2010 MLB Trade Deadline: Oakland A's Should Not Sell Players

As the weather gets warm around the middle of July, year in and year out, there always to be a summer sale in the city of Oakland.  The shelves at the Oakland Coliseum are usually full of spectacular deals: packages of good baseball players at low prices.

For the rest of Major League Baseball, it is always fun to visit the outlets of the Oakland Athletics, for they are assured of getting quality players for quality prices.

It’s a summer shopping spree, where buyers usually acquire a useful, and potentially long-lasting souvenir.

Every year around this time, the Oakland A’s players are placed on sale, usually given to teams at the cost of draft picks, minor league players, or cash.

The sale almost always lasts until the very end of the trading deadline, July 31.

It’s a great time to be a buyer as Oakland is willing to clean out their inventory in exchange for cheaper goods and players.

Unfortunately, Oakland fans have to go to the stadium and watch a bunch of unknown products amble around for the remaining two months of the season, waiting for the A’s to ship in some newer models during the winter sale.  True, the A’s are currently in third place in their division, and aren’t even playing .500 baseball. 

However, this season the A’s should keep their store closed, and cancel their summer sale.

I know it doesn’t make sense for them to keep the expensive inventory. From a business standpoint, it isn’t economical for them to keep such a surplus. They really might as well unload their stock at bargain basement prices.

Still, for the sake of their true customers—the fans, not other baseball teams—Oakland should attempt to produce a competitive and exciting team for the remainder of the season.

Three and a half months is not a worthwhile season of baseball.

It would be beneficial for the organization to keep its supply and try to win the division. The odds are not in its favor, but it is not out of the realm of possibility to make a formidable effort to make it to the playoffs.

Given that a significant number of players have been injured or are coming off injuries, Oakland should give their team a chance to get back into the swing of things and see what happens.

It would be better for management to see their products ripen over a full season.

Alas, it is quite likely that the organization will start putting up "For Sale" signs. It's over-priced merchandise is begging to be snatched up.

Ben Sheets, with only one more win than Craig Breslow, is on pace to average over $1 million per victory for the season. Coco Crisp has already been on the disabled list twice.

Kevin Kouzmanoff is slugging a paltry .385, and has fewer extra-base hits than Cliff Pennington.

Obviously, there are a handful of players who are expendable given their high salaries, along with the team’s overall position in the standings.

But, it should be noted that their offseason acquisitions are all showing signs of improvement after scuffling early on. Furthermore, their veteran contributions to the lineup and rotation belie their statistics.

Crisp and Kouzmanoff play exceptionally stellar defense, and provide quality at-bats, picking up clutch RBI.

Sheets, in spite of his recent arm surgery, leads the staff in innings pitched and quality starts.

There is promise with these experienced players.

And though the A’s are third in the AL West, it can’t be understated that with these veterans, a solid lineup and some consistency—along with improved health, most importantly—can lead to possible contention in September.

Maybe there is value in these guys after all, and they should not be packaged for selling.

However, A’s fans can always expect the unexpected when it comes to buying and selling in July.

Sometimes General Manager Billy Beane will randomly acquire an extra right-handed bat.  Other times, he’ll make a four-team trade and pick up a dozen minor league players.

It is more likely that these rented free agents are soon to be former A’s, like Matt Holliday and Orlando Cabrera last season.

It’s a sad state as a patron, to go into your favorite store and know that the products that you are used to seeing will eventually be gone, usually sooner than later.  Hopefully, though, Oakland will close its doors, keep their commodities, and put up the "Not For Sale" sign.

At least until the fall clearance in November.