Kuzul

Oakland Athletics center fielder Coco Crisp is one of the key players in the team’s pursuit of the American League West division title in 2011. The veteran is entering his 10th season in the big leagues and brings a lot of wisdom and experience to a rather young group.

Crisp started his career with the Cleveland Indians in 2002, before joining the Boston Red Sox in 2006. In Boston, he helped the team win the 2007 World Series. Crisp spent the 2009 season with the Kansas City Royals, before joining the A’s as a free agent in 2010.

During his big league career, Crisp has 941 hits in 3,396 at-bats (.277 average). He’s had some success against the game’s best pitchers. He holds a career .366 average against Mark Buehrle, a .400 average against Justin Verlander and a .289 average against Roy Halladay.

Some notable pitchers that Crisp has struggled against are Jered Weaver (.059 average), Matt Garza (.077) and A.J. Burnett (.105). 

I asked Crisp if he could name the toughest pitchers he’s ever faced in his career. 

“There are a lot of guys that are really good,” Crisp responded. “The pitching is unbelievable nowadays. You’ve got to be on point when you step in that box.”

Here is Coco Crisp’s list of the toughest pitchers he’s ever faced.

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Clearly, it was a disappointing season for Kurt Suzuki in 2010. 

Many people anticipated him fully breaking out, but instead he regressed across the board:

495 At Bats
.242 Batting Average (120 Hits)
13 Home Runs
71 RBI
55 Runs
3 Stolen Bases
.303 On Base Percentage
.366 Slugging Percentage
.245 Batting Average on Balls in Play

The average is easy to throw away thanks to an incredibly unlucky BABIP. He makes great contact (9.9% strikeout rate in ’10 and 11.9% for his career) and doesn’t put an excessive amount of balls into the air (40.8% fly ball rate in ’10, 38.4% for his career). 

There is every reason to expect a significant rebound from Suzuki in 2011 back into the .270-.280 range, at the least.

In fact, with his makeup there is the potential that he hits even better than that.

Where he really stagnated was in the power department, going from 15 HR (as well as 37 doubles) in 2009 to last year’s 13 HR and 18 doubles. Yes, an injury cost him some time, but that’s not enough of an explanation.

Part of the problem could be the lack of depth in the Athletics lineup.

Suzuki, when in the lineup, rarely had any protection (do you count Kevin Kouzmanoff at this point), allowing opponents to pitch him tough. In few other lineups would Suzuki see significant time hitting third (221 AB) or fourth (191 AB). The A’s addressed that, to an extent, with the additions of Hideki Matsui and Josh Willingham. 

While Suzuki easily could still pencil in to the third spot, he will have a lot more protection in place, which should help him out.

While his home ballpark does him no favors, Suzuki was actually worse on the road than he was at home:

• Home – .263, 8 HR, 46 RBI in 259 AB
• Road – .220, 5 HR, 25 RBI in 236 AB

There is no reason to expect that to continue, meaning an overall improvement in Suzuki’s production. Even if he was simply to replicate his home numbers when on the road, you’d be looking at a catcher with 15+ HR and 85+ RBI.  Who isn’t looking for that?

While there is still some hope that he could develop more power, it’s hard to project him into the 20+ range. 

Is it possible? Absolutely. At 27 years old, he easily could add power and improve on his career 6.8% HR/FB. Expecting it, however, would be a mistake.

What can we enter 2011 expecting? Let’s take a look:

.285 (157-550), 17 HR, 80 RBI, 70 R, 5 SB, .295 BABIP, .346 OBP, .440 SLG

Those would be solid numbers for any catcher, but Suzuki brings with him the potential to substantially outperform the projection. It is based on a 10.55% strikeout rate and there certainly is a chance that he is luckier and posts a higher BABIP.

As we discussed, there also is the potential for him to hit more home runs, which in turn will lead to more runs and RBI. While Suzuki disappointed in 2010, there is no reason to simply ignore him because of it. 

Catcher is not an overly deep position, so focusing on potential in the middle rounds is certainly the way to go.

What are your thoughts on Suzuki? Is he a player you would target in your drafts? Why or why not?

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

Make sure to check out some of our 2011 projections:

• Buchholz, Clay
• Butler, Billy
• Choo, Shin-Soo
• Ethier, Andre
• Freese, David
• Hughes, Phil
• Jaso, John
• Johnson, Chris
• Morrow, Brandon
• Uggla, Dan
• Reyes, Jose
• Willingham, Josh
• Young, Michael

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM

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Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane is still playing “Moneyball” to this day.

The team that used to perennially contend for the playoffs finished just exactly .500 last season, and was nine games out of first place behind the American League champion Texas Rangers.

Beane looks to compete more aggressively in 2011, as he has made quiet moves this offseason.

For example, they signed Hideki Matsui to a one-year deal to be the permanent DH. Not only is Matsui a consistent .270, 20 home run hitter, he knows what it is to be a World Champion as he won it all with the Yankees back in 2009.

The designated hitter spot was also one of the weakest spots in the lineup, so adding Matsui is already a good move. 

Another consistent hitter, Josh Willingham, will also join the lineup with his 15 home run, .260 seasons.

Grant Balfour was added to the bullpen for pitching depth. To further bolster that ‘pen, Brian Fuentes has reportedly agreed with the A’s on a two-year contract. Both of these guys had ERAs under 3 last season.

These free agents make Oakland a competitor, as they were just an average team before.

Did it take a lot to sign these guys? Yes, they aren’t minor league cheap guys, but they also aren’t big time free agents worth $15 million per year.

With the addition of a defensive outfielder in David DeJesus, who is a .300 hitter, this club is looking good.

Don’t forget about the dominant starting pitching, either, which is led by youngsters Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill.

And if some injured players regain their form from about two to five years ago, Oakland might just overpower the Rangers.

Conor Jackson had hit .300 in 2009 before taking a hit with injuries. Coco Crisp is always a threat on the base paths.

The Athletics are also set on defense, with Kevin Kouzmanoff at the hot corner and Daric Barton scooping ground balls easily at first.

Beane is up to something, and they can catch up in the AL West with the Los Angeles Angels not a great team like it used to be, and the Rangers losing Vladimir Guerrero.

“Moneyball” might just work in 2011. 

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It’s game on in Oakland.

Very, very quietly, the Oakland A’s have had a very solid offseason. They have improved their offense with the additions of Hideki Matsui, David DeJesus and Josh Willingham (loved that move by them), and now they are really improving their already-existing solid bullpen.

Fuentes is the latest reliever signed by the A’s

 

To go along with Brad Ziegler, Craig Breslow, Jerry Blevins and Andrew Bailey, the A’s added Grant Balfour last week and now they have signed LHP Brian Fuentes.

According to the Associated Press, the A’s have signed Fuentes. Official terms of the deal haven’t been announced yet, but Ken Rosenthal believes it will be a two-year deal with a $5 million option for a third year. It looks like the first two years will be around $5 million annually for Fuentes.

Anyone who has visited this site on a consistent basis knows that I have always viewed Fuentes as a setup man/closer on a small market team rather than a closer on a World Series-contending team. So the fact that Fuentes will be primarily a setup man to Bailey and will occasionally close games—it’s the perfect role for him.

This is really a good signing by the A’s.

Last year with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Minnesota Twins, Fuentes compiled a 2.81 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 8.8 K’s/9, 3.8 BB’s/9 and a 22.8 Groundball Percentage in 48 total IP. Fuentes was really tough on lefties, holding them to a .128/.222/.149 with ZERO HR’s in 55 plate appearances.

Listen, is Fuentes a lock down reliever?

No, not by any stretch of the imagination. At this point in his career, he can’t get right-handed batters out and he will walk his fair share of batters. He is one of those relievers that will walk two and give up a hit in the ninth, but somehow gets out of the inning unscathed.

I also like this move for Oakland because it does give them some insurance if Bailey is not ready for Opening Day. I wrote last week that it appears all systems go for Bailey, but if he suffers a set back, Fuentes or Ziegler could fill in.

Now, can people complain about the contract Fuentes got?

Sure, but Joaquin Benoit set that market a long time ago. Three years and $15 million seems to be the going rate for middle relievers these days.

I think with the moves the A’s have made this offseason, they will be serious contenders for the American League West crown. I am not sure if they have enough fire power to overtake the Texas Rangers, but I would be shocked if they aren’t neck and neck come September.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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The Oakland Athletics are coming off their best season since their 2006 ALCS run.

81-81 is by no means a sweeping success, but considering the injury problems, regrettable trades (NL MVP candidate Carlos Gonzalez for, essentially, Michael Taylor) and bust free agent signings, a .500 campaign and second-place finish was overall positive for Bob Geren’s boys.

After I called for Geren’s firing coming off his third season in which he once again failed to break the 76-win plateau, I concede now that the A’s made the right move and kept him around.

Entering his fifth season, Geren must put up wins that at least reach the 85-86 range to keep his job, but I won’t be the first one to doubt him this time around.

The A’s finished last season with the American League’s best starting rotation and arguably best staff overall but were plagued by a season-long power outage (Kevin Kouzmanoff’s 16 home runs was the lowest team-high number since the A’s came to Oakland). Billy Beane recognized this (as lesser GMs would) and spent the entire offseason working tirelessly to improve this area despite his limited budget. 

After Adrian Beltre priced himself out of the A’s market, Beane signed Hideki Matsui to a medium-sized deal. While Matsui and now former A’s DH Jack Cust have had an identical OPS since 2007 (.840), Matsui strikes out nearly 100 times less per season, while playing better (though still mediocre) defense if needed in left field.

Beane’s best additions, however, were guys who can play the field as well as hit.

His first move of the offseason was to send Vin Mazzaro and Justin Marks to Kansas City in exchange for David DeJesus. Not only does DeJesus bring a great glove (one error in his past three seasons), but he also has a career OBP of .360 and is coming off a season in which he hit .318.

Beane then brought in Josh Willingham, sending Corey Brown and Henry Rodriguez to the Nationals. Willingham’s career OPS of .841 will give the A’s a decent power hitter in the outfield, something they’ve lacked throughout the Geren era.

These three new bats have all come to Oakland for relatively nothing in return, and this is how improvement should be judged. The A’s didn’t simply address their weakness, but they did so effectively, without hurting any other aspect of the team in the process.

With three new potential starters in the fold, the A’s will have multiple key position battles, some that may linger a couple months into the season. Here is an early look at the A’s 2011 position player battles.

Catcher

The A’s are set here. Kurt Suzuki is coming off the worst season offensively of his career, but the A’s value his defense and handling of the pitching staff far more than his bat. He is an above-average defensive catcher with the potential to become a very good one, and he was possibly the biggest factor in the A’s young rotation’s breakout season. Given that, he is still an adequate hitting catcher at worst.

The backup will likely be Landon Powell.

First Base

Another predetermined job. Daric Barton finally began living up to his potential last year and was quietly the A’s best position player. He was second on the team in OPS (.798) and OBP (.393), but more importantly, he blossomed from a DH who’s playing first to an above-average major league first baseman.

His solid fielding percentage of .993 is not as impressive if you did not watch him play this year; he may be the best in the league at stretching and reaching for throws. This doesn’t improve fielding percentage but if he didn’t, runners would simply beat the throws and get infield hits. This was as key a part as any in the A’s AL-leading 3.58 ERA.

Second Base

No questions here either. Mark Ellis is the best defensive second baseman in the league and led the team with a .291 average to boot. It’s a wonder why there was ever talk of the A’s not bringing him back.

The backup spot will likely go to Adam Rosales, who hit .271 at four positions last year (primarily 2B), but Adrian Cardenas and Cliff Pennington are other possibilities.

Third Base

Despite leading the team in HRs and RBI’s last year, Kevin Kouzmanoff’s job is far from safe. This is likely because his more important offensive stats were scary bad, especially considering his expected role as the A’s No. 1 power source. His OBP of .283 and his four-to-one K/BB ratio gave the A’s no choice but to pursue a replacement.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t land an all-around stud in Adrian Beltre, so they brought in Edwin Encarnacion but released him just 20 days later. The A’s have a lot of defense; they need offense from this position.

Shortstop

Cliff Pennington’s first full season was a mixed bag. He was anemic at the plate (.250/.319/.368), but he did steal 29 bases on 34 attempts and display good range on defense despite committing 25 errors. All in all, Pennington did not do enough to secure the starting spot in 2011, and he can expect Adam Rosales and Adrian Cardenas to compete with him for the job.

Left Field

This is Josh Willingham’s job to lose. Slugging .479 in two seasons in RFK is no easy task, which makes Oakland confident that he can hit at the Coliseum as well. He is a decent defender, and certainly better than Cris Carter, who the A’s would like to be able to play in the OF but simply cannot.

As a result, the only other candidate for this job is Conor Jackson, whose career OPS of .777 is not a nightmare option. Willingham, though, remains the better hitter, and Jackson’s best chance to start relies on Willingham’s iffy durability.

Center Field

David DeJesus will play as often as his body lets him for this team. His .318 average last year would have led this team by 27 points, and his defensive abilities are elite. Coco Crisp will make an excellent backup, coming off an injury-plagued season in which he still managed a .779 OPS and an incredible 32-of-35 on the basepaths.

A’s fans will miss the excitement of Rajai Davis, but this is an improved position and maybe the strongest spot on the team.

Right Field

Ryan Sweeney will be the starting right fielder if he’s healthy, and people may be forgetting how good a healthy Sweeney is. He hit .286 as a rookie, .293 in year two and was above .300 most of last year before an injury cut him off after a slump, leaving him at .294.

Still, Sweeney will return and look to break the .300 plateau, while playing excellent right field with his range, glove and arm (at the time of his injury, his 21 assists since 2008 led all outfielders).

The likely backup here is Conor Jackson or Coco Crisp, although if Sweeney cannot get healthy, then Michael Taylor could enter the conversation.

Designated Hitter

This appears to be Hideki Matsui’s job, and as the clear No. 1 lefty option, he will likely get the majority of ABs this year. However, a right-handed hitter will compete for a platoon role and could potentially yank the job out of Matsui’s clutches.

The potential scenario is Cris Carter having a monster spring. The A’s know that he is their DH of the future, and if Carter proves he can hit as well as Matsui, he will likely win the job because his potential is so much greater. Carter will either win the job outright or start the season in Sacramento.

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The Oakland A’s have had a pretty productive offseason so far as they try to improve on their .500 record from 2010. Of course one of the keys on improving on that record is the development of their offense. They are going to need to do better than finishing 11th in the American League in runs scored in order to pass the Texas Rangers in the AL West.

Another key to the A’s’ season is getting closer Andrew Bailey healthy.

Bailey is on schedule for Opening Day

Bailey missed the final month-and-a-half of the regular season last year because of an elbow injury. When he went to visit Dr. James Andrews, I thought he was headed for Tommy John surgery, but that was not the case. All Bailey needed was a quick “clean up,” which was great news for A’s fans.

Five months later, A’s fans got some more great news about the former AL Rookie of the Year.

According to MLB.com’s Jane Lee, Bailey was cleared to begin throwing again, and all signs point to him being ready for Opening Day. I know the godfather of Moneyball Billy Beane doesn’t believe in one guy being the man in the ninth, the A’s really do need Bailey in 2011.

In two seasons with the A’s, Bailey has a 1.70 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and averaged 7.7 K’s/9. Bailey saw a slight dip in his K/9 from 9.8 in 2009 to 7.7 in 2010, and he saw a HUGE increase in his O-Contact Percentage (Percentage of times a batter makes contact with the ball when swinging at pitches thrown outside the strike zone) from 57.6 percent in 2009 to 66.9 percent in 2010.

That nine percent increase is pretty big. I will attribute those dips in performance to his elbow issue and spending time on the disabled list with a right intercostal strain beginning in late July.

The reason Bailey is so important to the A’s is because when you put him and Brad Ziegler at the end of games, the game is over. If Bailey can’t go early on, Ziegler is a more than adequate replacement, but the both of them together give the A’s a lethal one-two punch in the eighth and ninth.

The next step for Bailey is to start throwing from 120 feet. If he can do that pain free, all signs point to him being ready by Opening Day.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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The A’s acquired Kevin Kouzmanoff last offseason to fill the void that Eric Chavez would inevitably create.  After one season Kouzmanoff has worn out his welcome.

It is not as though “Kouz” has played so far below his career averages in Oakland, he has not, but the Oakland front office should have seen his numbers and known that he was not worth the money, even if he makes very little relative to the rest of the league.

In three full seasons in San Diego Kouzmanoff hit 59 home runs, a respectable number especially in a pitcher’s park like Petco.  When the A’s traded for him it seemed that they wanted the power he brought over, but cheap power can be found in other areas, such as players like Jack Cust.

The problem with Kouzmanoff has been his disturbingly low OPS impacted by his incredibly poor on-base percentage.  In his last two seasons in San Diego Kouzmanoff posted an OBP around .300 and an OPS around .725.  For a “power hitter” those numbers will not cut it.

Then you look at the 2010 season for Kouz and his numbers fell in every major offensive statistic.  His average dropped to .247, he hit 16 home runs, still a respectable number, but his OPS fell to .679.

By comparison, Ryan Sweeney poster a better OPS (.725) while hitting just one home run over the course of the entire season.  Of the nine regular starting players (including DH) Kouzmanoff posted the eighth-best OPS on the team.

In terms of OBP, Kouzmanoff was last on the team with a .283 mark.  Out of 149 MLB hitters, Kevin Kouzmanoff was No. 146 in OBP.

To put it plainly, Kevin Kouzmanoff was terrible in 2010.

Now it can be said that the A’s did not lose anything while playing a relatively cheap option at 3B, but his turn in the lineup was just a large hole.  The fact that he is still in the starting lineup as the A’s are making a conscious effort to improve the offense is unacceptable. 

Further, even if Kouzmanoff represents a temporary solution to 3B, then why did he hit in the middle of the order the majority of the year: 97.6 percent of his at-bats came anywhere from third to sixth in the order.

The only positive aspect of Kouzmanoff’s game is his defense, but even then his defensive WAR was 0.5 last season—not enough to compensate for his lack of offense.

Earlier this offseason the A’s claimed Edwin Encarnacion off waivers from the Blue Jays only to let him go soon after.

Encarnacion had an OPS of .790 last season, over 100 points better than Kouzmanoff.  Encarnacion has averaged 25 home runs a season for his career and he simply represents a bigger power threat than what the A’s have now.

On the other hand Encarnacion’s defense is unimpressive, but I believe the A’s could have gotten away with his glove because of the plus defenders that cover the rest of the field.

SS Cliff Pennington, for example, posted a 1.2 defensive WAR last season, enough to compensate for Encarnacion.

With Adrian Beltre showing no interest in Oakland and ultimately signing with the Texas Rangers, the A’s are stuck with Kouzmanoff.

The 2011 offense has already improved to the point that Kouzmanoff will most likely be slid into the bottom part of the order.  It seems as though the A’s can find a way to win with his bat in the lineup as long as others carry the slack.

With that being said, the San Francisco Giants, the defending World Series champions, had a starting lineup with no position players who had an OBP below .300.  Most of the better teams in baseball do not have such a player.

To go even further, the Giants’ 2010 Opening Day 3B, Pablo Sandoval, was benched for his poor production, but he still managed a .323 OBP and a .732 OPS.  Then again, the organization had higher expectations for the young slugger while the A’s already know what they have in Kouzmanoff.

As it stands right now there are no clear alternatives to Kouzmanoff, but it should not be too difficult to find someone who can manage at least a .300 OBP.  

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As we close in on the start of the 2011 baseball season, one of the most fascinating players—in my opinion at least—is Brett Anderson of the Oakland Athletics.

I mean, where should this guy be drafted in fantasy leagues? He has elite potential, but Oakland‘s pedestrian offense will limit his win potential, and without dominating strikeout numbers he might only be a force in ERA and WHIP.

How did we get here in Anderson’s short career? Oakland’s top pitching prospect had a nice rookie season in 2009, finishing 11-11 with a 4.06 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. He showed a good ability to keep the ball down, inducing grounders on about half the balls put in play, and he walked very few batters (2.31 BB/9).

Those numbers made Anderson the 132nd player off draft boards last season on average, but injuries conspired to shorten his sophomore season. When the left-hander did take the mound, though, he was one of the most effective starters in the American League. His walk rate dropped, his ground ball rate climbed north of 50 percent, and Anderson found himself the owner of a nifty 2.80 ERA and 3.21 FIP.

While I expect Anderson to have one of the best ERAs in the American League this year, strikeout rates and Oakland’s offense will prevent him from reaching elite status this season.

The A’s have one of the game’s best bullpens and we can expect Anderson’s LOB percentage to be better than league average once again, but it will be difficult for him to win 15-plus games with the kind of run support we expect.

As for the strikeouts, Anderson’s K/9 fell to 6.07 last year and he’s allowing too much contact on pitches within the strike zone. Last season batters made contact with 93.5 percent of pitches Anderson threw in the strike zone and he induced swinging strikes just 6.3 percent of the time.

Cole Hamels, possibly Anderson’s closest comparison, allowed batters to make contact with just 83.6 percent of pitches in the strike zone and induced swinging strikes almost twice as often (11.9 percent). These numbers helped Hamels to 9.10 K/9.

2011 Fantasy Overview

Wins will continue to be Anderson’s Achilles heel, and without dominating strikeout numbers he will derive most of his value from what should be a top-notch ERA and WHIP. Increased strikeout rates are certainly a possibility, and improvement to the tune of 8.0 K/9 or higher isn’t out of the question. However, much higher than that is unlikely.

Fearless Forecast

 13-10 | 3.23 ERA | 1.17 WHIP | 180 K | 7.9 K/9 | 205 IP

For more 2011 fantasy baseball news and other player projections, check out Baseball Professor.

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All in all 2010 was a great season—historic you could say! 

Pitchers were once again in control.  The average runs per game for each team in 2010 was nearly a run lower than in 2000 (5.39 compared to 4.44), and an enhanced drug policy enforcing a more regulated testing system has shown the fans that the game can be played clean.  

The playoff chases were in full bloom with the return of the Atlanta Braves taking it down to the wire against the San Diego Padres and the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants. 

I couldn’t possibly leave Roy Halladay off the list.  He has proven again that he is arguably the best pitcher in this era.  A perfect game in the regular season and a no-hitter in the playoffs are truly remarkable.  Can you just imagine the damage he would have caused if he played in the National League his whole career instead of battling the American League East for the past 13 years?   

Armando Galarraga’s perfect game that wasn’t will live in infamy forever, but the way both parties handled situation should be equally commended. 

After 22 seasons “the Kid” went gently into retirement.  Known for the smile and the backwards cap, Ken Griffey Jr. played with reckless abandon and never met a wall he didn’t like.  A natural in the field, and a poet at the plate, Jr. will go down as one of the best the game has ever seen. 

Sports are part of our everyday life.  Social media is in full force and without a doubt discussing baseball leads to more arguments than not. 

Even if both parties are right, neither side will admit it, as is the case between Dallas Braden and his misunderstanding (lol) with Alex Rodriguez. 

Considering all of the above, I have to select the “Get off my mound” episode as my highlight of 2010. 

It’s not too often when a non-steroidal episode can make late night television.  Sometimes we really do take the game too seriously and need an incident like this to take the edge off.   

A-Rod violates an unwritten rule, and regardless of what was said, walking over the pitcher’s mound is a no-no.  A-Rod knowing that has done many questionable acts in his day.  The “hey” or “I got it” debacle in Toronto was one, and swiping the ball from Bronson Arroyo’s glove was another. 

And whether it’s good or bad, he drums up publicity for the game.  Any publicity is good publicity right? 

Rodriguez can get under anyone’s skin, and he knows it.  Except this time he picked on the wrong guy.   

Regardless if Braden has peaked with his no-hitter is one thing, the underdog shoving it in the face of Goliath is the underdog story we all love. 

Braden tosses a perfect game on Mother’s Day with his grandmother in the stands, who gives possibly the quote of the year with “Stick it, A-Rod,” and the next thing you know, Braden is reading a top 10 list on David Letterman. 

You cannot write a script that good. 

In all likelihood Braden will drift away into obscurity, and A-Rod will take his place as the game’s home run king, yet for one day Braden v. Rodriguez was the biggest thing going. 

Devon is the founder of The GM’s Perspective

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Right now the Oakland athletics are trying to establish a core of a winning team. They have already given two players multi-year contracts: Brett Anderson and Kurt Suzuki. Although they still have some cheap young players who haven’t hit arbitration, I think they should continue to create a young core and give some players long contracts.

A team like the A’s, a team with not too much cash, has to lock up franchise players early. They need to do a better job at that, as the last time the A’s made the playoffs was 2006, and they have exactly two players from that team today, and that’s only if you count Rich Harden. The other is Mark Ellis.

If the A’s wait too long to give their good players long-term deals, the exact same thing will happen. They’ll make the playoffs one year, and then rebuild two years later. So here’s some players I think the Athletics should add to their core of two. They’re listed in no particular order.

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