The Oakland A’s have been a very busy team this offseason, and according to the team’s official site, the A’s have added relievers Grant Balfour and Brian Fuentes to their already stacked bullpen. The report also notes that the A’s have officially reached deals with outfielders Connor Jackson and Josh Willingham, along with 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff and pitcher Dallas Braden.
While Chris Haft, writer for MLB.com, notes that Fuentes has yet to be formally introduced as a member of the A’s, the announcement of the deal should be soon. The additions of Balfour and Fuentes adds significant depth to an already talented and deep ‘pen. GM Billy Beane, who saw his club go 81-81 last season despite having an anemic offense and a season filled with injuries, has been highly aggressive this offseason in his pursuit to add depth to an oft-injured team.
The offense has already been upgraded with the acquisitions of DH Hideki Matsui, and outfielders David DeJesus and Josh Willingham. The A’s pitching staff in general is also deep heading into 2011, as Brandon McCarthy, Rich Harden, Tyson Ross, Bobby Cramer, and Josh Outman are all vying to join a rotation that includes the likes of Brett Anderson, Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez, and Braden. The bullpen, however, has been revamped so that it’s equally as dangerous and formidable as the starting rotation.
Closer Andrew Bailey is joined by Balfour and Fuentes. In all, the A’s should feature Jerry Blevins, Joey Devine (returning from an injury-plagued 2009-10), Craig Breslow (filed for arbitration), Michael Wuertz, Brad Ziegler, Balfour, Fuentes and Bailey.
Now that’s an impressive bunch.
For more on the series of deals Oakland finalized/announced on Tuesday, be sure to visit the team’s official site by clicking here.