The balance of power in the AL West has swung heavily in the Angels’ direction after the Halos completed a four-game sweep of the Athletics on Sunday. Los Angeles now own both baseball’s best record (83-53) and a five-game lead over the struggling A’s, who are looking for answers after an 12-17 August. Oakland is still on track to reach the postseason, as they hold a four-game lead in the AL wild card race.
Here’s the latest from around the AL West…
- The A’s will cover $1MM of the roughly $2.3MM remaining on Adam Dunn’s 2014 salary, and ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets that Oakland’s willingness to take on this much of Dunn’s salary was part of the reason why the A’s were able to acquire the slugger. The Giants, Dodgers and at least one other team were also reportedly talking to the White Sox about a Dunn trade.
- Astros manager Bo Porter tells Fangraphs’ David Laurila that his relationship with Houston’s front office “is what he expected coming in,” which seems to counter recent rumors of tension between Porter and GM Jeff Luhnow. “My staff and I take all the information from our baseball ops and use it to the best of our ability. Every last component of that is needed to be successful,” Porter said.
- Also from Laurila’s piece, 37-year-old lefty Joe Beimel not only has no plans to retire, his 12-year career might only be half-over. “I plan on pitching until I’m at least 50….I don’t see any reason I can’t do what Jamie Moyer did,” Beimel said. “He was starting games at 49 years old and getting guys out with 80 mph. I’m not down that low yet and I figure if he could go six, seven innings, I could at least come in and get one or two guys out.” After missing 2012 and 2013 due to Tommy John surgery, Beimel is enjoying a nice comeback year out of the Mariners’ bullpen. The veteran southpaw has a 2.03 ERA, 5.2 K/9 and 1.92 K/BB ratio in 40 innings, and he’s held left-handed batters to only a .480 OPS.
I would say it was probably the fact we got a top 10 prospect in Nolan Sanburn more than saving a couple of hundred thousand. He could be groomed as a closer in AAA next year. He has great stuff. I am surprised as it is uncharacteristic for Oakland to deal so many prospects.
What expectations did Bo Porter have going into the job as Houston Astros Manager?
I am still under the impression despite everything that Bo and Jeff are getting the job done as far as I am concerned. While they have a losing record, playing the Astros is one of the last things I would want to do. They are a tough out.
I agree with you that they are getting the job done, but the media portends that there is a rift here, so there will now be a rift in Houston….
Well, they are better than they’ve been in the past (maybe not even the #1 pick in next year’s draft, thanks to injury tsunamis in Texas and Colorado). But they’re also 4-5 years into a rebuild, with several of their young studs in the big leagues, and they still kind of stink. And they’re a little better this year mostly because of a couple starting pitchers coming out of nowhere, and likely to return to the same place.
This is a team with a huge market and three (is it three? or four?) consecutive top draft picks. Still a bad team and in a very tough division. I think there’s lots of grounds for criticism of management.
3 in a row.
The rift just metastisized, Bo Porter fired!!!!!!!!
The A’s gave up their 12th rated prospect and will pay 1mm of his remaining 2.3mm $ salary for a 1month rental as he is now set to retire at years end. Could possibly be the jolt the A’s need, but somehow I think this was a categoric waste of their prospect and their money….
Dunn retiring doesn’t really affect anything as he wasn’t under contract anyway. The A’s offense is not getting the job done. A million bucks and their 12th best prospect is a small price to pay if the A’s turn things around.
Unless Dunn picks some perfect times to hit his home runs, I don’t think he’s gonna turn things around. Just make some more outs.
It’s still worth a try. People are piling on the A’s like Cespedes and 12th ranked organizational prospects are the strings that will undo the whole franchise.
The A’s being able to turn things around will not hinge on what Adam Dunn done the rest of this year..
I think he fully intends to give the next month all he’s got or else he wouldn’t have announced his retirement. It’s not like he’ll be showered in gifts and video montages.
And if he doesn’t it was still worth a try. What they gave up for him is not a big deal. The money they’ll get as a result of one postseason game more than covers his salary.
Then why not just pay his remaining salary and be done with it??
That’s getting into the specifics of the A’s finances that isn’t even worth speculating on.
What other power bats were really on the market? Dunn isn’t very good, but the alternatives really weren’t great either. The A’s needed a bat, the Sox desperately needed pitching; something the A’s have had no problem developing. I agree, paying the price of Sanburn and cash is pretty hefty for a feast or famine type of player, but the A’s have the 5th best ERA in baseball, hard to see where Sanburn would have fit in their plans.
Even if he just keeps getting lefties out, Beimel will have a useful skill. Here’s hoping he can keep going.
The Angels record is 83-53, you have it down as 83-63.
The end goal of playing in the MLB is to win a World Series. Not to have movies made about you starring Brad Pitt. Kudos to Beane for doing his best to cement his legacy. How much longer can people really praise the A’s for their innovation that hasn’t lead to a single championship in the Moneyball era?
Beane is going for it and it’s not like he’s selling his soul to do it. We’re talking about an outfielder who had a sub .800 OPS and a 12th ranked prospect. Russell hurt, but that’s what you do when you have a legitimate shot. Michael Lewis isn’t going to write another book about the team unless they can get the job done.
I applaud Billy Beane for going for it!! That said I do not expect them to go any farther in the playoffs then have before…
I applaud Billy Beane going for it!!! That said I do not think they will go any farther this year than they have in the past couple of years..
What is wrong with the reply below this and why is it on hold..
Ultimately, championships are what’s memorable, regardless of the appeal of putting up a consistent contender under challenged circumstances. And, unless you are very lucky, you usually have to give to get.
He’s gotten pretty lucky getting what he’s got for cheap. The A’s don’t have a ton of homegrown talent. This year he’s needed to pay the piper a bit and that’s okay.
Matt Garza to be activated today!!! Just announced..
Adam Dunn will be the kiss of death for the A’s playoff hopes. There is a reason such a ‘great’ ‘slugger’ has never played in the post season. Yes, the A’s were fading before the trade, but now they’re ‘Dunn.’
Watch the post trade interview with Dunn. Got a feeling he’ll rake to finish his season and possibly his career.
Many will criticize Dunn based on his overall numbers, but he’s one of those batters who can go on absolute terrors at the plate. His HR can come in bunches…. and maybe Oakland will catch that Dunn.
The only thing I have seen Dunn do consistently is not drive runs in when there are runners on second or third and less than 2 outs. It is amazing how bad he is at this. I’m sure he can hit a solo shot later in the game, but who cares when he left 4-6 guys on base earlier in the game?
If the A’s have 4-6 guys on base when Dunn comes to plate very often then the offense is producing and Dunn would be a moot point anyway. He’s certainly not a great player…but he can alter a game with one swing. Pinch hitting Sogard won’t do that.
I think its certainly probable that Dunn will single handedly win the A’s.a game down the stretch with his streaky offensive capabilities. One game might win the West.