FanPost

The Athletics Are In A Fantastic Position

Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

We all know the story. After dealing three All-Stars for lackluster prospects and young players before 2012, the Oakland Athletics took off, becoming one of the better teams in baseball from 2012 thru 2014. In 2014, Beane went all in, dealing a top prospect and a fan favorite to make his rotation the best in all of baseball. Bold. Cunning. A great plan.

As we all know, it didn't work out. The offense disappeared, and the A's could barely scrap out a wild card spot. The Wild Card was a microcosm of the 2014 season: early dominance, a bold move (leaving Lester in), and collapse. A month and a half after the lost, Beane dealt the best player on the A's (and one of the best in all of baseball) for a lackluster return.

So how does that sadness turn into the A's being in a "fantastic position?"

What we know is that Beane has been advertising his guys. We know the Indians, Marlins and more like Brandon Moss. We know the Red Sox, White Sox and more like Jeff Samardzija. We know the Blue Jays like(d?) John Jaso.

We also know the A's have a solid third baseman, catching platoon, new first base platoon, outfield, and rotation, even without the above players. This makes them close to expendable.

Then, you see the A's two glaring weaknesses: the middle infield, and the farm. The middle infield consists of guys that probably shouldn't even be backups on an MLB team at this point. The farm consists of one or two legitimate prospects, some lottery tickets, and some nobodies that will probably remain nobodies. We've seen Billy begin to address both, acquiring two decent prospects and one above average prospect in the Donaldson deal, and also talking about guys like Marcus Semien (heh), Tim Anderson, Joe Wendle, and Jose Ramirez.

Let's say the A's can only address one middle infield spot. They have the luxury of choosing, as Sogard and Ladendorf could (emphasis on 'could') produce well as a platoon at second, and Andy Parrino could (emphasis very much on 'could') hit close enough to league average that his glove makes him an above average shortstop.

So the A's have many solid trade chips (Moss, Shark, Kaz, Jaso, etc.) and only 'need' one solid middle infielder. The rest of the above players can either be kept or dealt to strengthen the farm. And that's an awesome spot to be in. The team can remain competitive and possibly improve while strengthening the farm and making the team better for the future. Worst case is, the 2015 A's settle around .500 or worse and the guys that are left are dealt at the deadline for prospects, making the team look even better for 2016 and beyond.

Of course, don't expect the next few months to be as straightforward as this. I explain Billy Beane to people that don't know baseball as being terrifying. You'll be sitting across the table from him, and you'll laugh at him for folding with pocket aces. But an hour later, you'll be broke. You probably won't laugh at him again.

No matter what happens, I cannot wait for this off season to progress. I love Shark, and Moss, and all of them, and don't want to see them go. But I know this team is going to be so fun to watch for years to come whether they stay or go. And that's what being a fan's about, right?