Updated (12/19): Derek Norris was dealt to the ridiculously active Padres last night, leaving the A’s with two 2014 All-Stars.
When Billy Beane dealt Yoenis Cespedes and their 2015 Competitive Balance Round B pick (between the second and third rounds) to the Red Sox for Jon Lester, Jonny Gomes and cash, the message was in your face: IT’S TIME TO WIN NOW.
They didn’t win then, and “now” teams are looking to shape their 2015 rosters, so I decided to go through what the A’s had on July 5 (a truckload of All-Stars, and a 3.5 game lead in the AL West) and what they’ve gained from all of Beane’s deals.
What Beane had on July 4
- Yoenis Cespedes+ (FA in 2016)
- Competitive Balance Round B draft choice
- Billy McKinney (20-year-old* minor league OF/DH)
- Addison Russell (21-year-old minor league SS — consensus top-15 prospect)
- Dan Straily (FA in 2020)
- Brandon Moss+ (FA in 2017)
- Josh Donaldson+ (FA in 2019)
- Michael Ynoa (23-year-old minor league RHP)
- Derek Norris+ (FA in 2019)
- Seth Streich (23-year-old minor league SP)
What he got in return
- 111.2 innings from Jeff Samardzija+ (3.14 ERA, 1.7 WAR**)
- 67.2 innings from Jason Hammel (4.26 ERA, 0.0 WAR)
- 84 innings from Jon Lester+, including Wild Card game (2.79 ERA, 1.9 WAR)
- 75 plate appearances from Jonny Gomes (.234/.320/.250, -0.5 WAR)
- Brett Lawrie (3B — FA in 2018)
- Kendall Graveman (24-year-old RHP — FA in 2021)
- Sean Nolin (25-year-old RHP — FA in 2021)
- Franklin Barreto (19-year-old minor league SS)
- Joe Wendle (24-year-old minor league 2B/3B)
- Marcus Semien (24-year-old 2B/3B/SS — FA in 2021)
- Chris Bassitt (26-year-old RHP — FA in 2021)
- Josh Phegley (27-year-old catcher — FA in 2021)
- Rangel Ravelo (22-year-old minor league 1B/3B/DH)
- R.J. Alvarez (23-year-old reliever — FA in 2021)
- Jesse Hahn (25-year-old starter — FA in 2021)
Notes:
+ 2014 All-Star
* All listed ages from start of 2015 season
** WAR calculated by Baseball Reference
Summary
In return for three four All-Stars, the organization’s best prospect, a draft pick a mediocre pitcher and two other prospects, the A’s got two-to-three months use of two All-Stars who performed about as well as one would expect (Lester and Samardzija) and two veterans who underperformed (Hammel and Gomes), along with a new third baseman, shortstop and second baseman, a backup catcher, two prospects, and three right-handed pitchers with low ceilings. Plus, two major league-ready pitchers from the Padres in return for Norris.
We’ll see what Beane gets in return for Scott Kazmir, Derek Norris and/or Sean Doolittle.
