So what are the A's building blocks?
I have been really down on the A's for obvious reasons, so I am trying to look on the bright side of things now and find something to root for. This team is so old, (at least on the infield) and has so many holes that I am not really sure who is going to be here for the long term ( who knows with the A's). The only guys I can think of right now are Sweeney, Buck perhaps Cust in the outfield. We have nothing on the infiled right now at least on the A's 25 man roster maybe that weeks kid in the minors.
Pitching wise who knows I thought it would be Cahill, Anderson and Gio, and possibly Gallagher they have all looked like trash this year although Cahill has had his moments when he is not walking every batter. Andrew Bailey has been a bright spot, however I am concerned that moron Geren will pitch him until his arm falls off.
I forgot Suzuki, not cool Suzuki IMO is by far the A's best player; he is awesome, so I guess we have one player on the infield!
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There are definitely people around here that know a lot more than me as far as the A’s and their minor league system goes, but corner infielder Chris Carter, middle infielder Adrian Cardenas and starting pitcher Vincent Mazzaro are some studs in the minors that will be a part of the future besides the obvious players.
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by Rated-R Superstar on May 31, 2009 11:57 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
The A's have a boatload of minor league talent
So even though this year looks bleak, a couple years from now, we could end up being last years Rays.
Obviously Anderson and Cahill look to be the 1-2 of the future, but the minor league pitching depth is amazing. Fautino De Los Santos, acquired in the Swisher trade, was a higher ranked prospect than Cahill and Anderson last year, but he had Tommy John surgery last year, which he’s still recovering from. Obviously Mazzaro is doing well in AAA, but don’t forget about Simmons, who still projects to be a 4-5 starter. There’s also Ynoa, who got the largest signing bonus by any international player ever.
Henry Rodriguez appears to be back and healthy. Arnold Leon, Brett Hunter, and Tyson Ross are all guys to keep your eyes on. Leon just this year became solely the A’s property, and he’s got a lot of potential. Hunter and Ross both have awesome stuff but terrible mechanics, and the A’s have been tinkering with them. If they can find a way to put it all together, they could both be front of the rotation type pitchers.
Position players, Cunningham is set to take over for Holliday when he departs. Barton has been tearing it up in May, and Doolittle and Carter also appear to be big parts of the A’s future team. Cardenas is tearing up AA like it’s nobody’s business—your future second baseman. Josh Donaldson, acquired in the Harden deal, has been catching and hitting a ton. Jemile weeks has finally made it to Stockton, and is doing well so far.
The A’s have a lot of high risk/high potential guys, as well. Nino Leyja was a HS draftee last year, and he tore it up in rookie ball. So was/did Rashun Dixon, who’s an absolute freak in CF with tools galore. Corey Brown is a little less risky, but still has awesome potential. Huge power, but with big holes in his swing—and capable of playing a good CF. Also, Dusty Coleman, SS, is doing very well in Kane County.
If you’re having trouble rooting for the A’s day in and day out, look down on the farm. asyouwish33 does a minor league roundup article every day, highlighting the A’s prospect’s performances. Also, Zonis does a Prospectus Status every month or so, highlighting the A’s top 50ish prospects performances. Both are awesome. The A’s have a ton of talent in the minor league system and it’s a lot of fun to read about them, even if the A’s are losing.
by NateHST on May 31, 2009 12:37 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
I should have included Dallas Braden with that
I have earned a lot of respect for him
Thank you Al Davis for Michael Crabtree!!!!!
by Athletic on May 31, 2009 1:14 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I dont trust Braden
Don't believe in yourself.
Believe in Me who believes in You.
by Zonis on May 31, 2009 1:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
He's kind of an enigma.
I feel like he’s been hit hard and gotten lucky. His fly ball percentage is Zito-esque, so maybe he’s always going to suffer from those innings where a couple big hits lead to two or three runs all at once. He’s been very streaky in the past, and his FIP is under 4, which I doubt he can maintain.
by scromulus on May 31, 2009 5:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I see Braden right now as being a true "solid #3 / weak #2" going forward
Pluses that will give him that much success: Fastball command, excellent (omigod did I use the right word???) changeup, dominates lefties, ace mentality.
Minuses that will prevent him from being better: Too hittable by righties, too many fly balls, so-so strikeout ability.
That’s where I see Braden at the moment.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
by Nico on May 31, 2009 6:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
"excellent (omigod did I use the right word???) changeup"
No, you dumbfuck, “excellent” is a term of art that means “double-plus-plus un-ungood” and denotes 78.5 of 80 on the scouting scale.
For some reason I forget just who is at war with Oceania right now (everybody, I suspect) but there is one thing that I know – if you insist on using the English language, you have a moral and ethical obligation to recognize those instances where the English language, by pure coincidence, happens to overlap with scouting lingo, and to align your terms so as to avoid confusing or offending acolytes of the Scouting Faith.
No offense, of course. I just hate it when people use imprecise terms out the the evil that abides in their hearts.
Don’t take this criticism personally. It is intended for your own good.
by Faust on May 31, 2009 7:32 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I are sorry
I really never intend to use a word incognito.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
by Nico on May 31, 2009 7:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
If I go to the Thought Police and tell them Garen is a traitor to Ociana, can we make him disappear?
Sometimes life will strike you out on a curve ball and the only choice you have is to flip off the umpire and walk to first base anyway.
by Threepwood XX on May 31, 2009 9:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Even the Thought Police demand proper spelling.
"All your baserunner are belong to Greg Smith" ~ walk off bunt
by Philip Christy on May 31, 2009 10:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
If you seriously want to know (which just doesn't seem like you) instead of being a jackass ... yes.
Excellent isn’t a scouting term of art so you can use it as you see fit without having an expected meaning of the word. Also you didn’t say this is my scouting report on Dallas Braden which doesn’t imply that you are using the terminology of a scout. Its just like when presenting a scientific paper and using the word theory, it has a significantly different meaning than if you were just shooting the shit.
Also for the record Braden’s change up has been worth more than half a win already this year and would probably best be described as plus.
In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor on FK
by designatedforassignment on Jun 2, 2009 9:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
trust him or not, but Braden is dealing
and is our ace this year, but would love him more as our 5th starter
by ryanmoser on May 31, 2009 1:42 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I would too
unfortunately he is our only starter right now
Thank you Al Davis for Michael Crabtree!!!!!
by Athletic on May 31, 2009 2:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why would he do that?
He doesn’t even know Athletic.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
by Nico on May 31, 2009 4:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Maybe he met him when Athletics was earning respect from Braden
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
by Helloooo 1st on May 31, 2009 6:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
No. No, he's not.
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by Flashfire on May 31, 2009 4:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
To be honest
the only untouchables I see in this organization (at the major league level, anyway) are Anderson, Cahill, and Suzuki. Cust could perhaps be another untouchable simply because I believe his value to the A’s is, at this point, greater than his value to the market. The A’s seem to be very big on Sweeney, but I’m not entirely convinced he’ll turn into a power hitter.
Just an opinion.
"To this day and dating back 25 years, before every game he plays, Henderson stands completely naked in front of a full length locker room mirror and says, "Ricky’s the best," for several minutes."
by VORP is too nerdy on May 31, 2009 2:47 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Organizational Depth Chart
Catcher
Suzuki (MLB)
Powell (MLB)
Anthony Recker (AAA, eta Late 2009 — really whenever the A’s need another catcher)
Josh Donaldson (AA, eta Late 2010, early 2011 — will quickly pass Recker on the depth chart, should be able to force Powell out quickly and steal PT from Zooks)
Petey Paramore (A+, eta 2012 — probably a career backup, but shouldn’t have trouble making a few million bucks in the bigs)
First Base
Giambi (MLB)
Barton (AAA, eta Mid 2009 — he’s heating up with the weather in Sacramento — still has to prove he can step it up to MLB, but he’ll get that chance very soon)
Doolittle (AAA, eta 2010 — if Barton doesn’t stick, he’ll get the next chance in early 2010, otherwise he’ll be in right field. He probably won’t hit for a ton of power but should get on base consistently with enough power to be a solid contributor)
Carter (AA, eta largely depends on the guys in front of him — he’ll replace Barton in AAA once he gets the call up and should be ready by the end of 2011, the power will definitely play and he’s managed to cut his Ks a bit, a very good sign, though they will always be high so his average won’t be, if Barton nails first down, he’ll be the long term DH, once Cust moves on to greener pastures)
Second Base
Mark Ells (MLB DL)
Adam Kennedy (MLB — what a great pickup he’s been)
Adrian Cardenas (AAA, eta 2010 and/or when/if Kennedy stops hitting — he’s good, he needs a bit more seasoning but he will be ready soon and has a great chance of being one of the best second baggers around very soon)
Eric Patterson (AAA, eta whenever they need him, he continues to tear up AAA and is as ready as he’ll ever be)
Jemile Weeks (A+, eta 2011 — he should move quickly and is far enough behind the above guys that he shouldn’t ever get blocked. While there’s still plenty of time to go wrong, he’s got a reasonable chance of being the best leadoff hitter we’ve had since the early 90s)
Shortstop
Orlando Cabrera (MLB)
Bobby Crosby (MLB)
Gregorio Petit (MLB — doesn’t look like he’ll hit well enough to be more than a gloveman/pinch runner, but he’ll stick around as long as they have room on the roster for the infield version of Rajai Davis)
Cliff Pennington (AAA, eta whenever they need him - See: Petit, Gregorio), eta 2011-2012 — so far so good … he’ll need to cut the Ks to continue to succeed)
Dusty Coleman (A
Nino Leyja (SS, eta who the heck knows — great athlete, the sky is pretty much the limit but he’s got a long way to go)
Third Base
Jack Hannahan (MLB)
Dusty Coleman (A-, eta ?? — hasn’t hit in Kane County yet, changing positions is the excuse, might have a future, but not someone to count on or get too excited about at this point)
Outfield
Matt Holliday (MLB)
Ryan Sweeney (MLB)
Aaron Cunningham (MLB)
Jack Cust (MLB)
Rajai Davis (MLB)
Corey Brown (AA, eta late 2010 — easily the most upside of any of the young outfielders with professional experience, SSS warning apply, but so far in 2009 he has managed to cut the Ks from atrocious to barely acceptable … a fantastic sign. He won’t hit for average, but he could easily be a healthier Mike Cameron who is a very, very good player.)
Matt Sulentic (AA, eta never — I hate to say it, but I don’t see him making it. He’s the kind of guy who probably would have benefited tremendously from a little extra Vitamin B12. With a little extra power he’d profile as a very different player.)
Matt Spencer (AA, eta ?? - he kicked butt in Stockton but hasn’t hit in the couple of weeks since being called up to AA. He’s cut the k-rate in 2009, very good sign, he should quickly pass Sulentic on this list), eta ?? — plenty of potential, long way to go)
Grant Desme/Jeremy Barfield (A
Rashaun Dixon/Tyreace House (SS, eta ???? — plenty of potential, looking forward to their short season debuts next month)
The A’s have a ton of talent and depth at 1b, 2b, C, SP and RP, a fair amount at OF and very little at SS and 3b … We’ve got a lot to look forward to.
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
by devo on May 31, 2009 3:24 PM PDT reply actions 6 recs
you forgot about Buck, devo.
Zeigler to Geren…."A-Rod? He’s my bitch." -alox
by mrod on May 31, 2009 3:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Travis Buck (AAA, eta soon -- profile as a 4th outfielder, but might hit for enough power to start)
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
by devo on May 31, 2009 3:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why is Dusty Coleman crossed out for Shortstop, and put at Low A Kane County?
Coleman has been playing Shortstop at Kane County, and is hitting a ton right now.
Jason Christian, a Shortstop converted to Third Base this year, who was pretty good last year at SS/A-, is struggling in Kane County though.
Don't believe in yourself.
Believe in Me who believes in You.
by Zonis on May 31, 2009 4:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
That should read
“Why is Dusty Coleman crossed out for Shortstop, and put at 3rd for Low A Kane County? "
Don't believe in yourself.
Believe in Me who believes in You.
by Zonis on May 31, 2009 4:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Out of curiosity, I hopped over to minorleaguesplits.com and neutralized Christian's stats for luck
His OPS went up by about a 100 points, for whatever that’s worth. The MWL league is not a hospitable league for hitters either; ask Josh Donaldson and Matt Sulentic.
by CapgrasDelusion on May 31, 2009 4:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The various things that are crossed out are formatting issues ...
nothing should be crossed out … where Dusty Coleman is written at third base, it should read Jason Christian …
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
by devo on May 31, 2009 11:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Is this supposed to be an Organization Player Depth Chart (as in, player 1 gets injured, player 2 comes up)
or is it an Organization Prospect or Value depth chart.
Don't believe in yourself.
Believe in Me who believes in You.
by Zonis on May 31, 2009 4:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Kind of a mixture of the two ...
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
by devo on May 31, 2009 11:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
i would add josh horton SS depth
3b has fringe guys like everidge, vitters, valdez, etc…more fringe guys but maybe they get lucky
by Asfan4ever723 on May 31, 2009 7:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
There is nobody at 3b, other than Coleman ...
that the A’s ever potentially want to see in Oakland … I could have added several more guys at every position, but none of them have much of a chance at all to being relevant to the A’s future …
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
by devo on May 31, 2009 11:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Probably
but I doubt his bat is even good enough to play as an everyday shortstop. It looks even worse if he plays third.
by DiegoAsFan on Jun 1, 2009 9:43 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sulentic.
hes having a good year in AA. He had a good year last year. Lacks a little bit of power. But hes got 12 steals to 2 caught stealing. And hes only 21 and playing well in AA.
"Their Triple-A rotation, led by Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson, could be better than some big-league rotations; Michael Ynoa is the best Latin American prospect of the decade; 2008 draftees Jemile Weeks and Rashun Dixon bring much-needed tools to an advanced group of hitters." - BaseballProspectus.com
by Syphon on May 31, 2009 9:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
A .798 OPS from a corner outfielder isn't terribly good.
Sulentic does not have the wheels to steal a relevant number of bases in the majors, small sample sizes be damned.
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
by devo on May 31, 2009 11:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well he did have an 850OPS in Stockton.
He has hit for average the past 2 years so far. I mean hes not a great prospect but he could be useful.
"Their Triple-A rotation, led by Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson, could be better than some big-league rotations; Michael Ynoa is the best Latin American prospect of the decade; 2008 draftees Jemile Weeks and Rashun Dixon bring much-needed tools to an advanced group of hitters." - BaseballProspectus.com
by Syphon on Jun 1, 2009 9:22 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
His average has been bouyed by a very high babip
.399 in A+, .359 in AA
BABIP is normally higher in the minors, because the defense is less good, but at this point, he doesn’t profile to hit for much more than an average average in MLB … add that to average power and an average eye with poor defense and you have a piss poor corner outfielder.
He’s a decent player in AA, so he’s not THAT far off where he needs to be … but in a moderate prospect, I would much rather see someone with real strengths to build on as well as weaknesses to address. A guy like Sulentic has very, very little upside, especially since none of the scouts think he has the body to add much in the way of strength.
I’ll say this, though … if he could play 3b, I’d be penciling him in to the lineup by late 2010 …
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
by devo on Jun 1, 2009 10:25 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I wasnt trying to make him out to be a top 15 prospect in out system.
But hes got some potential to hit for average in the bigs. A good 4th OFer.
"Their Triple-A rotation, led by Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson, could be better than some big-league rotations; Michael Ynoa is the best Latin American prospect of the decade; 2008 draftees Jemile Weeks and Rashun Dixon bring much-needed tools to an advanced group of hitters." - BaseballProspectus.com
by Syphon on Jun 1, 2009 10:45 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Poor defense?
Everything I’ve heard and read say Sulentic is a good defensive OF. TZ really liked him last year (when he had the most chances) but thought he was average the rest of his career FWIW.
I think I’m a bit overzealous on Sulentic from the draft reports I read (mostly from Nat Notes). I used to think he and Brown were about equal prospects. Brown has certainly passed him now.
However, Sulentic, when drafted was thought to possibly be able to play 2b in the majors. I wonder why the A’s haven’t at least experimented with him there. And they do say most 2b can play 3b…
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton
by vignette17 on Jun 1, 2009 12:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The A's were never built to contend even with the Holliday and Giambi moves.
It is very hard to win with a young and unproven staff. I still see Cahill and Anderson as the building blocks in the rotation. The A’s will not be good if these guys don’t become front of the rotation starters. Andrew Bailey can become an ace reliever. Suzuki has become a very good catcher. The A’s have a long way to go before they become good again. Since the 2008 All Star break they have a record of 41-73. The infield is a mess right now and Buck and Sweeney are starting to look like 4th outfielders. Brown and Carter will have to become offensive stars for them to become good by 2010.
by Tbone 1 on May 31, 2009 3:49 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
As much as the Weeks pick was monumentally stupid and inexplicable...
I agree on devo’s point that he can be a great leadoff hitter. He’s got .290/.400/.450, 30-40 steal-type upside. Questionable D, but that’s still a fantastic player. Great eye, knows the strike zone, outstanding speed. Weeks should be really good, even though Wallace would’ve made more sense.
Never, Never, NEVER give up
by hero66 on May 31, 2009 7:00 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
If Weeks becomes that kind of offensive player it's a great pick,
not an inexplicable one.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
by Nico on May 31, 2009 7:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Based on our needs for a 3rd baseman
You could still argue that it’d be inexplicable. Especially if he ends up not being able to handle 2nd.
Never, Never, NEVER give up
by hero66 on May 31, 2009 7:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't think you can put that much weight on need
Saying that any pick other than a third baseman is inexplicable is a pretty bold statement. You could make the argument that Wallace was a better prospect than Weeks but it would be tough to prove that its completely inexplicable for a team to prefer Weeks. They are both good prospects and we’re nearly equal at draft time.
by DiegoAsFan on May 31, 2009 9:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
They were not equal
Weeks was penciled in in most mock drafts to go in the late 1st round, early supplementary.
Don't believe in yourself.
Believe in Me who believes in You.
by Zonis on May 31, 2009 9:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Fairly close
Wallace was late teens, Weeks in the 20’s in most estimations. I don’t think any reputable draft sources had Weeks falling out of the first round. The point I was trying to make is that both were considered slight reaches at the 13 spot.
by DiegoAsFan on May 31, 2009 9:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I can't remember who but
An expert did say they thought Weeks was only making 1st round mocks because of his last name.
And I think you could make an argument about it being a very poor pick (if not inexplicable) for the exact opposite reason as listed above by hero66. If the A’s were drafting based on need, they were using a very poor drafting technique. Even if Wallace fails and Weeks succeeds picking someone other than BPA is a bad pick.
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton
by vignette17 on Jun 1, 2009 12:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree with the BPA reasoning
At the time of the draft I thought Wallace was the BPA and was disappointed when the A’s didn’t draft him. But, Weeks wasn’t that big a reach and I think it’s perfectly reasonable for an intelligent actor, going off their own scouts and statistical analysis, to think that Weeks was the BPA.
It’s kind of become accepted around here that the A’s went for need over BPA last year but I don’t think that’s necessarily the case. Both Wallace and Weeks had pros and cons going into the draft, it’s very possible that the A’s felt Wallace didn’t have the chops to stay at third and lacked the power to be an impact bat at 1B/DH. If that’s the case then maybe they did go for who they thought was the BPA in taking Weeks.
Now I don’t know what the A’s were thinking or what strategy they were employing during the draft, but neither does anyone else here. I just think people can ease off all the “A’s are idiots”, “How can they go for need over BPA”, “A’s have a flawed/lousy draft strategy” talk.
by DiegoAsFan on Jun 1, 2009 1:14 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
weeks was a late riser
as the draft got closer and was expected to go mid 1st due to the lack of up the middle players in that draft. The 08 draft had a good amount of relievers and corner infielder types. slight overdraft at 11, but i would assume he wouldve been options for mets, twins, cards, etc not much later
by Asfan4ever723 on May 31, 2009 11:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
so some high end combo of...
brian roberts, ray durham, orlando hudson type player
mid tier…delino deshoields/eric young type
low end: another pennington, quintanilla, etc
by Asfan4ever723 on May 31, 2009 7:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Off topic, but interesting
Buster Onley thinks Matt Holliday might be able to be signed to a 3 year 30-35 million contract, pretty affordable for the A’s if we can get Chavez to retire. I’m just saying….
by Pino on Jun 3, 2009 2:26 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

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