The Oakland A's Will Be Lucky Not to Lose 100 Games in 2010

The Oakland A's are going to have an awful 2010 season. After watching the A's 5-3 defeat to the Seattle Mariners and the better part of the second game of the season there's the same issue that has been plaguing the A's for seemingly the better part of this decade.

They have no offense!

As the season approach the A's were supposedly changing their offensive strategy from the team that was patient at the plate to a more aggressive type of team especially on the bases. 

Well that's a good change in philosophy if the A's had some hitters that could make contact. In the first six innings of the opener the A's did not have a ball hit out of the infield. Either the outs made were ground outs or strikeouts. 

An even bigger problem that was shown was once the A's did get runners on base. With the meat of the lineup being Ryan Sweeney, Kevin Kouzmanoff, and Kurt Suzuki it is the weakest in all of Major League Baseball. 

Kouzmanoff grounded into two double players the biggest one coming in the bottom of the eighth inning. With runners on first and second the A's elected to have Kouzmanoff hit. Going of last years stats you can't blame the A's for not having him bunt in that situation, he did have a .303 average with runners in scoring position. 

Yet, the A's should have realized that there was a reason that Kouzmanoff had such a high average with runners in scoring position with the San Diego Padres. That reason was Adrian Gonzalez. There's no one in the A's lineup that commands the respect that Gonzalez does. 

So, in actuality the better option for the A's would have been to bunt in that situation. As mentioned before the A's chose to have Kouzmanoff hit and it turned into a double play. 

Now in the second game the A's had a situation to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. With bases loaded and one out. Davis came to the plate and promptly struck out chasing two horrible pitches from rookie reliever Kenekoa Texeira. 

Barton came up with a chance to win the game. Unlike Davis, he took pitches and got to a 3-1 count. He had a pitch to hit, but did not do anything with except pop it up to left field ending the A's chance of winning. 

This lineup may go down as one of the worst in franchise history. As for now the lineup is:

1. Rajai Davis

2. Daric Barton

3. Ryan Sweeney

4. Kevin Kouzmanoff

5. Kurt Suzuki

6. Eric Chavez

7. Mark Ellis

8. Travis Buck

9. Cliff Pennington

That lineup wouldn't even scare the better Triple A teams. The blame goes squarely on Billy Beane. He brought in Kouzmanoff in a trade with the Padres giving up Aaron Cunningham and Scott Hairston. Yet, no respectable team would even consider putting Kouzmanoff in as the cleanup hitter, but that is what the A's have done. 

He would be a fifth or sixth hitter in a good lineup. In a dreadful lineup that's where you would find a hitter like Kouzmanoff and that is what the A's lineup is. 

In the only other move the A's made to acquire a hitter the A's signed Coco Crisp, who is currently out for a few weeks because of a fractured pinkie. He does provide speed to the top of the lineup and it would change the lineup a little, but still Crisp doesn't make the A's lineup any more intimidating.

What never made any sense though was the signing of Ben Sheets. I do like Sheets as a pitcher but he did not fill a need for the A's. The A's have a tremendous starting rotation with or without sheets. 

There were free agents the A's could have gone after maybe not for just a year contract that was cheaper than the $10 million spent on Sheets. Miguel Tejada would have filled a big need in the A's lineup he signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Orioles. 

Jack Cust was sent down for assignment which made no sense considering the A's do not have a bona fide power threat. Chavez is not a power source anymore.

As for other hitters, Jermaine Dye is still a free agent who would fit the bill as a big time bat in the the A's lineup. Carlos Delgado who probably would have been too expensive. Elijah Dukes who probably wouldn't have cost much based on his baggage.

There's Gary Sheffield, but his attitude may have been an issue with the A's. Kevin Millar who could add versatility for the A's. Heck, the A's could have made a run at Hideki Matsui as well before he signed with the Angels. 

There's prospects that the A's have in Michael Taylor and Chris Carter who could have been used to add power to the lineup. Yet, they were sent back down to the minors. Instead Eric Patterson somehow made the team, he's there because he can play in the outfield and second base along with that he as blazing speed, but he doesn't provide any pop in the lineup.  

Other then the offense Bob Geren continues to show why he should have been fired in the offseason. Again the A's loss can be pinned squarely on the incompetency of Geren and it's a trend that he's shown every season and that is how to use the bullpen properly. 

After the A's had gotten runners on first and second as stated previously Geren had closer Andrew Bailey warm up in case the A's took the lead. Well the A's did not get the lead but the game was tied. 

There's two ways to go in that situation either bring in Bailey for the ninth inning or have Ziegler pitch the ninth. Geren chose too keep Ziegler in the game for the ninth inning.

Ziegler started off getting Franklin Gutierrez by striking him out, but pitched too carefully around Rob Johnson and walked him. Jack Wilson then grounded out allowing Johnson to get to second. 

Instead of allowing Ziegler to pitch to Ichiro, Geren had him intentionally walked. Putting runners on first and second with the pesky Chone Figgins on deck. That's when Geren decided it would be best if Bailey came into the game. 

The A's had a chance to get out of the inning when Figgins grounded to third, but Kouzmanoff rushed his throw from third and it sailed allowing the Mariners a bases loaded situation. 

Casey Kotchman came to the plate with the bases loaded. Bailey got into a full count situation which meant he had to throw a strike and Kotchman promptly hit a single to bring in two runners for a score of 5-3. 

For the second game Geren finally showed some managerial senses, Ziegler made it through the eighth inning with no problems. Instead of letting Ziegler go another inning, Bailey came in to start the ninth inning. 

It'll be interesting how the season plays out with such a weak lineup. At this point the starting pitching isn't a concern, but one has to wonder how not scoring runs will affect the A's and if they try to become too perfect in certain situations.