Oakland Athletics Fantasy GM: We Need Your Help!

With free agency upon us, and the Winter Meeting on the horizon, we here at Swingin’ A’s are having a little fun with our colleagues from the other MLB sites around the network. Each site will be in charge of making moves for the team they write for, getting them ready for the 2015 season. Of course, we are in charge of the Oakland Athletics.

Yes, we’re missing baseball.

The offseason simulation starts on November 17th, and runs through December 5th. Each team’s payroll will increase by 10%, leaving the A’s payroll at a whopping $90,552,990. There will also be player representatives that will vote on contracts offered to free agents, with a 48-hour waiting period for deals to become official.

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There are way more rules, but that is the need-to-know stuff. So we ask you, the fans: what do you think we should do? The Athletics need a shortstop (unless everyone is ok with Andy Parrino starting every game. No? Ok, we need a shortstop), we could use an offensive upgrade to platoon with Eric Sogard at second, possibly another bullpen arm, and possibly another catcher.

Nevermind, we want all the catchers.

But first, we need to sign our arbitration eligible players. In addition to the five players the A’s have guaranteed for next season (Scott Kazmir, $13M, Coco Crisp, $11M, Eric O’Flaherty, $5.5M Sean Doolittle, $550K, Nick Punto $2.75M), the A’s also have a slew of players in their arbitration years.

[table id=37 /]

The players on this list total just over $44M, which, if we sign them all, and add them to the players already under contract, brings us up to $82,330,000, leaving us just over $8M to fool around with in free agency. I already don’t envy Billy Beane.

Here is where we turn to you, the fans. Which free agents are worth going after? Do you want everyone on the list signed? Signed and then traded? We will do our best and adhere to the consensus of the people, so let your voice be heard!