Welcome to the 3-point lounge where A’s unfortunately can only afford 2 points. In our play area, we now offer a 2 x 2 noughts and crosses game and our famous one-sided Rubix cube. Please also stay flexible as you may be asked to toss the top of the 7th. Some wandering thoughts in search of a loving home …(Yeah, I paid the extra point out of my own pocket)
* How are teams supposed to prepare for the 2022 season in the absence of a collective agreement that could determine new salary caps, salary floors, service time, arbitration and pay rules, and if the season 2022 starts or not on time? It reminds me of the private high school admissions process, where high schools award places before financial aid scholarships, and basically ask families, “We can’t tell you how much this will cost you yet, but want- You come ? “The offseason will be a lot of carts waiting for word on a lot of horses.
* Possible candidates for the A leadership role include Ryan Christenson, who is expected to be eliminated because too many fans will misspell his name, Mark Kotsay and Ron Washington. I’ve heard fans try to exclude Wash by pointing out that if he takes the job at the start of a 3-year rebuild, by the time the A’s are competitive again, he’ll be 73. What I’m wondering is if Wash won’t take the job, then by the time the A’s are competitive again, how old will he be? Probably 73, right?
* The A’s haven’t traded anyone yet, but if you’re already worried that the squad won’t be competitive in 2022 – and let’s face it, who isn’t? – here’s a reminder that you can hit a group of surprisingly good players, at great prices, through good scouting or exceptional luck.
Any team could have picked up Lamonte Wade Jr. (.253 / .326 / .482, 117 wRC +, 1.6 WAR) and Darin Ruf (.271 / .385 / .519, 144 wRC +, 2.5 WAR) at store 99 ¢ or scoured the dumpster behind the dumpster behind Target to secure a pen of the relievers of Casey Sadler (40.1 IP, 0.67 ERA), Paul Sewald (64.2 IP, 42 hits, 104 K) and Drew Steckenrider ( 67.2 IP, 2.00 ERA). These 5 players won less than $ 5 million combined in 2021.
Hence the re-signing of Dany Jimenez, perhaps the first of several moves to bring in talented players with enough history and / or success for 29 other teams to collectively shrug their shoulders. After all, Ramon Laureano was available due to a 40-player roster for the price of a Brandon Bailey.
Remember, too, that transactions don’t always take years to pay off. Oakland has a habit of treating established starting pitchers for “major league ready†prospects who can take over in the rotation. Mark Mulder was treated for Danny Haren and it’s easy to forget that Dan Meyer, the centerpiece of Tim Hudson’s business, was as highly rated as Haren – if Meyer had stayed healthy, Hudson’s business would look great. . And Trevor Cahill sired Jarrod Parker, who immediately contributed to a 2012 A playoff team that is unlikely to participate.
So who has any idea what this offseason has in store, or under what ABC rules it will take place? Welcome to the great unknown.
