Billy Beane offers state of the state on A’s
The Oakland A’s haven’t had much time to digest their American League Division Series defeat at the hands of the Houston Astros. Difficult decisions can’t be made yet, but the Athletics’ brass left Los Angeles feeling good about the talent that flew back to Oakland.
The organization isn’t focused on what it has lacked during three consecutive early postseason exits. The A’s are looking to build on the core that they have as their quest to reach the World Series for the first time since 1990 continues.
“It’s a pretty darn good foundation,” Billy Beane, the team’s executive vice president of baseball operations, said Friday. “Take the Matts (Olson and Chapman) on the corners, that’s a start anybody would like to have. We have four starters we feel good about if you include potentially (A.J.) Puk in that mix as well. (Ramón) Laureano, (Stephen) Piscotty in right.”
Beane said he was encouraged by the way Khris Davis swung the bat at the end of the year. The A’s designated hitter, halfway through his two-year, $33.5 million contract, hit three home runs in the playoffs after hitting just two home runs in 30 regular-season games.
“The good thing is we have a lot of pieces in place that I think are good pieces,” Beane said. “I look at the glass half full, instead of guys we are potentially losing.”
The A’s have nine free agents — shortstop Marcus Semien, closer Liam Hendriks, relievers Yusmeiro Petit, T.J. McFarland and Joakim Soria, right-handed starter Mike Fiers, outfielder Robbie Grossman and deadline acquisitions Tommy La Stella and Mike Minor.
Hendriks, who backed up a breakout 2019 season with a dominant 2020, could be a hot commodity in what figures to be an unpredictable market because of the economic impact from the pandemic and the shortened season.
“That’s probably the most challenging market for the A’s to compete in, even if it’s your own guys,” Beane said.
Both Semien and the A’s have been open about their desire to reunite for 2021 and beyond. La Stella has long been on the A’s wishlist. His plate discipline and approach added a fresh dynamic.
The A’s aren’t shy about their desire to retain him, even though La Stella played in only 34 games for Oakland after being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels.
“When you play against him, you think you had a sense of what a good player he is,” general manager David Forst said. “But when you see him every day, you really appreciate who he is and what he brought to the lineup the last month of the season.”
Hendriks will most likely be in a different free agent tier. Even though the A’s would obviously like Hendriks back in green and gold, Petit, Soria, McFarland and perhaps Minor might be targeted to return on shorter deals. The A’s also have potential big league-ready pitchers waiting in the wings in James Kaprielian and Daulton Jefferies, who could play a role out of the bullpen for a fraction of what a high-priced free agent would cost.
“We have young players we expect to continue to get better,” Forst said. “A lot of core of this team coming back. I don’t know if there’s one thing to point to say, ‘That’s what we need to get over the hump.’”