Billy Beane’s Track Record Post Mulder, Hudson Deals
Sep 10, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; An Oakland Athletics hat and glove rest on the steps of the dugout during the game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. The Twins won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
In Billy we trust, right? The A’s General Manager has been deemed a genius by the baseball world, and not many in Oakland would argue that point. For a little exercise, I thought it would be fun, and quite possibly horrifying, to see what Billy Beane has been up the past ten years.
Let’s start by taking a look at the track record of Billy Beane since the infamous winter of 2004, when Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson were traded. December 16th, 2004. The first shoe drops, and Tim Hudson, arguably the biggest of the “Big Three” is traded to the Atlanta Braves for Dan Meyer, Juan Cruz and Charles Thomas. Meyer was consistently bitten with the injury bug, and only pitched 44 innings, over two seasons with the Athletics. In his one season in Oakland, Cruz made 28 appearances, to the tune of a 7.44 ERA. He was traded in March of 2006 for Brad Halsey, who recently passed away. Charles Thomas had five hits with the A’s in 2005, his final big league season.
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It is also worth mentioning that the A’s traded Nelson Cruz (averaging 29 home runs a season since 2009) and Justin Lehr to the Brewers for Keith Ginter, the day before the Hudson deal.
The Mark Mulder deal, completed just two days after the Hudson deal, went a little better for Oakland, netting the A’s Dan Haren, Kiko Calero and Daric Barton. Haren had three pretty decent seasons in the green and gold, compiling a 43-34 record. Calero went 4-1 with a 3.23 ERA in 2005, his best season with Oakland. Daric Barton is Daric Barton.
The intriguing part of the Mulder deal isn’t exactly what the A’s received, but what they received when they flipped Dan Haren in 2007. Down the rabbit hole we go.
Dan Haren Trade
Aug 12, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Dan Haren (14) throws a pitch against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Let me know if you’ve heard of some of the players that the A’s received from the Arizona Diamondbacks: Brett Anderson (turned into Drew Pomeranz last winter), Chris Carter (turned into two years of Jed Lowrie), Dana Eveland, Aaron Cunningham (traded with Scott Hairston to San Diego for Eric Sogard and Kevin Kouzmanoff), Greg Smith, and one Carlos Gonzalez (traded with Greg Smith and Huston Street to Colorado for half a season of Matt Holliday).
Let’s recap that real quick. Billy Beane traded Mark Mulder, who, in four seasons in St. Louis, went 22-18 with a 5.04 ERA, for what turned into Pomeranz, the fifth overall pick in the 2010 draft, Chris Carter, who hit 37 home runs in 2014, and a perennial All-Star, and disabled list-occupyer, in Car-Go. Heck, throw in Eric Sogard too. He’s on the team.
Trades like this are what put Billy Beane on the map. Yet, it was the Carlos Gonzalez trade that was a sign of things to come. Beane traded away young talent to acquire an established player in Holliday, who never quite fit in Oakland.
Ahead, we’ll look at how Billy Beane has fared since the trade that put his name among the game’s best GMs.
2005-2009
Sep 27, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Oakland Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) follows through for his solo home run against the Texas Rangers during a baseball game at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports
In December of 2005, Billy Beane struck again, although we wouldn’t know it until 2012. Chad Gaudin was traded to Oakland for a player to be named later (Dustin Majewski). The A’s then traded Rich Harden and Gaudin to the Cubs for a slew of players. The main takeaway from that trade, nine years later? 2014 All-Star Josh Donaldson.
Eight days later, Beane completed a deal that sent Andre Ethier to the Dodgers for Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez. Bradley played in only 96 games in 2006, but put up 14 home runs and 52 rbi, along with going 9-for-16 in an ALCS sweep at the hands of Detroit. Ethier has been in limbo in Los Angeles since the arrival of Yasiel Puig, but had an average per 162 games of 21 home runs and 87 rbi while playing regularly.
In May of 2007, the A’s purchased the contract of Jack Cust, or Babe Cust to some Dibs-loving broadcasters, from the San Diego Padres. Cust was productive for three seasons, averaging 28 home runs and 78 rbi from 2007-2009. 2010 saw a power outage from Cust, with just 13 homers and 52 rbi, and he was granted free agency. Cust signed with Seattle, playing in just 67 games with the Mariners in 2011, his final season in the bigs to date.
July of 2007 saw one of Ray Fosse‘s favorites leave town, when Jason Kendall was sent to the Chicago Cubs for Jerry Blevins (traded for Billy Burns last offseason), and Rob Bowen, who played in 68 games spread out over three seasons in Oakland. Of the $83.5M that Kendall made in his career, roughly $34M of that was when he was with Oakland, spanning three seasons of his fifteen year career. Kendall also saw his numbers drop, going from a .300+ hitter to averaging .270 with the A’s, along with none of the occasional home run power he showed in Pittsburgh.
Marco Scutaro was traded for Graham Godfrey, and the aforementioned Dan Haren deal was completed to end 2007.
2008 started with a bang, when Billy Beane shipped the likable Nick Swisher to the White Sox for Gio Gonzalez, Ryan Sweeney and Fautino De Los Santos. Gio Gonzalez pitched parts of four seasons with the A’s, improving each year, and culminating in a 2011 season that saw him go 16-12 with a 3.12 ERA. Gonzalez was shipped to Washington after the 2011 season for Tommy Milone (Sam Fuld, 2014), Derek Norris, Brad Peacock (Jed Lowrie, 2013) and A.J. Cole (traded back to Washington later). Ryan Sweeney was traded along with Andrew Bailey to Boston in 2011 for Josh Reddick and a couple of prospects in Miles Head and Raul Alcantara,who both played in Double-A Midland in 2014.
In July of 2008, the A’s traded Joe Blanton to the Phillies, and in return received Josh Outman (Seth Smith, 2012) and a couple of prospects that soon saw the waiver wire. While it may not seem like a hefty return, Joe Blanton had an ERA of 4.24 with Oakland, and a cumulative record of 51-46. To get Seth Smith for that down the road is not a terrible deal.
On November 12th, 2008, Billy Beane made the trade that no A’s fan likes to talk about. So we won’t.
2010-2014
Aug 25, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Oakland Athletics left fielder Brandon Moss (37) gets a single during the fourth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The trading in 2010 started off on January 16th, with the aforementioned trade that landed Oakland Eric Soagrd and Kevin Kouzmanoff from San Diego. As the calendar turned to February, the A’s acquired the popular Adam Rosales for Aaron Miles.
After drafting Justin Marks in 2009, Marks was then traded to Kansas City in November of 2010 along with Vin Mazzaro, in a trade that netted the A’s David DeJesus. This trade is of interest, only because the A’s acquired DeJesus (who underperformed in Oakland), but in 2014, Marks was purchased by the A’s, much like Brad “Dollar Bill” Mills. Marks, however, didn’t make it to Oakland. Instead, he was claimed off waivers by Texas two weeks after the A’s purchased him, and the Rangers released him a month after that.
At the end of the year, Billy Beane added a big bat in Josh Willingham from the Washington Nationals, sending Corey Brown (currently a free agent) and Henry Rodriguez (four teams since the trade) in return.
Thus far, Billy Beane has still arguably come out ahead in nearly every trade. All but one. Let’s continue.
Two deals that didn’t go so well for the A’s GM in 2011 were shipping off Mark Ellis to Colorado on June 30th for Bruce Billings, and trading Brad Ziegler to Arizona for Brandon Allen (signed with Mets on November 11th) and Jordan Norberto. Ellis was/is beloved in Oakland, and Billings didn’t pan out. Ziegler has been an effective reliever for the Diamondbacks since the trade, but the A’s bullpen has been just fine without him, ranking 4th, 6th and 3rd in bullpen ERA the last three years. It can be argued that Beane lost these deals, but the degree of that error is not great.
November 19th, 2011, the A’s signed Brandon Moss to a minor league deal. Let’s say that one paid off. On December 9th, the trades started coming. Craig Breslow (Red Sox currently) and Trevor Cahill (3-12, 5.61 ERA in 2014. Due $12M in 2015) were sent to Arizona for Collin Cowgill (traded to Mets for Jefry Marte, AA), Jarrod Parker and Ryan Cook.
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The fun didn’t stop there, oh no! The A’s traded their closer, Andrew Bailey, 19 days later. Reddick’s 2012 season alone has outdone anything that Bailey (injuries) or Sweeney (now with the Cubs) did for Boston.
January 2012 saw the Outman (and Guillermo Moscoso) deal that brought Seth Smith to Oakland come to fruition. In August, our wonderful trade partners, the Arizona Diamondbacks sent over Stephen Drew in return for Sean Jamieson. Jamieson is still playing in Double-A, so it’s too early to judge that trade fully. The A’s needed an upgrade, and they got it. Was the price worth it? We’ll have to wait and see.
Beane got back to work before the playoffs even ended, acquiring Chris Young from, you guessed it, Arizona. The A’s sent Cliff Pennington in return. November 16th saw another one of those trades that makes A’s fans cringe. Tyson Ross (2.95 ERA the past two seasons) and A.J. Kirby-Jones were sent to San Diego in return for Andy Parrino and Andrew Werner. While Parrino is an excellent defensive shortstop, his bat has been non-existent at the major league level, totaling a .179 batting average across 240 at-bats in four seasons. Ross would sure be nice to have right now.
Another piece to the puzzle was added in January of 2013, when the A’s traded prospects A.J. Cole and Blake Treinen to the Nationals in a three-team trade, and received John Jaso in return. A.J. Cole may turn out to be really good, but right now, the trade is alright. Cole is only 22.
February 4th saw Jed Lowrie come to town. April saw Stephen Vogt traded to Oakland for a player to be named later, as well as Travis Blackley on the move to Houston for Jake Goebbert (who has become Kyle Blanks). The A’s traded more young talent in July, acquiring Alberto Callaspo for Grant Green. This trend continued into the offseason, with the A’s sending prospect John Wooten to Washington for Fernando Abad, and later Jerry Blevins for the speedy Billy Burns.
December of last year. SO MANY TRADES! Seth Smith was shipped to San Diego for Luke Gregerson, Craig Gentry and Josh Lindblom were acquired from Texas for Michael Choice and Christopher Bostick (minors), and Jim Johnson was acquired from the Orioles for Jemile Weeks. All of that happened on the same day, December 3rd.
One week later, after Billy Beane got back to work, trading oft-injured lefty, Brett Anderson and cash (which was arguably the better end of that deal) to Colorado, for Drew Pomeranz and Chris Jensen. In May, the A’s made another trade with the Padres, bringing Kyle Blanks into the fold for Jake Goebbert. Brad Mills was traded to Oakland for $1 in June, and Michael Taylor, out of options, was traded to the White Sox for Jake Sanchez (8-2, 3.42 ERA), who spent the season in Stockton.
Things got interesting in July. Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel were brought over from the Cubs for top prospect Addison Russell, Billy McKinney and Dan Straily. It’s looking like the A’s will get the worse end of this deal, but that is the nature of deals done at the deadline. Could he have not paid so much? Possibly.
At the end of the month, the A’s acquired Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes from the Red Sox (both are free agents) for beloved cleanup hitter Yoenis Cespedes. Sam Fuld was also re-acquired from the Twins for Tommy Milone.
So many trades! Just one more slide, for a recap, some analysis and the long-awaited verdict.
Verdict
October 4, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Detail view of baseballs with the postseason logo before game one of the American League divisional series playoff baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the Detroit Tigers at O.co Coliseum. The Tigers defeated Athletics 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Ok, that’s a lot to take in. Were there some obvious missteps? Of course. The Carlos Gonzalez deal, along with trading Addison Russell and Tyson Ross are the biggest regrets, but keep in mind, this covers a ten-year span. The fact that the A’s are still seeing returns on trading Mark Mulder, and subsequently Dan Haren, is remarkable.
Of course, people will point to the Lester deal and say that Billy Beane has lost his touch. I see a GM that took a look at the landscape of baseball and decided this was his year. Was it the right move? In theory, yes. With a healthy squad, do the A’s collapse as much as they did? Probably not. Would they have won the division either way? Nope. The A’s had tried that same relative team in the playoffs the past two seasons. Why would it work this time? A change had to be made.
That trade was for the Wild Card game. Again, a healthy team likely wins that game, and the A’s could feasibly have made it to the World Series. There is one thing you can’t predict in baseball, and that’s injuries. Case in point: Pomeranz punched a chair. That act could have led to all of the trades that followed.
What Billy Beane has been able to do, constructing a contender seemingly every season on the budget he has, is quite astounding. The A’s haven’t seen a 100+ loss team like they have in Houston (three times in four years). Billy always finds a way. He may make us scratch our heads now and again, but there is no other GM I’d rather have building our team, year after year.