Oakland A's: Why 2012 Will Be Their Year

The 2011 season is winding down for the Oakland A's.

The year didn't turn out like most expected; players, staff and fans included.

A managerial change and injuries to key players played a huge part in the A's less than stellar performance in 2011.

The club did not do a lot before the trade deadline, which may indicate that the team is content with what they have.

Who knows what the future holds for the A's as far as off-season moves, so let's take a look at what could make them contenders in 2012 based on what we know at this time.

Young Guys Will Make a Big Difference

Jemile Weeks was called up after an injury to longtime A's second baseman Mark Ellis landed him on the disabled list.

Weeks has taken full advantage of his opportunities.  He has settled in as the everyday second baseman and leadoff man.

In 88 games, Weeks is batting .298 with 110 hits.

Ellis was the A's longest tenured player and it was tough for players and fans to see him go. But, Weeks is the future and by the looks of him so far, the future could be very bright.

Bob Melvin Will Have a Year Under His Belt

Bob Melvin replaced Bob Geren as the new manager in the middle of the 2011 season.

GM Billy Beane is not a hire-and-fire type of guy, so this means that Melvin will have time to do his thing without looking over his shoulder.

Melvin is a former National League manager of the year. He definitely has the know-how to lead this team, and once he gets things squared away in 2012, making it his team, things could turn around in Oakland.

Melvin has already tinkered with the lineup and it has paid off as far as production is concerned.

Moving Jemile Weeks to the leadoff spot helped, and Josh Willingham and Hideki Matsui have come to life as of late.

The A's are scoring more runs under the new manager and with the pitching staff back in order, Melvin and the A's could make great strides in 2012.

Hitting Their Stride

Hideki Matsui and Josh Willingham are starting to bring what they promised in 2011: A big bat.

Willingham's numbers are finally justifying his acquisition, as he is batting .254 with 27 home runs and 92 RBIs.

Matsui's performance has been uneven, but since Bob Melvin took over he has been more productive.

Who knows, maybe these guys won't be back next year. However, let's assume they will be back. If so then their recent surge could be good news for A's fans.

Brandon Allen

A's fans may have already soured on Brandon Allen, but I haven't. This kid shows huge upside and the A's should stick with him.

Allen should get his fair share of at bats as the season winds down, and this could be very good for the A's.

Allen was acquired in the Brad Ziegler trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks, and is a nice young talent, who is big too; standing at 6'2", 235 pounds.

A Lot of Potential in Sacramento

The Oakland A's have a ton of good looking prospects that could see significant time on the big club in 2012.

As mentioned, Brandon Allen is already an Athletic and there should be more to follow.

Michael Taylor could make the 25-man roster next year and possibly start in left field.

In my opinion, Allen and Taylor have the best shot at being on the team next season. Although, let's not overlook guys like Adrian Cardenas, Jai Miller and Chris Carter—the last of the three prospects being called up this past weekend after Triple-A Sacramento’s season ended.

Michael Choice may get a look as well.

Pitching Staff

Dallas Braden and Brett Anderson played key roles in the A's "Big Four" being considered one of the best staffs in all of baseball when the 2011 season began.

Surgery sidelined both for the season, cutting the the big four down to the big two with Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill remaining.

There are no guarantees that these two guys will return to their previous form.  But, if they do, the A's could be back in business in 2012.

Cahill did not live up to expectations, but guys like Guillermo Moscoso, Brandon McCarthy and Rich Harden have given the A's quality innings.

No Quit in the A's

The fact that the A's are still playing hard despite their record is a testament to Bob Melvin and his ability to get this team ready to play night after night.

It may seem silly to say that a team that is 15 games under .500 still has the will to fight.  But if you watch them on a regular basis you can tell that there is no quit in this team. 

The team comes to play every single time they step between the lines. When a team has the willingness to play hard consistently over a 162-game season, it makes the managers job a little easier.

Josh Willingham at DH

Moving Josh Willingham to the DH spot is a tricky proposition at this point, due to the fact that we don't know exactly what players the A's will keep or get rid of next season.

Lets assume Willingham stays and Coco Crisp does not. If this happens, then the outfield spots will have some wiggle room with with guys like Michael Taylor lurking in the shadows.

Willingham is a bit of a circus in the outfield and this makes him a liability, so the DH spot makes the most sense for him at this point.

Do-over

As mentioned, the A's did very little before the trade deadline, so the A's look as though they will be asking for a do-over.

Basically, what this means is keep the same foundation as last year, with the exception of bringing up Taylor and keeping Allen on the big club.

Injuries and a manager change have had the A's in flux all season, so I say start over next year with the 2011 plan intact.