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Two Truths, One Lie – Athletics Edition
Moneyball is in full swing at the defunct Oakland Alameda Stadium. Over the past three years, we've seen all the proven talent shipped out for prospects. Marcus Semien, Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, Sean Manea, Chris Bassitt, and the list continues. Seth Brown, Ramon Laureano, and Tony Kemp are probably the next wave of veterans leaving Oakland at the trade deadline. Unfortunately, this team has few surprises; they are who we thought they were.
Truth #1: The projections were right
The Athletics were always destined for the cellar of a competitive AL West. Every other team made moves to augment their rosters, but the A's stood pat. The standings reflect this, with Oakland at 5-18 about a month into the season. There are some interesting storylines, such as a roster including eight rookies gobbling up playing time and some players, like Jesus Aguliar (.274/.324/.824) and Brent Rooker (.333/.441/.1.170), trying to gain stream on their stalled careers.
Brent Rooker gets the scoring started for the A's 💪
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 25, 2023
📺 FS1 pic.twitter.com/CRpwlL225E
Regardless, the talent gap between the A's and the rest of the division is massive and will continue to be that way until the Vegas money comes into the A's bank account.
Truth #2: The A's are finally moving
The media and fans have complained about the Oakland Athletics experience for the past few years. There are stories about the terrible clubhouses equipped with annual flooding. How about numerous issues in the upper bowl with patrons partaking in more than just baseball? After years of speculation, the A's follow the Raiders to Las Vegas.
The Oakland Athletics look like they're moving to Las Vegas, so I went down and took some photos of the land to see what it is like. It's an awesome location near T-Mobile Arena. Photos along with details about the land purchase and future of the A's:https://t.co/bJ1cZVJPQJ
— Chris Gray (@ChrisGraySR) April 22, 2023
While the move isn't slated until 2027, the A's focus is on keeping any talent they have in the building. Why? They aren't going to want to field an AAAA team in that multi-billion-dollar stadium on the Sunset Strip.
Lie #1: Shea Langeliers is the Catcher of the Future
The jewel of the Matt Olson trade with Atlanta, Shea Langeliers, was supposed to solidify the backstop position for the franchise. Scouts heralded him as a middle-of-the-order bat at a premium position.
Tyler Soderstrom has a 107.8 mph 90th percentile EV(103 is the MLB average right now) with an 87.3% zone contact rate. He chases a bit, but the bat will play well in fantasy even if he moves to 1B.pic.twitter.com/xUhyaFZa8J
— Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) April 24, 2023
One year in, he needs to live up to the hype. The slash line is anemic (.217/.289/.420), and the defense is tanking (14 WP, 4 ER). It would be one thing if he provided solid defense while the bat catches up (a la Cal Raleigh 2020-2022). Unfortunately, for the A's, the 25-year-old is a case of "He's all we got." The backups are pushing into their mid-thirties (Manny Pina, Carlos Perez). Their top prospect, Tyler Soderstrom, will likely arrive this year using a 60-power tool to push Langeliers into part-time duty.
The A's are who we thought they were - a hodgepodge of youngsters (Conner Capel, Langeliers), reclamation projects (Aguilar, Rooker), and veterans (Almadeys Diaz, Tony Kemp). Put everything together, and you have a once-competitive team fighting the Angels for cellar-dweller status. Sad days in Oakland, but something tells me they'll hit the jackpot soon.