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Offseason Review Chat: Oakland A's (2/24/23)
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Steve Adams
2:43
I don't think the money for those guys is going to dissuade even the A's. The more straightforward answer is that they've already signed two starters and have about 8-10 guys they probably want to evaluate in some capacity as potential long-term rotation options: Ken Waldichuk, Kyle Muller, James Kaprielian, JP Sears, Adrian Martinez, Luis Medina, Freddy Tarnok are all on the cusp of MLB readiness or already MLB-ready. Add Bundy or Archer and you're just taking innings from that group. Bundy and Archer have both been pretty underwhelming for at least two seasons apiece now.
2:44
I don't expect either Bundy or Archer to sign a Major League deal, for what it's worth.
Kevin
2:45
Do you think Daulton Jefferies will ever be able to be a significant contributor to the A’s?,
Steve Adams
2:45
I hope so. Feel for any kid who has that type of injury misfortune. But... it's pretty daunting to try to come back from TOS and TJS simultaneously.
2:46
There aren't many pitchers who've had those surgeries in rapid succession. I can't think of ANY who have had them about three months apart like he did. Matt Harvey had both within two years of each other, I believe, and that... did not go well. It really sucks for Jefferies, but I'll be rooting for him.
Howard Terminal
2:47
I have high hopes that Ryan Noda can be a younger Brandon Moss, one of my all-time favorite A’s. Thoughts on him and any thoughts about the x factor of coming to a club that clearly wants/wanted you for awhile. Itd want to prove them right. Seems like the perfect sneaky good pickup that pays off.
Steve Adams
2:49
Yeah I should've included Noda earlier when talking about the infield playing time. I think he's firmly in that 1B mix. The Brandon Moss comp isn't a bad one. In general, I don't love comping any player to a prior one because I think it's better to just let them be themselves and not set any kind of expectations of someone being the "next XYZ", but yeah -- lefty hitting 1B/OF who's power over hit... I get the comparison. I think he has a chance to stick with Oakland.
John Fisher Hater
2:50
Would you rather see Kaprielian open the season in the rotation or bullpen? He's shown flashes of being a pretty good mid-rotation starter but at this point it might be better to give a shot to all the young starters we brought in and see if he has another level to hit as a reliever, especially given his shaky health history.
Steve Adams
2:51
Yeah, I think you always prefer to see a guy in the rotation, but with all the injuries Kap has had, I do wonder whether he'll hold up for a starter's workload. And like you said, they're not short on alternatives.
When will it end?
2:51
Is there an estimated timeline on when the A's will stop rebuilding and start spending money on above average players? Are they really waiting for their stadium situation to get figured out, or is that just an excuse?
Steve Adams
2:52
They've never really done this. I guess maybe if they get a new stadium in Oakland or relocate, and maybe if Fisher sells the team -- but in the short term, I don't think you can expect them to spend meaningful money anytime soon.
2:53
As for the rebuild... like I said earlier, I think they're years away. The current version of the A's is just bleak; they need so many guys to beat expectations
Erik
2:53
Given the track record of the last 25 years, are you inclined to believe the A’s “getting the worst of” their last several major trades is a quick judgement? Every trade other than the Montas swap has been universally panned. But this fan thinks the emphasis on bulk arms and speed/athleticism might be an attempt to cater to the new rules.
Steve Adams
2:57
They've taken the "bulk" approach for a long time and regularly have taken returns that don't align with industry consensus regarding the prospects they're acquiring. I do like Waldichuk and think that Montas swap could look pretty good for them, especially if Medina ends up at the back of their 'pen eventually, too.

I'm just not sure the focus on speed is expressly a reaction to the new rules, and guys like Pache/Ruiz pair that speed with really poor contact profiles.

There's long been an element of acquiring guys who are pegged as 4/5 starters because that can work in the Coliseum. They know they can't afford top tier pitching with this ownership, so they build rotations from that type of starter. They've had success with it.
Maybe some of these trades will look better down the road, yes, but it's tough when they're already casting off guys like Zach Logue and kind of backed into a corner with Pache.
2:58
Gunnar Hoglund will be the key to the Chapman trade, though, so I suppose we'll see how he comes along over the years. He's a real long-term play.
Toad
2:58
What happens if Pache doesn't make the team out of spring training? Do you forsee the A's simply cutting him a year after such a massive trade?
Steve Adams
2:59
I think he'll make the roster simply because they don't want to cut him so quickly. He HAS to make the team or else be DFA'ed, so I expect him on the roster. If he's hitting like he did last year a couple months into the 2023 season, however, it's going to lead to a pretty tough decision that'll draw plenty of flak. And I just don't know how you can expect Pache to go from looking so overmatched last year to just figuring it out on the fly against MLB pitching.
Daarrreelll
3:00
What are your thoughts on the Hernaiz trade? I love it. I think in a couple years people will be thrilled on acquiring his talents.
Steve Adams
3:03
In a vacuum, getting a decent prospect for Irvin just two years after buying him from the Phillies for cash is a nice move.

The Hernaiz trade is interesting because it's not  your typical A's move. As I mentioned a couple times, they tend to lean toward bulk acquisitions; here, they gave up the established player AND a minor league arm to get one infielder.

Seems Oakland's pretty high on him, but I'm a little surprised they traded a relatively established starter for a single A-ball prospect. I get that Irvin's trade value probably wasn't all that high -- he's a back-end starter whose most appealing aspect is bulk innings and team control -- but it's a good sized bet on an individual prospect.
Korin
3:03
I'm getting some tickles of 2012 with the group the A's are throwing onto the field this season. FTR I'm not saying they're going to reach the postseason, nor even compete, but I do think they have some surprises in the tank. I'm excited!
Steve Adams
3:05
The A's are going to run out so many unknowns that they virtually HAVE to have a few surprises among them. I think that's a good way for A's fans to look at it; this team clearly isn't going to compete, but it'll be a different kind of fun to watch and see who can rise above the others and seize long-term spots.

Then again, we thought that last year, and none of Kevin Smith, Cristian Pache, Zach Logue, Adam Oller, Adrian Martinez, Kirby Snead or the other immediate MLB pieces from the 2021-22 slate of trades wound up claiming a roster spot heading into 2023.
The Bernie Lean
3:06
Langeliers- if I set the over/under on HR’s at 19.5, what are you taking?
Steve Adams
3:06
I'll take the over. I like Langeliers and he's certainly going to get the opportunity.
Brent Rooker
3:07
Why aren't more people talking about me? I was once a top prospect and my AAA numbers rock, although I do strike out a good amount. Are people sleeping on me or am I the problem?
Steve Adams
3:08
Brent's awesome! The chat he hosted here at MLBTR was super entertaining.

I think getting bounced to four teams in under a calendar year takes some shine off and tempers expectations, but he's still young, does have the big upper-minors track record and draft pedigree -- would love it if he breaks through for the A's.
Link to that Rooker chat at MLBTR, if you missed it and want to check it out:
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/02/join-our-live-chat-with-mlb-out...
3:11
Alright I've got to wrap this one up. We'll be doing these for all teams, so keep an eye out for others as the OiR series rolls along. Sorry for all the questions I can't get to -- even in these team-specific chats we still get a couple hundred people or more. I'm on Twitter @Adams_Steve if you're so inclined and always happy to take more questions there.

You can also consider signing up for our Trade Rumors Front Office subscription package, which (among other things) grants you access to a weekly subscriber-only chat, and your odds of getting a question answered in there is obviously much higher. Subscribers also get ad-free viewing, weekly email articles from Anthony and myself, exclusive fantasy baseball advice from Brad Johnson, autograph giveaways and more. It starts at $2.99/month, and you can read more or sign up here:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/membership?ref=chat-2-24-23

Have a great weekend!
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