Oakland Athletics: The Good and the Bad In 2016
The Good
Without question, the best part of 2016 for A’s fans may have been the trade deadline. Sure, they inexplicably lost speedster Billy Burns for Royals’ outfielder Brett Eibner, but the return that Beane got for outfielder Josh Reddick and starter Rich Hill was phenomenal. The A’s added Frankie Montas, Grant Holmes and Jharel Cotton, three highly-rated right-handers.
Cotton made five starts for the A’s, posting a 2-0 record with a 2.15 ERA. He allowed just 20 hits and 7 earned runs in 30 innings, while striking out 23 batters. If there’s anyone who the Athletics should put their trust in for 2017, this is the guy.
There were other positives in 2016, as well:
Ryon Healy:
Third baseman Ryon Healy made a name for himself after making his major league debut this season, including earning Rookie of the Month honors in September. Healy batted .305/.337/.524 in 72 games with the A’s, making just over 280 plate appearances.
The rookie third baseman also slugged 13 home runs – the fifth highest total among A’s players – despite playing only half as many games as the players ahead of him. He finished the year with the best OPS on the team. It was a strong first impression for the 24-year-old, who should be back next season as the everyday third baseman.
Sean Manaea:
Manaea didn’t blow the league away in his rookie season, but let’s be serious: no one thought the left-hander was going to be in the big leagues until at least mid-season, and probably later. Instead, the 24-year-old was thrust into the front of the rotation when the A’s desperately needed pitching help early in the year. Altogether, he made 25 appearances this season, including 24 starts.
Manaea held his own despite the early jump to the majors, posting a 3.86 ERA and striking out 124 – not bad for a rookie on a losing team. With a year of experience under his belt, Manaea is sure to be an asset to the A’s next season. His composure on the mound and his ability to make the leap to the majors ahead of schedule were impressive traits.
Ryan Dull:
There were points in the season where Ryan Dull deserved reliever-of-the-year consideration. In just over 74 innings, the right-hander owned a 2.42 ERA. He allowed 20 runs all season, and struck out 73 batters. His 2.42 ERA in 70 appearances was tops in the A’s bullpen by far.
In July, Dull set a major league record by stranding the first 36 runners he inherited this season. In his next outing, his streak was snapped when a runner scored on a much-needed double-play ball. If there’s a good way to end a streak like that, it’s certainly by preserving a win for your team. Dull should be one of the keys to the bullpen in 2017, and his performance this year was truly memorable.
Rich Hill:
Writers (this one included) widely panned the Hill signing over the winter. A bad reliever, given a guaranteed rotation spot based on four September outings against mostly bad teams? No thanks, Billy Beane. Yet, the Hill signing proved to be a great one for the A’s. Before hitting the DL with a blister problem, Hill earned a 2.25 ERA and struck out 90 batters in 76 innings.
It was enough to pique the interest of teams around the league at the deadline, and Hill helped the A’s to acquire three players who will give the team a boost for years to come. This is one gamble that definitely paid off for the A’s front office.
Khris Davis:
Davis proved that he’s still good at slugging home runs, even in the pitcher-friendly confines of the Oakland Coliseum. The outfielder smashed 42 homers, and consequently was the only Athletic to knock in more than 100 RBIs. He was also the first A’s player to hit 40 home runs since Jason Giambi did so in 2000.
Heading into next season, Davis is the only Oakland Athletics’ outfielder with a guaranteed everyday job, and rightfully so. The A’s have found a true cleanup hitter, even if he did strike out 166 times. Davis provided a big boost in a lineup that was often very limited when it came to scoring runs.
The Decision To Ditch Billy Butler:
As mentioned earlier, the Athletics released Butler shortly after his clubhouse altercation with Valencia. In addition to his off-field antics, his performance at the plate had been disappointing over the past two seasons.
The A’s still have to pay up for the remaining year on his contract, but they certainly are better off without Butler on the team. Not only do they get the 25th spot on the roster back; they don’t have to worry about him clogging up the base paths anymore. Butler consistently ranked at the bottom of the league in terms of base-running ability, and never really provided the kind of extra base power one would expect from a player with no defensive abilities.
This was likely a hard decision, but a great move on the part of Beane.