Oh, Christmas. It is a time of unbridled excitement for children as they tear open wrapping paper in hopes that their coveted toys will be uncovered. It is a time of lists written to Santa, where those hopes and dreams are put to paper. Frankly, those lists can be something an Oakland A’s fan can appreciate.
We all have a list of what we would like to see with the A’s. In our own letters to Baseball Santa, we have dreams of what we would want under our trees. Let’s take a look at a few things A’s fans can hope for.
An Oakland A’s Christmas list
Extensions for core players. Having Matt Olson, Sean Manaea, and Ramon Laureano locked in as the foundation of the A’s for the next few years would go a long way to ensuring the team will remain competitive. It would also send a message to the team that the A’s are not just a stopover – they can be a place where a player spends their entire career.
A new owner. John Fisher may be worth billions, but he treats the A’s as though he needs to collect cans from the side of the road in order to eat. Getting an owner in place that cares about winning, will actually spend on the franchise, and is not trying to gouge the fanbase would go a long way.
A new stadium. The Coliseum may have its charms, but its time has come and gone. It is outdated, has electrical and sewage problems, and a plethora of other issues. Yes, there is the historical value of the stadium, but a new ballpark is desperately needed and has been for some time. Hopefully, that appears to be coming closer to reality.
Better health for A.J. Puk and Brent Honeywell. Even now, years after they were considered amongst the top pitching prospects in the game, Puk and Honeywell continue to intrigue. They have shown flashes of the players they could be, but the days where they were expected to be top of the rotation arms are long gone. Now, one just has to hope for better health so that they can get a chance to prove themselves once more.
Better luck for Sean Murphy. He has continued to hit the ball hard. His barrel rate and hard hit rates are solid. The problem is that none of that has he has had atrocious luck with the batted ball, depressing his batting line to the point where the A’s question if he can be the answer behind the plate.
What would you want Santa to leave under the tree for the Oakland A’s? Let us know in the comments.