I really think that it’s about time that I could say that I’m excited about the prospects for the A’s for the upcoming season, but I can’t. The best I can do is be intrigued. It’s a sad indictment of the way the organisation has been run in recent years that even with the addition of the left/right power of Giambi and Holliday, we are still far from contending. I don’t mind a retread in Giambi for $5m and he comes up with about 30 homers, I like Holliday at $13m a lot less but let’s say he comes up with another 30 homers we are still 70 away from reaching last season’s miserable total. So where is the power coming from? Jack Cust’s playing time looks like being less than last year, so we have to expect his production will be also. The next best power threat, with significant time in the big leagues, would be Chavez. Now I love Eric, plays Gold Glove D and has above profile power, at least in his best years, and, even if you don’t have the personality, you become a clubhouse leader; providing you do one more thing – get out there, day in, day out and Chavez only averages 106 games over the last 5 seasons. Coming back from shoulder surgery in the off season, anything in the high teens for home runs would be a good output for this season, bits and pieces from Ellis and Crosby and anything else is far from certain. This still adds up to a power deficiency.
So is the rotation going to cover for this shortfall? Duchscherer, Eveland and Gallagher as 1.2.3. I don’t think so. How about a slam the door closer to shorten the game? Still up in the air, Casilla was touted as the closer of the future last year but right now it seems to be between Devine and Ziegler.
Baseball America still rates the farm system as one of the best but this is pitching heavy with the likes of Cahill and Anderson, both rated top five nationally, but unproven in the Majors. The farm system has been well regarded for many years but continues to fail to produce significant, Major League position players and pitchers, in recent times, that currently look no more than mid to back end rotation starters and relievers.
There may well be enough to generate some excitement if pitching prospects force their way to the front of the rotation by weight of performance, some freaky chemistry kicks in and Beane forgoes the offers which will come in for Holliday at the trade deadline and takes the draft picks when he walks away as a free agent at the end of the season. But it’s asking rather too much from this point in time, maybe there are a few more moves to be made before opening day? I think the best we can hope for would be 85 wins and staying in the race for 2nd in the West into last few weeks of the season.
