A's Unique Situation Entering 2024
When the offseason began, people around baseball were excited because 29 teams were actively trying to win heading into 2024. The one team that was not included as a potential contender in those conversations was the Oakland A's. You could also argue that the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies aren't on that list, but still, that's a lot of teams making moves to get better.
While relocation looms over everything the team does now, even attempting to attract free agents on multi-year deals, this does potentially present an opportunity for the A's heading into the 2024 season.
While most teams will be attempting to collect wins and push for a postseason berth, the A's don't have such plans. They lost 112 games last year and missed out on Shohei Ohtani in free agency. If they went 72-90 that would be a huge improvement, worthy of celebration. It still wouldn't land them a spot in the postseason.
There are only so many players that can be signed, and only so many that could be traded that could be big-time difference makers like Juan Soto heading to the New York Yankees. We'll see Yoshinobu Yamamoto sign before long, and then Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery. We may even see Dylan Cease and/or Corbin Burnes moved. But there will still be teams that are looking to build up their depth to get through a full regular season.
That's where the A's come in.
Oakland may not have the most coveted players up and down the roster, but they have certain players that could represent upgrades for teams with hope heading into 2024. Brent Rooker hit 30 home runs last year and is projected for another 26 in 2024. Ryan Noda is an on-base machine and is projected to finish with a 108 wRC+.
There's also Paul Blackburn, who is a solid league average pitcher that can provide innings, and Seth Brown, who can hit right-handers and provide some pop off the bench. You have to imagine that the A's would even listen on someone like Shea Langeliers, who was the centerpiece of the Matt Olson trade with Atlanta.
The reason that the front office is free to do pretty much anything right now (aside from add to the payroll) is because they don't have to build for the next year or two. They're looking at 2028 when the ballpark in Las Vegas is expected to open. They don't have to worry about appeasing the fans in Oakland, because not many are expected to show up in what could be their final season in the East Bay.
If you don't have to worry about backlash, and you don't have to worry about the moves paying off immediately, that means that you can take more chances in these deals. Trade for pitchers with high velocity and command issues and hope that your coaching staff can turn them around in the next couple of seasons. Take a player that has some swing and miss in his game and work on that approach because his other tools are undeniable.
I don't have any inside information on what the team is thinking, but with the situation in Oakland being what it is, it's hard to imagine that the A's would hold any player terribly closely if they thought the return could be more beneficial to the club in a few years.
The team isn't going to improve enough to be out of the running for a lottery pick in 2025, so they're likely to end up picking 10th regardless of how good or bad the team performs next season thanks to back-to-back lottery picks in 2023-24. While that's certainly not the way you'd draw it up, it would be wise to take advantage of the situation, too.
General Manager David Forst said at the GM Meetings that the team doesn't plan to trade either Blackburn or Brown, but things change. Offers change. Situations change. If a team suffers an injury in the rotation and Blackburn could fit that spot, you have to think that Forst would consider it.
Langeliers had a solid rookie season and really turned it on offensively during the final two months. While it wouldn't be great to lose him in the short term, the next couple of years don't matter right now. Moving Shea and giving Tyler Soderstrom regular time to work behind the dish could end up being beneficial to the 2028 A's. Langeliers will be in his final year of arbitration in 2028, so it would also be a way for ownership to keep the payroll down for their planned Vegas debut.
A's fans have been through a lot, and at this point in their fandom, trading away any player with a little bit of value wouldn't be surprising. With the team planning to leave town, it wouldn't hurt as much either.