Oakland 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 (2022-2023)

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.

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

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

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,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Owner John J Fisher is trying to move the franchise to Las Vegas and that

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

isn't going well. He doesn't seem to have any interest in operating the club

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

as a normal, viable franchise until that issue resolves itself. The A's are in limbo.

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

You don't have to be Nostradamus to know they won't be anywhere near

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

a contender this year.

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

at the end of the season.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

□ SS - Max Muncy, 22, '21 1st rd pick

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

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

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

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

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

The cupboard is pretty bare

□ 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

None of them are keepers moving forward.