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An Airing of Oakland A’s Grievances for Festivus

By David Hill

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 19: Owner Lew Wolff and Owner John Fisher of the Oakland Athletics talk in the stands during the game against the Houston Astros at the Oakland Coliseum on July 19, 2016 in Oakland, California. The Athletics defeated the Astros 4-3. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - JULY 19: Owner Lew Wolff and Owner John Fisher of the Oakland Athletics talk in the stands during the game against the Houston Astros at the Oakland Coliseum on July 19, 2016 in Oakland, California. The Athletics defeated the Astros 4-3. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images) /
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Welcome to Fesitvus! It is a celebration for the rest of us, one that has gotten popular over the years. The Airing of Grievances, in particular, have taken on a life of their own.

The Oakland A’s have certainly provided plenty of fodder this year. Between confusing roster moves, penny pinching ownership, and failures at the minor league level, there is plenty to complain about. Here are a few:

An Airing of Oakland A’s Grievances

  1. A refusal to spend. The Oakland A’s have the type of core that should ensure that they will contend for the postseason for years to come. With Matt Olson, Ramon Laureano, Matt Chapman, Sean Manaea, and Chris Bassitt, the A’s have a great beginning to their roster. However, ownership refuses to spend at all, leaving holes that keep the team from being a true World Series contender.
  2. Las Vegas. Look – we get it. We get that it took over 20 years and the threat of relocation before any meaningful progress was made on a new stadium. But now that is happening, maybe the A’s can show that they are serious about being Rooted in Oakland by focusing their efforts there. And no, asking for a binding vote does not count.
  3. Let’s just say ownership in general. It is almost as though John Fisher wants to alienate the fans. Let’s double ticket prices and eliminate popular promotions while complaining about a lack of fan support at the stadium. Let’s make an offer for land in Las Vegas, but refuse to spend on the roster. Oh, and let’s cut payroll down to $50 million or so at the same time.
  4. Robert Puason and Lazaro Armenteros. If there is one area that the A’s actually spend money, it is international free agency. However, their big prospect signings over the past few years – Puason and Armenteros – have been a complete disaster. Armenteros can officially be considered a bust. Puason has just one year in professional ball, but he is trending in the same direction.
  5. Some semblance of a pulse. Laureano and Bassitt have been valuable to the A’s for more than their production. They are the emotional leaders of the team, players whose fire can be infectious. When they were missing last season, the dugout was flat and the locker room dead, with those exciting moments failing to get a rise. The A’s need more of those vocal leaders, especially if they are going to rebuild.

Next. Andrus facing important start to season. dark

The Oakland A’s fell apart down the stretch last season. With Festivus upon us, it is the perfect time to air those grievances from 2021.