Rooted In Oakland

[Hendu Style]

Faedo is on the Opening Day Roster. Curiously, he's only in long relief duty for the moment. Maybe it's that changeup that's holding him up?

[Hendu Style]

"It doesn't look good."

They are the words that every manager dreads hearing, and yet that was what A's trainer Nick Paparesta was telling Oakland skipper Dave Roberts.

"How long?" Roberts asked the A's longtime trainer, who was entering his 11th year with the ballclub. Jharel Cotton was the cause for their consternation. Specifically Jharel's UCL -- Ulnar Collateral Ligament. Roberts was no expert in exercise science, but he knew enough that it could be serious.

"Hard to tell, but if it's a complete tear, you're looking at twelve months," Paparesta answered, not pulling any punches.

Roberts eyes widened in disbelief. The A's were just about to leave Spring Training in Phoenix, where they were the trendy pick to win the AL West. Sports Illustrated had predicted a 95-win season, putting Oakland ace pitcher Chris Sale on the cover staring down Astros shortstop Alex Bregman with the caption "Houston, We Have a Problem."

Now it was Oakland that had the problem. Little did SI know, the A's cover boy, Sale, would suffer a hamstring injury at the end of Spring Training and wasn't expected to join his new team until May. Now, a second pitcher would be joining Sale on the DL, for a full year. In their place, Roberts would have to find two new pitchers for the rotation: rookies Heath Fillmyer and Alex Lange. Roberts was already being tested not even a game into his regime as the A's new manager. 2021 was shaping up to be an interesting one in Oakland.


The A's two injured pitchers, Chris Sale (left) and Jharel Cotton (right)


Sports Illustrated predicting big things out of the A's in 2021

[Hendu Style]

It was mid-May and if the A's had a pilot, they'd be screaming a "Mayday" distress signal. Oakland's ship was sinking fast. Injuries had decimated the roster. Francisco Lindor, coming off a career year in 2020, wouldn't be back until June with a sprained ankle. South Korean first baseman Kam Minsu was hobbled with an ankle injury as well. The team's starting rotation was in even worse shape, with Jharel Cotton and promising rookie Alex Lange shelved with season-ending surgery. The team had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Chris Sale, who had yet to throw a pitch for the A's after straining his hamstring in the Cactus League. But his debut was inauspicious, failing to get out of the third inning in a 9-0 loss in Baltimore after getting hammered for 6 runs on 10 hits. The A's had fallen to 17-21 on the season, already 5.5 games out of first place in the AL West.

To add insult to injury, Billy Beane was having a field day at his old team's expense. The former A's GM had bought a stake in the LA Dodgers and become the team's top advisor. Oakland's current GM, Amit Patel, noticed Billy was doing a satellite TV interview on MLB Network and turned up the volume.

"...and I think we have an opportunity to do something really special here in Southern California," Beane said, as Patel caught the tail-end of the sentence.

"Billy," MLB Network host Brian Kenny asked Beane, "What's up with Oakland? They're below .500, Chris Sale just got bombed last night at Camden... are the A's headed in the wrong direction?"

"Well, that's a tough question for me to answer," Beane said with a smirk. "I can tell you they're probably not headed in the direction they'd like to be heading."

"How so?"

"I mean, I think I left the team in great shape," Beane continued. "If you put together a lineup and a rotation with guys that I got them, they'd be in first place, running away with the West. But they had to go big and get names for their new ballpark, and names don't win games."

Patel sighed as he put his head in his hands. Just then, A's President Dave Kaval walked in to the office.

"Are you seeing this?" Kaval asked, astonished.

"So you're saying the Oakland A's would be in first place right now if they just kept the team together that you built a couple of years ago?" Kenny followed up.

"Look at the lineup you'd have," Beane answered. "Your infield would be, what, Barreto at shortstop, Chapman at third, Schrock at second? I'd take that. And you'd have Kendall in center, and he's having an MVP season in Houston."

Kaval grimaced, glancing over at Patel, gnashing his teeth.

The results were staggering. You had to hand it to Beane. He had a point.

Jeren Kendall was on pace to hit .319, along with a staggering 35 HR, 123 R, 31 SB, .415 OBP, 1.036 OBP, and 10.1 WAR. He was the AL Rookie of the Year before he was shipped off to the Astros in the Carlos Correa deal. It wasn't lost on Beane that the A's current centerfielder, Akil Baddoo, was hitting just .186 in his second season in the big leagues.

Third baseman Matt Chapman had already clubbed 11 homers in 2021, and was on pace to hit 50 for the season, all the while playing Gold Glove worthy defense on the hot corner. But he was gone to Cleveland in the Lindor trade. So, too, was second baseman Max Schrock, enjoying another .300 season with the Indians (.318 in 2020, .302 a quarter of the way into 2021).

Beane must've especially enjoyed Franklin Barreto's transcendent play at shortstop, hitting a career-high .323 and on pace to play a full 162 games for the Dodgers. He was part of a trade that brought reliever Grant Dayton and right fielder Johan Mieses to Oakland. He was the one player Beane insisted Patel never trade, and he was on the trading block the moment Billy left for LA.

Of course, all of this was revisionist history. Beane never mentioned free agent acquisitions Diasuke Imamura, Sueo Mihara, or Kam Minsu. Then again, Imamura and Mihara had both been traded by Patel, and Imamura was hitting .368 for the Red Sox after being dealt to Boston for Sale.

"Amit..." Dave began.

"I know, I know," Amit said, exasperated. "It's not a good look. But things will turn around. We'll get Lindor back in the lineup next month. Sale will pitch like Sale. The rest of the rotation will fall in line. You'll see."

We will...


Jaren Kendall, enjoying a career year in Houston with the first-place Astros.



Cleveland third baseman Matt Chapman, on pace for 50 home runs in 2021, and second baseman Max Schrock, in line for a third straight .300+ season to start his MLB career. Schrock's mustache drives the women in Cleveland crazy.

[GoPedro99]

Drama! Haha. This is one of my favorite threads ever

[Hendu Style]

Originally Posted by GoPedro99

Drama! Haha. This is one of my favorite threads ever

Thank you! Sport tends to script the best drama... you can't make this stuff up!

[PFCtaylor]

"Billy Beane destroyed our teams finances" - upset A' s fan on Facebook

Please mention this somewhere in your next post

Sent from my SM-J700T1 using Tapatalk

[Hendu Style]

The First-Year Player Draft afforded Amit Patel the perfect opportunity to distract himself from what had been a largely disappointing 2021 season. Oakland was scuffling in the AL West, sitting in fourth place in the division standings at 28-31. The once-potent offense was tied for second-fewest home runs in the American League with 54, and the team had scored just 266 runs, ranked 11th in the league.

The 2021 Draft marked Patel's first without the adversarial Billy Beane in the War Room. Patel was looking forward to more open communication with Scouting Director Eric Kubota and Assistant GM Alex Anthopoulos. Amit was disappointed with how his first go-around in the Draft went, mostly succumbing to the whims of Beane and Kubota. Their first-round choice in 2020, Arturo Aquino, pitched in just 4 games in the AZL before going down with a ruptured disc. The A's supplemental pick, Kymani Yelder, posted a 6.00 ERA in 72 innings in the Rookie League. And second round choice, Brad Marotto, was preparing for a second year in the New York-Penn League after batting just .224 in his first season as a pro. None of the A's top three picks looked very promising in their first seasons of professional baseball.

When the A's first-round choice arrived at #25, Patel let out an audible cheer. His top choice, Mike Marcengill, was still on the board. Marcengill was a behemoth first baseman at the University of San Diego, standing at a towering 6'7" and 260 pounds. The soon-to-be 23 year-old was a year or two from Major League ready in Patel's eyes, potentially providing Oakland with a DH in the short term, and as a backup to Kam Minsu at first base.

Despite Kubota's urging to pick Vanderbilt slugger Josh Stroup, Amit made the call to select Marcengill with the A's first-round pick.


Oakland's 1st round pick in 2021, 6'7" first baseman Mike Marcengill

Patel went with Kubota's suggestion of college pitcher Johnny Valla with the club's 2nd round choice. It was hard to argue with the pick, given that the 21 year-old at Northern Colorado was armed with a 100 mph fastball. Patel was more fixated on yet another first baseman, Dax Eagle, and he knew the teenager out of Sinatra High School in Queens would still be there for the taking in Round 3. Eagle had made it clear to every scout that attended his games in New York that he had no intentions of signing, and was going to college. But what Eagle didn't realize was that Patel had stashed away an extra $5 million in his draft budget for just this kind of occasion. The year before, the A's took a pass on a similar high schooler because they knew they wouldn't have enough money to sign him and their other draftees. This time, Patel would take his chances and try to throw millions on a third rounder that he figured would be a top-10 pick after going to college.


Oakland's 3rd round pick, Dax "Hard Times" Eagle

After picking University of Missouri shortstop and defensive wiz Josh Estep in the 4th round, an interesting opportunity arrived in round 5. Patel had been watching with interest as his top choice from a year ago, the unsignable Chris "Monument" Ellmann, continued to linger on the draft board. His draft stock had dropped significantly since going to College of the Sequoias, but Ellmann was still intriguing. Patel didn't even have to make his case when Kubota recommended the A's take a flyer on him.


The elusive and mysterious Chris "Monument" Ellmann, the object of Amit Patel's affection

Unfortunately for Oakland, Patel's gamble on Eagle didn't pay off, as he demanded a $10 million signing bonus just to get a foot in the door. You had to admit, the kid had conviction. The negotiations were over before they even began. But the other signees all fell in line, giving the A's a promising bumper crop of young talent. Even better, the current iteration of the team had managed to win four straight games to move above .500 for the first in 2021.

[Hendu Style]

The A's came limping into the 2021 All-Star Break riding a 3-game losing streak that dropped them to an even 45-45 on the season. With just one All-Star -- shortstop Carlos Correa -- there was hardly much to get excited about in Oakland.

The team had battled injuries to Chris Sale, Francisco Lindor, and Kam Minsu, but the time for making excuses had passed. It was time to make a move, either upward in the standings, or to cut their losses for the season. General Manager Amit Patel seriously considered a swap with the Angels that would have sent Korean first baseman Kam Minsu to Los Angeles for a package of minor leaguers, but instead decided to focus on potential solutions within his own organization.


Oakland considered making this trade to acquire Angels first round pick Tony Peppe and three other minor leaguers, but ultimately stood pat at the All-Star Break

The first step was sending the struggling Akil Baddoo down to Triple-A. The 22 year-old was batting south of the Mendoza Line at .190, and seemed to only be getting more confused at the plate. In his place came the top-rated player in the A's farm system, Alex Aristy. Rated as the #14 prospect in MiLB, Aristy was hitting .259 in his first season in Nashville. Patel hoped a change of scenery could help provide a jolt to both players. The same could also be said at the catcher position, as Elih Marrero finally got his first cup of coffee with a call-up from AA Midland, swapping out with Sean Murphy.

Other than that, the A's would have to play whatever cards they had been dealt. The lineup still included Correa (.293, 17 HR, 59 RBI), Minsu (.290, 14 HR, 45 RBI), and a finally healthy Francisco Lindor (.310, 8 HR, 27 RBI). Couple that with a much-improved defense -- ranked second in the AL in efficiency -- and strong bullpen, and the A's roster didn't look half-bad. It was just a matter of putting it all together before it was too late.

[Hendu Style]

Amit Patel hated to blame anything on bad luck or chance, but even the A's GM couldn't deny that he had been dealt a bad hand when All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor was sidelined with a season-ending knee injury. The fact that the injury happened before the trading deadline made Patel reconsider his stance on keeping the roster intact.

The team was foundering in the AL West standings, thanks to a 5-game skid that was preceded by a 4-game losing streak. At 51-54, the team had slipped to 12.5 games out of the division lead and 5 games out of the Wild Card. Oakland's playoff hopes were on life support, and Patel was ready to pull the plug.

Chris Sale's future in Oakland was precarious at best. He had an opt-out in his clause after the 2022 season, and he hadn't exactly been enjoying his stay in the Bay Area so far, limited to a 6-5 mark with a 4.28 ERA in just 15 starts. Sale didn't have a track record for being loyal, and even at age 32, he was sure to be the pitching prize of the free agent market. The Chicago Cubs were certainly interested in acquiring Sale, as they were trying to chase down the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Central. In return, GM Jed Hoyer had offered up young starting pitcher Bailey Clark (6-6, 4.25 ERA in his first MLB season as a starter), reliever Eugenio Palma (1.89 ERA in 30 relief appearances), and pitcher Oscar de la Cruz. All were serviceable, but none had the makeup of Sale, or the upside to be a #1 starter.


Proposed deadline trade with Chicago Cubs




But just as he had with the Angels before the Lindor injury, Patel maintained faith in his team and in Sale. As misguided as it may have appeared, Patel believed the A's best baseball was still ahead of them. He still had a potent 3-4-5 in the order in Kam Minsu (.285, 16 HR), Carlos Correa (.297, 20 HR), and Rougned Odor (.275, 16 HR) along with a strong 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation in Sale and Grant Holmes (7-4, 2.80 ERA). So the trading deadline came and passed, with the A's not making any moves with the hope of doing the unthinkable and chase down a playoff spot.

[Hendu Style]

Jonathan Arauz effortlessly gloved the ball at shortstop, plucking the ball as he ranged to his left side, gliding across the bag at second base to fire a bullet to Kam Minsu at first base to end the ballgame. Manager Dave Roberts and his coaching staff gave each other handshakes in the dugout, as the rest of the team trotted out toward the infield to congratulate reliever Alex Faedo at Fenway Park. The A's had completed a season-ending sweep of the Red Sox to finish the regular season on a 5-game losing streak.

Only there was nothing at stake, save for a winning record. The A's finished the season 82-80.

General Manager Amit Patel watched the ending from the break room at team headquarters in Oakland. He let out a big sigh, and muttered to himself, "At least we finished above .500." He threw out the remains of his leftover Chinese food, and made the slow walk back to his office. Or, at least he hoped he still had an office.

Just then, the intercom blared across the hallway.

"Amit Patel to the President's office," the announcement rang for all to hear. He may as well have been called to the Principal's office.

Patel stopped by his office to grab his briefcase. If he was going to get the boot, he wanted to be spared the indignity of hauling a cardboard box out of the team offices. Truth be told, he had the foresight to pack up most of his belongings when the A's embarked on their road trip to close out the season.

"Amit, come on in," A's President Dave Kaval said as he waved his GM into his office, "I have Mr. Fisher on the phone for us. Have a seat."

"Oh, boy," Amit whispered, slinking into a chair across from Kaval's desk.

"I'll cut right to the chase, guys," Fisher said on the other end of the phone line. "I'm not happy with the way things went this season, and I think our fans would agree."

Amit and Dave, the former college classmates, exchanged a look like they had just been told they were being expelled out of Stanford.

"Mr. Fisher, it's Amit," Patel began, leaning toward the phone on Kaval's desk. "I'm still very confident we're headed in the right direction. I can't speak to the attendance or season ticket sales, but I can tell you we have a group of players that will be very successful for years to come."

"Why not now?" Fisher shot back. "Why didn't we win this year?"

"Well, to be candid, we just got unlucky with injuries," Patel answered. "We lost our best player for over 100 games this season, and our best pitcher for half the season. If you calculate the WAR lost from those two alone..."

"War?" Fisher asked, cutting in.

"Sorry, Wins Above Replacement," Patel said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "If Francisco Lindor and Chris Sale were healthy, I calculate that we would have won 8 more games easily, bringing our season total to 90. That alone would've put us in the postseason. That's not even counting our #3 pitcher, Jharel Cotton, and our starting catcher, Bruce Maxwell, who we didn't even see for a single game this season because of injuries. This is a 95-win team, sir."

"On a computer," Fisher retorted. "I may not know much about baseball, but I know enough to realize that the game is played on a grass field and not on some computer program."

"Understood, Mr. Fisher."

"Let's review the goals I laid out for you before this season," Fisher said, switching gears. "I asked you to acquire a hometown player. Did we?"

"No, sir."

"Did we reach the playoffs?"

"No, sir."

"We're not off to a very good start, Amit," Fisher said curtly.

"Mr. Fisher, I understood those to be long term goals," Amit responded. "I prioritized your other goals above all else. You wanted a better defensive team, and I gave that to you. We ranked 4th in defensive efficiency, up from 12th last season. And you wanted a winning season, and we delivered that too."

"Barely," Fisher chimed in. "You're giving me C+ grades here, and you're acting like you aced the course."


The A's 2021 season at a glance. The team finished 82-80, second-to-last place in the AL West, and 7 games out of the Wild Card.


Team owner John Fisher's goals achieved by Amit Patel in 2021, and the team's finances.


The 2021 MLB Season at a glance.

"To be frank, I'm not all that happy with some of the players we've given away to other teams," Fisher said.

"Which players?" Amit asked, knowing exactly which ones the owner would mention.

"Kendall in Houston, and Imamuri in Boston," Fisher said.

Daisuke Imamura, not Imamuri. "Jeez, he can't even get the guy's name right, and Fisher's complaining that he's not on the team anymore," Patel thought to himself.

But Fisher had a point. Imamura had put together a monster season with the Red Sox, batting .331 in his second season in the Majors, leading the league with 134 runs while compiling an OPS of .987, third in the AL. Jeren Kendall, meanwhile, hit a career-high .316 for the Astros while finishing third in the league with 41 steals. All in just 109 games played.

"Yes, I'm aware both players have very good seasons," Patel offered, "But I'm more than happy with the players we received in exchange for them. Carlos Correa has been one of our top players, and Chris Sale is the ace we've been waiting for."

"But who knows he'll even be here after next season," Fisher fired back. "Imamuri was a lot to give up for a guy who could be just a two-year rental..."

"John, this is Dave," Kaval said, trying to defuse the situation. "Can you share some of the goals we have for next season, just so we're all on the same page."

"For starters, I'd still like to see us get a hometown player and get to the playoffs," Fisher said, dripping with sarcasm.

"Understood, Mr. Fisher," Amit said, attempting to get the owner back in his good graces. "What else can we do?"

"This team was boring to watch," Fisher quipped. "I want to see more home runs."

"Anything else?"

"I didn't like our catcher," Fisher said. "Get a better one."

Patel knew he could reasonably reach both of those goals. Oakland ranked 11th out of 15 American League teams in home runs last season. And Henri Lartigue, a Rule 5 pick, was a stopgap measure to replace the injured Bruce Maxwell behind the dish.

"Amit, I want to make sure you're 100% focused on building a playoff team this season," Fisher told his GM, "So I'm going to be taking some things off your plate."

"Such as?" Patel asked cautiously.

"You will no longer handle our minor league operations," Kaval said, jumping into the conversation. "We feel it's in the best interest of the organization if we let our minor league managers take care of signing and releasing players from their teams. And we'll be having your assistant take care of hiring new coaches for our farm clubs this offseason."

"If you feel like that's what's best..." Amit began.

"It is," Fisher interrupted. "Now, what exactly is your plan for next season for the A's, Amit??"

"That depends what kind of budget we're looking at, Mr. Fisher," Amit replied. "Have you given that any thought?"

"Dave, take me off the speaker for a sec," Fisher told his team president.

Patel rolled his eyes as Kaval picked up the phone. The two were clearly discussing financial figures and attendance, but the numbers seemed to favor Patel, judging from the tone of Kaval's answers. Fisher went back on speaker phone.

"Your budget is $132 million for next season," Fisher said, continuing the conversation. "That's up $10 million from this season. Now, what do you plan to do with that money?"

[Hendu Style]

"What do you plan to do with that money?"

The words followed Amit Patel as he looked across the vast expanse of the United States heartland. He was aboard a private plane with an A's contingent, flying cross-country to New York City. They were one of several teams traveling to meet Nomar Mazara. The former Texas Rangers outfielder had booked a hotel room in Times Square to meet a procession of suitors, all hoping to land the biggest free agent to hit the open market in years.

The 2-time AL MVP and 5-time All-Star had enjoyed another banner year in 2021, hitting 50 home runs with 156 RBI, along with a .331/.643/1.051 Slash Line. In other words, the 26 year-old was primed for a mega payday that could make him the highest-paid player in MLB history.



Patel had no idea how he was going to sign Mazara, since the team was already over budget for 2021. Ownership may have approved a $10 million budget increase, but payroll was still creeping north of the $90 threshold. But there was no way Amit was going to miss out on a chance to woo one of the best players in the game, just entering the prime of his career.

Amit looked across the aisle at two other players in their baseball primes, Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa. Lindor, 28, and Correa, 27, had anchored the left side of the A's infield for the past two years, giving the team a peerless combination at shortstop and second base. But Amit knew neither player would be in Oakland forever. Carlos had just two years remaining on the contract that he had originally signed with Houston, before being traded to Oakland in 2020. Lindor still had five years left on his contract signed in Cleveland, but both of their salaries were being generously paid (for the most part) by their former teams. The likelihood of keeping both in Oakland beyond their current contracts seemed unlikely.

Lindor and Correa represented the best of the A's, and Patel was hoping that bringing two Latin players with him to New York would help in his overture to win over the Dominican-born Mazara. Without the benefit of a bottomless payroll or national spotlight, Patel needed every edge he could get.

Winning over Mazara would be one thing. Affording him was another thing entirely. There was simply no precedent for the kind of salary he could command in free agency. The three highest-paid players in baseball -- Mike Trout ($35 million per year), Clayton Kershaw ($35 million), and Madison Bumgarner ($34.5 million) -- had all signed extensions to earn their mammoth paydays. The teams that signed them were only competing against the threat of a hypothetical bidding war in free agency. Mazara would have the luxury of having multiple teams outbid each other for his services. Becoming the highest paid player ever would be just the starting point in the case of Mazara.


MLB's 25 highest-paid players heading into the 2022 offseason

Technically, the A's didn't have a dime to spend on Mazara, much less $35 million. Their payroll was already maxed out for 2022 at $91.1 million, which was about a million dollars more than the team had budgeted for the upcoming season. The outlook for 2023 was even worse, with payroll projected to balloon to $99.6 million the following season. In short, there was no way the A's could dream of signing Mazara without making significant changes to the current roster.

Amit tried to always find a blessing in disguise, and he felt he had found one while dealing with a particularly difficult contract negotiation. A's starting pitcher Grant Holmes had enjoyed a strong 2021 season, finishing in the Top-3 in the American League with a 3.08 ERA. Holmes was still under club control through 2024, and Patel had been trying to sign him to an extension to head off a run at free agency. The two sides had been close to agreeing to an extension in Spring Training the year before, when Holmes was asking for an annual salary of $8 million. The number climbed to $9 million by the All-Star break. Then, by the time the season ended, his agent was demanding $11.6 million. Each time, they had been about a million dollars apart. Discussions were still civil, but Patel was growing tired of the increasing demands from Holmes and his representatives.



Pitchers like Holmes are typically considered untouchable at that point in their careers, earning far below market value and still on the upswing of their talent. That made Holmes an even more intriguing asset to bargain with in trade talks. Patel had shopped first baseman Kam Minsu to several teams, desperately wanting to shed his $30 million salary so he could go after Mazara. When Patel put Holmes on the table, teams started to listen.

The A's had already been in talks with the Angels about a Minsu trade at the deadline during the 2021 season. Unfortunately for Patel, he had missed out on his chance to land former first rounder Toby Peppe, who was later traded to Tampa Bay. But all of the other players involved in the original discussion were still in play. But with Holmes in the mix, the Halos were now willing to part with pitcher Chris Devenski, who won 12 games and posted a 3.38 ERA in his first season as a starting pitcher. Devenski had just signed a 4-year, $71 million extension with Los Angeles, but the Angels were willing to pay for his entire salary if it meant landing Holmes from Oakland, along with second baseman Rougned Odor, who was coming off a down year with the A's and had two years remaining on his contract. The proposed deal would also send $10 million in cash from LA to Oakland, giving the A's a whopping $50 million to spend on free agency this offseason.


Proposed trade between the A's and Angels that would net Oakland $50 million for free agency in the 2022 offseason

Of course, there were other considerations that weighed heavily on Patel. For one, it did nothing to improve the A's lineup, sending two of the team's power hitters to a division rival. Fisher had specifically told Patel to improve the team's power numbers in 2022, and this was a big step in the wrong direction. Minsu had hit 28 homers in his first season in America, and he had the talent to hit 40 more the upcoming season. Odor, despite the subpar season, provided pop at second base with 20 homers, and had 35 the year prior. Losing both Minsu and Odor meant potentially missing out on 60 to 70 home runs.

Patel pondered another trade while flying the 2,500 miles east to New York. Another AL West club had also expressed interest in Minsu and Holmes. The Texas Rangers were offering former Athletic Sueo Mihara and Joey Gallo. Both brought considerable power to the Rangers lineup, helping the team club 274 home runs in 2021, the second-most in baseball, and almost 100 more than the A's paltry number of 178. Like Oakland, Texas had missed out on the postseason and was looking to shuffle the deck in hopes of catching the powerhouse Houston Astros in the West.

Mihara hit .296 with 22 homers in his second season in the US, but was entering the final year of his 3-year contract originally signed with Oakland. Gallo, the ultimate "All-or-Nothing" hitter, had reached 50 homers in each of the last three seasons, but had eclipsed 200 strikeouts in three of the previous four seasons. Gallo tended to swing for the fences, and when he wasn't rounding the bases, he was walking back to the dugout from home plate. Gallo, 28, still had four years and $60 million remaining on his contract, but had a player option after the 2023 season, which meant he could hit free agency after putting in another two years in Texas. The Rangers, already hurting from losing Mazara to free agency, wanted to get something now for Mihara and Gallo before it was too late.

Like many of his previous deals, Patel was able to negotiate having both players' contracts paid for by Texas, but he would have to pay a steep price in talent. Not only would the A's send Minsu and Holmes to the Rangers, but also closer Sergio Ramos, setup man Hisaji Nakano, and back-end starter Paul Blackburn. But in this scenario, the A's would at least get to keep Odor at second base, while still shedding some $44 million in their pursuit of Mazara.


Proposed trade with the Texas Rangers, adding potentially 100 home runs to the Oakland lineup

Patel certainly had some pondering to do while he made the Coast-to-Coast flight from Oakland to New York. And there was no guarantee that either offer would still be on the table when the plane touched down at LaGuardia.

[Tieran]

Is Mazara that much better then Minsu? The Texas deal seems best, but should try to swap out Ramos for someone else.

[John C]

I've greatly enjoyed this, and look forward to what's to come. Thank you for writing it.

[Hendu Style]

Originally Posted by John C

I've greatly enjoyed this, and look forward to what's to come. Thank you for writing it.

Thanks for reading, John!

[Hendu Style]

Originally Posted by Tieran

Is Mazara that much better then Minsu? The Texas deal seems best, but should try to swap out Ramos for someone else.

Ratings-wise, they're comparable, except Mazara has the superior contact, and Minsu has the upper hand in power. But here's what I like about Mazara: He's an Iron Man for Injury Proneness, and has missed a grand total of 17 games over the last five years. He's 2 years younger than Minsu. And he's an outfielder, which I think is harder to find than a guy who can mash as a first baseman (like Minsu). I'm probably going to miss Minsu's speed most of all. He stole 30 of 33 bases last season and my manager, Dave Roberts, loves to have his guys steal.

As far as Ramos goes, I tried shopping him around and surprisingly didn't find many takers. I was frankly disappointed with the lack of response from other GM's, since he makes a relatively low $6 million a year. I think the bullpen is deep enough to replace both Ramos and Hisaji, and I'm excited to find out who Roberts tabs as his next closer.

[Hendu Style]

By the time the A's contingent arrived at Nomar Mazara's hotel in Times Square, Amit Patel had made his move. The trade had been finalized by phone as Patel shared a cab ride with Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa from LaGuardia. If Lindor or Correa overheard enough of the conversation to know that the A's had just been involved in a blockbuster trade, neither let on and would make excellent bluffers at the poker table.

Patel had timed the trip to arrive at the hotel at the stroke of midnight, to be the first to meet Mazara at the start of the Free Agency Period. Patel wasn't sure how many other teams would be meeting with the free agent, but he wanted to make sure he made a memorable first impression.

"Please, come in," Nomar told the A's trio as he answered the door. It was a well-appointed suite on the top floor of the Renaissance Hotel, with enough room for Lindor and Correa to field ground balls if they so chose. Mazara was beginning to embrace the millionaire's life after earning the league minimum for the first couple of years of his Major League career. Now he was on the verge of becoming the highest-paid player in baseball.

Lindor and Correa took turns giving Mazara bro-hugs as the two helped themselves to drinks in the bar. Patel politely declined, looking at his watch with a smile.

"Well, Nomar, it's 12:01 AM," Amit said, tapping his watch, "I guess we can officially talk about you coming to Oakland."

"I would like that," Nomar answered. "I feel like I know your team very well."

"Not as well as you might think," Amit said with a knowing smile. He wasn't ready to play that poker chip yet, though. "Nomar, can I ask you why you didn't sign an extension with the Rangers?"

"That's a fair question. I've been with them my whole life. I signed with Texas when I was 16, and it's all I've ever known. I guess I just wanted to see what else was out there."

Good answer, Amit thought to himself.

"What will you miss most about Texas?" Amit asked, following up.

"If I don't sign with the Rangers, you mean?" Mazara asked. "The food, for sure. I lost a lot of weight my first year in the U.S. because I didn't want to eat the food. But I adjusted, and now I love the food in Texas. How's the Mexican food in Oakland?"

"Bien!" Francisco shouted from across the room. "And all kinds of food in the Bay Area, not just Mexicano!"

"How have you adjusted from the Dominican to America, Nomar?" Patel continued. "Was it tough leaving home?"

"Well, my English was not great when I moved from Santo Domingo," Mazara said with a sigh. "It didn't take me long to realize I needed to learn the language. I remember sitting in the middle of meetings during my first year in the US not knowing what any of the coaches were saying. I was so lost."

"So what did you do?" Amit asked, curiously.

"I just started asking my teammates for help," Mazara answered. "Joey Gallo was my guy. I would tell him things like, 'Every day, you're going to tell me one word so I can repeat it and repeat it, over and over, so I can learn. And then the next day, you're going to teach me another one. So like it or not, you're going be my teacher from now on.' "

"Was that in Hickory?" Amit asked. "Your first year in pro ball?"

"Yeah, how did you know I played with Joey in A-Ball?"

"I know a lot about Gallo," Amit replied, fighting back a smile. "So, are you guys still friends?"

"Oh, yeah, Joey is still there for me," Nomar said. "We have a lot in common. Except I don't strike out nearly as much."

Everyone laughed in unison at the dig on Gallo. Whatever tension or apprehension there was in the suite had instantly melted away.

"Nomar, I haven't been completely honest with you," Amit said wryly. "I have a secret I want to share with you."

"What is it?"

"Joey's on our team now," Amit said, glancing back at Lindor and Correa at the bar. "We just traded for him and Sueo Mihara."

"Are you f***ing with me, man?" Mazara asked excitedly. Seems Nomar learned some of the not-so-subtle nuances of the language from Gallo as well.

"I am not," Amit answered. "I want you to be in the middle in the best lineup in baseball."



"Man, that's crazy!" Mazara exclaimed. "Gallo, Mihara, and of course you two guys! That's a heck of a lineup!"

"And don't forget you, Boss," Correa said, slapping Mazara on the back. "You can bat cleanup!"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Carlos," Amit said. "Nomar hasn't even told us he wants to sign with us yet."

Mazara took a deep breath, clapping his hands as he looked at Correa and Lindor, thinking about the possibility of batting in the A's order.

"What kind of money are we talking about?" Mazara asked Patel.

"I'm prepared to make you an offer of $32 million a year for eight years, Nomar," Amit responded. "It's not our final offer, but it's a good one. Just think about it, and think about the kind of lineup you'd be a part of in Oakland."

Patel stood up and shook Nomar's hand. Lindor and Correa both followed with hearty hugs. Amit left the room thinking he may have just reeled in the greatest prize in MLB Free Agency in a decade.

Less than two weeks later, he had.

Much to Patel's pleasant surprise, Mazara agreed to the A's first -- and only -- offer of 8 years, $256 million. Patel had freed up an additional $6 million in payroll in anticipation of some haggling with Mazara, but it never came to pass. He had signed the dotted line, and within a span of just ten days, Oakland had landed not one, but two, 50 home run hitters from Texas. Patel had more than delivered on his promise to ownership to add power to the A's lineup.

[Hendu Style]

The A's had the good fortune to actually come in under budget in signing Nomar Mazara. General Manager Amit Patel had been formulating a backup plan to go after two other prized free agents in the event that Mazara wound up signing with another team. Since Mazara had chosen to sign so quickly with the A's, both players were still on the market.

One of those targets was Cuban outfielder Arturo Armas, who was now off the list since the A's had a jam packed outfield. But there was still plenty of room for the other target, pitcher Zach Britton. The lefthander had been an elite closer in Baltimore, but had been converted into a starting pitcher when he signed a 2-year, $49.6 million free agent deal with Detroit in 2021. He made the All-Star team that season as a starter, but then hit free agency again after opting out of the contract following the 2021 season. Surprisingly, his asking price had fallen to below $20 million a season, apparently wanting to pitch for a contender.



But the A's didn't have enough money to make a feasible run at Britton. Yet. So Patel started looking for ways to trim payroll and add cash to try to put together an offer sheet for Britton. First, he took a long, hard look at Rougned Odor. Unfortunately for Odor, his power at second base had become expendable, since the A's had landed a trio of sluggers in Nomar Mazara, Joey Gallo, and Sueo Mihara. Odor's defense at second base had become a liability, especially with the deft glove of former Rule 5 pick Jonathan Arauz trying to break into the lineup. Arauz had become a favorite of manager Dave Roberts after filling in for the injured Francisco Lindor at shortstop during the past season.

It didn't take long for the A's to present a deal to the Texas Rangers, who were already paying for Odor's salary for the upcoming season as part of a previous deal with the team. Though Oakland wouldn't shed any payroll this season by trading Odor, they were clearing space for the next season by taking his team option of $13.5 million off the books for 2023. The A's were able to land veteran righty Mike Foltynewicz (15-9, 5.84 ERA in 2021) along with minor league outfielder Miguel Aparicio and pitching prospects Cole Ragans and Alex Speas for Odor and minor league pitchers Randy Abisher and Alexander Calderon. The Rangers also agreed to pay the salary on the final year of Foltynewicz's contract at $4.2 million.



Though Oakland had freed up payroll for 2023, it was still at least $7 million short for 2022 if Patel was truly going to be able to make an offer to Britton. Amit looked next at offloading Ryon Healy (.265, 14 HR in 52 games in 2021), who had also become expendable as there was simply no room at first base or DH with the arrivals of Gallo and Mihara. The A's shipped Healy along with catching prospect Robert Mullen to the Chicago White Sox for veteran reliever Sean Gilmartin (2.27 ERA in 16 relief appearances), and minor leaguers Tyler Williams and Mike Adamo. More importantly, the Sox included a bundle of nearly $5 million in cash in the deal, all to be used in free agency for the A's.



With cash in hand, Amit Patel made his pitch to Zach Britton: 3 years, $48 million. And the promise of being backed by the best offense in baseball.

[GoPedro99]

Amazing offseason so far.

[John C]

What kind of minor league help do you have coming up?

[Tieran]

Did Sale opt out?