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Oakland Domination Time
"I'm very confident in the Athletics' ability to compete this year, and I think that they will be a lot better than people think."
By Alex Espinoza
It is officially a new era in the Athletics franchise. This past winter, Oakland's General Manager, Billy Beane, totally altered the makeup of the A's by executing some blockbuster trades. While most people are down on the A's and have lost hope for them in this upcoming season, my faith is still strong for my Oakland Athletics.
Catcher
Billy Beane pulled off one of the best deals he's ever done since holding Oakland's reins as general manager, in trading pitchers Mark Redman and Arthur Rhodes to the Pittsburgh Pirates for catcher Jason Kendall. Redman and Rhodes never seemed to fit in with the team last year. And with Kendall, the A's get a great hard-nosed player whose career .386 on-base percentage fits in perfectly with the A's offensive philosophy.
The future at this position looks very bright for the A's, as they acquired 19 year-old catcher Daric Barton from the Cardinals. Although he is currently a catcher, his future with the A's may be at first base, because his defense as a catcher has been suspect. Some call him the best pure hitter in the Minor Leagues, but he's too raw to be promoted to the Majors just yet. Look for him to make a speedy ascent to the big leagues as early as next year.
First Base
Things are pretty calm over at first base for Oakland right now, as Erubiel Durazo and Scott Hatteberg will be sharing first base and designated hitter's duties. Erubiel Durazo agreed to a one-year deal this winter, contributing to the roadblock that lies ahead of A's prospect Dan Johnson. Last year Johnson was very impressive for the A's AAA affiliate, the Sacramento Rivercats, hitting .299 with 29 homers and 111 RBI, winning the Pacific Coast League MVP award. Even though he proved his worth last year, Johnson probably won't see much big league playing time because of the depth the A’s already have at first.
Second Base
It's going to be very interesting to see who wins the second base job, as there is a three-way fight for the starting position. The contenders are former A's starters Mark Ellis and Marco Scutaro, and newcomer Keith Ginter. Ellis had a solid rookie season as Oakland's starting second baseman in 2002, but is trying to come back from a torn labrum and separated shoulder. This spring, the coaches are watching his arm very closely, as defense is his forte.
Last year, Scutaro was a pleasant surprise at second base; and he’s probably the most versatile of the three because he can play at second, third or shortstop. However, he needs to show more discipline at the plate because he had a dismal .299 on-base percentage last year.
Ginter is the most offensive threat out of the three. In limited action for Milwaukee last year, he hit 19 home runs and knocked in 60 runs. Ellis looks to be the front-runner for the job since he has impressed the A's coaches with his offensive output this spring.
Shortstop
Shortstop Bobby Crosby was very streaky on offense last year, but was impressive on defense. He had a great rookie campaign, leading American League rookies with 22 home runs and 64 RBI- the second most for an AL rookie. This led to him winning Rookie of the Year, but he still has room to improve. Look for him to be more consistent this year to improve upon his dismal .239 batting average. With one full year of Major League experience under his belt, he is no doubt more comfortable as the team's starting shortstop. He doesn't have to answer anymore questions about his predecessor, Miguel Tejada.
Third base
Without a doubt, Eric Chavez will be the biggest offensive threat to those facing the A’s. If he stays healthy, Chavez will finally live up to his potential and put up some monster offensive numbers. Early in his career, Chavez was plagued with some poor plate discipline, but fortunately that no longer seems to be an issue. Despite missing over a month with a broken right hand, he still led the American League in walks with a total of 95.
Not to be lost among Chavez’ offensive dominance is his equally impressive defensive skills. Last year he won his fourth consecutive Gold Glove award, and there's no reason to believe he won't make it five straight and establish himself as the best all-around third baseman in the game.
Outfield
Mark Kotsay is a lock for center field. Twenty-nine year old Eric Byrnes, however, wasn’t offered the same job security at the beginning of spring, despite posting career numbers last year. This spring, Byrnes has proven himself and will be firmly planted as a starter in one of the corner outfield positions.
The last outfield spot is up for grabs between Rookie of the Year candidate Nick Swisher, Oakland newcomer Charles Thomas, and Bobby Kielty. At the beginning of spring training, Swisher was the favorite to earn a starting job, but that may no longer be as Oakland has been very impressed by Thomas' work ethic and defense. Last year, Kielty was a disappointment in his first season with the A's, only hitting .214 with seven homers and 31 RBI. If Thomas is to win the job, he will probably win over the fans very quickly with his upbeat style of play.
Starting Pitching
Unfortunately, this off-season the infamous “Big Three” was broken up. Pitchers Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder were traded to the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals, respectively. Although it's a very tough thing for A's fans to swallow, I think that Billy Beane is a genius for making the bold moves that he did. Even though there may be some growing pains early in the year, these deals will keep the A's competitive for years to come.
There is no doubt that Hudson and Mulder are great talents, but Beane got some high quality players in return.
For Mark Mulder, the A's received right-handed set up man Kiko Calero, catcher Daric Barton, and starting pitcher Danny Haren. Haren will be an immediate impact player, as he will fill the void at the third spot of the rotation. Haren has been dominant thus far in spring, and I think that he will be the best rookie pitcher in the American League.
In return for Tim Hudson, the A's got another right-handed reliever in Juan Cruz, outfielder Charles Thomas, and left-handed starter Dan Meyer.
Although Meyer's track record in the minors has been very impressive, he’s been very inconsistent this spring. I think that he needs some more polishing before earning a spot in the rotation, so I wouldn’t be surprised is he starts the season in Sacramento.
With the departures of Hudson and Mulder, Zito is now the only pitcher from the “Big Three” left. At 26 years young, Zito may be the old man on staff if Japanese newcomer, Keiichi Yabu, doesn't make the rotation. Yabu is one of five pitchers vying for the last two spots in the rotation. He, along with rookie Dan Meyer, right-handers Seth Etherton and Kirk Saarloos, are trying to anchor themselves behind Zito, Harden, Haren, and 24 year old rookie Joe Blanton. Blanton pitched pretty well this spring, and earned manager Ken Macha’s blessing as Oakland’s fourth starter. Although Barry Zito is currently the unquestioned ace on the staff, I think that Harden will have a break-out year, and be Oakland's best pitcher by the end of the season.
Bullpen
Ultimately, the A's bullpen led to their demise last year. With the additions of Juan Cruz and Kiko Calero, the bullpen is ridiculously better this year. Last year's midseason acquisition, Octavio Dotel needs to solidify himself as a reliable closer. Even though he did a pretty good job last year, many people still have doubts on how dependable he is. Unfortunately, righty Chad Bradford is out until at least June with some back problems, but this may lead to an opening for pitching phenom Huston Street. Just last June he was pitching for the University of Texas in the College World Series, and now he has more than a legitimate shot at making the big league squad.
With the combination of Street, Calero, and Cruz leading up to Dotel, the bullpen seems to be developing a shutdown mentality, something that it heavily lacked last year. Although Dotel will be the closer coming opening day, there are rumors that he is just holding down the role while Oakland grooms Street to take over the job.
Overall
Even though the A's are "rebuilding" this year, they will still be a very competitive ball club. However, the season will not be an easy one as the AL West is stacked this year. The Seattle Mariners bolstered their lineup by signing free agent sluggers, first baseman Richie Sexson and third baseman Adrian Beltre; The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are once again one of the elite teams in the league; and the Texas Rangers possess one of the most robust offenses in the game.
I'm very confident in the Athletics' ability to compete this year, and I think that they will be a lot better than people think. Don't be surprised if the A's put together a great year and sneak into the playoffs. For my long distance forecast, I predict big things from the A's: dealing Mulder and Hudson will allow the A's to win the World Series in 2007. So when you're out parading around Oakland, waving your World Champs flag in October of 2007, remember that you heard it from me first.
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