Oakland Athletics: To Rebuild or To Restructure?

The Oakland Athletics have made some questionable free agent acquisitions this offseason. Were they the right moves, or should they just begin a full-out rebuild?

The Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves are two of the most recent teams to follow the blue print of the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros before them. They have torn down the rosters and completely rebuilt their team, and while they haven’t competed strongly at the big league level the past two seasons, they are set to make a splash in a year or two.

And then there are the Oakland Athletics.

Mike Axisa of CBS Sports seems to think that the A’s need to do the same, as he feels Billy Beane and David Forst may be setting the team back by not unleashing their youth on to their big league club. Compared to the Oakland A’s success in the past with little big-time contracts and rosters full of utility-type players, it is easy to understand his point.

The A’s were competitive in the American League West as recently as 2014, finishing with 88 wins after consecutive AL West titles. That was the year that Beane uncharacteristically “went for it”, trading away two first round draft picks — and one of the best prospects in the game in Addison Russell — for two veteran pitchers. Since then, they have not won 70 games, and the prospects of doing so this season appear to be a long shot.

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The A’s, however, seem to be refusing to go into an all out rebuild, instead looking to restructure their team and set it up for the long run with many of the pieces on hand. This season, they have brought in some veterans that have seem to hit the downward part of their careers. Names like Matt Joyce, Santiago Casilla, Trevor Plouffe, Rajai Davis and most recently Alejandro De Aza now have a chance to be in the Opening Day lineup.

Many agree with Axisa, like Jen Rainwater over at White Cleat Beat, and feel that some of these signings make little sense for the future. On a 69-win roster from last season, third baseman Ryon Healy and reliever Ryan Dull were two of the few bright spots from 2016. Two of the signings seem to be forcing those two out of their jobs.

All should not necessarily be lost however. Healy had a fantastic rookie campaign. In just 283 plate appearances, Healy posted a .305/.337/.524 slash line, with 20 doubles and 13 home runs. It all equated to an .861 OPS and a very impressive 134 wRC+. He was also a -0.0 dWAR at third base according to Baseball Reference, committing nine errors in 195 total chances.

Yonder Alonso is the current first baseman, entering the final year of his contract. Healy will now have to shift to DH with the arrival of Plouffe; however, Plouffe is not the answer but a place holder. Come 2018, odds are Healy will be the A’s everyday first baseman, where his defensive skills are superior to his abilities at the hot corner, and Matt Chapman will be the everyday third baseman.

Not only has Chapman’s bat improved over the past two seasons, so has his Gold Glove winning defense. Just 23 years old, and with the A’s likely not competing for the AL West this season, there is no need to rush him along.

Some has been made of the fact that they brought in an aging Rajai Davis and designated Brett Eibner for assignment in the ensuing move. Eibner is no spring chicken, already 28 years old himself. He was brought in in the Billy Burns trade with the Royals and played very well for Nashville upon his arrival. His 44-game stint in the majors however was another story, as he slashed .193/.266/.353.

Eibner is a career .244/.337/.440 minor leaguer, and again, is not a young prospect by any means. He is who he is at this point in his career. Assuming that he could become a player he is not simply by getting everyday licks at this stage isn’t a guaranteed bet. Davis is clearly in the down side of his career at 35, but he still led the AL in stolen bases last season. On a six-million-dollar, one-year deal, that could bring some value to the table.

Lastly, if Sonny Gray can bounce back, the youth in the rotation makes this an exciting one. It just won’t be this season. Sean Manaea and Jharel Cotton are exciting and looked sharp at times last season, and if they take the next step forward this year, their rotation could be ready for a run in 2018. If the A’s exhibit patience with their rotation, there isn’t necessarily a rush to get Chapman or Franklin Barreto into the lineup in 2017, especially considering Barreto may have to make a position change.

Could the Oakland Athletics prosper by tearing down the foundation and handing the reigns over to a farm system that has some intriguing talent? Eventually, it is likely. It just may not be now. These signings should not be seen as the A’s getting pieces to better their future, but simply to hold the spots until the real future is ready to compete.