I think they would have been fine with their pitching as is. Yoenis did two things that don't necessarily show in statistics - prevent guys from attempting to go home if he has the ball in his hand, and make the hitters around him in the lineup better. Can't say that hole will be easily filled.
It's ring or bust for the A's. They just cashed in all their chips. _________________
This puts them either at the top with the best pitching staff in the game, or tied for that.
But... they were already like a top 5 staff.
Now they have a gaping hole in their lineup, no intimidating gun in LF, and a fan/clubhouse favorite gone.
I just do not see this working. They will win, but seriously doubt they go all the way. The reason why Donaldson and Moss have been raking is YC. Take him out of the equation and I don't know if either of those guys is at 70+ rbis at this point. Sure, the opponent might not be able to score on them in the playoffs, but they might have trouble scoring on the opponents... _________________
Yup. YC not having a year quite like last year and is a UFA after next season, too. Beane is always 2 steps ahead.
don't know about that. as previously mentioned, he's gone all in on winning this season. he really has to - they need to win a title, not just be pretty good.
as far as being 2 steps ahead: lester is essentially a 2 month rental and can re-sign w/ the sox as a fa (which he's said he wants to do) and cespedes is a steal at $10m next year, so even if he does leave afterwards, it's still a great deal for the sox. if lester comes back, the sox basically traded gomes for cespedes.
Joined: 24 May 2005 Posts: 1123 City: Brentwood, CA
Posted: Jul 31, 2014 1:43 pm Post subject:
Detroit just countered with Price.
At first the move surprised me but the more I think about it, it just makes sense. The A's lead the league in scoring so I don't think losing Yo's offense will hurt that much. Also, I'm hearing he wasn't the greatest clubhouse guy. Gomes is from the Bay Area and played well here back in 2012.
It was 25 years ago when we had the last Bay Bridge WS. I am hoping it happens again this year. I am just not sure the G-men will get past the Dodgers.
Assume Beane is making a hard push to see if he can actually get to the WS... Sick of being almost, thinks this may be the team, time to push the chips in.
Add, Ces has a hose & hits some towering HR's, but he's never struck me as a cornerstone....
that's big, imo. and countered is the right word - they weren't taking price w/o the a's stepping up w/ lester. might just watch the playoffs this year (i typically don't watch any sports when my team is out).
Joined: 20 Jun 2006 Posts: 3630 City: Kansas City, MO
Posted: Aug 01, 2014 8:26 am Post subject:
jt09 wrote:
pet575 wrote:
Yup. YC not having a year quite like last year and is a UFA after next season, too. Beane is always 2 steps ahead.
don't know about that. as previously mentioned, he's gone all in on winning this season. he really has to - they need to win a title, not just be pretty good.
as far as being 2 steps ahead: lester is essentially a 2 month rental and can re-sign w/ the sox as a fa (which he's said he wants to do) and cespedes is a steal at $10m next year, so even if he does leave afterwards, it's still a great deal for the sox. if lester comes back, the sox basically traded gomes for cespedes.
What I'm getting at more than anything is he is always ahead of the game in being creative and never getting too attached to any player to where he cannot/will not part with him. YC wasn't even in the discussion of potential trade targets.
And Beane might appear to be all in but he is also structuring payroll for future seasons to reload and retool more quickly than the typical "blow it up and start over" types of rebuilds that small markets see.
As a Royals fan, I'd KILL to have someone as creative and forward-thinking as Beane sitting in the GM chair here in KC. _________________
Wakebrad wrote:
I honestly think it has to do with internet penetration...
as a royals fan, i'm surprised you are still alive after yesterday. the couple of royals fans on shaggy were apoplectic yesterday w/ all the trades going on and kc doing absolutely nothing after the gm promising everyone they were in it for the playoffs this year.
Joined: 24 May 2005 Posts: 1123 City: Brentwood, CA
Posted: Aug 01, 2014 3:02 pm Post subject:
Quote:
Speaking of Cespedes, what a scene it will be Saturday at the Coliseum. The A’s are going ahead with plans for a Cespedes “La Potencia” (“The Power”) T-shirt giveaway. The first 10,000 fans will get a keepsake of a player who’s no longer with the team, while the main guy Cespedes was traded for, Lester, makes his A’s debut on the same day.
Joined: 20 Jun 2006 Posts: 3630 City: Kansas City, MO
Posted: Aug 04, 2014 9:36 am Post subject:
jt09 wrote:
as a royals fan, i'm surprised you are still alive after yesterday. the couple of royals fans on shaggy were apoplectic yesterday w/ all the trades going on and kc doing absolutely nothing after the gm promising everyone they were in it for the playoffs this year.
I can't say it was exciting to stand pat but I'm also a long-term view type of fan. I don't want us dealing away the best prospects we have to get one guy for 3 months and then lose 90-100 games for the next 5 years while that one guys doesn't take us to the promised land and then walks after the season.
I'd have liked to see us add a RF bat but the options out there weren't all that exciting. When you have to talk yourself into Alex Rios you know the pickings are pretty slim. _________________
Wakebrad wrote:
I honestly think it has to do with internet penetration...
Joined: 20 Jun 2006 Posts: 3630 City: Kansas City, MO
Posted: Aug 04, 2014 9:39 am Post subject:
On the other hand, the stand-pat Royals just went into Oaktown and handed the A's their first loss in a series since May. They did it on their strength, pitching, while getting just enough from their crappy offense that could've used a bat (and still could) at the trade deadline. I expect them to make a waiver trade here pretty soon to try to get a guy. I think they were pretty set on taking Mike Carp until TEX claimed him off of waivers.
Cespedes not being in the lineup made a difference, I think, because the power the A's seem to have was mostly gone this weekend outside of a 2 HR game yesterday by one player alone. _________________
Wakebrad wrote:
I honestly think it has to do with internet penetration...
So as a lifelong A's fan this was a tough one to wrap my head around...
That said, pitching wins in the fall and Cespedes is streaky.
Still have big power from Moss and Donaldson. Not to mention the ability to get almost anyone on base which is the magic of this team.
jryoung wrote:
My boss summarized yesterday with a text to me: Gmen and Bums sat on the sidelines while A's and Tigers went all Reagan/CCCP
Along these lines my buddy stated, "Beane just burned the ships on the shore..."
pet575 wrote:
Cespedes not being in the lineup made a difference, I think, because the power the A's seem to have was mostly gone this weekend outside of a 2 HR game yesterday by one player alone.
There are still a lot of players (10+) in the A's line up with better batting averages, OBP, and over a handful with better slugging percentage than Cespedes.
In Beane I trust... _________________ If I agreed with you we would both be wrong.
Joined: 20 Jun 2006 Posts: 3630 City: Kansas City, MO
Posted: Aug 13, 2014 8:33 am Post subject:
Ya it has been a hell of a lot of fun to be a Royals fan the past 2 seasons. They haven't been this relevant since I was a kid and I'd forgotten how much fun it was. And that is from someone who closely followed the team on a daily basis every year even despite the losing.
What has been even more fun for me is to watch my 8 year old boy catch baseball fever because of it! _________________
Wakebrad wrote:
I honestly think it has to do with internet penetration...
KC is definitely a cool story. Nice to see them relevant again, been a long ass time. As mentioned, it's like the Pirates last few seasons. From laughing stock to contender seemingly overnight. Good stuff.
Loving watching my Doyyyeers right now. Everything is clicking and it just doesn't get any more fun than to watch a team like that fire on all cylinders. _________________
Joined: 20 Jun 2006 Posts: 3630 City: Kansas City, MO
Posted: Aug 13, 2014 1:38 pm Post subject:
jt09 wrote:
the korean kid picked the right time to visit, huh? hope the kc fans crowdfund a way for him to stay to the end of the season.
I think he heads back home either after tonight's game or he is already gone. If they hadn't lost last night he might have mysteriously disappeared until October. _________________
Wakebrad wrote:
I honestly think it has to do with internet penetration...
Joined: 20 Jun 2006 Posts: 3630 City: Kansas City, MO
Posted: Oct 01, 2014 9:15 am Post subject:
Welp, looks like those who opposed the Lester trade were right in the end. He gave up 6 ER last night against a team that he absolutely OWNED previously in his career. Plus, the team scored 8 runs in defeat so it isn't like they lost due to offensive production that Cespoedes would have provided.
Last night was F'ing insane-I've NEVER been in Kauffman Stadium when it was that loud for more than an inning. Was one of those "too bad somebody had to lose" type of games and also a "We have NO business winning this game" outcomes at the same time. I have no voice today and neither do my wife or 8 year old son.
I cried, too. I'm not ashamed to admit it. _________________
Wakebrad wrote:
I honestly think it has to do with internet penetration...
I think trading Yo caused all of this. The A's were on track to take the AL West easily. Since Yo was traded, they went to hell and the Angels, who are really really good in their own right, saw the opportunity to run and took it.
In the end, I still don't know WTF Billy was thinking here.
GOOD NEWS jt09, Lester put his house on the market in Beantown. My guess? He's anticipating his next huge paycheck from the Sox and is going to upgrade! _________________
Sucks.... Being that I'm not a fan of any of the teams in the 2014 MLB Playoffs, I was going to hitch my wagon to the A's.... Well, that lasted one game.
Joined: 20 Jun 2006 Posts: 3630 City: Kansas City, MO
Posted: Oct 06, 2014 8:48 am Post subject:
Lester would fit pretty nicely in NYY's park to keep the lefties from taking advantage of the short porch in RF. Plus, who in the Yankees' rotation is the ace? _________________
Wakebrad wrote:
I honestly think it has to do with internet penetration...
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