2010 Oakland Athletics: Internal and FA Options

librariansunite — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:01:45 -0000

Obviously, this season is lost, and any trades made this year most likely will not directly benefit the 2010 team (unless, of course, Beane picks up Escobar from the Braves). With that in mind, let's look to next year, which, hopefully, will be what this year was not: a true rebuilding year, with a slight dash of hope for contention.

First, it would be best to rehash what the 2010 team will consist of without any changes, and provide the best free agent options for our open positions:

Position	Player - 2010	Player-2009	Internal Improvement?	F.A. Option A	F.A. Option B	F.A. Option C	Cost (mm) for F.A.'s	Best F.A. Option	Best Overall Option
C	Kurt Suzuki	Kurt Suzuki	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
1b	Daric Barton	Jason Giambi	Slight	Russell Branyan	Troy Glaus	Nick Johnson	A - $7 B - $5 C - $6	Glaus	Barton
2b	Mark Ellis	Adam Kennedy/Mark Ellis	Slight	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
SS	?	Orlando Cabrera	n/a	Jack Wilson	Marco Scutaro	Adam Everett	A - $5 B - $6 C - $3.5	Scutaro	Scutaro
3b	?	Jack Hannahan, et al	n/a	Miguel Tejada	Chone Figgins	Adrian Beltre	A - $6 B - $9 C - $8	Tejada	Tejada
RF	Travis Buck	Jack Cust, et al	Slight	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
CF	Ryan Sweeney	Ryan Sweeney	Slight	Chone Figgins	Mike Cameron		A - $9 B - $8	Cameron	Sweeney
LF	Aaron Cunningham	Matt Holliday	No	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
DH	Jack Cust	Jack Cust	Slight	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

I listed Scutaro and Tejada as the best overall free agent options. Please let me know if you disagree or think other F.A. options should be added. Here is the list of 2010 Free Agents provided by mlbtraderumors.com.

Regarding Scoot: Oakland needs a shortstop for three years (Green, hopefully will be up thereafter), and we know Scutaro can perform in Oakland and should hold up as a useful player for the length of the cotract (3yrs, 15mm).

Tejada: This is fully dependent on how his glove will hold up at third, but I believe we could get Tejada on a two year deal, which would bridge the gap to Cardenas in 2011-2012. Is 2 yrs., 12 million too low? Possibly; anything over that and it may be best to sign a AAAA retread.

Signing Scutaro and Tejada would also be beneficial vs. LH pitchers, as Tejada is above average versus lefties and Scutaro hits them significantly better than righties. Finally, I think adding Scutaro and Tejada would add fire and an expectation to win for the team, something needed while grooming the team's talented youngsters.

The A's shouldn't be worried about pitching. They have seven serviceable starters (BMAC, Gio, Eveland, and Gallagher) for a rebuilding year, and have more than enough combined major and minor league relieving talent. We saw this year and last (with Springer and Embree) how signing older, "mentoring" relievers can turn out. The A's have a very valuable, low-cost core of picthers, and shouldn't waste international and first-year draft signing money on this aspect of the team.

Finally, I think the team should consider a 4th outfielder/part-time DH who hits lefties extremely well. In case you hadn't noticed, the team currently has a .619 OPS vs. lefties and Sweeney, Buck, and Cust all have poor splits vs. left-handers. My number one choice for this role would be Gabe Kapler for around $2-3 millon, followed by Magglio Ordonez as a one-year reclamation project for around $3-4 million. I prefer Kapler because he has done well in a platoon this year with Gross (1.000 OPS this year, .886 last three), while I think that Ordonez has much higher risk/reward potential, especially since he and Scutaro (both Venezuelans) may fuel each other(although Maggs, in a sign of things to come, sucked it up in the WBC,while Scoot smoked the ball, sss aside).

As the A's will only have a salary of around $39 million next year (current salaries plus guesstimated $10 millon in arb. eligible raises/added minimum contracts), I think that they can comfortably add the $14-15 million it would take to re-acquire Scutaro and Tejada, and add Kapler/Ordonez. That would put the overall 2010 payroll at $53-54 million, still $8 million below the 2009 figure of $62mm. This extra amount could, and should, be used to: eat cash in trades this year, sign our draft picks next year, sign international players, and, possibly, allow us to pick someone up at the '10 trade deadline if the team surprises.

Poll

What should the A's do with their payroll fexibility for 2010?

Use it all for eating salary at the trade deadline, signing picks like Stassi & Green, next year's draft class, and international players.

65 votes

Sign a few free agents, but not the ones listed in this post.

18 votes

Sign Scutaro, Tejada, and a 4th OF/DH who can hit lefties.

34 votes

Keeping Holliday if he accepts arbitration.

20 votes

Save it for a big run in 2011 when X, Y, and Z (list) will be available.

25 votes

162 votes | Poll has closed

Semi-Baked Ideas Thread

librariansunite — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 06:19:08 -0000

Here are some other options if signing Giambi and/or signing Furcal fall through. They are much less risky and possibly a better use of resources.

#1. If we "lose out" on Rafael Furcal, trade Bobby Crosby for Miguel Tejada.

1 yr - 7 million

PROS:

We pay 7 million dollars for an OPS bump of .050-.075 and better defense (Miguel was rated as a +7). We get rid of Bobby Crosby.

CONS:

Tejada might slip more in the AL. Crosby might hit better. We might pay an extra $7 million for better defense/attitude. This leaves a hole at SS for the foreseeable future.

Ed Wade might not do it to try and save face.

#2. Sign Eric Hinske (if he can still play any 3rd base)

3 yrs - 10million

I had trouble locating any stats for Hinske at third base (around 2005-2006). If he can play it reasonably well, he might be a good backup for Chavez and Barton, adding some pop to our lineup and off the bench.

PROS: Cheap pop. Plays many positions. Could have a career year left in him.

CONS: Could play a horrible 3b. Baisley could play equally well and be much cheaper.

#3. If we do not sign Giambi (2 yrs - 15 million) - trade Santiago Casilla for Ryan Shealy.

PROS: Shealy has potential and plays great defense at first base.

CONS: Possibly a 4A player. With Barton, Baisley, and possibly Hinske, 1B could be crowded.

After trading for Jacobs and trading away Rivera, this should be a good fit for the Royals.

After doing research for these proposals (including fangraphs.com 2009 projections from James and Marcel) I'm torn on Giambi/Randy Johnson. Out of the two, I would sign Johnson first, as we need another front of the line starter for 2009 if we want to compete. We do also need another "sure thing" in terms of batting production, and I think Giambi will provide this, but I am afraid of his movement from Yankee Stadium, although this may be counterbalanced by less pressure in Oakland. Overall, both of them will be worth the contracts, but with a small market team, you cannot always pay fair price in the free agent market.

Either way, it is very likely we are unable to sign Furcal and Johnson. What moves can we make to compete in 2009 if we lose out on big name free agents?

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