Saw this thread and decided to take a whack at A's. I simmed 2017 season and, basically, traded all of Oakland's upcoming free agents for best young players I could get. Exceptions: Signed Yonder Alonso for 2 years at $4.2M per and let Lowrie walk as FA since could only get trade offers for other older, higher-$$$ players.
Was able to acquire Abraham Almonte from Cleveland, along with young 3B Yandy Diaz, and am starting Almonte in CF in '18 as a stopgap. Also acquired some promising young players in Chad Kuhl, Jandel Gustave, Dominic Smith and Reyes Montoya, but all are starting '18 in minors.
Signed Jose Reyes for one year ($2.5M) to play 3rd base and lead off while prospects continue to develop. Also drafted OF Anthony Santander from Baltimore in Rule 5. Promoted prospects Franklin Barretto, Max Schrock, Bruce Maxwell, Matt Olson, Jake Smolinski and Bobby Wahl after all saw some MLB action in 2nd half of '17.
So, opening '18 I have a basic lineup of Reyes (3B), Alonso (1B), Khris Davis (LF), Olson (RF), Almonte (CF), Chris Parmalee (DH), Maxwell (C), Schrock (2B), Barretto (SS). Starting with a pretty strict platoon at C with Josh Phegley/Maxwell and a loose platoon in RF with Smolinski/Olson. Marcus Semien back up SS, 2B, 3B and playing 3 times per week.
Starting rotation is Sonny Gray, Sean Manaea, Jharel Cotton, Chris Bassitt, Jesse Hahn. Pen with Sean Doolittle, Liam Hendricks, Ryan Dull, Wahl, Daniel Coloumbe, Cesar Valdez and Miguel Castro (trade acquisition '17 deadline from Colo.). Closer by committee with Wahl, Doolittle and Dull, Hendricks main setup, along with those 3. Coloumbe mainly lefty matchup, Valdez long relief and mop-up and Castro filling in gaps.
Off to an 8-2 start in 2018, playing all games out and managing. Small sample size so far, but it's a nice start anyway
. A few players off to unsustainable starts, but a few others off slowly, so hopefully it balances out. Also buying time for some of the young trade acquisitions from last year (Smith, Moronta, Diaz, Gustave, Kuhl, Max Fried, Aristides Aquino), as well as holdover prospects Healy, Nunez, Montas, Chapman, Holmes, Puk, etc. Plus, still have Kendall Graveman in AAA since he sucked it up big time in '17 and spring training. Could use him as future trade bait.
All in all, I think it looks fairly promising. But you never know for sure
