Elephant Rumblings: A’s free agent starters unlikely to return

A’s Coverage:

• Gallegos: A’s reflect on ‘bittersweet end to the story’...
• Slusser: A’s unlikely to have room for free-agent starters Anderson, Bailey, Roark... ($)
• Slusser: A’s see bright future, have much motivation after wild-card loss... ($)
• Lombardi: ‘I don’t want to play in any more wild-card games’ - The A’s look back on 2019 and to the promise of 2020... ($$$)
• Killion: A’s wake up from recurring October nightmare selling the future, again... ($)
• Posnanski: Billy Beane vs. Nietzsche, and the luck that would not turn in Oakland... ($$$)
• Brown: After the A’s bats go silent in an elimination loss, Matt Chapman says: ‘I’m sorry to our fans that we let them down’... ($$$)
• Kawakami: It was another bitter loss, but this is not the end of an A’s era, it’s actually barely the beginning... ($$$)
• Slusser: A’s expect Khris Davis to bounce back strong after tough season... ($)

Best of AN:

• Nico: Blogfather’s POV - Melvin, FO Made Good Calls And Got Bad Result...

MLB News:

• Rogers: ‘We got what you need’ - Clutch Cardinals claim Game 1 over Braves...
• Gurnick: Buehler, Dodgers overwhelm Nationals...
• Puma: Mets fire Mickey Callaway...
• Rome: Astros unsure if they can re-sign ace Gerrit Cole...
• O’Brien: Braves righty Chris Martin to miss postseason with strained oblique...
• Moura: Rookie Dodgers outfielder Alex Verdugo (oblique) unlikely to return for postseason...

Baseball Interest Stories:

• Laurila: Nelson Cruz Talks Hitting...
• Tusa: Nine Shortstops in a Field of Dreams...
• Glanville: On Trent Grisham’s misplay, and the calculations players must make... ($$$)
• Lindbergh: How Ronald Acuña Jr. and the Braves’ Young Stars Saved an Endangered Rebuild...
• Edwards: Postseason Players Missing a Ring in 2019...
• The Athletic Staff: Roundtable reaction - Mickey Callaway is out. Where the Mets might turn to find his successor... ($$$)

Today in Baseball History:

• 2002 — The Oakland Athletics hit four home runs as pitcher Barry Zito leads his club to a 6 - 3 win over the Minnesota Twins. Oakland has a two games to one lead in their ALDS. Ray Durham hits an inside-the-park home run to open the game. Scott Hatteberg, Jermaine Dye and Terrence Long also homer for Oakland.
• 2015 — Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers becomes the first pitcher since teammates Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson in 2002 to strike out 300 batters in a season. He picks up 7 K’s in an abbreviated start against the Padres to finish with 301.

Best of Twitter:

• I’d love to see Super Sam latch on somewhere...

• Historically bad...

• If you’ve recovered from the Wild Card Game, Friday is going to be an excellent day full of baseball...