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

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2020

2023

112

Decade

2021

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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:

Chris Bassitt (6.15) - 14

RingCentral Coliseum

Cole Irvin (3.53) - 14

Frankie Montas (5.1) - 14

Team Name: Athletics

Sean Manaea (3.54) - 11

Lou Trivino (0.56) - 7

Owners:

Trevor May (1) - 6

John J Fisher

Paul Blackburn (2.12) - 6

James Kaprielian (2.51) - 6

Managers:

Liam Hendriks (1.38) - 5

Bob Melvin (2020-2021)

Mike Fiers (0.64) - 5

Mark Kotsay (2022-2023)

Dany Jimenez (0.86) - 5

JP Sears (2.77) - 4

General Managers:

Ken Waldichuk (0.5) - 3

David Forst

Catchers:

Hall of Famers:

Sean Murphy (7.34) - 26

None

Carlos Perez (0.5) - 1

Rookie of the Year:

First Basemen:

None

Matt Olson (6.91) - 11

Ryan Noda (2.3) - 6

MVP:

None

Second Basemen:

Tony Kemp (4.26) - 10

Cy Young Award Winners:

Zach Gelof (2.6) - 2

None

ShortStop:

No Hitters:

Elvis Andrus (1.86) - 8

None

Nick Allen (1.31) - 3

Notable Events:

Third Base:

Matt Chapman (4.71) - 11

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

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

Outfield:

the great Houston Astros team both times.

Ramon Laureano (6.14) - 19

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

Seth Brown (3.48) - 15

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

Esteury Ruiz (-0.2) - 12

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

Mark Canha (4.13) - 11

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

Starling Marte (1.94) - 7

management combined with a disdain for spending money.

Robbie Grossman (1.14) - 6

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

Brent Rooker (2.1) - 6

brilliant management has put together terrific teams on a shoestring and

Jed Lowrie (-1.1) - 4

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

cost too much money to keep.

Notable Events:

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

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

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

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,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

a contender this year.

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

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

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

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

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

at the end of the season.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

□ SS - Max Muncy, 22, '21 1st rd pick

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

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

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

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

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

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

The cupboard is pretty bare

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

□ 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.