Everyone on the A's 40-man roster will wake up this morning with their own personal New Year's resolutions. I have tried to help them out if they haven't figured out what they want to do. But also, Happy New Year AN!
Brandon Allen - 1B/DH - Allen came to the A's from Arizona last July. His bat at first was exciting, his athleticism visible to the naked eye, then he fell to earth. Let 2012 be the year he stays in the stratosphere and gives Oakland more moon shots and more excitement with the stick.
Brett Anderson - LHP - Stay healthy! Every year since he debuted we have seen less and less of Anderson on the mound and more and more of him on the disabled list. While that trend likely will continue with him not off the DL until after the All Star break. Let 2012 be the year he begins on the path to good health!
Grant Balfour - RHP - We love hearing his curses above the din of the nearly empty Coliseum, and love it even more when they are audible in full ballparks. Let 2012 not silence his frustrations and have him continue to be the fire for our squad.
Daric Barton - 1B - 2011 was a wasted year. He doesn't need to hit home runs to be worthwhile. Let 2012 be the year that he doesn't take every borderline pitch but instead drives some into the gaps.
Jerry Blevins - LHP - Burning up I-80 these past few years between Oakland and Sacramento, I haven't been always the biggest supporter despite your second DFA but on the 40-man roster situation give my blog its still most popular link. While psychologically I still remember 2011 as rough for you, in reality some things worked. Let 2012 see Blevins reduce his BB% and eat a hamburger or something!
Dallas Braden - LHP - The soul of our team, Dallas missed far too much time last year. After looking sharp in his first three outings he was felled by injury missing the remainder of the year. Like Anderson, let 2012 be a year of good health. He is the veteran and leader of our rotation, and he can make our young arms better.
Adrian Cardenas - IF - Cardenas hasn't been that impressive, continually falling on any rankings of the A's system. He has a shot at making the big league club as a utility infielder. Let 2012 be a year where baseball forces NYU to the backburner all summer long.
Andrew Carignan - RHP - Six and a third innings in Oakland this past year. Didn't see much of him. Love the K/9 rates from the minors, love the HR/9 rates from the minors, neither of which was seen in Oakland. Let 2012 be a year for him to get it together in Sacramento and maybe he will be in Oakland before long.
Chris Carter - 1B/DH/OF - We have yet to see what he is fully capable of. Nothing left to prove in Sacramento he has looked lost at the plate since arriving in the Show. Let 2012 be the year he puts it all together. No ballpark in the country should be able to contain him.
Ryan Cook - RHP - As a seeming throw-in in the Arizona Cahill trade, in his MLB rookie year he had a great 8.2 K/9. He matched that with an awful 9.4 BB/9. Let 2012 be the year he finds the strikezone.
Collin Cowgill - OF - Coming over with Cook, Cowgill has a chance to break our starting outfield. Long a target of GM Billy Beane he is finally in the Green and Gold. Let 2012 be the year he restores our faith in Beane's man being worth the wait.
Fautino De Los Santos - RHP - Perhaps few other A's were as exciting to watch in 2011. Electrifying stuff like his is always fun to watch and his 11.6 K/9 showed others were wowed too. Let 2012 be the year that that K/9 rate represents the start of something special.
Joey Devine - RHP - With no options left Devine will be on the MLB squad come Opening Day barring injuries. It all went down hill with his sweaty forearm. Let 2012 be the year you find an antiperspirant that works wonders.
Josh Donaldson - C - I wanted Donaldson to be the backup catcher last spring. The path has (sort of) been cleared. He has the versatility to possibly play third as well. Let 2012 be the year he finally gives us some pop off the bench and salvages the Harden trade.
Sean Doolittle - LHP - He has done little. Let 2012 be the year he proves why his 40-man roster spot has been held so dearly.
Pedro Figueroa - LHP - See Sean Doolittle.
Brian Fuentes - LHP - Fuentes is perhaps responsible for the axing of Bob Geren, but there is no common source of anger to eliminate this year. Let 2012 be the year he owns up and tells Melvin he can't pitch to righties. He is a great LOOGY, let it shine.
Graham Godfrey - RHP - One great start against San Francisco a career does not make but our favorite #8 starter perhaps it does. Let 2012 be a year in which he is an insurance policy not needed but with a good payout if necessary.
Kila Ka'aihue - 1B/DH - With one game remaining in the year the A's acquired him from Kansas City. Like Carter he can hit AAA pitching and has nothing left to prove there. Let 2012 be the year that he too puts it all together.
Brandon McCarthy - RHP - Last year he fought for a roster spot in Spring Training. This year he probably is the Opening Day starter. My favorite Oakland Athletic. Let 2012 be a year of more banter and analysis on Twitter.
Tom Milone - LHP - Welcome to the A's, sorry. For the first time in history being traded out of Washington doesn't come with a bump up in the standings. Milone's walk rate is exciting. Can he be a slop throwing lefty for us like Braden? Can he out homer some of our position players? Let 2012 be a year where he seizes that 5th starter spot and astounds us with his control.
Jermaine Mitchell - OF - Has yet to break the bigs and is not getting any younger (he will be 27 on Opening Day). Let 2012 see him be our own personal Nelson Cruz or Michael Morse.
Guillermo Moscoso - RHP - I want to love Moscoso. I love his moxy. He seems angry and bitter and I love that in pitchers. But his ERA/FIP/xFIP splits (3.38/4.23/5.02) made last year's success seem so lucky. Let 2012 be the year he learns to induce a groundball or two.
Jordan Norberto - LHP - See Ryan Cook and replace Cahill with Ziegler.
Derek Norris - C - Got to love his OBP (.403 career in MiLB), can't love the batting average (.249). With 38 steals in 431 games he has some sort of speed. Let 2012 be the year that he legs out some infield hits and doesn't strike out so much.
Josh Outman - LHP - Like Blevins he has ground a new set of tracks into I-80 between Oakland and Sacramento. Let 2012 be the year he sticks with his stirrups held high.
Jarrod Parker - RHP - Acquired from Arizona this December, Parker has the potential to be a game changer. Let 2012 be a year when he firmly marches on the path to being a one day ace.
Brad Peacock - RHP - Acquired from Washington recently, Peacock is another pitcher who could be a key piece of contending teams in the future. Let 2012 be a year in which he like Parker keeps moving forward.
Cliff Pennington - SS - Pennington is a great fielder. He has a rocket arm. Let 2012 be the year we see the rocket reign in its power and reduce the throwing errors from the 25 we've seen the past two seasons.
Anthony Recker - C - While I want Donaldson to get a shot at the backup gig, Recker has played for so long he deserves a go too. Let 2012 be a year when the Spring Training competition's winner is a tough choice.
Josh Reddick - OF - I didn't like the trade that brought him here and am sad to see both Bailey and Sweeney go. Let 2012 be a year where he proves to us he isn't just Sweeney-plus but a bonafide starting outfielder who we can build an offense with.
Adam Rosales - UT - Rosie had a dreadful 2011. At -1.0 WAR he was the least valuable Athletic. Let 2012 be a year when we see more of the fastest home run trot in baseball.
Tyson Ross - RHP - Ross pitched well, got injured and it all fell apart. An Oakland native and Cal alum, we want him to succeed. Let 2012 be the year he learns to fix his mechanics so that every throw does worry us it'll be his last.
Scott Sizemore - 3B - The best move of 2011 was getting Sizemore for Purcey and his size 57 shoes. Let 2012 be a year where he continues his amazing learning curve at third base, and where his wife Brooke can see only plaudits of his play when she logs onto Twitter.
Eric Sogard - IF - Sogard's 2011 campaign was nothing to write home about - not that many A's had such a year. Let 2012 be a year when he can prove small size doesn't mean a small skillset.
Kurt Suzuki - C - Zuk's offensive numbers have fallen, many of us (or at least I) feel he can be so much better than he has been. Let 2012 be the year that he gets a day off or two!
Michael Taylor - OF - Finally making the show last year, Taylor has had his struggles. Let 2012 be a year where a Stanford degree can be just "a backup plan".
Neil Wagner - RHP - A New Year's baby. Wagner turns 28 this year. While a 25-man spot is far from a certainty his continual low FIPs in MiLB bode well for him. Let 2012 be a year he finally gets a long look with the big league club.
Jemile Weeks - 2B - No one expected his 2011. If they did, they didn't expect it to happen in 2011. A much needed jolt of excitement at a particularly dreary time to be an A's fan. Let 2012 be a year when he slides early so he can keep his fingers and a good CS% intact.
