The consensus opinion is that the Oakland Athletics will have a
better offense than a year ago. How much better? That should tell
the story on whether Oakland is a true postseason contender, as its
pitching staff is considered one of the tops in the American
League.
PHOENIX
The consensus opinion is that the Oakland Athletics will have a better offense than a year ago.
How much better?
That should tell the story on whether Oakland is a true postseason contender, as its pitching staff is considered one of the tops in the American League.
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With a revamped heart of the order thanks to newcomers Hideki Matsui, David DeJesus and Josh Willingham, the Athletics indeed look more potent on paper.
But many around the game still believe they lack a true power hitter. Will the A’s look for another bat as the regular season unfolds? Chances are they’ll see how their current squad performs for an extended period before pulling the trigger on anything.
“If you look around the league now, there’s not a lot of teams that have a ton of power,” veteran second baseman Mark Ellis said. “I know we’re probably close to the bottom in home runs, but it’s not like it used to be. It’s not just ‘slug ball’ out there.
“You do what you can to find a way to score runs, and I think we’ve got guys here now who are going to have productive at-bats.”
The A’s attempted to sign free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre, who had 49 doubles, 28 homers and drove in 102 runs last season for the Boston Red Sox. But he chose the Texas Rangers instead.
The A’s wound up landing Matsui, who hit 21 homers with 84 RBIs last season. At age 36, he may not be the home run threat he once was, and his .274 average tied for the lowest of his eight-year, big-league career.
Willingham, who cranked a three-run homer in Thursday’s 11-9 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, has failed to reach 400 at-bats in two of the past three seasons, missing chunks of time with knee and back injuries.
DeJesus has a .289 career average but only 61 homers in seven big-league seasons. But he’ll likely bat third out of necessity.
“I think Matsui provides that clutch (hitter presence),” said a major league scout who requested anonymity. “But you also need a guy that can go out of the yard at any time and with one swing of the bat can win a game. I’m not sure they have that guy. I think that’s an issue.”
The A’s believe they’ve upgraded with hitters who can clear the bases in RBI situations even if they don’t clear the fences. Their 109 homers in 2010 ranked second-to-last in the AL, but their .241 average with runners in scoring position was just as glaring.
The team issued a press release that subtracted the 2010 statistics of players no longer with the team and replaced them with the stats of players they’ve added, showing where the A’s would have ranked in several AL categories with those players.
They would have placed 10th in slugging percentage instead of 13th (.396 compared to .378), and their on-base percentage (.339 to .324) would have tied for third instead of ninth.
It’s difficult to say how many wins such improvements might equate to.
Were the A’s to shop for hitters, they have a surplus of relievers that they could package in a trade. But general manager Billy Beane said he’s not inclined to break up his bullpen depth, particularly after injuries decimated the roster in recent seasons.
“We know as well as anybody the attrition that comes with the season,” Beane said. “The fact that we spent a lot of effort and capital (on relievers), we want to not get rid of it because we may need it.”
— Story by Joe Stiglich, Contra Costa Times
