Oakland Athletics: 30 Worst Players in Franchise History

Arthur Rhodes

Arthur Rhodes already had a long and established career in Major League Baseball before coming to the Oakland Athletics. Rhodes broke into the big leagues in 1991 with the Baltimore Orieles. He was a consistent reliever for Baltimore for 12 years and then became one of the best setup men in the league during his four seasons with the Seattle Mariners. So, when the A’s signed Rhodes in 2004, many thought he would boost their bullpen.

Unfortunately, this was not the case. Ken Macha, the Athletics manager at the time, wanted to use Rhodes as a closer. He immediately did not thrive in this role. Throughout the season, Rhodes was able to accumulate nine saves, but blew five save opportunities. Additionally, his ERA was above 5.00 for the first time in four seasons. Out of the 20 years he pitched in the Majors, this was one of five seasons where his WAR was negative.

The Oakland Athletics did not want to give Rhodes another chance. They decided to trade him after the 2004 season to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Rhodes officially retired in 2015. Overall, he established himself as a consistent and reliable reliever throughout his long career. However, his time in Oakland was just the opposite and he was not one of their best closers.
Ricardo Rincon’s name may be best known from the movie Moneyball rather than his days actually pitching for the Oakland Athletics. In the film, Billy Beane, who is played by Brad Pitt, is on the phone with the Cleveland Indian’s GM trying to make a deal to bring Rincon to Oakland.

Next: The Worst A's Players in History: Johnnie LeMaster