The first big move of the offseason for the Athletics was trading for Jed Lowrie on the eve of Thanksgiving. The Astros received a right handed pitching prospect in return, as no tears were shed since Houston is very comfortable knowing that Carlos Correa will hold down fort at shortstop for years. But, the return of Lowrie wasn’t all, as just a couple days ago, the A’s and Padres agreed on a deal that sent Yonder Alonso (along side a major league reliever) on his way north in exchange for lefty Drew Pomeranz, and a minor leaguer. With these two moves, Billy Beane now secures a pretty solid infield for the A’s; a great start to the Winter.
Before joining the A’s in 2013 as the primary shortstop, Lowrie hardly played more than 88 games each season between the Astros and Red Sox. However, in his first stint with Oakland between 2013-2014, he averaged to hit .271 in 145 games with 150 hits, while scoring 70 runs and producing decent power with a slugging percentage of around .410. He also had an average glove, possessing a range factor at or slightly below league average and occasionally raising his runs saved number up to 8 or so. For a guy who will be heading into his final year of a 2-year deal making roughly $7 million in 2016, he is well worth it, as Lowrie is known to be a leader in the clubhouse. With the A’s announcing to the media multiple times, Marcus Semien will remain the shortstop, as his bat was a major contributor to the 2015 Oakland offense. Jed Lowrie will most likely be placed at 2nd or 3rd depending on where Brett Lawrie will be put. Aside from short, 3rd, and 2nd, first base is now filled as well.
Way back the Padres traded Anthony Rizzo for Yonder Alonso. Years later, Rizzo is a superstar and Alonso is yet to find his footing at 1st base. However, maybe a change of scenery will help Alonso live up to the previous hype when he was rated in the top 50 prospects. Other than his only full season (155 games) back in 2012, Alonso has only appeared in 100+ games once. With the fairly small sample size, Yonder has had many good moments, but some that has left many scouts scratching their heads. In 2012 when Alonso played in 155 games for the Friars, he batted .273 with 39 doubles, and played above average defense at first base producing a range factor of 9.63 (league average was 9.29). On a team with a poor offense, it was a good year for the youngster, but the Padres wouldn’t get another big sample size until this past season when he played in 103 games. Again, in 2015, as like 2012, he showed great upside, as he batted .282, and showed another talent not seen much of before, as he walked 42 times, while only striking out in 48 at bats, showing decent plate discipline. Moving to the AL West where he will for sure be the opening day 1st baseman in an A’s jersey, Yonder Alonso just needs to stay healthy, as he could benefit from a more heavy hitting American League.
With the hope of healthy seasons for their two newly acquired starters, the A’s now have a good solution at every spot on the field. Despite committing over 20 errors at short in 2015, Marcus Semien showed some good pop with the bat (15 homers, .405 slugging percentage), which has convinced Billy Beane and Bob Melvin to keep him at short. After hitting .260 with 29 doubles, while collecting 212 total bases, it is decided that Brett Lawrie will play 2nd base after producing a range factor above average in 42 games over there. At catcher, Stephen Vogt was named to the all-star team and ended the year with 18 homers and 71 RBI’s. Coco Crisp and Josh Reddick have been solid outfielders for the squad for years. Lastly, center field may had been the brightest spot on the Oakland roster in 2015, as Billy Burns finished 5th in the AL ROTY Award voting after hitting .294 in 125 games. The A’s were thought of to rebuild for the next few years, but after acquiring Alonso and Lowrie, that may not be true. If Billy Beane were to add some key under the radar bullpen pieces along with support in the rotation under Sonny Gray, the A’s could be looking at 85+ wins in 2016.
