Oakland Athletics’ Roundup: Missing Josh Donaldson and Yoenis Cespedes

Oakland Athletics Roundup: Tuesday, October 13

Ah, the playoffs. A time for thinking about how your favorite team missed out on the postseason, while you watch other fans go crazy over…players who should still be Oakland Athletics?

Say what you want about Billy Beane, but you would be hard pressed to make the argument that three months and a Wild Card start out of Jon Lester were worth the loss of a year and a half of Yoenis Cespedes. Cespedes is the gold standard when it comes to power hitters: big, raw power; the ability to hit for extra-bases as well as over the fence; and even a little speed. And Beane just traded him away like it was nothing.

But don’t feel too bad, A’s fans. So did the Red Sox, and the Tigers, although both of them got decidedly better hauls than Beane did, and they did it in a season where they were collecting prospects, not trying to contend…

Okay, maybe you should feel bad.

Regardless, the Mets were the beneficiaries of the powerful Cuban outfielder’s talents on Monday night, as he contributed a three-hit performance against the Dodgers, including a towering home run.

That game came just hours after former Athletic Josh Donaldson hit a home run of his own, this time for the Toronto Blue Jays. He helped keep the Jays alive with a 9-4 win over the Rangers, with a pair of RBI and two runs scored of his own. Without Donaldson, the Blue Jays would almost certainly be at home right now. Sort of like that team he used to play for…

Hindsight is 20/20, but the trades of Donaldson and Cespedes probably could have used a bit more foresight.

In Case You Missed It:

Trade Rumors: Sonny Gray Edition – Will Sonny Gray Be With the A’s in 2016? Samantha Riley takes a look at the chatter surrounding the Athletics’ ace. A new GM may be in charge, but Beane still has the input, and as we’ve seen with several other players, no one is safe.

In Defense of Brett Lawrie: He’s No Chase Utley – On Monday, Dodgers’ infielder Chase Utley was greeted by Mets fans with a chorus of boos and chants for revenge, after Utley’s late slide broke the leg of Mets’ shortstop Ruben Tejada on Saturday. It was reminiscent of Brett Lawrie‘s first at-bat in Kansas City, following a high slide into Alcides Escobar. One would think Royals fans would have moved on, but…

#Athletics:

"Torre says Arizona Fall League will require players to slide directly into bag, not at fielder. An experiment, like pitch clocks."

Around the Web:

Athletics Nation: A’s Should Go Full Astros on Their Bullpen – Athletics Nation discusses why the A’s should follow in the steps of the Houston Astros and turn their bullpen upside down.