Bargain Free Agents the Oakland A's Should Keep on Their Radar
Year after year, the Oakland Athletics organization plucks players out of the bargain bin only to see them outperform expectations and contribute more than most expected. It's that funny concept called "moneyball."
This year they face an interesting dilemma: Make a stronger push toward the World Series this year or continue to do what they do (read: moneyball).
The latter is more likely, based on years worth of observation.
Oakland has plenty of pitching and plenty of catchers. They could continue to platoon at first base, and if they choose that route, Nate Freiman and Kyle Blanks could join with Brandon Moss to do that job just fine. Third base, center field and right field are locked up.
The A's could try to upgrade second base the same way they have the last two seasons—cheaply (read: Alberto Callaspo and Nick Punto). They also need a shortstop and a left fielder. Those three spots should be the primary targets.
Lucky for them, there are plenty of potentially cheap options.
Whether they can get the job done is another story, but if Oakland intends to take a flier on anyone, it should be one or all of these players.
So remember, these guys are not must-sign players. They aren't the answer that will push Oakland into World Series-favorite territory. They're simply guys that, if cheap enough, could add some depth and fill some spots for the A's that, hopefully, wouldn't hurt the team—and if anything, they could surprise everyone.
They're low-risk players with decent reward potential.
Honorable Mentions
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Ramon Santiago
Santiago, 35, just hit .246 in 75 games last season while making just over $1 million. He can play three infield positions pretty well defensively. He could be that utility guy off the bench in games against left-handed pitching. His 2014 split there was .362, although his career splits against right- and left-handers is about the same.
He'd come super cheap and the A's would be gambling that he contributes anything at all, but ultimately this won't be the move to push the A's closer to a World Series—not even close.
Ryan Vogelsong
First, they shouldn't target a pitcher unless they trade one of their current starting pitchers and decide one of their depth guys isn't good enough to fill the fifth spot in the rotation.
If both of those scenarios occur, Vogelsong is a solid back-end option.
He returned to Major League Baseball strong in 2011, and followed with a solid 2012. In 2013, he struggled with injuries. Last season was fairly average.
But he could make for a solid fifth starter, might be pretty easily convinced to sign ("you won't even need to sell your house") and should be fairly cheap ($5-6 million on a one-year deal).
Brett Anderson
Yes, the Brett Anderson.
A move for Anderson would purely be for depth. But why couldn't he be the 2015 Jesse Chavez? Use him as the long reliever out of the bullpen and as a spot starter when necessary.
He's only 26, and when he's not injured, we know he pitches well. Three times in six seasons, he's finished with a sub-3.00 ERA.
With his injury history, he could come real cheap. But the injuries are incredibly concerning.
Nori Aoki
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Why Oakland Should Target Him
Oakland needs a left fielder.
Josh Reddick is in right and Coco Crisp is in center, which leaves Sam Fuld (career .236 BA) and Craig Gentry (career .273 BA) to play in left.
In three seasons in Major League Baseball, Nori Aoki has hit .288, .286 and .285, respectively. So right off the bat, he's been consistent so far. And if he keeps the consistency, he'd serve as an upgrade over Fuld and Gentry.
The A's wouldn't dip in defense either.
Although he's only played 18 games total in left field, he has never made an error at that position. His career fielding percentage in the outfield as a whole is .990, which includes a .960 average in center field.
Additionally, he's a workhorse, playing in 151, 155 and 132 games, respectively.
What Reduces Him to "Bargain" Status
You could say he's a soon-to-be 33-year-old outfielder with diminishing skills. You could also say his three years in the league are too small of a sample size.
I'm really only calling him a bargain because he's so consistent, yet has never made more than $2 million in a single season. So if he can be signed for two years at $12 million or so while hitting and playing defense at the same level, that's a bargain.
Notes
Aoki might have gotten enough attention with the Kansas City Royals' postseason run to jack his price up a bit more due to demand. So he might fall out of "bargain" range all together.
Delmon Young
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Why Oakland Should Target Him
In 83 games last season, Delmon Young hit .302 with seven home runs and 30 RBI. He's also just two years removed from a season in which he played in 151 games, hit 18 home runs and knocked in 74 RBI.
The power and the production are there.
And the guy is only 29 years old. Here's another fun fact: Young has played in the postseason each of the last six years. He was the ALCS MVP in 2012. Maybe he's a reverse curse?
What Reduces Him to "Bargain" Status
Young is a mess on defense. At every position he's played, his career fielding percentage is lower than the league average by about .010. So while he's an emergency left fielder, he's much better suited for the DH spot. And when you're that limited, there is less demand for you.
Case in point: He made $1 million in 2014.
You'll be hard-pressed to find Young's name on any list of the top 50 free agents either, which could help him slip under the radar.
Notes
You could probably add Billy Butler to this list and use the exact same argument as Young. Except Butler doesn't have the perceived "baggage" added to his name. And while Young made $1 million last season, Butler earned $8 million. That's not exactly a bargain.
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Chris Denorfia
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Why Oakland Should Target Him
Yes, yes, yes—been there, done that. But removing last year, between 2010-13, Chris Denorfia hit .280 while averaging eight home runs, 34 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 50 runs per season. He's just one year removed from a .279, 10-home run, 47-RBI campaign—arguably a career-best year.
In 33 games in left field last season, he did not commit one error. He holds a career .990 fielding percentage in left.
Denorfia made $2.25 million a season ago and had a down year by his standards. The A's could nab him for one year at around $2 million to fill a gap and hit lower in the order.
What Reduces Him to "Bargain" Status
He's currently 34 years old and will turn 35 around midseason. Denorfia didn't really catch on until he was with his third team. And after being traded to his fourth team, he finished 2014 terribly. Oakland would hope for a rebound here.
Josh Willingham
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Why Oakland Should Target Him
For seven seasons between 2006-2012, Josh Willingham kept a batting average of .261, averaging 24 home runs and 77 RBI in that span.
Even though the last two seasons have been down years, he's still popped more than a dozen home runs and near 50 RBI in each campaign. He's also only two years removed from a 35-home run, 110-RBI year.
Furthermore, Oakland needs a left fielder; Willingham plays left field—he's even played left field at O.Co before, so he knows the territory.
What Reduces Him to "Bargain" Status
Not only is Willingham coming off those two down years, but he also turns 36 before the 2015 season begins.
He's earned $7 million a season the last three years, but between his age and a recent downward trend in production, that number could drop to, say, $5 million.
Notes
The perception is that Willingham can't play defense and can't hit against right-handed pitching. In 2014, his splits were bad, but overall throughout his career, he hits both sides about the same. In terms of defense, he's made one error in 237 chances in the last two seasons.
Emilio Bonifacio
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Why Oakland Should Target Him
Frankly, I would be surprised if Emilio Bonifacio isn't a bigger commodity because of his versatility. The guy can play all three outfield positions and both middle infield positions.
That said, he's a career .262 hitter. Throw out his career best and career worst, and he's consistently hovered between .243 and .261. He could present an upgrade at second, but if not used there, he'd easily be the best offensive option on the roster at shortstop.
Contractually, he's bounced around from place to place and has never made more than $2.6 million. That means he could be acquired for one year at $2.5 million or two years for $5-6 million.
What Reduces Him to "Bargain" Status
Bonifacio won't ever knock in boatloads of runs for your team. He has very little power too. So average hitting with no power knocks him down in the free-agents pecking order.
He's also going to be 30 years old in April. The fact that he's played for seven teams in his career somewhat hurts his value too.
All statistics are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. Contract figures are courtesty of Cot's Baseball Contracts. If there's a better bargain free-agent option I missed, let me know on Twitter.
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