The most controversial general manager in baseball is at it again. No general manager in the game is as loved and hated, as respected and derided, as Oakland’s Billy Beane.
About the only thing that everyone can agree on when it comes to Beane is that he keeps things interesting. As the mastermind of “Moneyball” and the architect of the A’s status as perennial contenders in a low revenue market, Beane has had to think outside the box for much of his career. Now, however, many observers and A’s fans believe he has gone from outside the box to out of his mind.
Stirring the Pot
Beane has traded five All Stars in a six month span. Half of the Oakland infield has been turned over. Half of the A’s top 10 prospects have been dealt. Beane’s dealings have left the perception of a power outage for the A’s, as there is nobody left on the team that hit more than 12 home runs last year.
Beane is operating on the fly as his team plays in the outdated and dilapidated dump known as the O.Co Coliseum. With low revenue streams and no prospects for a new home, Beane cannot make long term plans for his roster. In essence, Beane has to continually remake the roster and team based on that shoestring budget.
Lacking Minor Concerns
Beane is only concerned with his big league Oakland roster and its ability to compete for playoff spots. This philosophy epitomizes his contrary thinking. The Kansas City Royals, for example, built their 2014 American League pennant winning team with a strong and loaded farm system.
A great example of the Beane contrast is that Baseball America has listed 18 different players in the Oakland farm system as top prospects. Beane traded nine of them away.
A Nightmare Lesson
Beane and the A’s suffered through a painful rebuilding period from 2007 through 2011 in which Oakland failed to make the playoffs and was last in attendance as a result. With that in mind Beane has since been uber active in keeping his roster fresh and updated with versatile players that can contribute in multiple areas over the long 162 game grind of the regular season.
Latest Moves
Beane first acquired infielder Ben Zobrist and shortstop Yunel Escobar from the Tampa Bay Rays for catcher John Jaso and two minor leaguers. He also sent shortstop prospect Daniel Robertson, minor league outfielder Boog Powell, and cash to Tampa Bay.
Zobrist is a two time All Star that spent his entire nine-year career at Tampa Bay. Last year he hit .272 with 10 home runs and 52 runs batted in.
Beane then flipped Escobar to the Washington Nationals for All Star relief pitcher Tyler Clippard. The A’s and Nats have developed a trading pipeline in which they have made nine previous deals.
Clippard fills a left hand reliever void on the A’s roster as they already have an All Star closer in Sean Doolittle.
Grade A’s?
A’s fans have learned to trust Beane and his unique approach to the game. Oakland is, after all, coming off three straight playoff appearances. Beane has the proven credentials of long term success at his job in which the roster has been made over time and again. Oakland may not have the big name stars that compare to their American League West Division rivals Seattle and Los Angeles, but what they do have is a versatile roster that can fill may holes simultaneously.
If you take into account the obstacles that Beane must continually overcome, the reasoning for his bold and outside the box moves becomes more understandable. The A’s do not have the revenue stream to wait on minor league prospects to develop. But, they do have a proven general manager that has been an ace at getting around all of those challenges.
Oakland emerged as a surprise playoff team in 2012 when they came out of nowhere to steal the division title from the Texas Rangers. There is a feeling among many in baseball that the latest moves by Beane could again end up making Oakland a surprise team and contender in the American League West.
