FanPost

Kyrbyr's First 2016-17 Offseason Plan

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

First off - I believe in a lot of our rookies, and that impacts the the plans below.

Healy could be a right-handed Freddie Freeman.

I think Jharel Cotton is a real #2 starter in a rotation, and Mengden can hold down the #4.

I think Joey Wendle will be Sogard's 150th percentile and remind us how great Mark Ellis was.

Bruce Maxwell will be better than Vogt.

Montas will make a splash in 2017, either in the rotation or as a power reliever.

Either Baretto or Chapman makes the team out of spring training.

There is a core being built here, and it's time to supplement it. If we make some careful trades in a seller's market, we can set this team up for a guaranteed run in 2018, and a strong chance at a wild-card run in 2017 without sacrificing too much of the future. We've got a good(!) farm system for the first time in a while, and I don't intend to rip it apart.

Trade 1: Kendall Graveman + Danny Valencia + Bobby Wahl for Marcell Ozuna

With Miami looking for pitching, Graveman becomes an interesting potential fit for them. Graveman is a desirable ground-ball pitcher who can easily be classified as a #3 with lots of team control - something the Marlins would love to have right now. Valencia takes Ozuna's role in the outfield, as well as being a Miami native returning home. He could potentially be joined by native Miamian Yonder Alonso as well, as the A's should non-tender Alonso's GIDP butt. Wahl is a 40-man bubble guy, and would likely have better chances in Miami than Oakland to begin with - just a mild sweetener.

In return for Graveman, Wahl and Valencia, the A's get Marcell Ozuna - a young slugging outfielder who was on the rocks with Marlins management in 2015. Ozuna has stable stats for his time in the majors, and is coming off an All-Star 2016 season where he hit .266 with 23 dongs. Ozuna has been playing CF in Miami, but would move to RF in Oakland. Dude has tons of potential but doesn't seem like he can fully materialize it in Miami, and is an excellent change of scenery candidate.

Trade 2: Stephen Vogt and Grant Holmes for Ender Inciarte

I know Vogt is billed as the heart and soul of the Athletics - but which ones? The 2017 A's will be an entirely new animal, and can build their own social relationships without being told who is the boss. Atlanta has been repeatedly linked to Brian McCann in the trade mill, but that's not the best move for Atlanta, who wants to add a lefty catcher with a bat.

Hey, we have one of those! And they have a speedy, LHH CF who could bat leadoff for us! Sweeten the deal with a top-100 prospect who likely has no chance of ever making an Oakland roster anyway (Holmes is a trade chip, pure and simple) and the A's could have Inciarte en fuego in center.

I shouldn't have to pitch Inciarte to you, he's so good a fit it's laughable. This trade makes so much sense I expect it done before November ends.

Sign: Bartolo Colon, 1 year $10MM + team option for 1 year, $8MM

Big Bart is exactly what our pitching staff needs - a veteran innings eater oozing with experience. I can see Cotton and Mengden in particular learning quite a bit from Bartolo, if we bring him back. Colon is coming of a 2/20 contract, so 1/10 makes sense as a starting point.

RA Dickey for 1/10 would also be intriguing, if Maxwell or Phegley could competently handle a knuckler.

Sign: Eric Thames, 2 years, $16MM with two team options for $10MM and $12MM respectively

Thames has torn up Korea. I have already advocated for Oakland signing Kang two years ago and Kim last year - and both have proved that the KBO is not the garbage league it was once assumed to be. Eric Thames is a San Jose native whose left-handed bat has been the talk of Korea, and Thames has put up some truly impressive numbers there. Now he's an unrestricted free agent, and let's bring him home. Thames could split time between LF and 1B, much the same as a Brandon Moss reunion that some are clamoring for. He would be able to potentially slot into the #3 slot vs RHP as well, the biggest opening on the 2017 A's roster.


Extend: Khris Davis, 4 years

Extend: Marcus Semien, 4 years

Let's do it. Both seem to love playing in Oakland and are premium players at their positions that might see large spikes in arbitration raises. Locking them down is a good decision, and now is a good time to do it, with few future financial obligations.

Starting Rotation

Gray

Manaea

Colon

Cotton

Mengden

Triggs (swingman)

Bassitt (?), Alcantara, Gossett, Neal

Bullpen

Doolittle

Madson

Dull

Hendriks

Axford

Coloumbe

Triggs

Montas, T. Healy, Brazier, Kurcz

Lineup vs RHP

(L) Inciarte, CF

(R) Ozuna, RF

(L) Thames, LF

(R) K. Davis, DH

(R) Healy 3B

(L) Olson, 1B

(R) Semien, SS

(L) Maxwell, C

(L) Wendle, 2B

Bench

Lowrie, Canha, Phegley, Eibner

Lineup vs LHP

(L) Inciarte, CF

(R) Semien, SS

(R) Ozuna, RF

(R) K. Davis, DH

(R) Healy, 1B

(R) Canha, LF

(S) Lowrie, 3B

(R) Phegley, C

(L) Wendle, 2B

Bench

Thames, Olson, Maxwell, Eibner

Hand the kids the reins, but bring them in some backup first and this team could actually win some games next year.