Sacramento Athletics - The Covid-19 Years (2020-2029)

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2020

2023

112

Decade

2021

2024

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2022

102

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Titles:

Top Athletics Players of the Twenty Twenties

2020 - Won Division, WC-Beat Chicago; ALDS Lost Houston

Pitchers:

Ballpark:

JP Sears (2.77) - 14

RingCentral Coliseum

Chris Bassitt (6.15) - 14

Cole Irvin (3.53) - 14

Team Name: Athletics

Frankie Montas (5.1) - 14

Sean Manaea (3.54) - 11

Owners:

Mason Miller (2.4) - 9

John J Fisher

Lou Trivino (0.56) - 7

Mitch Spence (1.6) - 7

Managers:

Joey Estes (0.7) - 6

Bob Melvin (2020-2021)

Trevor May (1) - 6

Mark Kotsay (2022-2025)

Paul Blackburn (2.12) - 6

James Kaprielian (2.51) - 6

General Managers:

Liam Hendriks (1.38) - 5

David Forst

Mike Fiers (0.64) - 5

Dany Jimenez (0.86) - 5

Hall of Famers:

None

Catchers:

Sean Murphy (7.34) - 26

Rookie of the Year:

Shea Langeliers (4) - 14

None

First Basemen:

MVP:

Matt Olson (6.91) - 11

None

Ryan Noda (2.3) - 6

Cy Young Award Winners:

Second Basemen:

None

Tony Kemp (4.26) - 10

Zach Gelof (4) - 7

No Hitters:

None

ShortStop:

Elvis Andrus (1.86) - 8

Notable Events:

Nick Allen (1.31) - 3

2020 - Oakland comes into the new decade on a nice high, having won 97

Third Base:

games each of the previous two seasons and making the wild card behind

Matt Chapman (4.71) - 11

the great Houston Astros team both times.

The A's continue their success early in the decade with a first place finish

Outfield:

in '20 and a solid 86 win '21 season.

Ramon Laureano (6.14) - 19

After that four season run, the Athletics fall off a cliff.

Seth Brown (3.48) - 17

This is nothing new for the franchise which has traditionally had great

Brent Rooker (8) - 16

management combined with a disdain for spending money.

Esteury Ruiz (-0.2) - 12

From Connie Mack, to Charlie Finley, to moneyball, to the present day,

Mark Canha (4.13) - 11

brilliant management has put together terrific teams on a shoestring and

JJ Bleday (2.2) - 10

penurious ownership has quickly torn it all down because all that talent

Starling Marte (1.94) - 7

cost too much money to keep.

Robbie Grossman (1.14) - 6

□ Owner John J. Fisher, 60, has money, but doesn't throw it around with the

Notable Events:

A's. Oakland's GM needs to win frugally - and has.

□ Bob Melvin has been a solid manager for the A's for ten years.

2024 - The A's scored 163 runs less than the league average in '23

The A's gave up 176 runs more than the league average in '23

2020 - The Athletics win the Division with a 36-24 mark and beat Chicago before

Those numbers, translated, means that the A's sucked, big time.

losing to their nemesis, the Astros, in the ALDS. Oakland's offense was slightly

below average. It was their pitching that was responsible for their success as

We'll list players on the A's who have any type of a viable MLB future:

the A's gave up almost a run less per game than the league average.

□ RHP - Joe Boyle, 24, '23 Trade from Reds, 6'7" with control issues

□ RHP - Mason Miller, 25, '21 draft 3rd rd pick, 100 mph fastball

2020 - Starters Chris Bassitt, Mike Fiers and Sean Manaea give the A's a solid

□ 2B - Zach Gelof, 24, '21 draft 2nd rd pick, 14 32 .267

starting rotation. Liam Hendricks had a big year as closer leading a bullpen

□ DH - Brent Rooker, 29, '23 waivers from KC, 30 69 .246

that was the strength of the team. Jake Diekman, JB Wendelken, Joakim

□ C - Tyler Soderstrom, 22, '20 1st rd pick, 3 7 .160

Soria and Yusmeiro Petit all had excellent seasons as middle relievers.

□ C - Daniel Susac, 22, '22 1st rd pick

□ SS - Max Muncy, 22, '21 1st rd pick

2020 - There are a number of good position players on the squad:

□ SS - Jacob Wilson, 20, '23 1st rd pick, son of Jack Wilson

C-Sean Murphy; 1B-Matt Olson; 2B-Tony Kemp; SS-Marcus Semien;

□ SS - Darrell Hernaiz, 22, '23 Trade from Baltimore

3B-Matt Chapman; OF-Robbie Grossman; OF-Mark Canha; OF-Ramon Laureano

The cupboard is pretty bare

2021 - The A's fall from first to third with a respectable 86 wins.

The traditional A's dismantling process has officially begun prior to the season:

2025 - Things are looking up for the A's. Low bar to clear there.

□ Closer Liam Hendricks, 31, obtained from Toronto in '16; FA to Chicago in '21

The A's will indeed be moving to Las Vegas in '28 when their new stadium / casino

□ SS Marcus Semien, 30, obtained from Chiago in '15; FA to Toronto in '21

is built. Until then they will be playing in the minor league park in Sacramento.

□ OF Robbie Grossman, 31, FA to Detroit '21

So, for now, they are the Sacramento A's. Three lame duck seasons to look

□ LHP Jesus Luzardo, 22, obtained from Washington in '17; dealt to Miami in '21

forward to. Three seasons when the on field product will be funded on a

for OF Starling Marte in an odd trade at the deadline. The A's decided to try to

shoestring.

go for it one last time with this deal. It failed and Marte became a free agent

All that being said, the A's won 69 in '24 and are on the upswing so, despite

at the end of the season.

not having a home crowd advantage, they should win a bit more into the

seventies this season. They have some young players who are getting better.

2022 - Oakland drops 26 games in the standings to 60 wins and last place.

A wholesale loss of solid players as the A's don't bother to re-sign anyone:

Pitching (Rotation looks decent, lights out closer, solid bullpen):

□ RHP Chris Bassitt, 33, obtained from Chicago in '15; dealt to Mets in '22

□ RHP Luis Severino, 31, '25 FA from Mets, good low cost pickup 11-7 3.91

□ LHP Sean Manaea, 30, obtained from KC in '15; dealt to SD in '22

□ LHP Jeffrey Springs, 32, '25 trade from TB, good low cost pickup - injuries

□ RHP Frankie Montas, 29, obtained from Dodgers in '16; dealt to Yanks in '22

□ LHP JP Sears, 29, '22 trade from NYY, innings eater 11-13 4.38

□ OF Mark Canha, 33, obtained from Colorado in '15; FA to Mets in '22

□ RHP Mitch Spence, 27, '24 Rule 5 draft from NYY, innings eater 8-10 4.58

□ 3B Matt Chapman, 29, 1st round pick in '14; dealt to Toronto in '22

□ RHP Joey Estes, 23, '22 trade from Braves, 7-9 5.01

□ 1B Matt Olson, 28, 1st round pick in '12; dealt to Braves in '22

□ Closer Mason Miller, 23, '21 3rd round pick, 2-2 2.49 28 saves - elite

□ Lots of decent bullpen depth: TJ McFarland, Tyler Ferguson, Austin Adams

2023 - Whatever decent is left on the roster, goes before the season:

Scott Alexander, Hogan Harris, Osvaldo Bido are all reasonable effective

□ C Sean Murphy, 28, 3rd round pick in '16; dealt to Braves in '23

□ RHP AJ Puk, 28, 1st round pick in '16 draft; dealt to Miami in '23

Hitters (Need a couple of young guys to come through):

□ RHP - Cole Irvin, 29, dealt to Baltimore in '23

□ C Shea Langeliers, 27, '22 trade from Braves, 29 80 .224

□ 1B Tyler Soderstrom, 23, '20 draft 26th overall pick, 9 26 .233

2023 - The ritual rollercoaster ride that the A's have been on forever has

□ 1B Nick Kurtz, 22, '24 draft 4th overall pick

rarely sunk this low. Oakland management has gotten rid of every veteran

□ 2B Zack Gelof, 25, '21 draft 2nd round pick, 17 49 .211

player with value from the team that finished first in '20 and won 86 in '21.

□ SS Jacob Wilson, 23, '23 draft 6th overall pick

Unsurprisingly, with zero talent on hand, the A's go 50-112 in '23.

□ 3B Gio Urshela, 33, '25 FA from Braves, 9 52 .250

□ 3B Darell Hernaiz, 23, '23 trade from Baltimore, 1 12 .192

2023 - On offense, there are three decent players: OF Esteury Ruiz steals 67

□ CF JJ Bleday, 27, '23 trade from Miami, 20 60 .243

bases; 1B Ryan Noda has a competitive .770 OPS and rookie 2B Zach

□ OF Seth Brown, 27, '15 draft 19th round pick, 14 44 .231

Gelof comes up at mid season and has an .840 OPS. Other than them, it's dire.

□ OF Lawrence Butler, 24, '18 draft 6th round pick, 22 57 .262 18SB

□ OF Miguel Andujar, 30, '24 FA from Pirates, 4 30 .285

2023 - The pitching is flat out putrid. Their top ten pitchers in innings have

□ OF Henry Bolte, 22 '22 draft 2nd round pick

ERA's that range from 4.43 to 8.57 with four of them well over six.

□ DH Brent Rooker, 31, '23 FA from Twins, 39 112 .293

None of them are keepers moving forward.

There will be two American League franchises playing the 2025 season

2024 - A's ownership has always been bizarre. Starting with Connie Mack

in minor league ballparks, the A's in Sacramento and the Rays in Ft. Lauderdale.

and the soap opera he provided for over half a century, then on to Arnold

Johnson and his turning the franchise into essentially a Yankee farm team,

then onto Charlie Finley, brilliant but a cheapskate, then on to the Money Ball

era and now to John J Fisher era. Not exactly clear what Fisher wants, but we

know what he doesn't want. He doesn't want the A's to play in Oakland.

He had a case of premature evacuation when he unsuccessfully tried to

move the A's to Las Vegas, who didn't want them. Now, in 2024, he has

impulsively moved his team, for the next three years, to Sacramento's

tiny 14,000 capacity minor league stadium with the thought that maybe in

three years Las Vegas will build a stadium for his team to play in.

It will be interesting to see if the A's can even fill the 14,000 seat stadium

Between Baltimore's paltry (for this sports era) sale price of 1.7 billion and

Las Vegas rejecting the A's, baseball's not looking so rosy lately on the fringes.