There is no question whatsoever that the A's are looking to get out of Oakland and move to the more lucrative market just a few miles away in San Jose. And if the proposed move wasn't already close to being a done deal, you'd wonder if general manager Billy Beane and owner Lew Wolff weren't doing their own re-creation of Jeffrey Loria's gutting of the Montreal Expos all those years ago so that Loria could go and purchase a team in what he thought was a better market.
Once again the A's seem to be rebuilding, in a sort of Moneyball-ish way, by building a roster full of rejects, Class AAAA-type players and mediocre players with little upside.
But unlike the team featured in the movie, this team isn't going to win a lot of games or come within a hair's breadth of the World Series. In fact the only reason A's fans can be thankful this season is that they should be better than the Mariners.
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But before the A's reached out and snagged slugging Cuban star Yoenis Cespedes, this team looked positively wretched. With him they just look bad.
That's not to say that there won't be some bright spots. Right hander Brandon McCarthy has true ace potential. There is plenty of speed available at the top of the lineup in the forms of second baseman Jemile Weeks, who has yet to learn to hit for average, and Coco Crisp, provided he can stay healthy.
The team also has ton of power potential, but only outfielders Jonny Gomes, Seth Smith and to a limited degree Josh Reddick have had Major League success in displaying it and playing time for all three could be severely limited if the A's really sign a designated hitter before opening day as two of the three outfield spots are already locked up. And while it's probable that Yoenis Cespedes will succeed at this level, the other major players Kila Ka'aihue, Chris Carter and Brandon Allen (all 1B/DH types) have all failed to this point to show the ability to hit for enough average to keep themselves in the majors.
There is no question the A's will miss pitchers Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzalez this year, but they have some pitching help coming from a big name, that being top prospect Jarrod Parker, who should spend at least half a season wearing Oakland green. Several of the others should get a cup of coffee before the season ends, but most of the top pitching prospects acquired in the trades of Cahill, Gonzalez and Guillermo Moscoso won't be ready for prime time until 2013-2014 when the team might once again feature three or four homegrown ace types.
Of course there is no guarantee that the young pitchers acquired in those trades will develop as projected and avoid arm issues, but the talent that Billy Beane acquired for the future took the A's from having one of the weakest farm systems in baseball to one of the better ones in baseball -- especially when it comes to pitching. So A's fans need to think of this season as a place holder. Better things are coming. With any luck you'll get a taste of them before the year is out.
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