Oakland A's: No Need to Panic, Billy Beane Will Find a Way

Only two short months ago, the Oakland A’s were enjoying themselves at the top of the American League standings. They had the best record in the league and had just acquired Jon Lester to add yet another ace to their already-loaded pitching staff.

Unfortunately, they weren’t the same after that trade. I’m not saying it was that one trade that single-handedly messed up their season, but that was when the funk set in. Starting on August 1, when they traded for Lester, the Athletics struggled mightily. They went a pedestrian 22-34 the rest of the way, including a heartbreaking loss in the American League Wild Card Game to the Royals.

Their final loss was a microcosm of the entire season. The A’s had a comfortable lead going into the final innings, but they faltered down the stretch, and now their season is over.

Last year, the A’s lost in the ALDS, but that was recoverable because they were a young team that wasn't really supposed to win. This time is a bit different, though. This time, Billy Beane put all of his eggs in one basket. He traded away most of his future for Jeff Samardzija as well as one-year rentals Jason Hammel and Lester. Now that they lost, it is going to be an uphill climb to field a competitive team for the foreseeable future.

The Oakland A’s just endured one of the most demoralizing collapses in MLB history, but there is no need to panic. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported that executives around the league are suggesting the possibility that the A’s could trade Samardzija and/or third baseman Josh Donaldson before next season.

While both of those guys are All-Star caliber players and would undoubtedly bring Oakland huge returns, I don’t think they should do that. There is no reason for the A’s front office to make such a drastic change in plans following the collapse.

Billy Beane opted to go for it all this year, so expect much of the same in 2015. 

Even without Lester, who will probably be too rich for Oakland's payroll, the A's still have a very talented starting rotation as well as a deep bullpen loaded with quality arms  Samardzija, Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir have the making of a very formidable staff, and Dan Otero, Eric O’Flaherty, Ryan Cook and Sean Doolittle form a lethal core of relievers.

Jason Hammel is a free agent now, and if Oakland chooses not to re-sign him, Jesse Chavez and Drew Pomeranz are young, dynamic pitchers who can vie for the fourth and fifth starting roles. 

However, pitching is not what let them down the last two months of the season. It was their hitting. The offense struggled to score runs after they traded away Yoenis Cespedes, and that was the main cause of their second-half troubles.

But trading Josh Donaldson for prospects is not the answer. He is one of the best third basemen in the MLB, offensively and defensively, and the Athletics should do everything in their power to lock him up long-term.

Oakland still has some pieces on offense that can be very productive.  Assuming they don’t trade Donaldson, they will have a powerful middle of the order with Donaldson, first baseman Brandon Moss and right fielder Josh Reddick.

Coco Crisp is very consistent at the top of the order and also plays a terrific center field. Sam Fuld is very versatile on defense and can be a very good second hitter because of his outstanding speed, bunting ability and high contact rate. Derek Norris also had a solid season behind the plate and should be even better next year.

Jed Lowrie is the only starter who is a free agent, but he shouldn’t be that hard to replace assuming the A’s don’t re-sign him. He hit below .250 in 2014 and once again proved that he is injury-prone, missing the end of August on the disabled list.

Stephen Vogt and Nate Freiman are also good hitters and can thrive in pinch-hitting situations as well as spot starts in the outfield and first base. 

With a team as talented as the A’s, there is no reason to rebuild for the future, especially when Beane has built his reputation on winning more with less. 

The A’s might do the exact opposite of what those executives predicted to Rosenthal. They might even go out on the free-agent market and sign a player or two. They could go for a proven veteran like Jake Peavy to give the rotation more depth, or they could choose to address the offense.

Emilio Bonifacio, who finished 2014 with the Braves, would be a nice fit in Oakland.  He is possibly the most versatile utility player in the league with the ability to play second base, shortstop and third base as well as all three outfield spots. He would also add more speed to a team that didn’t steal many bases this year.

And don’t forget about the two guys who make the whole process go. Billy Beane and Bob Melvin form arguably the best GM-manager combo in the MLB, and A’s fans should have confidence that they will put a winning team on the field.

There is no reason to panic in Oakland. They are just fine, and I expect them to be a playoff contender once again in 2015.