Part of the lure in acquiring Samardzija was that he had 1 year left of Arbitration. He will likely cost in the $12 – 15 MIL range for 2015. He tops the list of several A’s players that will be ARB eligible in 2015 like Moss, Donaldson, Cook, Parker, Jaso, Reddick and Gentry. While the club is going for it in 2014, their unloading of Cespdes’s $10.5 MIL 2015 salary will be used to pay these guys raises for next year, which should ensure them of another chance to compete for it all.. The Pitching Staff will remain almost intact, with losing just Lester, Hammel and Gregerson, while 12 guys are still under Team control, and 3 more guys with lots of MLB experience are in Sacramento waiting for a callup.
How All Of The A’s Pitchers Were Acquired:
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
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Billy Beane has assembled quite the Pitching Staff for his 2014 final playoff push despite having both Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin out for the year with Tommy John Surgery.
Sonny Gray, A.J. Griffin and Sean Doolittle (although he was drafted as a hitter) are the only active pitchers on their staff that are homegrown products.
Jon Lester was acquired with Yoenis Cespedes (who signed as an International Free Agent.
Much like the hitters, the ‘Moneyball GM’ has wheeled and dealt until he put together one of the best run prevention teams in the game baseball.
Bringing in Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel cost the team 2 young prospects and Dan Straily, all of whom were team draft picks.
Ryan Cook and Jarrod Parker were acquired with Trevor Cahill (2nd Round pick of 2006) for the club.
Beane looks like a thief in the night for orchestrating that deal. Craig Breslow was in that move too, and was selected off of waivers from Minny a few years prior.
Jesse Chavez has been a great fill in starter in 2014, and was simply plucked off of waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays in 2012.
Dan Otero and Evan Scribner were other pickups on the waiver wire.
Scott Kazmir was signed to a 2 YR/$22 MIL deal to replace the departing Bartolo Colon.
Drew Pomeranz was acquired for the services of Brett Anderson, who is battling injuries yet again, while Pomeranz is added depth in Sacramento right now.
Fernando Abad is an awesome LHP out of the pen, and was picked up for a guy yet to make the majors.
Beane also forked down a 2 YR deal to Eric O’Flaherty last winter – to secure yet another Lefty for his Bullpen late this year.
So far the deal has looked good. The former Braves hurler ran out a 1.99 ERA in 295 appearances in his time with Atlanta, and is operating at the same level during his brief A’s stint thus far.
Even with Lester and Hammel leaving for next year, the team still has Samardzija, Gray, Kazmir, Chavez, Pomeranz, Griffin/Parker all on the depth chart to start in 2015.
Not only that, the Bullpen only loses Gregerson. Doolittle has been filthy as the Closer, and is signed on a team friendly deal through 2020.
When you add in fellow lefty’s Eric O’Flaherty and Abad, then you still have 3 southpaws for the 2015 Relief Core.
Cook and Otero should return as the main RHP Bullpen guys, with a possible promotion of Evan Scribner and Fernando Rodriguez, both toiling in the Minors right now, but had nice appearances in small sample sizes for the 2014 A’s
The club could also see Josh Lindblom be moved back to be a reliever as he has struggled adapting to a starting role in Sacramento, with a near 6 ERA to date.
Either all of these aforementioned players will be part of the 2015 Pitching Roster, although with Beane it is a guarantee that many more deals will be consummated before the start of next campaign too.
The A’s GM has done a masterful job putting together a World Series worthy rotation without breaking the bank to do it. Even for the 2015 season, the staff will not cost much more money than this campaign, with the highest monies going to Kazmir ($13 MIL) and Samardija (about the same in Arbitration), the Bullpen doesn’t make much money, while only losing Gregerson, and most of the SP are on entry-level deals or 1st year Arbitration. The Bullpen in particular, features 3 great LHP, and the righties will be led by Ryan Cook yet again. There are also 3 or 4 arms in the Minors that have significant time in the Majors that could see relief duty with Scribner, Rodriguez and Lindblom. There are also 7 guys that could start under contract, but that is with Parker and Griffin coming back from TJ Surgeries, as both will be at the 12 month mark or so recovery time in April of 2015.
For those that have never seen one of our Roster Trees, we go over how all of the players were acquired.
It works like 6 degrees of separation. By searching back to the origin of all the way back until a player is signed, drafted or purchased.
It totally gives you an idea on how the franchise has fared.
Jarrod Parker is out for the year with Tommy John Surgery. You are talking about a guy that was 25 – 16 with a 3.68 ERA over the last 2 years combined. He has top of the rotation stuff and is greatly missed. The A’s also had another SP go out for the year in A.J. Griffin. If either one of them can come back and contribute to next year’s rotation, than that would be a blessing. You still have to call the Oakland and Arizona trade a complete win for the A’s – just like the Dan Haren trade to the D’Backs is still paying great dividends for the 2014 Oakland Athletics squad.
The Pitchers In 2014 (Date Of Birth/or Age) (Pos) Roster Tree
Jarrod Parker (11/24/84) SP: December 9, 2011: Traded by the Arizona Diamondbacks with Ryan Cook and Collin Cowgill to the Oakland Athletics for Craig Breslow, Trevor Cahill and cash.. Jarrod Parker is out for the year with Tommy John Surgery, however he holds a 25 – 16 record with a 3.73 ERA thus far.
Collin Cowgill (5/22/86) OF: December 18, 2012: Traded by the Oakland Athletics to the New York Mets for Jefry Marte (minors). Collin Cowgill only had a .654 OPS in 104 AB with Oakland before his trade to the Mets.
Jefry Marte (6/21/91) 3B: Has been playing at AA Midland, and is starting to hit better.
Craig Breslow (8/8/80) RP: May 20, 2009: Selected off waivers by the Oakland Athletics from the Minnesota Twins.
Trevor Cahill (3/1/88) SP:Cahill was by the Oakland Athletics in the 2nd round of the 2006 amateur draft.
Ryan Cook (6/30/87) P: a solid force in the A’s Bullpen the last 3 years.
Drew Pomeranz (11/22/88) P: December 10, 2013: Traded by the Colorado Rockies with Chris Jensen (minors) to the Oakland Athletics for Brett Anderson and cash.
See the Hitters section breakdown under Eric Sogard for this roster tree here
A.J. Griffin (1/28/88): Griffin was drafted in the 13th Round of the 2010 Amateur Draft.
Kazmir and Samardija wll both be in the final year of their deals in the 2015 season, and both make similar dollars. For any reason if the A’s stumble – and would be out of contention in 2015, they would have a plethora of guys to dangle in Trade Deadline deals.
Scott Kazmir (1/24/84): December 4, 2013: Signed as a Free Agent with the Oakland Athletics. 2 YRs/$22 MIL
Dan Otero (2/19/85) RP; March 27, 2013: Selected off waivers by the Oakland Athletics from the New York Yankees. Is under team control til the end of the 2019 season
Luke Gregerson (5/14/84) RP: December 3, 2013: Traded by the San Diego Padres to the Oakland Athletics for Seth Smith. The bullpen reliever is Free Agent after the 2014 season. The bullpen reliever is Free Agent after the 2014 season.
See the Hitters breakdown for the entire tree here.
Fernando Abad (12/17/85): November 25, 2013: Traded by the Washington Nationals to the Oakland Athletics for John Wooten (minors).
John Wooten (1/19/91) 1B: Drafted by t the Oakland Athletics in the 37th round of the 2012 MLB June Amateur Draft from East Carolina University (Greenville, NC).
Sean Doolittle (9/26/86) CL: Doolittle was drafted in the 1st round of the 2007 Amateur Entry Draft by the Athletics.
Evan Scribner (7/19/85) RP: Scribner was plucked off of waivers from the Padres at the end of the 2011 year. Under team control to the end of the 2018 season.
Jesse Chavez (8/21/83) SP: This cost the organization nothing as they claimed the Canadian off of waivers from the Blue Jays. Is under team control until the end of the 2016 season
Jon Lester (1/7/84) SP: July 31, 2014: Traded by the Boston Red Sox with Jonny Gomes and cash to the Oakland Athletics for Yoenis Cespedes and 2015 competitive balance round B pick. Is A Free Agent at the end of the 2014 year
Jonny Gomes (11/22/80) OF/DH: Is A Free Agent at the end of the 2014 year.
Yoenis Cespedes (12/18/85) OF: February 13, 2012: Signed by the Oakland Athletics as an amateur free agent. 4 YRs/$36 MIL.
Jeff Samardzija (1/23/85) SP: July 5, 2014: Traded by the Chicago Cubs with Jason Hammel to the Oakland Athletics for Billy McKinney (minors), Addison Russell (minors), Dan Straily and player to be named .
Jason Hammel (9/2/82) SP: Is A Free Agent after 2014.
Billy McKinney (8/23/94) OF/DH: Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 1st round (24th) of the 2013 MLB June Amateur Draft.
Addison Russell (1/23/94) SS: Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 1st round (11th) of the 2012 MLB June Amateur Draft.
Dan Straily (12/1/88) SP: Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 24th round of the 2009 amateur draft.
Sonny Gray (11/7/89) SP: Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 1st round (18th pick) of the 2011 amateur draft.
Eric O’Flaherty (2/5/85) RP: January 22, 2014: Signed as a Free Agent with the Oakland Athletics. 2 YRs/$7 MIL
Transaction Dates Provided by the best website in the world, http://www.baseballreference.com
Ezra Shaw, Getty Images
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