The Weekly Bernie, 1/30/17: New Oakland A’s stadium on the horizon as 2017 roster shapes up

Welcome back to The Weekly Bernie! It’s the best dance in the game, so let’s get rolling once more!

• The Athletics’ roster has started to take shape. On Wednesday morning, the team announced that they have signed infielder Adam Rosales to a one-year deal, worth $1.25 million. To make room, lefty Dillon Overton was designated for assignment, and on Thursday he was dealt to the Seattle Mariners for minor league catcher Jason Goldstein.
• In addition, outfielder Brett Eibner, who was DFA’d to make room for free agent signee Santiago Casilla, was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor league infielder Jordan Tarsovich.
• While none of these moves are major, I personally am very happy to see Rosie back in Oakland. As our own JosephTDeClercq writes, Rosales (and the A’s other additions) should help improve the A’s defense. Meanwhile, Tarsovich and Goldstein are nowhere near marquee prospects, but could turn into bench players one day, and I don’t think the A’s will miss either Eibner or Overton all that much.
• The A’s annual FanFest event took place in Jack London Square on Saturday, and perhaps the most significant takeaway was new team president Dave Kaval’s promise to announce new stadium plans and construction timelines at some point in 2017. This is more than welcome for a fanbase that has been waiting years and years for actual plans and news regarding the new stadium. For more from FanFest and Kaval specifically, check out Nico’s write-up. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle also covered all of the goings-on quite nicely, so check out her articles on FanFest and new third baseman Trevor Plouffe as well.
• Old friend Brandon Moss has finally found a home, signing a two-year, $12 million contract with the Kansas City Royals, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. Moss, a power hitter who broke out with Oakland in the second half of 2012, hasn’t quite been the same since his mid-2014 hip injury. However, he is still a consistent left-handed power threat that should add some thump to a lackluster Kansas City lineup.
• The Colorado Rockies have reached an agreement with righty Greg Holland on a one-year, $6 million contract with a conditional option for 2018. Holland, when healthy, was one of the best closers in the game, posting a career 2.42 ERA and 12.11 K/9. However, his future remains uncertain after Tommy John Surgery in late 2015. If he’s back to his pre-surgery form, signing Holland to such a cheap contract could be the steal of the offseason.
• The Dodgers finally got their second baseman, acquiring Logan Forsythe from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for top pitching prospect Jose De Leon. Over the past two years, Forsythe has been one of the most underrated players in the game, clubbing 37 home runs and posting a combined 6.8 fWAR thanks to average defense and a complete offensive game. He will provide consistency in the leadoff spot for the Dodgers. He wasn’t cheap, though — De Leon is a highly regarded prospect. While the 24-year-old has yet to throw more than 120 innings in a season, he has front-end potential and has absolutely dominated the minor leagues. He should be a very good piece for the Rays for years to come.

Bernie’s Weekly Deal: Find a way to hang onto Raul Alcantara

This isn’t necessarily a “deal,” but I think this should be the A’s next focus regarding the roster. While I don’t mind losing players like Eibner (old) and Overton (bad), I think Raul Alcantara is too talented to lose just because of a roster crunch. He is out of options but should not just be DFA’d and traded for peanuts. He is too talented for that, and should at least start the year in the Major League bullpen.

While Overton might have had more success than Alcantara in the minors, Alcantara has better, more tangible stuff thanks to his higher velocity. Overton could possibly turn into a Buerhle or Keuchel, but the odds are very much against that, and I’d say it is much more likely that Alcantara turns into a major league arm. His is the type of arm that the rebuilding A’s need to take a chance on, and I will be very disappointed if he is lost on waivers just to make room for a boring veteran arm like John Axford.

What to expect this week:

We’re almost at that time of year when solid veterans are forced to settle for minor league deals. Possible candidates for this include Adam Lind, Aaron Hill, Desmond Jennings, Franklin Gutierrez, and even Pedro Alvarez, who just posted a 117 wRC+. I wouldn’t mind if the A’s took a flier on any of those guys. Relievers like Joe Blanton and Boone Logan could also sign soon, as well as first baseman Mike Napoli.

That’s all for this week. Feel free to dump any links in the comments below. Until next time - lean on, A’s fans!