Grading the Oakland Athletics' Offseason Trades so Far

With seven All-Stars under contract through the 2015 season, many thought the Oakland Athletics would remain silent in winter meetings.

General manager Billy Beane had other ideas, and he dealt fan favorites like Josh Donaldson, Brandon Moss and Jeff Samardzija for a collection of younger, less established players.

Oakland's penny-pinching owner Lew Wolff couldn't afford (or to hear Donaldson tell it, didn't want to afford) to keep all his stars around. Some of the deals Beane pulled off netted the A's a good return while parting with expendable players, but others suggested the team was nearing a rebuilding period.

Just like last year, the Athletics are expected to contend for the American League West crown. But they'll do so with a completely revamped roster full of veterans trying to show they can still play and young guns hoping to carve out roles as major league regulars.

Sounds like a typical A's season.

Josh Donaldson for Brett Lawrie, Sean Nolin, Kendall Graveman, Franklin Barreto

Paul Sancya/Associated Press/Associated Press

Lawrie is talented but injury-prone, and he is unlikely to fully match Donaldson's production.

No sense in waiting to address the biggest trade of the offseason. Donaldson was the franchise's cornerstone and a rising star, but that didn't stop Beane from flipping him for a younger, less secure version in Brett Lawrie.

The A's also acquired a couple of fringe major leaguers in pitchers Kendall Graveman and Sean Nolin, as well as somewhat promising young shortstop Franklin Barreto. Still, their combined value pales in comparison to that of Donaldson, who finished fourth in AL MVP voting in 2013 and eighth in 2014.

Beane would likely justify the trade by pointing to the A's depleted farm system, torn apart by moves like Addison Russell for Jeff Samardzija last summer. Despite a relatively decent return from the Blue Jays, flipping one of the best players in baseball with four years on his contract is pretty hard to defend.

Grade: C-

Brandon Moss for Joe Wendle

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

The A's will miss Moss' power from the left side of the plate next year.

If the A's wanted to trade Moss, fine. He was owed $7 million over the next year, and his production had dropped off drastically in the second half while he battled a hip injury.

But power was arguably the hottest commodity on the market this winter, and Beane got an inadequate return for a player who bopped 76 home runs in the last two-and-a-half seasons.

Second baseman Joe Wendle, the player the A's received from the Cleveland Indians, posted a .253/.311/.414 batting line in Double-A last year and is unexpected to contribute at the major league level.

With no speed, average defense and a mediocre bat, Wendle is far from the best player the A's could have received for a proven veteran like Moss.

Grade: D

Cash for Ike Davis

The A's slipped about $250,000 in international signing bonus money to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Davis, who had been designated for assignment less than a year after the Pirates acquired him from the New York Mets.

A former first-round draft pick, Davis broke into the majors with 19 home runs and a .264/.351/.440 slash line in 2010. He hit a career-high 32 home runs in 2012—tied for fifth in the NL—though he did so with a .227 batting average.

Davis' promising career has been derailed due in large part to valley fever, which he contracted before the start of the 2012 season, according to the New York Post. If the symptoms ever fully disappear, he could re-emerge as a decent middle-of-the-order hitter.

There are no guarantees Davis will see many plate appearances at O.co Coliseum, but he could potentially serve as the left-handed side of a platoon with free-agent signee Billy Butler. The A's sacrificed virtually nothing to get Davis, and he could be an impact player in a part-time role.

Grade: B

Jeff Samardzija, Michael Ynoa for Marcus Semien, Chris Bassitt, Josh Phegley

Ben Margot/Associated Press

Samardzija's 0.93 WHIP with the A's last year would have been second in the AL had he been with the team the whole season.

Once Beane started dealing other stars, many speculated Samardzija would be the next to go, given that he was set to hit free agency at the end of the 2015 season.

Shark was dynamic in his three months in an Athletics uniform, but he was sent to the Chicago White Sox for help in the middle infield and behind the plate.

Marcus Semien is a fluid shortstop or second baseman with a decent bat, hitting .267/.380/.502 in 83 minor league games, though his offense predictably dipped upon reaching the major league level. The A's have been interested in the East Bay native since his days at UC Berkeley, according to CSNBayArea.com's Joe Stiglich, and he will likely start at short on Opening Day.

Chris Bassitt will likely contribute as a long relief man who can make spot starts if necessary, while Josh Phegley should provide right-handed power splitting time with Stephen Vogt at catcher.

The stocky 27-year-old Phegley hit 23 home runs with Triple-A Charlotte last year and earned a September call-up, where he socked three dingers in 11 games.

Giving up an ace like Samardzija hurts, but the A's weren't going to keep him once he hit free agency. Oakland should get good production from Semien and decent help from Bassitt and Phegley for years to come.

Grade: B+

Derek Norris, Seth Streich for Jesse Hahn, R.J. Alvarez

Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images

Derek Norris rode a great first half to his first All-Star nod, but he dropped off considerably after the break. He hit just .245 with two home runs and 18 RBI in the second half, and his defensive issues behind the plate became more evident, especially when the Kansas City Royals ran all over him in the AL Wild Card Game.

Jesse Hahn was quietly nasty for the San Diego Padres last year, posting a 3.07 ERA and 1.21 WHIP over 12 starts in his first major league season. He stands 6'5" and is armed with a big, looping curveball, making it tough for opposing hitters to get under the ball and drive it.

R.J. Alvarez has the potential to be a power arm out of the bullpen or a reasonably valuable trade chip in the future. His fastball averaged 94.6 mph in a cup of coffee with the Padres last year, according to FanGraphs.

Hahn is already a favorite to start for the A's over other young guns like Kendall Graveman, Chris Bassitt and Sean Nolin. He should be the team's No. 3 starter, but giving up one of the better catchers in the league is a high price to pay.

Grade: B-

John Jaso, Daniel Robertson, Boog Powell for Ben Zobrist, Yunel Escobar

The A's have coveted Ben Zobrist for years because of his ability to play anywhere in the infield or outfield. Though the 33-year-old has just one year left on his contract, Beane finally got his man in a trade that finally made the whole offseason make a little sense.

John Jaso's production fell off last year as he battled lingering concussion symptoms, which plagued him in 2013 as well. The catcher's offensive production remained decent when he was healthy, but he suffered behind the plate, throwing out just four of 36 base stealers.

Losing Daniel Robertson has the potential to sting the A's in the future, and it puts a damper on the overall quality of the trade. But Beane wouldn't have been able to get Zobrist without giving up a key prospect.

Robertson was a first-round pick in 2012, and he appeared to be the organization's shortstop of the future after Addison Russell was traded away.

Grade: B+

Yunel Escobar for Tyler Clippard

Mark Tenally/Associated Press

Clippard received the second All-Star nod of his career last year with the Washington Nationals.

The A's flipped Yunel Escobar for Tyler Clippard four days after acquiring him alongside Zobrist, a move which freed up a starting spot in the middle infield for Marcus Semien.

I went into more detail on the Escobar-Clippard swap in a previous article, but it was an under-the-radar move that could have huge implications for the A's. Clippard has been a shutdown reliever for years now, and Escobar's declining power and athleticism make him only slightly more valuable than a replacement-level player.

Clippard is already set to be the A's interim closer while Sean Doolittle is out with a slightly torn rotator cuff. Though he will only be under team control through the 2015 season, he is sure to make a big impact at the back of the bullpen.

Grade: A-