The Athletics ended a streak of three years of losing records last season, but just barely. Four straight wins to finish the year put them right at .500, respectable but a far cry from where they will need to be to contend with the Texas Rangers. A busy offseason gives them a chance to at least stay close.
2010 record: 81-81, second in American League West
Manager: Bob Geren
Key additions: OF/DH Hideki Matsui, OF Josh Willingham, OF David DeJesus, LHP Brian Fuentes, RHP Grant Balfour, RHP Brandon McCarthy.
Key losses: OF/DH Jack Cust, OF Rajai Davis, RHP Justin Duchscherer, RHP Vin Mazzaro.
Outlook: From the years of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito to today’s young standouts, Oakland has been home to some very good rotations. The team ERA has been no worse than fourth in the American League in 10 of the last 11 years. The one year it was not, it ranked sixth.
In 2010, the A’s climbed all the way to the top of the heap with an ERA of 3.58. And much of it was done by a host of youngsters, some of whom may only get better.
Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson will spearhead the bunch this year. They were a combined 25-14 last year and both had ERAs below 3.00. Gio Gonzalez, the supposed No. 3 starter, was just as good, going 15-9 with a 3.23 mark. Dallas Braden, who threw a perfect game on Mother’s Day, had 11 wins and a solid 3.50 ERA.
The back end will be occupied by Brandon McCarthy, a lanky righty, once considered one of the better pitching prospects in the minors. Injuries have hurt him, but McCarthy is just 27 and came back last year to pitch well at the Triple-A level.
While the rotation and bullpen, which added veterans Brian Fuentes and Grant Balfour, should be tremendous, Oakland knew it needed some offensive upgrades. By importing Hideki Matsui, Josh Willingham and David DeJesus, there is more depth to a lineup that ranked 11th in the AL in runs scored last year.
Kevin Kouzmanoff led the 2010 edition with 16 homers. That says all you need to know about the team’s inability to hang with the likes of the Rangers on warm days in Arlington when the ball is jumping.
The A’s were one of the better defensive teams in the league last year, with first baseman Daric Barton and shortstop Cliff Pennington among the best at their positions.
If the offensive upgrades pay off, the rotation stays healthy and Oakland continues to catch the ball as well as any other team, the first winning season in Bob Geren’s five-year tenure is a distinct possibility. Whether it will be enough to hang with Texas remains to be seen.
What it means to the Red Sox: Boston hosts Oakland six times this season but plays at the A’s only twice, for whatever reason. That’s a good thing. The Sox have had a losing record at Oakland Coliseum for six straight years, going 10-19 in that span. They are 18-10 vs. Oakland at Fenway Park in that same span.
