Oakland Athletics: Five Factors for a Successful 2016 Season

A new year means a new start for an Oakland Athletics ball club who finished the 2015 season with a 68-94 record, en route to a last place finish in the American League West – something they have not endured since 2009 and prior to that in 1998, when Billy Beane succeeded Sandy Alderson as the new General Manager of the A’s.

Despite the fact that the green and gold finished 14th in Major League baseball in runs scored and 9th overall in the American League, their offensive production was not enough to carry an Athletics’ bullpen who allowed the opposition to score 411 times out of 664 (61.89%), thus explaining their uncanny 19-35 record in one-run games. Of those 411 runs surrendered, 17 hurlers possessed an earned run average of four or higher with a minimum of 95 innings pitched, which is a major concern when you factor in that Ike Davis and Angel Castro were the best options out of Oakland’s relief corps. 

Once the 2015 season wrapped up, the A’s front office didn’t hesitate to revamp their bullpen — and proved so by acquiring several veteran arms such as right-handed pitcher Liam Hendriks from the Toronto Blue Jays and south paw Marc Rzepczynski from the San Diego Padres. Lets not forget the free agent signings new A’s GM David Forst conducted by agreeing to terms with John Axford, Rich Hill (who will be inserted into the starting rotation), and Ryan Madson, who contributed to a Kansas City Royals’ championship for the first time in 30 years.

For the Athletics to have a successful 2016 campaign, here are five factors that could potentially increase their chances over the six-month stretch. On paper, the green and gold posses an above-average pitching staff with an average offense. However, with a few adjustments here-and-there, there is no reason why Oakland cannot contend in 2016 and for future seasons to come.

Next: Let Canha Play Everyday

5. Let Mark Canha play everyday

Mark Canha’s got the power and he’s not afraid to flex his muscles. Concluding a stellar 2015 campaign at the dish, the Cal product proved to be a wise acquisition for Oakland — after obtaining his services from the Colorado Rockies on December 11, 2014 in exchange for pitching prospect Austin House.

The right-hander, who turns 27 in February, immediately fit in with the Athletics, an organization who heavily relies on the philosophy of platooning their players, thus increasing their chances of success at the plate. In his first six games, Canha proved this to be true as he recorded a .366 batting average (11-30) with three doubles, a home run, and seven RBI. Over the next few weeks, Canha became a mainstay in the Athletics’ everyday lineup, and rightfully so, considering his reverse-splits against right-handers (.821 OPS) surpassed his numbers against left-handers (.527).

When all was said and done, the San Jose native had a productive season who ultimately made his mark amongst A.L rookies in 2015. Canha ranked first in RBI (70), third in home runs (16) and runs scored (61), while tallying 22 doubles (2nd) in a 112 (4th) hit period. Lets not forget his patience at the plate — with 33 free passes, which ranks fifth, respectively in this category.

According to A’s beat writer Jane Lee, newly-acquired first-baseman Yonder Alonso will get an extensive amount of playing time, solemnly due to his outstanding defense and plate discipline, which has resulted in a decline in strikeouts over the past few seasons.

If that is the case, you’ll most likely see Canha starting at first against left-handers. However, with some help from founder Chas Pippitt and the fine folks at Baseball Rebellion, the Cal product has made several adjustments at the dish including: stride direction, footwork change, and posture change. These changes ultimately improve his swing while resembling the likes of his fellow Major League competitors. With additional time amongst the A’s hitting staff, whose to say that the right-hander can’t be an everyday contributor?

The changes Canha has made over an eight-day-span is truly remarkable and it’s not out-of-the-question for the 26-year-old to hit 20-25 home runs in 2016 with around 100 RBI if he is given the opportunity to showcase his skills. The A’s have yet to announce their everyday left-fielder and with the injury-prone Coco Crisp, Canha would be the perfect candidate for the job. Mark my words, Canha is going to be a staple in Oakland for years to come – he just needs to be given the chance.

Next: Billy Butler: Shape Up or Ship Out

4. For Billy Butler, it’s time to shape-up or ship out:

Billy Beane took a gamble by signing designated hitter Billy Butler to a three-year, $30 million contract during the 2014 offseason. Frankly, it didn’t pan out…

After coming off a down-year with the American League Champion Kansas City Royals, the A’s front office took a chance with the 29-year-old, hoping he would put up similar numbers which resembled that of his 2012 days. Out of the gate, Butler looked sharp in the month of April by collecting 25 hits in 96 plate appearances. Three of those hits came via the long ball, and when the calendar flipped to May, he even had 12 RBI to show for it.

Unfortunately, Butler’s offensive production did not continue over the next four months, but the number of double plays he grounded into (26) did. If you factor in his career-low .323 on-base percentage, infused with his minimal speed attribution, you ultimately have a recipe for disaster, leaving many A’s fans displeased by ‘Country Breakfast’s’ contributions for the green and gold.

According to a recent article on Athletics Nation, titled “Billy Butler’s One Avenue to Redemption”, the topic of discussion is centered around the Florida native’s approach at the plate and what’s working for him thus far. Butler is praised for his quick bat speed, as well as his ability to drive pitches to the gaps. But, to continue to do so, the 2004 first-round pick needs to lay off the off-speed stuff that seamlessly — starts at the knees — causing the designated hitter to rollover to the left-side of the infield, for example.

The best-case scenario for Butler is to be more aggressive at the plate; meaning if he gets a first-pitch fastball over the middle of the dish — or something up in the strike zone — he needs to capitalize. Last season the right-hander posted a decent fly ball percentage (31.5), and if he can improve on this statistic, there’s no reason why we can’t see the same offensive explosion demonstrated in September — a .289 batting average, with six round-trippers and 17 RBI.

However, it’s difficult to predict whether or not Butler will rebound in 2016. There have been several rumors surrounding the six-foot-one, 240-pound veteran in regards to working with a condition coach this offseason. If things translate in his favor, we could see the dependable designated hitter Beane envisioned, with two-years and $20 million remaining on his contract.

If not, it’s time to cut ties Butler. Sure, it might be a hefty price to pay. But, when you’re blocking the likes of up-and-coming prospects such as Matt Olson, Rangel Ravelo, and Renato Nunez from getting a shot, then a decision needs to be made; whether it’s before the All-Star break or not.

Next: Manaea Making a Major League Impact

3. Promote Sean Manaea no later than July 1:

Since the Athletics decided to go “all-in” circa 2014, they temporarily financed their future and lost several of their highly-touted prospects including shortstop Addison Russell, second baseman Daniel Robertson along with promising outfielders Billy McKinney and Boog Powell.

If there is any bright side to the green and gold’s dreadful 2015 campaign, it’s that they’ve added a surplus of young hurlers and sluggers to not only revamp their farm system, but have the potential to contribute to the ball club as early as this season.

Sean Manaea, LHP:

Manaea is only 23-years-old, but on the mound he looks like a seasoned veteran — exuberating both confidence and poise against the opposition, with a high-90s swing-and-miss fastball incorporated with a respectable change-up and slider as his go-to strikeout pitch.

After being acquired by the Oakland Athletics in July, the six-foot-five, 235-pound lefty from Indiana State immediately put up video game numbers for Oakland’s Double-A affiliate team, the Midland RockHounds. In Manaea’s first start, he tossed seven innings of shutout baseball, while striking out nine and surrendering just three hits against the Corpus Christi Hooks on 87 pitches (62 for strikes).

From that moment on, the southpaw put up quality start after quality start for the ‘Hounds, going 7-0 with a 1.75 ERA in his last 10 appearances of the regular season. Fast-forward to the 2015 Arizona Fall League’s Fall Stars Game, and Manaea proved to be the real-deal — even on national television. The 2013 first-round pick had an electric-fastball and hit his spots with ease. Even though he had some control issues with his change-up, the majority of his four strikeouts came via the slider, whether it was low-and-in or away-and-in.

By the end of the night, the 23-year-old pitched two clean innings without allowing a single run, and tallied 20 strikes out of the 31 pitches he threw. Obviously, Manaea needs to work on his command and control with his off-speed pitches. Nonetheless, expect Manaea to join the Athletics some point in 2016.

If the A’s are projected to be a .500 ball club as of now, the lefty would only put them over the top, and at the very least, increase their chances of being in the playoff hunt come July or August. At this moment, who knows how much of an impact Jesse Hahn and Rich Hill will have in an Athletics’ rotation with their extensive injury histories.

The time to call-up Manaea — if not out of Spring Training — is by July 1, which would give the A’s an extra year of team control.

Next: Gray and Reddick are Here to Stay

2. Sonny Gray and Josh Reddick are here to stay:

If the Oakland Athletics are indeed building for the future, they need to have their solid core of up-and-coming prospects surrounded by a series of experienced starters and sluggers.

The two perfect candidates to keep to help develop this team are none other than right fielder Josh Reddick and clear-cut ace Sonny Gray.

Josh Reddick, RF:

Reddick had the best season of his Major League career after being traded to the Athletics prior to the 2012 campaign. For the first time, the Savannah, Georgia native flourished as the green and gold’s everyday right-fielder with a .242/.305/.463 slash line in a 156 game span. Another statistic to remember was his 32 round-trippers and 85 RBI — 12 of those homers coming against left-handed pitching.

Since that 2012 season, the left-hander has drastically seen a decline in the strikeout category, which is partially due to an increase in plate discipline and pitch recognition. Instead of chasing the low-and-away off-speed stuff, the 28-year-old is tapping into his new-found hitting approach — which has proved dividend — by sitting back at the dish and taking the ball to the opposite field. Instead of being “homer happy” at all times, Reddick is simply focused on putting the ball in play and going from there.

Scouts have praised Reddick for his above-average range, arm strength and outstanding accuracy. His strong-suit is successfully reading the ball off of the bat and the wall — something many MLB players have difficulty doing. Reddick’s above-average speed is also a viable asset to have especially with the alternative routes he takes to get to the ball.

In his first season with the Athletics, the Georgia native recorded 310 putouts and 15 assists in 144 games. What’s more impressive was his .982 fielding percentage over the course of 1279 1/3 innings played. Also, he only committed six errors — en route to his first Gold Glove award in his Major League career.

If the A’s plan on contending in the near future, now is the time to sign Reddick to a contract extension. With a series of young studs knocking on the door, a four-year contract would be ideal and not out of the question with several contracts coming off the books in 2017.

Sonny Gray, SP:

The Athletics chose wisely when they drafted Gray in the first-round of the 2011 Major League draft. In fact, he only made two appearances out of the bullpen before settling into the starting rotation.

Despite his small frame, Gray has a bulldog mentality on the mound — one that which resembles the likes of former Oakland ace Tim Hudson. The Smyrna, Tennessee native isn’t arbitration eligible until 2017 and won’t become a free agent until after the 2020 season. Fortunately, Gray’s had three superb seasons thus far with a 33-20 record in 491 innings and an opponent batting average of .223.

Now is the time to lock up the 26-year-old in a multi-year contract. However, the front office might be hesitant to do so considering that he’s under team control for the next few seasons.

The A’s are going to have to make a decision with Gray and Reddick in the near future. Depending on how the ball club performs in the first-half of 2016, the A’s could ultimately conclude whether these two should remain in Oakland for the long haul or start packing their bags as the youth movement invades the confines of the Coliseum.

Next: Rebound with the Relief Corps