Oakland Athletics: Offseason Assessment
The Oakland Athletics fell short in 2014, but the moves Billy Beane made last offseason were the right ones to make; they were just the wrong pieces. Jim Johnson was a disaster in 2014, and while...
View ArticleCoco Crisp is Bad at Defense? Andy Parrino an All-Star? dWAR Says So
dWAR is a new sabermetric statistic that measures how effective a player is on defense. According to FanGraphs’ rule of thumb chart, you can get an idea the value of cumulative WAR as follows: 0-1...
View ArticleWhat Would the San Francisco Giants Look Like on the Oakland Athletics Budget?
A week or so ago on Twitter, I noticed a particular fan of a certain fan base poking fun at the A’s and saying that their huge payroll couldn’t make it in the playoffs. Obviously this was a...
View ArticleUnderstanding Defensive Stats: Vol.1
With the core of the Oakland Athletics likely to return in 2015, much emphasis is being made on defensive stats this off season. Which players are worth keeping solely for their defense, which players...
View ArticleBilly Beane’s Track Record Post Mulder, Hudson Deals
In Billy we trust, right? The A’s General Manager has been deemed a genius by the baseball world, and not many in Oakland would argue that point. For a little exercise, I thought it would be fun, and...
View ArticleWinter Meetings: It Could Be Worse
Call me a cynic, but the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago White Sox made poor choices during these winter meetings. Fans, players, and team executives have all been quick to judge Oakland Athletics...
View ArticleThe Oakland Starting Rotation Still a Mystery
Opening Day likely belongs to Sonny Gray. And Scott Kazmir will slot nicely into the number two spot in the Oakland Athletics starting rotation. Beyond them remains a mystery. There are a few new faces...
View ArticleSelling High On Derek Norris
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, being an Oakland Athletics fan is a tough task. There is heartbreak, confusion, and piles and piles of analysis to wade through. But one thing being an A’s...
View ArticleA Quick Synopsis of all of the Oakland Athletics’ New Players
Some have joked that with all of the trades Billy Beane has made this offseason, that the players will need to wear name tags to FanFest. In all seriousness, I hope they do just that. There is a bevy...
View ArticleThree Players Who Will Impact the 2015 Oakland Athletics
Much has been written about the potential of new-comers Brett Lawrie, Marcus Semien, and the quartet of young arms Jesse Hahn, Chris Bassitt, Sean Nolin, and Kendall Graveman. But I think there are...
View ArticleR.J. Alvarez: A’s Setup Man?
The Oakland Athletics acquired R.J. Alvarez in the deal that sent Derek Norris to San Diego a couple of weeks ago. While Jesse Hahn and his curveball initially headlined the return, it could be Alvarez...
View ArticleWhich Coco Crisp Can We Expect in 2015?
Coco Crisp has long been considered the engine of the A’s offense, but in 2014, that engine sputtered in the second half, leading to lows in his time with Oakland in batting average (.246) and stolen...
View ArticleOakland Athletics 2015 Lineup Projections
At this point in time, we have a pretty decent idea of who will make the roster of the Oakland Athletics, at least from an offensive standpoint. Below are the players that I think will make the team...
View ArticleJosh Reddick: Baseball’s Most Undervalued Asset
In 2013 I was not a fan of Oakland Athletics right fielder Josh Reddick, to say the least. His batting line was the worst of his young career, despite walking more often and striking out less often...
View ArticleOakland Athletics 2015 Bullpen Projections
Last week we took a look at the Oakland Athletics 2015 lineup projections and compared them to last season’s statistics. This week we’re taking a look at the bullpen and doing the same thing. Here is...
View ArticleA Primer for the 2015 Oakland Athletics Season
Pitchers and catchers report to Arizona and Florida in just 15 days. To some people that countdown isn’t a big deal and doesn’t deserve the attention it gets. With all due respect Jesse Spector, you’re...
View ArticleCoco Crisp Should be Batting Third
You think I’m nuts, but let me defend myself. Batting Coco Crisp third could improve the Oakland Athletics lineup. I have thought about this for a long time, but a tweet from CBS’ Al Melchior prompted...
View ArticleProjecting Mark Canha
I am not a scout, nor do I claim to have any scouting abilities. So for that reason projecting Mark Canha is really just a guessing game. I don’t really know what the Oakland Athletics can expect from...
View ArticleBarry Zito Returns to Oakland, But What Will His Role Be?
Last night the Oakland Athletics signed Barry Zito to a minor league contract and the fans seem to be pretty pleased. On the one hand they get Zito back, and the on the other it’s a minor league deal....
View ArticleOne Reason to be Optimistic About Barry Zito’s Return
Plenty has been said about the likelihood of Barry Zito making the Oakland Athletics roster out of Spring Training. There are more good reasons to think he won’t make the team and will find himself out...
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