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You're the GM of the Oakland Athletics

By YonYonson

So Billy Beane finally got frustrated and decided to manage an English Premier League team.*

He left you in charge. Good luck.

Do well, and George Clooney will portray you in Moneyball II.

Do poorly and you'll have to explain to your kids why you're working at Dick's Sporting Goods.

You can do anything you want, really, except for reverse trades or add more than $3 million in payroll this season. No, I don't think Prince Fielder will sign a $3 million contract. Feel that Brian Fuentes is more useful serving garlic fries than pitching in the bullpen? You can make that decision, just be mindful of options.

Put together a 25-man Opening Day roster, and since Billy Beane would've done it anyway, lineups.

*No, not really. Just go along with it.

A's 40-man roster (well, 41 with newly-signed Jonny Gomes):

Oakland Athletics Roster

pitchers # Pos. DOB W H B T
Brett Anderson 49 P 2.1.88 235 6-4 L L
Grant Balfour 50 P 12.30.77 195 6-2 R R
Jerry Blevins 13 P 9.6.83 175 6-6 L L
Dallas Braden 51 P 8.13.83 185 6-1 L L
Andrew Carignan 67 P 7.23.86 205 5-11 R R
Bartolo Colon - P 5.24.73 265 5-11 R R
Ryan Cook - P 6.30.87 200 6-3 R R
Fautino De Los Santos 60 P 2.15.86 205 6-0 R R
Joey Devine 33 P 9.19.83 230 6-1 R R
Pedro Figueroa - P 11.23.85 215 6-0 L L
Brian Fuentes 57 P 8.9.75 230 6-4 L L
Graham Godfrey 65 P 8.9.84 215 6-3 R R
Brandon McCarthy 32 P 7.7.83 200 6-7 R R
Tom Milone - P 2.16.87 205 6-1 L L
Jordan Norberto 59 P 12.8.86 195 6-0 L L
Jarrod Parker - P 11.24.88 195 6-1 R R
Brad Peacock - P 2.2.88 175 6-1 R R
Tyson Ross 66 P 4.22.87 225 6-6 R R
Neil Wagner 62 P 1.1.84 195 6-0 R R
catchers # Pos. DOB W H B T
Josh Donaldson 20 C 12.8.85 220 6-0 R R
Derek Norris - C 2.14.89 210 6-0 R R
Anthony Recker 26 C 8.29.83 240 6-2 R R
Kurt Suzuki 8 C 10.4.83 195 5-11 R R
infielders # Pos. DOB W H B T
Brandon Allen 31 1B 2.12.86 235 6-2 L R
Daric Barton 10 1B 8.16.85 205 6-0 L R
Adrian Cardenas 6 2B 10.10.87 205 6-0 L R
Chris Carter 22 1B 12.18.86 230 6-5 R R
Sean Doolittle - 1B 9.26.86 210 6-3 L L
Cliff Pennington 2 SS 6.15.84 215 5-10 B R
Adam Rosales 7 2B 5.20.83 195 6-2 R R
Scott Sizemore 29 2B 1.4.85 185 6-0 R R
Eric Sogard 36 2B 5.22.86 190 5-10 L R
Jemile Weeks 19 2B 1.26.87 170 5-9 B R
outfielders # Pos. DOB W H B T
Collin Cowgill - RF 5.22.86 195 5-9 R L
Coco Crisp 4 CF 11.1.79 185 5-10 B R
Jonny Gomes - LF 11.22.80 225 6-1 R R
Jermaine Mitchell - LF 11.2.84 205 6-0 L L
Josh Reddick - CF 2.19.87 180 6-2 L R
Seth Smith - RF 9.30.82 210 6-3 L L
Michael Taylor 23 RF 12.19.85 260 6-6 R R
designated hitters # Pos. DOB W H B T
Kila Ka`aihue 30 DH 3.29.84 235 6-4 L R

Here's what I would do, assuming Dallas Braden is not healthy enough for Opening Day (I also gleaned some ideas from David Fung):

STARTING PITCHERS

  1. Brandon McCarthy
  2. Bartolo Colon
  3. Tim Wakefield (signed as a FA for $1.5 mil/1 year, trade him or Colon at the deadline to make room for Anderson)
  4. Tom Milone
  5. Tyson Ross (I don't want to start the clocks on Peacock or Parker ... he or Wakefield will go into long relief when Braden is healthy)
RELIEF PITCHERS
  • CL: Grant Balfour
  • SU: Fautino de los Santos
  • SU/LOOGY: Brian Fuentes
  • RP: Joey Devine, Jerry Blevins, Ryan Cook
  • Long relief: Graham Godfrey
LINEUP
  1. Jemile Weeks, 2B
  2. Coco Crisp, CF
  3. Josh Reddick, RF
  4. Seth Smith/Jonny Gomes, LF
  5. Scott Sizemore, 3B
  6. Kurt Suzuki, C
  7. Chris Carter, DH
  8. Daric Barton, 1B
  9. Cliff Pennington, SS
BENCH
Smith/Gomes, Anthony Recker, Adam Rosales, Collin Cowgill

GONE
Michael Taylor (AAA or trade), Kila Ka'aihue (trade or DFA), Brandon Allen (trade ... I love him, but Billy Beane has kinda made a freaking mess of the OF/DH situation and someone has to go), remove Jordan Norberto from 40-man to make room for Wakefield.

What would you do?

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