Billy Beane is the best general manager in Major League Baseball.
So goes the belief of millions of fans and numerous baseball insiders who marvel at his knack at doing more with less better than anyone else and making the Oakland Athletics a perennial postseason contender despite handicaps from ownership.
There is another group of doubters and skeptics that have never bought into the Father of “Moneyball”, however. These fans and observers believe that Bean is overrated and became famous based on the work of predecessor Sandy Alderson after the A’s initial run of success under Beane from 2000 through 2006. Even Oakland’s recent run of three consecutive playoff berths has not redeemed him in the eyes of the haters, who refuse to give him his due.
But now, the Bean detractors are gloating as the A’s general manager has made several questionable moves in an extreme roster makeover that have long time fans of the green and gold in a panic and MLB insiders thinking that Oakland is again finished as a playoff contender.
A Strange Beginning to the End
This past summer Oakland was leading the American League West Division and had the best record in baseball at 57-33 after 90 games. But the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim were improved and surging and, in Beane’s judgment, coming on strong while the A’s were fading a bit. Beane traded slugger Yeonis Cespedes for lefthander Jon Lester as a preemptive strike to salvage a playoff spot that he feared was going to slip away. Oakland went 31-41 down the stretch and blew the AL West to the Angels, having to instead settle for an American League wild card playoff spot. The A’s were subsequently eliminated by the Kansas City Royals in the Wild Card playoff game as Lester failed to deliver when needed most.
Since that time, Beane has sent Jeff Samardzija to the Chicago White Sox, Josh Donaldson to the Toronto Blue Jays and Brandon Moss to the Cleveland Indians to highlight a roster makeover that has been the talk of the winter meetings and hot stove period. Samardzija was an expensive rental as he cost Oakland star prospect Addison Russel. Lester’s departure as a free agent made for another expensive rental that bore no fruit.
Addition by Subtraction?
While Beane’s moves have A’s nation in a panic and have caused doubts even among his staunchest defenders, it could be yet another case of the A’s GM being a step ahead of the crowd. Beane has brought in infielders Marcus Semien and Rangel Ravel, right hander Chris Bassitt, and catcher Josh Phegley with the possibility of all four players making the A’s final roster come opening day.
Proactive but with Big Holes to Fill
The heart of the A’s batting order has been decimated with the departures of Cespedes and All Stars Donaldson and Moss as critics are writing off Oakland and Beane just as they did when he had to remake the team from 2007 through 2011. Beane traded away over 300 runs batted in and with little in the way of proven replacements. Beane, however, is confident of the long term viability of his “Moneyball” strategy.
“We did it three years ago,” said Beane, “We have done this before. We did it three years ago when we traded Rich Harden and got Josh Donaldson. It’s like Groundhog Day, you could basically substitute. This is how it is. We are trying to be proactive.”
Is there enough to even Field a Team?
MLB experts are near unanimous in their agreement that the A’s are no longer worthy of contender status. In fact, they are not even a .500 team at the moment. Oakland has lost its three top run producers and top three starting pitchers as they continue to operate on the cheap.
“In Billy we Trust”
A’s fans have survived by their belief in Beane and his ability to see what others cannot. But this recent flurry of moves has caused a crisis of faith that only wins will be able to calm.
