departure of Kurt Suzuki, etc.

In other words, Colon (who was solid while pitching in the Dominican) will have every chance to regain his spot in the rotation. Why? Because he comes with great value for a low price. Nothing in the A’s model suggests doing more than necessary at any one position. So welcome back Bartolo. And it’s likely goodbye Brandon. 

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Having accomplished so much during the regular season as a team, the Oakland A’s received an individual accolade today as Josh Reddick was named a 2012 Rawlings Gold Glove award winner. Reddick‘s award capped a great season where the unheralded right fielder emerged as a legitimate power hitter and two-way player for the AL West champion A’s.

Reddick‘s win represents the first for an Oakland outfielder since Dwayne Murphy won for his defensive play in 1985. The last Oakland defender to be recognized at any position was former third baseman Eric Chavez after the 2006 season. 

In 2012, Reddick compiled 15 assists, the most by an Athletics outfielder in 29 years, tied for third most in Oakland history. He ranked third among American League outfielders in assists and was tied for fifth in double plays for outfielders with three. Buoyed by Reddick, the A’s turned the outfield from a position of weakness in recent years to one of strength, along with center fielder Coco Crisp and rookie Yoenis Cespedes.

Oakland third baseman Brandon Inge was also up for a Gold Glove in 2012, but lost out on the award to Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers. Inge played solid at the hot corner for Oakland and received the nomination despite playing in just 83 total games this year.

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Oakland Atheltics General Manager Billy Beane got into the act of big trades before the World Series even got started. He stepped into the middle of the Miami Marlins trying to dump Heath Bell and walked away with Chris Young in exchange for virtually nothing.

Re-energized by the Division Title and possibly by Moneyball being on BlueRay, Billy Beane is looking to make the defending American League West Champions even better in 2013.

The Young trade has given the A’s a surplus of talented outfielders. According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, Billy Beane has no intention of trading Josh Reddick, Coco Crisp, Seth Smith, Yoenis Cespedes or Young.

But of course he will deal one of them, because there are too many teams that could use a solid outfielder and Beane is too clever to say something like “Man, I got to get rid of at least one of these guys. Let’s hear some offers.”

Coco Crisp seems like the most likely player to be moved due to his contract. But according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, Billy Beane seems to want Crisp in Oakland. “Everybody knows how important this guy is to this team,” Beane said of Crisp, adding he “is a personal favorite of mine.”

Reddick or Smith could be used in a trade for either bullpen depth of a starting infielder.

But why not Cespedes? If the objective of a trade is to get the maximum value in return, Cespedes would be the most attractive trade chip.

The Cuban defector, who had a star rookie year in Oakland, will be 27 years old next season. He is a right-handed slugger with some speed and a flair for the dramatic.

He his .292 with an OPS of .861, 23 homers and 82 RBI in 129 games his rookie year. He also stole 16 bags.

Most contenders would covet a bat like that, especially one that will be under contract for the next three seasons at a total of $28 million.

But there are some red flags. He has some wrist issues as well as hand and hamstring problems and is not a very good defensive center fielder.

That being said, his trade value is at its peak right now. And last year Beane showed the advantage of making a potentially risky trade of a young player.

In 2011, the A’s looked like they were building around young pitchers like Gio Gonzalez, Andrew Bailey and Trevor Cahill. Bailey was 27, Gonzalez was 25 and Cahill was only 23. It looked like a solid pitching foundation.

Beane instead traded all three when teams were willing to give up more for them. In the process he acquired Ryan Cook, Tommy Milone, Derek Norris, Jarrod Parker and Josh Reddick, among other minor leaguers.

The A’s would have depth in the outfield and might pick up the infielder and reliever to give them the team that would repeat as Division Champions for Cespedes.

He might never be worth more than he is now. It would be worth hearing at least what the offers are.

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In a three-team trade announced by Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Oakland Athletics came up huge in this offseason’s first large trade.

And to think, it isn’t even technically the offseason yet.

Here are the details: The Oakland A’s received outfielder Chris Young from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for converted-second baseman Cliff Pennington and prospect Yordy Cabrera. The D-Backs then sent Cabrera to the Miami Marlins for closer Heath Bell.

Arizona gets a pitcher and an infielder, Miami a prospect and Oakland an outfielder.

The trade is arguably a fantastic move for all three organizations. Each team fills a particular need, and at what is hoped to be a low cost. But it’s the ages, talent and worth of all four men involved that places the A’s in the winner’s circle of this trade.

Here are four reasons for that designation. 

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According to a report from MLBTradeRumors.com and breaking news from AzCentral.com, the Oakland A’s have acquired Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Chris Young and cash in a trade that sends Cliff Pennington and disgruntled closer Heath Bell to Arizona by way of the Miami Marlins. 

Young posted a disappointing slash line of .231/.311/.434 in 101 games in 2012 for Arizona. The 2010 All-Star was slowed by a shoulder injury he sustained slamming into the left field wall at Chase Field. The injury ruined a hot start that saw him hit five home runs and register a 1.397 OPS in the first 11 games. On the year, Young wound up with 14 home runs and 41 RBI.

The trade brings Pennington’s five-year career with Oakland to an end. A career .249 hitter, Pennington struggled for much of 2012, hitting a career-low .215 with six home runs and 28 RBI. His versatility came in handy after Oakland acquired Stephen Drew from Arizona as he moved from shortstop to second base. 

Bell, who grew disenchanted with his role in Miami, likely will get another chance to close in Arizona. The former All-Star struggled in his only year with the Marlins, posting a 5.09 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 73 appearances. In return, the Marlins will receive A’s infield prospect Yordy Cabrera, who was initially dealt to Arizona in the Young trade.

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