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bernie_till_i_die's Offseason Plan!

The goal here is to build a club that will be a force to be reckoned with by 2017, while also giving the team a chance at contention in 2016. Keep in mind that this is just one of many, many ways I would like this offseason to go. That being said, let's get started!

bernie_till_i_die's Offseason Plan

Arbitration-eligible (with projected salaries from MLBTR):

Write "tender" or "non-tender" after each of the following names (note: you can trade before or after tendering a contract):

  • Ike Davis, $3.8MM - non-tender
  • Sam Fuld, $2.0MM - non-tender
  • Jesse Chavez, $4.7MM - tender
  • Josh Reddick, $7.0MM - tender and extend (4/$60 beginning 2017 - self-explanatory)
  • Craig Gentry, $1.6MM - non-tender
  • Danny Valencia, $3.4MM - tender
  • Fernando Abad, $1.5MM - tender
  • Eric Sogard, $1.7MM - tender
  • Brett Lawrie, $3.9MM - tender
  • Felix Doubront, $2.5MM - non-tender
  • Fernando Rodriguez, $1.3MM - tender
  • Jarrod Parker, $850K - tender
  • A.J. Griffin, $508K (league minimum) - tender
  • Evan Scribner, $700K - tender

Explain the toughest calls if necessary: I'm just trying to open up as much salary space as I can. Davis, Fuld, and Doubront are easy cuts. Gentry has not looked the same since his concussion and I doubt he ever will be the same. I elected to keep Sogard as no back-up infielders will be cheaper. However, I am not in favor of giving him more than 200 ABs. I chose to hang onto Parker, Griffin, and Scribner since each has upside and costs very little.

Impending free agents (re-sign, let go, or qualifying offer?):

  • Edward Mujica: Made $4.75MM in 2015 - Remember when we all thought he could actually be a decent waiver pick-up? Yeah, me neither. Goodbye.

Free agents

No. 1: Ian Desmond (3 years, $48 million) or Asdrubal Cabrera (2 years, $18 million). This one is contingent on whether Desmond receives a qualifying offer. If he does, he is in no way worth the draft pick, and I would opt for the cheaper Cabrera. Cabrera is nothing special, but has somewhat consistently been a league average player (roughly 2 WAR). If Desmond isn't stuck with the qualifying offer, however, he would certainly be worth grabbing. Even in his worst season since 2012, he was worth almost 2 WAR, and still has 4 WAR upside. If necessary for him to sign, an option or even another guaranteed year could be added.

No. 2: Ah-Seop Son (4 years, $20 million plus $6 million posting fee). Son is a wild card. The 28 year-old lefty-hitting outfielder has posted great contact and discipline numbers in the mysterious KBO while also showing some pop and speed. He could be a great bargain as a player similar to Michael Brantley, but would even be a steal if he turned out to be 2015 Brett Gardner. Obviously players come from the KBO with a great deal of risk, but this one might be worth taking.

No. 3: Bartolo Colon (1 year, $6 million). Ahh, good ol' Bartolo. Bart would be a great veteran presence to help mentor a young staff while also eating some innings at the back end of the rotation. I hate to take him out of the NL, but interleague games will still be a blast. The control freak and fan favorite will retire an Athletic. Or maybe he'll pitch until he's 50. One of the two.

No. 4 Jarrod Saltalalalalalamacchia (1 year, $6 million with a $6 million club option). Saltalamacchia was actually pretty good in a half-season's worth of work with the Diamondbacks. There, he posted a 116 wRC+ and 1.1 fWAR in only 70 games. The switch-hitter allows Stephen Vogt to move to DH full time as the A's return to their old three-catcher ways.

No. 4: Mark Lowe (1 year, $4 million with a $4 million club option). Lowe enjoyed a breakout 2015 at the age of 32. He threw harder than he ever has and ended up with a 1.96 ERA (2.57 FIP). The righty would be a welcome addition to a shaky Oakland bullpen.

No. 5: Cliff Pennington (minor league deal). Penny! Pennington provides for some solid minor league depth in the infield with a slick glove.

No. 6: Dominic Brown (minor league deal). Worth a minor league flier.

Trades (or player releases)

Brett Lawrie, Renato Nunez, and Raul Alcantara to the Atlanta Braves for Julio Teheran and Daniel Winkler. The Braves, having moved Hector Olivera into the outfield, are in dire need of a third baseman. Prospect Rio Ruiz is still more than a year away after a disappointing 2015, and the organization is deprived of any other options. Enter Brett Lawrie. Lawrie is a sparkplug, and has all of the talent in the world, with some notable flaws. He would be an interesting, high-upside project for the rebuilding Braves to take on. They'd also receive high-ceiling infielder Renato Nunez and the recovering Raul Alcantara. In exchange, Oakland would receive 24 year-old right-hander Julio Teheran. Teheran struggled in 2015, but was great the two seasons prior and is signed to a very team-friendly contract. He would be a good buy-low option as a high-upside starter with control. Winkler, 25, is also right-handed, and has posted good numbers in the minors despite mediocre stuff and velocity. Seems like the perfect "A's" guy to me.

Jesse Chavez and Sean Nolin to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Pedro Baez and Jharel Cotton. Los Angeles seems to like Chavez, and I love Baez. Chavez would be a viable third or fourth starter behind whichever top-flight free agents the Dodgers elect to pick up. Nolin would be nice rotational depth as well. Baez, 27, was great in 2015, throwing to a 3.35 ERA (2.51 FIP) out of the bullpen. The righty hits 96 MPH with ease, and had great strikeout and walk rates. He would be one of the hardest throwers for Oakland in recent history, and would be a fantastic set-up man. Cotton has long been an AN favorite, so I won't go into detail on him, but he could be very good.

Dump Billy Butler, either for some no-name minor leaguer or just flat-out release him. Don't get me wrong - I believe Butler can and will bounce back, to some extent. However, he doesn't fit the roster as constructed. I would rather let Canha and Vogt rotate between first base and DH. Salty should be a defensive upgrade over Vogt and hopefully an offensive upgrade over Butler, so Butler is unnecessary and harmful to the roster's construction.

Summary

The A's could very well be competitive in 2016 with this roster, and if not, I am confident they will be in 2017 once players like Matt Olson, Chad Pinder, and Sean Manaea reach the big leagues. The major league roster has been tremendously upgraded and the only real loss to the minor league system was Nunez, who is very good, but somewhat expendable among the A's right-handed infield bats like Canha, Valencia, Ravelo, and Champan. The only contract that could really go albatross is Ian Desmond's, and I doubt $16 million will really be killing the team. This team isn't anything flashy, but is solid all around, and could be very successful.

Let me know what you think of my transactions, and if you think the Desmond/Teheran moves are realistic.

And now, I will steal Jeremy's fantastic chart for my own uses. Muahahahaha.

vs. LHP vs. RHP Rotation Rest of 40-man Other AAA prospects
C Josh Phegley Jarrod Saltalamacchia SP1 Sonny Gray SP6 Kendall Graveman 1B/LF Matt Olson
1B Mark Canha Mark Canha SP2 Julio Teheran SP7 Jarrod Parker 2B/SS Chad Pinder
2B Marcus Semien Marcus Semien SP3 Jesse Hahn SP8 A.J. Giffin OF Jaycob Brugman
3B Danny Valencia Danny Valencia SP4 Chris Bassitt SP9 Aaron Brooks 3B/1B Ryon Healy
SS Ian Desmond or Asdrubal Cabrera Ian Desmond or Asdrubal Cabrera SP5 Bartolo Colon SP10 Daniel Winkler SP Sean Manaea
LF Jake Smolinski Ah-Seop Son Bullpen RP8 Evan Scribner SP Dillon Overton
CF Billy Burns Billy Burns RP1 Sean Doolittle RP9 Daniel Coulombe
RF Josh Reddick Josh Reddick RP2 Drew Pomeranz RP10 Dan Otero
DH Rangel Ravelo Stephen Vogt RP3 Pedro Baez RP11 R.J. Alvarez
Bench RP4 Fernando Rodriguez Util Tyler Ladendorf
BN1 Stephen Vogt Josh Phegley RP5 Mark Lowe 2B Joey Wendle
BN2 Ah-Seop Son Jake Smolinski RP6 Fernando Abad Util Cliff Pennington
BN3 Coco Crisp Coco Crisp RP7 Ryan Dull OF Dominic Brown
BN4 Eric Sogard Eric Sogard C Carson Blair
INF Max Muncy