The Oakland A’s Stayed Quiet at the Trade Deadline and That’s Ok

by Matt George – Sports 1140 KHTK Reporter

The Oakland A’s, led by a young core consisting of Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, and slugger Khris Davis, have managed to overcome an injury-riddled starting rotation and are turning heads with their 62-46 record at the MLB Trade Deadline. With the support of a revamped bullpen, Oakland has been one of the best stories in baseball this year, giving fans hope for a string of success just over the horizon.

Currently the A’s are very much in the postseason hunt, just two games back of the Seattle Mariners in the 2nd AL Wild Card spot, and five games back of the AL West leading Houston Astros. However, with multiple AL teams reinforcing their lineups and rotations though trades over the last 24 hours, Oakland is faced with an even more difficult hill to climb. The question is, with this team currently overachieving, was an all-in deadline push worth it?

Being in contention for an MLB playoff spot is nothing to scoff at. There is no easy road to a postseason birth in either league. Oakland entered the season hoping to see flashes of success in the near-future from their home-grown core. Instead, they have gotten a career year out of veteran Jed Lowrie, and a team that appears to be a year ahead of schedule. The current regime of players have gotten the A’s this far, and the addition of an expensive arm to bolster Oakland’s rotation still doesn’t put them anywhere close to the AL juggernauts like Houston or Boston.

Not mad at the A's sitting tight at deadline. In reality we're still playing for the future and this season is 'house money' that will be a fun ride regardless. Plus, kinda glad the front office left whatever chemistry is making this season possible largely untouched.

— OaklandStadiumWatch (@OakStadiumWatch) July 31, 2018

You can’t sum it up much better than in the above tweet. The “house money” metaphor is spot on. This season can already be considered a massive success by A’s fans and the organization. With the club playing as well as they are currently, there is no need to risk future assets for insignificant additions. If the A’s make it to the postseason with this current group, fantastic! If not, it’s safe to assume that will be the clear goal next year, with many promising pitching prospects returning from injury.

In 2014 the A’s traded away Yoenis Cespedes for Jon Lester in an attempt to chase down Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers, who eliminated Oakland in back-to-back playoff series. That move, ultimately resulting in the team falling apart in the AL Wild Card game against Kansas City, still leaves a sour taste in the mouths of many fans. However, at that time the A’s World Series window was closing. This season it’s just starting to open.

For A's fans disappointed the team didn't make a move today, they made a solid move early in getting Familia and have gotten more value out of it because it was early. Also: they'll continue to monitor the pitching market over the next month. Today isn't the end of trades.

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) July 31, 2018

The A’s haven’t been complacent, having acquired reliever Jeurys Familia from the New York Mets earlier in July, a move that has already produced positive results. As for what’s next, it is imperative for the A’s to keep the group of players that have gotten them this far, locking them up with multi-year contracts. Starting with Khris Davis and Jed Lowrie.

Buckle up A’s fans, these final months of the season should prove quite the wild ride. And just you wait for next season. Should things continue to trend in the same direction, we’re looking at the very real possibility of a new Oakland ballpark and World Series trophy down the road.

Newsletter