Kuzul

Sunday February 27th marks the first “real” game of spring training for the Oakland athletics. The pitcher, at least for an inning or so, is likely to be Trevor Cahill. He is also likely to be on the mound against the Mariners on April 1st. Anderson, Braden, and Gonzalez are surely to follow in some order.

But who will follow them? Who will take the fifth starter spot. It is always pleasant to enter a season with the entire starting rotation locked down. Having a fifth starter a manager is confident with is always a plus albeit they don’t cost eighteen million and get left off the playoff roster the previous season, cough, Barry Zito. Don’t get me wrong I love Barry Zito but the fact the A’s can field an entire rotation for less than half one year’s salary makes me feel Beane did the right thing in letting Barry walk. Anyway,that’s a different story.

The A’s entered spring training with no less than five viable candidates to fill the fifth starter spot come opening day. Let’s imagine what might happen down the line.

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With A’s owner Lew Wolfe on record as saying he believes the 2011 A’s team is better than the 2006 team which won the American League West, I decided to take a look at both teams and see how they compare against each other.

With not a single at-bat this season, not even a Cactus League game yet this spring, it is hard to truly compare the current roster with the 93-win team from 2006.

Just for the sake of comparison, we’ll use the 2011 Bill James Projections from fangraphs.com to see how the two rosters stack up.

What do you think? Will the 2011 Oakland A’s fare better than the most successful A’s team since our 1989 World Series Championship team? I definitely look forward to your feedback and input.

This will be part 1 of 3 with a rotation analysis and bullpen analysis following up over the weekend and into next week.

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Over the offseason, the A’s addressed their lack of power in the lineup primarily by signing Hideki Matsui and trading for Josh Willingham. One returning Oakland player decided to take it upon himself to address his own lack of power during the offseason, however.

With Spring Training now in full swing, one of the most pleasant surprises early on is the physical condition of returning first baseman Daric Barton.

Barton, acquired by the A’s in the December 2004 trade that also sent starting pitcher Dan Haren to Oakland in exchange for Mark Mulder, is entering his seventh season in the Athletics’ organization. Barton burst onto the scene in his September call-up in 2007, batting .347/.429/.639 with four home runs and nine doubles over 72 at-bats in 18 games. Barton was supposed to be a symbol of Beane’s rebuild success.

Unfortunately,  2008, his first full season in the majors, was a forgettable campaign. Barton played in 140 games for Oakland in 2008, but was only able to put together a hitting line of .226/.327./.348 with nine home runs and 47 RBI. As a result of his poor season, he found himself demoted to Triple-A Sacramento just before the start of the regular season in 2009. Bouncing back and forth between Sacramento and Oakland, he only managed 54 games in the majors, batting .269/.372/.413 with three home runs in 160 at-bats.

Last season, Barton emerged as one of the games most under-rated first basemen. His batting improved as he provided the A’s with a batting line of .273/.393/.405 with 10 home runs and 57 RBI. He played in an impressive 159 games for the A’s. Obviously happy with his improved offensive game, it was his range and defense at first base that most caught the attention of the A’s front office, as well as his teammates and A’s fans.

“I called him when he didn’t get the Gold Glove and I was like, ‘Oh, my God, are you serious?’ But with Daric, day in and day out, you see him get to balls no one else possibly could get to. It’s a crying shame no one has acknowledged that,” said teammate Dallas Braden recently.

“Whenever I hear people talking about our need for an upgrade at first base, I chuckle,” A’s general manager Billy Beane had to say. “We’re perfectly happy and very pleased – his defense in our opinion is amongst the best at the position in the game, his on-base percentage is good and both are getting better. … He’s a championship-caliber first baseman.”

In fact, his game had improved so much that ESPN’s Evan Brunell called him one of the game’s best first-basemen, placing Daric in the same breath as New York’s Mark Teixeira and Philadelphia‘s Ryan Howard.

Looking to improve on his promising 2010 season, Barton hired a personal trainer over the offseason and went to work on entering camp this year in the best shape of his life. Working out daily with Southern California trainer Brad Davidson, Barton reportedly has lost ten pounds of fat while adding fifteen pounds of muscle. His body-fat percentage dropped four percent.

“When I went down to Triple-A in ’09, everything hit home. I’ve started to realize more and more that I need to concentrate on my career,” Barton admits.

His new physique has him feeling great with a bat so far this spring. “I’ve never felt so good swinging the bat,” Barton said. “I knew right away things would be better, taking batting practice. I would say I have more pop.”

If Barton has indeed added more power to his game, he will have removed the one argument his detractors have against him. While Barton (once projected to be a 25 home run caliber hitter) plays at a position primarily known as a power position, his career high (albeit in only two full seasons) is ten home runs.

Hitting in a lineup that will offer him more protection and with better conditioning that helped add “pop” to his swing again, it is a realistic possibility that in 2011, Barton could finally put his full game together and double his home run total from last season. What a boost that would be to an already improved Oakland lineup.

“He looks great, awesome – a start contrast with where he was a few years ago,” Braden said. “This shows how concerned he is about health and preparation, and obviously that spills over to every other facet of the game. As a friend, I’m excited for him.”

While Braden, “as a friend”, is excited for Barton; as a fan, I am excited for the A’s 2011 season and what Daric Barton brings to the table.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the beginning of Spring Training now a week gone, the focus shifts to opening day. What will the roster look like? How will the team avoid injuries during Spring Training? Who will be the opening day starter?

And most importantly, how will the team do this season?

All the other questions pale in comparison to the last one. How will the team perform? Will they be contenders or pretenders?

The A’s, as always will depend on their pitching, and while the fifth starter spot is probably going to take a while to determine, the first four are already a certainty.

With that, let’s take a look at some realistic expectations for the starting pitching.

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The Oakland A’s stadium situation has taken yet another interesting turn.

Over the last two weeks I have outlined the A’s desire to move from Oakland to San Jose.

I have also written how Governor Jerry Brown plans to eliminate redevelopment funds and the impact it will have on both the Oakland and San Jose sites.

It now appears that General Manager Billy Beane’s future with the team will hinge on Major League Baseball’s decision of whether or not to allow the A’s to move south to San Jose.

Bob Klapisch of FoxSports writes an interesting article in which he states that those close to Beane have indicated that this will be his last go-around with the team if they are not allowed to move to San Jose.

If Bud Selig and his committee decide to uphold the Giants territorial rights to Santa Clara county, Beane will hand over his duties as General Manager to current assistant-GM David Forst.

Klaoisch writes:

“In fact, Beane’s friends say this is his last go-round — if the A’s aren’t allowed to move to San Jose, he’ll officially pass the baton to assistant David Forst and look for a Plan B for the rest of his professional life. It’s anyone’s guess what would be next for Beane; remember, this is the same executive who turned down what should’ve been a dream job, controlling the Red Sox.”

Regarding the almost two year wait for an answer from Major League Baseball about their request to move to San Jose, Beane told Klapisch “It’s a complicated decision, so I understand the reason for the deliberation. We need a new venue.”

Since taking over as general manager of the Oakland A’s, Billy Beane has been handcuffed with financial decisions regarding players and the construction of the A’s roster.

A new stadium would remove some of the financial restrictions and allow him the ability to perform his job with the same capability as the other top general managers in the game.

Thinking back to the string of success in the early 2000’s, it’s hard to argue with Billy’s prowess as a general manager.

Sure he has had his mishaps along the way. Trading Andre Ethier for Milton Bradley, and Carlos Gonzalez for Matt Holliday instantly come to mind.

But he has also constructed a team with a young core built around solid pitching and defense which will compete for the postseason for years to come. He has also done it while having to reconstruct his roster seemingly annually.

“We’re all excited by the foundation we’ve laid with the young pitching,” Beane said. “It was a lot of fun being active this winter; it’s the part of the job that re-energizes you, the ability to be aggressive and make baseball moves that have an impact.”

Unfortunately for the A’s, without a new stadium, this team as currently constructed will also need to be broken up in a few short years for another rebuild to remain financially stable.

Without a new stadium, the A’s will not be able to afford the increase in payroll as their core of young stars reaches their late arbitration and free agent years.

It would appear though that his pending decision to step down as the general manager if the A’s are denied in their quest to move to San Jose is an admission that the A’s can not compete long term due to their state of financial limbo.

Major League Baseball’s delayed decision has already potentially cost the A’s the ability to build a new stadium thanks to Governor Brown’s elimination of the redevelopment funds and agencies statewide.

Both San Jose and Oakland are racing to complete preliminary steps to secure the bonds necessary to keep the project alive past the July 1 deadline for implementing the new state budget.

It would appear that MLB’s delay may also ultimately cost the A’s the general manager that is responsible for building the teams we have enjoyed watching compete over the last decade.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It feels like I’m having a flashback or experiencing déjà vu. Welcome back Rich Harden, to the disabled list that is.

Technically, Harden will not see the disabled list for his latest injury, at least not yet, but he did manage to strain his lat muscle during the first day of official spring training workouts for pitchers and catchers.

The injury, while it does not appear to be major, will set Harden back for a couple of weeks: “We’ll wait until he’s pain free,” A’s manager Bob Geren said. “It’s estimated that would be two weeks.”

Harden does not seem too concerned about his most recent injury, stating that it reminds him of an injury he experienced during the 2008 season. He returned from that injury after a small stint on the disabled list and put together one of his best seasons, going 10-2 with a 2.07 ERA in a split season with Oakland and the Chicago Cubs.

“It’s frustrating,” Harden said of his current injury. “But I still feel like I can go out there and be healthy for the season after this.

“I can come back and pitch well, (but) I was excited to get going just because I was feeling so good.”

Harden spent the offseason working with A’s pitching coach Ron Romanick. The two worked on mechanics, fixing bad habits that Harden says he picked up after his trade from Oakland to the Chicago Cubs during the 2008 season. His work with Romanick has already included four bullpen sessions, so he won’t be too far behind schedule when he returns in approximately two weeks.

Speaking of his work with Romanick, Harden says: “Mechanically, I was feeling like I’m where I need to be. The ball was coming out real good.” 

Harden will still compete for a spot in the rotation when he returns to the mound, but in the mean time the attention will shift to two other starters returning from injury: Josh Outman and Harden’s Texas teammate Brandon McCarthy.

Outman hasn’t pitched since June 2009 after having Tommy John surgery, and Brandon McCarthy has struggled with shoulder injuries that kept him out all of last season. Technically also in the mix for the fifth starter spot are Tyson Ross and Bobby Cramer.

“I don’t think it changes anything,” A’s assistant general manager David Forst said. “We added depth in the offseason, and we still feel very comfortable with it.”

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

If 2010 taught us anything it is that the old saying “pitching wins championships” is no lie.

The 2010 Texas Rangers were able to ride the fourth best pitching staff in the American League, backed by the fourth best offense, all the way to the World Series. Fortunately for A’s fans, the Rangers lost their top pitcher when Cliff Lee spurned their offseason overtures and instead signed with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Rangers have more problems entering this season with the loss of Vladimir Guerrero’s bat in their lineup, and the impending departure of Michael Young when the Rangers find a trade partner. They did add Adrian Beltre, who boosts both their offense and defensive standing, however their losses definitely outweigh their additions.

The Los Angeles Angels added Dan Haren last season, adding to their already strong rotation of Ervin Santana, Scott Kazmir, Joel Piniero and Jeff Weaver. Their major offseason additions came in the form of bullpen help as they signed Scott Downs and Hisanori Takahashi.

The Angels also traded for Vernon Wells to improve their offense. However, they traded away Mike Napoli and his 26 home runs from 2010, and Juan Rivera to acquire Wells. Their season will depend on whether Dan Haren and Scott Kazmir can return to their once dominant selves, and if Kendry Morales returns healthy and able to contribute to their ninth best American League offense from 2010.

The Mariners, added Jack Cust and they have Ichiro and Chone Figgins. They have a hot pitching prospect, Michael Pineda, and the reigning AL Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez. That’s about the most worth mentioning here. The Mariners had a very respectable pitching staff in 2010, good enough for the third best ERA in the American League. However, they did not make any significant upgrades to their league worst offense.

The 2010 Oakland Athletics outperformed the entire American League in most pitching categories.

The A’s had the best ERA among American League teams (3.56), the least amount of hits (1315), the least number of runs allowed (626), the least earned runs (566), ranked fifth in base on balls (512) and finished first in VORP (229.1). They were backed up by the league’s most efficient defense. Unfortunately they were also backed up by the leagues eleventh best offense.

The 2011 Oakland Athletics have added depth to their starting rotation as well as their bullpen, looking to further improve on their league best pitching staff. Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson, Gio Gonzalez and Dallas Braden return to the A’s rotation with the winner of Rich Harden, Brandon McCarthy or Josh Outman joining as the fifth starter.

They will be supported by a solid bullpen consisting of All-Star closer Andrew Bailey, newcomers Brian Fuentes and Grant Balfour, Craig Breslow, Michael Wuertz, Brad Ziegler and either Joey Devine or Jerry Blevins competing for the final bullpen spot.

Defense remains a strength of the A’s in 2011, as they should maintain their standing as the top defense in the American League. David DeJesus brings with him his 241-consecutive game errorless streak, and the A’s infield returns in tact from 2010. Coco Crisp will strive to remain healthy and in center field for the duration of the season, and Josh Willingham is also a plus defender in left field having made only one error in 2010.

Offensive additions Hideki Matsui, David DeJesus and Josh Willingham will improve the A’s overall production from their 11th best (third worst) offense in 2010. Expect to see returning A’s players Daric Barton, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Kurt Suzuki and Mark Ellis to improve on their 2010 statistics in 2011 as well thanks to a stronger lineup around them providing better protection.

The A’s 2011 pitching staff looks primed to punish their American League opponents and solidify their standing as the league’s most dominant staff. While their impressive 2010 season went unrewarded, the A’s stand as the most improved team over the offseason. With only positive additions to the pitching staff and defense, plus an upgrade to the offense, the AL West is there for the taking for the A’s.

While general manager Billy Beane has always maintained the goal is simply to reach the playoffs, insisting there are too many variables once you get to the playoffs, this team is designed to go the distance once there. I like this pitching staff matched up against the pitching of any other team they face in the playoffs. Yankees? Red Sox? Twins? The A’s rotation and bullpen is superior to each of these teams.

If the A’s offense can provide them with average production, the A’s pitching staff should lead the A’s to at least one champagne shower celebration this season, and when the playoffs come around, I wouldn’t count them out against anyone.

AL West Pitching Statistics in 2010 (with rankings against the entire American League):

	Oakland	Anaheim	Texas	Seattle
ERA	3.56 – 1st	4.04 – 6th	3.93 – 4th	3.93 – 3rd
Hits	1315 – 1st	1422 – 8th	1355 – 4th	1402 – 6th
Runs	626 – 1st	702 – 7th	687 – 4th	698 – 6th
ER	566 – 1st	651 – 6th	636 – 4th	628 – 3rd
HR	153 – 7th	148 – 4th	162 – 10th	157 – 9th
BB	512 – 5th	565 – 12th	551 – 11th	452 – 2nd
SO	1070 – 8th	1130 – 7th	1181 – 4th	973 – 13th
VORP	229.1 – 1st	178.8 – 6th	197.6 – 4th	155.8 – 8th
Defensive Efficiency	0.713 – 1st	0.694 – 6th	0.705 – 5th	0.706 – 4th
Offense – Runs	11th	9th	4th	14th

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In seems like a millennium since the Oakland Athletics were last seen in postseason play—let alone a contender at all—and while this hasn’t been a team that has had a lot of opportunities to land big name players, the A’s are a team that has quietly been building in a solid unit since 2008.

Now as the 2011 season approaches, the A’s are looking more and more as if they are a contender in the American League.

From a fantasy perspective, the A’s give fantasy baseball managers plenty to consider, as they draw up their fantasy baseball draft plans.

Not known as a particularly power hitting team, the A’s have always been right smack dab in the middle of the pack in just about every MLB category except power.

But with a few additions and a bright horizon in front of them, the A’s could afford their fans, and fantasy managers, much more than initially expected.

Let’s take a look.

 

Impact Players (Hitters):

• 1. Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B: The A’s weren’t known as a power hitting team collectively, but leading the way was Kevin Kouzmanoff, who admittedly says he had a down year in 2010. Kouzmanoff would like to elevate to a power third baseman; something that would sure help his fantasy baseball value in 2011. Kouzmanoff hit .247 with 16 home runs and 71 RBI and will have to improve upon his walk rate significantly from last year, which directly affected his OBP (.283). In the end, you could do far worse at third base in the middle of your draft.
• 2. Coco Crisp, OF: If you saw this stat line: .279/.342/.438, eight HR, 38 RBI, 51 R, 32 SB, 81 total hits, you would probably say that’s pretty average, but nothing to write home about right? Well, how about that stat line in only 75 games and 290 AB? Coco Crisp didn’t play a ton, but when he did, he made his mark. He can get on base, obviously can steal and will more than likely hit leadoff this year. If he can stay healthy, I would wager to say you could justify taking him in the bottom portion of the middle rounds, but if you can push it and grab him in the later rounds, you definitely walk away with a steal.
• 3. Daric Barton, 1B: According to Athletics’ GM Billy Beane, Daric Barton is the best first baseman in the league…moving along. OK, look, Barton is very serviceable and can add a bit of power and pilfered bases making him a nice late round DH for your team, but an elite hot corner guy he is not. Expect Barton to hit around .290 with a possible line that could look like this: 15 HR, 75 RBI, 85 R, 10 SB—not too shabby for a late-round flyer, especially in AL only formats.

The Pitching Staff: The following is a preliminary look at the projected lineup and what you could expect. Please keep in mind that this lineup and its order could change by the time Opening Day hits.

Individual performances, injury and the unforseen all have a dramatic affect.

For now, use the information as a template as you keep an eye on these guys in ST. Also be aware that any preliminary listed ADP could also change in the coming months, again based on the individual’s performance, or lack their of.

1. Trevor Cahill: Want a top 50 fantasy baseball SP who has two 10-plus win seasons under his belt and was good enough for AL CY Young consideration last year?
Then you might want to take a look at staff ace Trevor Cahill. Cahill ended the 2010 fantasy baseball season with an 18-8 record alongside a 2.97 ERA and a 1.11WHIP.
The only knock on Cahill is his low career K/9 rate (5.0). But keep in mind two things: 1) Last year, he raised his K/9 rate to 5.4 from a dismal 4.5 in 2009 and 2) Cahill offers more stability and consistency than any other middle of the pack pitcher in the league right now.
He’s worth owning for his value and reliability.

2. Gio Gonzalez: Arguably the best pitcher on the staff last year next to Trevor Cahill—arguably the best staff pitcher in terms of fantasy value—Gio Gonzalez will look to build upon a 2010 campaign that saw him finish 15-9 with a 3.23 ERA and a 7.7 K/9 rate. That ERA is a bit inflated thanks to an elevated 4.1 BB/9 rate, but that’s really the only issue with the youngster. If you look at the current ADP numbers, you’ll find Gonzalez ranked higher (45 SP, 173.82 ADP) than pitchers such as Josh Beckett and Jorge De La Rosa which is dead on. In fact, you could make a case that Gonzalez is just as good as, if not better than, the 12 pitchers ranked ahead of him. You can see the full list below, just click on the MockDraftCentral link.

3. Brett Anderson: Couldn’t get your hands on Gonzalez or Cahill? Don’t worry there’s still more pitchers out of Oakland—like Brett Anderson. If it weren’t for a bout with the injury bug in 2010, Brett Anderson’s ADP (201 according to our friends at MockDraftCentral.com) would be a bit higher, but that is still an absolute steal. Anderson still ended the season with a 7-6 record alongside a 2.80 ERA and racked up a K/9 rate of 6.0 (7.0 career). Anderson doesn’t give up the long ball hardly ever (0.5 HR/9) nor does he walk anyone (1.8 BB/9), making him one of the more delicious SP in just about every format.

4. Dallas Braden: Aside from Dallas Braden’s famed perfect game last May, there’s little to get excited about. Career wise, the guy doesn’t strikeout many batters (5.5 K/9) and hasn’t had a winning season in four years of play. But if you do dig a bit deeper, Braden has lowered his ERA in each of the past four seasons (6.72 in ’07, 4.14 in ’08, 3.89 in ’09 and 3.50 last year.) He also lowered his hits per nine despite still being a very hittable pitcher. If you’re looking for a draftable SP in the very back end of your fantasy baseball draft, you could do a lot worse than Dallas Braden.

5. Rich Harden – Brandon McCarthy: This fifth spot is up for grabs between the strike master, but oft injured Rich Harden, and the fly ball prone Brandon McCarthy. Both pitchers should make for great waiver wire fodder, but nothing more.

Potential Sleeper:

Brett Anderson, SP: If we get away from the initial stats on Bret Anderson, we can focus a bit more on just exactly why the 2011 fantasy baseball season could wind up being a true sleeper year for him.

Anderson was a favorite to bust out last year after posting a 2.96 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings over his final 17 starts as a rookie, but the guy just couldn’t stay healthy. In May, he only had one start (strained forearm) and the same happened in June (sore elbow).

But as we saw towards the end of the 2010 season, Anderson began to settle in as an everyday starter, finishing the final 12 games of the season in the fashion many figured in the first place with a 2.59 ERA.

Anderson improved upon nearly every category from his rookie year except for strikes, but you can easily chalk that up to playing in nine fewer games in 2010. He gave up one-third less home runs, cuts his ER count and R total nearly in half and again, despite playing in nine fewer games; one has to imagine that with two full years under his belt and the fact that he is more settled and healthy than ever before, he is worth a consideration for the sleeper tag in 2011.

 

What You Should Know:

Let’s not forget that the Oakland Athletics are also stacked in the bullpen with Andrew Bailey, Grant Balfour, Brian Fuentes and Michael Wuertz if you’re looking for a high value guy at the RP slot.

And with a bullpen comprised of throwers like that, it gives the starting rotation even more intrigue and a bit of extra value.

The Athletics will be far more competitive in the 2011 season, especially with the addition of Hideki Matsui and Josh Willingham, but I don’t see any reason why you should draft either of these players.

Josh Willingham has played no more than 133 games in the past three years (no more than 144 in his seven years of service) and Hideki Matsui is doing his best impersonation of the six million dollar man by continuing to play on those bum knees, making both of these players very risky.

Still, Willingham could hold more value than Matsui if you need to grab someone in the very back of your draft.

One final note is to keep a close eye on outfielder and first baseman Chris Carter who will inevitably start in the minors again this year thanks to Billy Beane’s affinity toward Daric Barton.

Carter was known—and touted—for his power in the minors and ended his sixth season with a .284/.380/.540 batting line, a .940 OPS and a whopping 149 home runs.

There is still a chance he could wind up playing again in 2011 as a starter as the season progresses.

 

Interested in another team? Check out our other Team Analysis: Phillies – Cubs – White Sox – Orioles – Reds – Yankees – Red Sox

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In early February I wrote about the A’s stadium frustration and that the time for MLB to make its recommendation is now.

Unfortunately, I do not have an update on any progress Lew Wolfe and company may or may not have made in persuading Bud Selig to release the findings of the blue-ribbon committee that he commissioned to make a recommendation on the Oakland Athletics stadium issue.

I do, however, have some updates on the impact that Governor Jerry Brown’s proposal to end redevelopment funding will have on both stadium proposals in Oakland and San Jose.

Meant as one of many steps to attack the $25 billion deficit facing the state of California, Governor Brown has eliminated redevelopment funds and the agencies that control them throughout the state of California. All existing projects, bonds and deals will be honored.

The elimination of redevelopment only effects future projects. This means a sprint to the finish for both Oakland and San Jose to complete all steps necessary to secure the redevelopment bond before the programs are eliminated.

In neither case does this obstacle mean the end of a quest for a new baseball only stadium; however, it does put a deadline on completing key tasks in the preliminary process of building the A’s new home.

The city of Oakland is dependent on the redevelopment fund to complete studies, land purchases and infrastructure improvements. It is unlikely that all of these steps can be completed before the new budget goes into effect on July 1, leaving Oakland without the time necessary to get the bond issue on the ballot for voter approval.

Oakland needs approximately $100 million in redevelopment money to finish these tasks before the $450 million stadium could even begin to be built.

Meanwhile, San Jose is now in a rush to complete the land sales necessary to fund the purchase of the land where they have proposed the A’s build their stadium near downtown. Wolfe has offered to loan the San Jose redevelopment agency the money that it needs to complete the process in an attempt to keep things moving.

San Jose has an advantage over Oakland however in that their practice of land banking allows them to utilize money that has been raised over the past few years or even decades to help fund new projects or keep them going. This is exactly what San Jose is doing now by selling city assets to complete the land acquisition they need for the A’s stadium project.

Oakland is not quite willing to admit that Brown’s plan to eliminate redevelopment agencies and funding would kill their hope of building a new stadium in Oakland.

“I’m not saying we couldn’t overcome it, but it makes those projects a little more difficult and challenging,” City Council President Larry Reid said recently.

When combined with Wolfe’s repeated insistence that the A’s have exhausted all options of building a stadium in Oakland, it seems unlikely that Oakland would be able to overcome this obstacle. It would require Wolfe extending the same favor he offered to San Jose in loaning the city the money it needs to complete the project.

Wolfe recently had this to say about the Victory Court Location:

“With the same kind of detail the committee is going into, we don’t think we have any options available there. It has nothing to do with the fanbase or the City of Oakland. It’s just that our exploration is perhaps deeper than soundbites in the newspaper.”

It would seem unlikely that Wolfe would extend a loan to the city of Oakland to build a ballpark on a site he does not wish to occupy.

San Jose is now just $19.5 million short of completing the land acquisition of the two remaining parcels of land it needs to build the stadium. This is a much smaller amount than the reported $100 million that Oakland would need.

San Jose Redevelopment Executive Director Harry Mavrogenes says he expects Major League Baseball to approve the A’s request to move San Jose in time for the matter to be approved by San Jose voters before the July 1 budget goes into effect.

The Athletics plan to build a privately funded stadium which will not be affected by the redevelopment elimination once the land acquisition, all studies and voter approval are secured by the eventual winning city.

In the event that both current proposed locations, Victory Court in Oakland and the downtown San Jose site, fall through due to the elimination of the redevelopment agencies, where would the A’s wind up? Would they be forced to look for a new home outside of the Bay Area? Outside the state of California?

A’s fans can take solace in Wolfe’s words on this matter. In a recent interview with Rick Tittle, Wolfe had this to say regarding the possibility of an out of state move:

“I think what we’ve tried to do is to be one of the few teams in the history of baseball not to leverage by ‘you know we’re gonna move if you don’t do this for us’…So we have not sat around and thought about what our options are. We want to stay in the Bay Area. Our ownership doesn’t want to own a team in Omaha or someplace. We’re gonna make every effort to stay in the Bay Area and truthfully do not measure these other options.“

One thing is for certain though: the A’s can not continue for the next decade or two to share and play in the rundown Oakland Coliseum.

To repeat the theme from my first article on the matter, the time for MLB to decide the fate of the A’s future home is now. There simply is no more time to procrastinate.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In articles such as this, many websites give readers a list of the best overall prospects at a given position, but the intention here is to focus on those prospects who are most likely to provide a significant fantasy impact during the 2011 season; thus, a guy like Red Sox SS prospect Jose Iglesias—who is blocked at the big league level by Marco Scutaro and Jed Lowrie—is not on my list.

Here is my list of the five shortstop prospects who will likely have the most impact at the major league level in 2011:

 

1. Tsuyoshi Nishioka, MIN
2010 performance: .346, 11 HR, 59 RBI, 22 SB, 121 R (for the Chiba Lotte Marines, Nippon Professional Baseball)

Nishioka, 26, was the premier offensive player made available through Japan’s (outdated) posting system last year. The Twins bid $5.3 million for the right to negotiate with him, and then signed him to a three-year, $9 million contract. The switch-hitter is coming off a career-year. He won the NPB batting title with a .346 average, collecting 206 hits in 144 games (the highest hit total since OF Ichiro Suzuki in 1994).

With that said, his success in the United States is anything but assured. As Aaron Gleeman pointed out, he entered last season as a career .280 hitter (batting just .260 in ’09). His performance last year was fueled by a .395 BABIP, a number that is not sustainable over the long term…therefore, he is unlikely to repeat such a performance. “Yoshi” has averaged 28 stolen bases over his last seven seasons of play.

Nishioka will likely play both second base and shortstop for the Twins, though it is very possible he will eventually settle in at second base. Ultimately, the determining factor as to where he’ll end up over the long term is the performance of shortstop Alexi Casilla.

 

2. Zack Cozart, CIN
2010 performance: .255, 17 HR, 67 RBI, 30 SB, 91 R (at Triple-A Louisville)

There were pundits who felt Cozart might be able to break camp with the Reds in March, but that was before the front office signed free agent Edgar Renteria two weeks ago. So for now it looks like he will probably return to Louisville in an effort to improve on his 107-40 strikeout-to-walk ratio from last year.

But with Paul Janish (a career .226 hitter) and Renteria as the only impediments to his promotion to Cincinnati, it seems very likely he could make his Reds debut during the second half of the season.

Janish has a good glove, but he has registered a lowly .634 OPS over parts of three seasons with the Reds. Cozart has some power, plus he has excellent range, a good glove and a cannon for an arm. For these reasons, it’s plausible he could end up with the Reds anytime after July 1st. As with Grant Green, below, his prospects for a 2011 debut are intertwined with the team’s success.

 

3. Grant Green, OAK
2010 performance: .318, 20 HR, 87 RBI, 9 SB, 107 R (at Single-A Midland)

Green has drawn comparisons to Colorado’s Troy Tulowitzki at the early stage of his professional career, but before fantasy fans get too excited they need to remember he put up last year’s gaudy numbers in the hitter-friendly California League.

The Athletics have SS Cliff Pennington (who hit .250 last year) and utilityman Adam Rosales (a career .241 hitter) ahead of Green on the depth chart, so the road to Oakland may not be lengthy. But, Green will have to improve on his 117-38 strikeout-to-walk ratio to force the door open at the big league level.

Still, the A’s are desperate for offense and could be tempted by Green’s power potential if they have fallen out of the division race in the second half of the season. My gut instinct is that he’ll be overmatched in The Show should he get promoted, so caveat emptor!

 

4. Nick Franklin, SEA
2010 performance: .283, 23 HR, 65 RBI, 25 SB, 92 R (combined stats at High-A and Double-A, primarily at High-A Clinton)

Franklin didn’t get a lot of respect as a prospect last winter. Baseball America listed him among the team’s Top 10 Prospects because of his defense, not his offense. But he was one of only three players to forge a 20-20 season in the minors last year, and he did for Clinton in the Midwest League.

He is not quite two years removed from being chosen in the first year player draft, but scouts are already saying that he looks like he will develop considerably more power than originally thought. He could reach the majors in 2011—if only because Josh Wilson is all that stands between him and The Show.

 

5. Andrew Cumberland, Padres
2010 performance: .350, 7 HR, 41 RBI, 21 SB, 68 R (combined stats at High-A and Double-A)

Cumberland doesn’t come with the hype of the other guys on this list, but he grabbed scouts’ attention by hitting .365 with 20 SBs for Class-A Lake Elsinore (but, once again, they’re stats that were accumulated in the heavy-hitting California League and are thus subject to scrutiny).

Considering the Padres do not have an answer at the position right now, it’s possible he will compete for a job on the Opening Day roster during spring training.

More likely, he’ll return to Double-A for additional seasoning, and if he has a solid first half he could be promoted to San Diego after the All-Star break.

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