Oakland A’s take a bold approach

Without a doubt the Oakland Athletics have been one of the busiest teams this offseason.

Early Saturday morning Jan. 10, A’s fans woke up to the biggest acquisition this winter when General Manager Billy Beane finalized a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays to receive super utility all-star Ben Zobrist. Zobrist made a name for himself in 2009 when he earned an everyday role for the Tampa Bay Rays. Since then he has proved a few things. He plays a lot, hits from both sides of the plate, gets on base, and can field any position.

With career batting statistics of .264/.354/.429 and two all-star game appearances, Zobrist brings tremendous value and depth to the lineup and the field for Manager Bob Melvin to utilize.

The busy offseason started back in mid-November with the signing of freshly released designated hitter and first baseman Billy Butler from the World Series runner-up Kansas City Royals. This began a chain reaction of trades: Beane dumped roughly 40 percent of Oakland’s 2014 roster, which was an 88-74 wild-card playoff team.

This offseason has been nothing out of the ordinary for A’s fans in the last decade.

Beane has taken this strategy of retooling his club every two years or so to be his personal mantra. ‘Moneyball’ — the name of the book and movie about Beane — is the term that has been attached to his way of doing business.

Being a small market club, overshadowed by the three recent World Series championships from the Giants across the Bay, Oakland looks to alternative methods to produce a competitive team year after year by using their money wisely on baseball outcasts and misfits.

Beane’s style is a bold one. The A’s have managed to reach the playoffs the last three seasons, capturing the division title twice. One thing has been consistent from those three teams: Beane is going to keep wheeling and dealing.

Baseball’s top executives, writers, and fans have questioned and criticized Beane’s tactics over and over, thinking that he has gone overboard and completely cuckoo.

Last season, Oakland sent nine players to the All-Star Game in Minneapolis. In 2015, only two of those players will still be dressed in the Oakland green and gold. Former all-stars like Yoenis Cespedes and Josh Donaldson have brought baseball relevancy back to Oakland. Sales of Cespedes and Donaldson jerseys at the team store at the O.Co Coliseum have gone through the roof.

I wouldn’t be happy if I forked out more than one hundred bucks for a Donaldson jersey to see him now in Toronto blue and red.

Beane is obviously not concerned at all that the majority of fans will be wearing jerseys and shirts with names of players from yesteryear. Producing consistent winning teams is the primary focus on the seasoned GM’s mind.

So where does this leave the A’s and their chances at a title in 2015?

Manager Bob Melvin will face his toughest assignment yet with this re-tooled team.

Veterans like Coco Crisp, Josh Reddick and Sean Doolittle taking charge in the clubhouse, transitions with the new players will be easily handled. Division rivals Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners will come into the season as the frontrunners for the American League West crown. As these two teams get better year-to-year, the A’s window for a World Series pennant gets smaller.

This Oakland ball club will be in the mix all season long up to the very last game like they have grown accustomed to. But, it will be very unlikely to see this team reach it’s third straight post-season with only two returning everyday players.

This club feeds off the energy and chemistry of their players, they will have to build that foundation early in spring training when the team heads to Mesa, Arizona a month from now.

An 84 to 86 win total is right about where the A’s will finish. Granted, that is still an above .500 season, but like all Beane generated teams, just enough to be competitive.

An interesting team to watch this year to say the least. Tremendous depth, a bullpen stacked with dynamic arms and an unpredictable general manager. Don’t be surprised to see the A’s give their fans another memorable year.