Oakland Athletics five best free agent signings
Over the years, the Oakland Athletics have done a tremendous job of finding underappreciated gems in free agency. Here are their five best free agent signings.
In recent years, the Oakland Athletics have turned acquiring undervalued assets into an art form. They have been able to find bargains in free agency or in trades, turning those unappreciated players into vital pieces in their success. This was the basis of their Moneyball philosophy – focusing on on base percentage and finding players that would work the count and take a walk instead of trying to outspend teams with their limited budget.
But this is not a recent phenomenon. The A’s have been able to find bargains in free agency throughout the years, with several under the radar moves contributing to their run of success in the 1980s and into the 1990s.
Some of these moves are even still paying off today. Just because a player was traded away or departed in free agency does not mean that they no longer cast a shadow upon the organization. Their effects can be felt, not just today, but into the future.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane and look back at the Oakland Athletics’ best free agency signings.
5. Scott Kazmir
Scott Kazmir is usually remembered for his run with the Tampa Bay Rays, but his final All Star nod came as a member of the Oakland Athletics.
He appeared destined to be the ace the Rays needed, a strikeout artist who was the best pitcher in their short history before being sent to the Angels. Kazmir flamed out in Anaheim, plagued by injuries and wildness. He made a surprisingly strong comeback with the Indians in 2013, signing with the A’s that offseason.
With Oakland in 2014, he looked like the pitcher he used to be in Tampa Bay. Kazmir posted a 15-9 record with a 3.55 ERA and a 1.161 WHiP, striking out 161 batters with just 60 walks, making the All Star Game for the final time. He was a key piece in the A’s Wild Card team, and continue to pitch well into 2015.
However, the A’s had plummeted down the standings, leading to his being traded to the Astros. In return, Oakland received Daniel Mengden and Jacob Nottingham. While Mengden has bounced back and forth between the bullpen, rotation, and AAA over the past four years, Nottingham was the key piece for Oakland. Although he never reached the majors with the A’s, he was part of the package that brought Khris Davis to town.
Nearly five years later, Scott Kazmir is still paying dividends for the Oakland Athletics. His trade tree is still going strong.
4. Yoenis Cespedes
When the Oakland Athletics were the surprise winners of the Yoenis Cespedes Sweepstakes, they acquired far more than the talented outfielder.
That is not to say that Cespedes did not make an immediate impact with the A’s. The incredibly talented Cuban star showed that he could handle the majors virtually immediately, as he went from signing as a free agent to the A’s Opening Day lineup within a month and a half.
In his two and a half years in Oakland, Cespedes was as advertised. He posted a .262/.318/.470 batting line, hitting 66 homers and 72 doubles. He was a part of the 2014 All Star team, and was the key piece sent to Boston for Jon Lester, helping the A’s run to the Wild Card.
But Cespedes was more than that one trade, or those years prior. He set a tone for the A’s organization in international free agency, marking the typically budget conscious franchise as a real player in the market. In subsequent years, they signed the highly regarded Lazaro Armenteros and handed Robert Pauson the second largest signing bonus in the 2019-20 international prospect class. The A’s are also reportedly set to sign prospect Pedro Pineda in the upcoming international signing period.
Yoenis Cespedes was a good player for the Oakland Athletics, but that signing is still paying dividends. By opening the vault for him, the A’s established themselves in the international free agent market going forward.
3. Frank Thomas
It is easy to forget that Frank Thomas spent a year with the Oakland Athletics, but it was one incredible season.
Thomas had finally won a World Series with the White Sox in 2005, but was seemingly on his way out of the league. Hampered by injuries, the fading star played in just 108 games between 2004 and 2005. His power was still there, but he was unable to remain on the field long enough to be the weapon he once was.
Scooped up by the A’s on a one year contract worth $3.1 million, Thomas proved he had something left in the tank. In his one year in Oakland, the Hall of Famer posted a .270/.381/.545 batting line, hitting 39 homers and driving in 114 runs. While he was not an All Star that year, he did finish fourth in the AL MVP vote, a key piece in the A’s division championship that year.
Thomas was not entirely done with Oakland. Although he left as a free agent following that year, he was released by the Blue Jays on April 20, 2008. The A’s brought him back as a free agent, but he was unable to replicate that success, posting a .263/.364/387 batting line with five homers and six doubles in 217 plate appearances.
Frank Thomas may be remembered for his stardom as a member of the White Sox, but his last plate appearances came with the Oakland Athletics.
2. Dave Henderson
Dave Henderson had already been a postseason hero when he signed with the Oakland Athletics prior to the 1988 season.
The signing was an immediate success, both on and off the field. An engaging outfielder with a great personality, he immediately connected with the fanbase. He was a valued ambassador for the franchise, his relationship with the team and the fans becoming truly special.
It certainly helped that Henderson made an immediate impact on the diamond as well. He had his best season in his first year in Oakland, his signing perfectly corresponding with the A’s incredible success. In his first three years with the A’s, the franchise appeared in the World Series each year, taking home the 1989 title.
Overall, Henderson was an amazing success in Oakland. Over his six years with the team, he posted a .263/.325/.445 batting line, hitting 104 homers and 143 doubles. Henderson made his only career All Star Game while a member of the A’s, and was a valued leader in every aspect.
Dave Henderson may not have been the flashiest pickup in free agency, but he was exactly what the Oakland Athletics needed.
1. Dave Stewart
Dave Stewart was told by the Baltimore Orioles that they did not have a spot for him, even in AA, when the Oakland Athletics came calling. The rest was history.
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A journeyman pitcher who had only won double digit games once in his first seven years (10 victories in 1983) Stewart developed a forkball upon joining the A’s in 1986. That pitch proved to be the missing piece, a devastating third option to pair with his fastball and slider. He showed signs of promise for the remainder of that season, but truly took off in 1987.
In that year, Stewart began a streak of four consecutive seasons where he won at least 20 games each year. That season also saw Stewart become the first A’s pitcher since Vida Blue in 1971 to strike out over 200 batters in a season. The A’s had their workhorse, a top of the rotation arm who appeared out of nowhere.
While Stewart did return for one last season in 1995 to close out his career, the bulk of his success came in the late 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s. Overall, he posted a 119-78 record with the A’s, along with a 3.73 ERA and a 1.318 WHiP, striking out 1152 batters in 1717.1 innings. Stewart was an intimidating figure on the mound, his glare and intensity striking fear into the opposition.
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The Oakland Athletics could not have expected much when they signed Dave Stewart. Instead, they found their ace on the scrap heap.