How Former A’s Are Faring In Spring Training

March 3, 2014; Peoria, AZ, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Brett Anderson (30) pitches against the Seattle Mariners at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The A’s have quite a few guys that are no longer with the team that were last year. While they are no longer donning the green and gold, I thought it would be fun to take a look at what the team gave up and how they are faring. The guys on this list were all with the team last season. Let’s take a look at some of these former A’s with their new teams.

1. Bartolo Colon

Bartolo Colon became the team’s best pitcher in the rotation last season, posting a sub 3.00 ERA for the A’s. He pitched in game 1 of the ALDS, a tightly contested game the A’s would go on to lose. Colon left via free agency, and signed a 2 year deal with the New York Mets. He has yet to start a game for the Mets this Spring because he is suffering from a tight calf that is considered a minor injury. We’ll have to wait a while before we can tell if we missed out on Colon or not. With all of the A’s starters healthy, it’s looking like the A’s were wise to let Colon Walk.

2. Brett Anderson

Brett Anderson was the opening day pitcher for the Oakland A’s in which they lost to Seattle (again). He was traded to the Rockies for starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz and minor league pitcher Chris Jensen. Anderson had a bad year yet again with the Athletics last season, in which he posted a 6.04 ERA and ended up in the bullpen by the time the season ended. He is looking to make an impact with the Rockies and he got off to a good start in his first game starting in which he got two shut out innings against the Marlins. One start isn’t enough of an indicator, but it’s looking like he might be turning things around with his fresh clean slate.

3. Jerry Blevins

Blevins was a huge part of the Oakland bullpen in 2012 and 2013, although he began to run into some troubles last season. With the new wealth of bullpen depth, his presence won’t be as missed as it would have before Beane’s shopping spree this winter. In return the A’s received the man on wheels, Billy Burns. Blevins has only pitched one inning, but it was a shut out inning. With more time we’ll see if he continues to succeed with the Washington Nationals, but with the A’s receiving Billy Burns I don’t think Oakland will regret the trade.

4. Chris Young

Chris Young was a disappointment for the Oakland A’s last season. He was brought in to be a role guy, to fill in when needed and he was not going to be playing everyday. Unfortunately that’s not the type of player that he is, and his play suffered because of it. He spent most of the season around the .200 average mark, and when he came to the plate most fans thought it would be an out. It was just a bad combination from the start. The A’s let Chris Young walk away in free agency, and he too signed with the Mets. In Spring Training he has had 11 at bats, in which he has a .273 average and 1 RBI. He may be a better fit for New York, where he can play everyday instead of just filling in. He will probably rebound this season, and find success in New York.

5. Seth Smith

The final man on our list is Seth Smith, who was sent to the Padres in exchange for set up man Luke Gregerson. Smith was great for the A’s last season, specifically in the postseason when he was one of the only players who wasn’t struggling offensively. The week off in between play did not throw him off like most guys. He was a great player last season, and he might be missed if the outfield doesn’t produce too much. But now he is with the Padres, so let’s look at how he’s done with his new team. He has an average of .286 over 7 at bats and an OBP of .444 with 2 RBI’s. Not too bad. It looks like he will continue to be the player he was for the A’s.