MLB: 5 Questions the Oakland A's Need to Answer in Spring Training
It sounds weird, but there is an air of finality about the start of the Oakland A’s 2011 season.
The franchise is now in its third edition of the Billy Beane spin cycle (draft, develop, trade, repeat), and neither the GM nor the fans can bear another trip down rebuild road.
If 2011 is once again injury plagued and poorly attended, it could not only spell the end for Beane’s run in Oakland, it could also be the final bit of ammunition ownership needs to force the franchise out of the East Bay and into San Jose, Las Vegas or whatever greener pastures Lew Wolff fancies.
On the other hand, if the team can take advantage of a rebuilt roster and a depleted AL West, it would go a long way toward rejuvenating a dying franchise and making a great part for Brad Pitt in Moneyball 2.
The road down one of those two paths begins over the next few weeks at Spring Training in Arizona. Here are a few questions the A’s need to answer before they return to Oakland.
Who’s Providing the Power?
1 of 5
Oakland’s offense has been anemic over the past few seasons, but last year the A’s power shortage reached epic proportions. The A’s finished second to last in the AL in home runs (109) and slugging percentage (.378), and only four Oakland hitters cracked double-digit homer totals.
Beane has always made a point of valuing on-base percentage ahead of more traditional numbers like slugging or average, but even the most ardent Money Ball apologist would agree that when Kevin Kouzmanoff leads your team with 16 jacks, something has to change.
This offseason Oakland had an offensive makeover, but still lacks the sex appeal of a legit 40+ HR bat. Instead, Beane has settled for a collection of professional hitters he hopes can collectively add up to more power.
Hideki Matsui (21 HR’s last year with the Angels) is generating the most headlines this spring, though mainly for bringing a flock of Japanese reporters to the traditionally empty Oakland media section. Matsui will join additions David Dejesus and Josh Willingham in the middle of Oakland’s revamped lineup.
Whether it’s one of these new additions or a returning player, someone will need to step in and fill the gaping hole that is the A’s clean-up spot in order for the team to contend.
Can the Team Squash the Injury Bug?
2 of 5
The A’s rapid fall from contention the past few years was due in large part to the rise in injuries.
According to a recent report by CSN's Ann Killion, Oakland used the disabled list an astounding 87 times over the past four seasons and sent players to the DL 23 times last year alone.
Bad health is to be expected when you bank on over-the-hill and oft-injured players (see also: Sheets, Ben). But even Oakland’s younger stars such as Brett Anderson and Andrew Bailey were unable to escape last season unscathed.
To combat the injury problem Beane went for quantity over quality this offseason, stocking up on the outfield and the bullpen, as opposed to spending his limited free-agent dollars to bring in a big bat. Oakland also added a new head trainer in the offseason, meaning it will be Nick Paparesta (instead of former trainer Steve Sayles) running to the mound when Rich Harden pulls an oblique.
No word on whether Beane burned any effigies of Eric Chavez or is sewing rabbits' feet into the A’s jerseys, but even with improved depth, the team will need better luck on the injury front in 2011.
Should the A's Pull a Bumgarner with the Fifth Starter?
3 of 5
If there’s a reason to beat the drum about the A’s contending in 2011, it’s their pitching staff.
Oakland led the AL last year with a 3.47 ERA and bolstered the bullpen in the offseason with the addition of Brian Fuentes and Grant Balfour.
The starters appear set at slots one through four, with emerging aces Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson and Gio Gonzalez primed to form the Big Three 2.0. Former perfect-gamer and current All-Star quote provider Dallas Braden lacks the stuff of the other starters, but continues to be productive, sporting a 3.65 ERA over the past two seasons.
That leaves the fifth starter as the only real question mark on the A’s staff.
Brandon McCarthy appears to be the front-runner for the five hole, with Tyson Ross and Bobby Cramer right behind him. Rich Harden, who some had hoped would claim a spot in the rotation, has been ruled out because of injury. In a related story, the sky is blue.
If the Giants' success last season proved anything, it’s that quality front-line pitching can win you a weak division and in some cases a World Series. Following that blueprint, the ideal situation for the A’s might be to play fifth starter by committee to begin the season, then insert a young arm like Ross (ala Madison Bumgarner) for the stretch run.
.png?w=256)
Can a Young Hitter Make Some Noise?
4 of 5
Not only have the A’s failed to produce wins on the field the past few years, they’ve failed to produce a hitter fans can get excited about.
Even if Hideki Matsui provides a vintage offensive season, he's still 36 years old, which means investing in a Godzilla novelty jersey doesn’t seem like a strong long-term investment.
If the A’s hope to follow the Giants’ model for success, they’ll need someone to assume the role of Buster Posey; a young player who not only can deliver clutch hits, but can deliver a much needed jolt of hope to a depressed franchise.
Whether it’s Kurt Suzuki finding inspiration from his new facial hair, Ryan Sweeney finally playing on two good knees or Chris Carter learning how to hit major league pitching, one of the young stocks the A’s have invested in needs to finally pay off.
Great A’s teams of the past flourished not just because they had great players, but because they had great personalities. From Reggie Jackson, to Ricky Henderson, to Jason Giambi, the A’s can’t succeed as a second fiddle in their own market unless they have a player who can drum up some excitement.
If They Win It, Will People Come?
5 of 5
There is a bit of a chicken or the egg debate with the A’s attendance struggles.
Lew Wolff would like you to believe that the stadium sucks, which causes fans not to come, which means he can’t afford to field a good team.
Others would argue that Wolf is too cheap to pay his good players, which alienated fans, which meant he couldn’t gather enough revenue to support a new stadium.
Whatever the cause, the result is A’s crowds have dwindled to a point that there have been whispers the franchise should be contracted. Throw in the fact that the team across the Bay just won a World Series. The only sports radio station in town has vested stake in the Giants, and you start to wonder how many wins it will take for the A’s to get noticed.
History has shown that when the A’s succeed, fans show up. Contending teams in the 1970’s, 1980’s and 2000’s consistently packed the Coliseum. Granted that was before they built Mount Davis and tarped off the upper-deck, but whether it was the Bash Brothers or the Big Three, the A’s have captured the hearts and wallets of the Bay Area before.
No doubt it will be a steep hill—or should we say mountain in honor of the eyesore in center field—for the A’s to climb, but spring is a time for optimism and new beginnings, even for a franchise at the end of its rope.
.png?w=480)
