Cahill Trade Is Just The Beginning…

Billy Beane and the rest of the A’s front office made a strong statement on Friday. Their recent dealing of 2010 All-Star pitcher Trevor Cahill marks just the beginning of what looks to be a very busy offseason for Beane and the A’s.

Oakland has spent the past four seasons trying to rebuild the franchise, but Beane’s attempts at building a contender haven’t exactly been successful.

The Athletics had assembled a strong pitching foundation with a trio that included Cahill, Gio Gonzalez, and Brett Anderson. With Cahill, an 18 game winner in ’10, now gone, that strong foundation is surely at risk to be wiped out completely.

Beane has a clear agenda that involves tearing down his foundation as preparation for future success. We’ve all heard this before, but the team is hopeful that this particular rebuild will prove successful. The team has a renewed sense of optimism regarding their quest for a new stadium in San Jose, so rebuilding the team with the hopes of having a contending club once the new stadium is built makes sense.

While the A’s are not exactly “shopping” their players around, they are listening in on offers regarding their players. With Cahill off the board, the A’s expect to get a lot of calls regarding the services of their other All-Star pitcher Gio Gonzalez.

Gonzalez, who put up better numbers than Cahill this season, has emerged as a top of the rotation starter with quality stuff. His demeanor on the mound has improved with age, but the 26-year old southpaw definitely has a lot room left to grow. He’s gone 31-21 with a 3.17 ERA over the past two seasons, after going 7-11 with a 6.24 ERA in his first two years with Oakland.

The A’s have a long list of potential suitors for Gonzalez, but it’ll cost any team interested in acquiring Gonzalez a ton of talent. Oakland is seeking a Dan Haren-type deal in return for Gonzalez.

Oakland’s other high-profile player, Andrew Bailey, is another player Oakland figures to deal by the end of the offseason. Oakland is looking for a lot of talent in return for the young closer as well. In 157 games with Oakland, Bailey owns a 7-10 record with a 2.07 ERA and 75 career saves.

Oakland received a few good prospects in exchange for Cahill, who should perform well in Arizona’s rotation, but by no means was that the only trade Oakland will pull this offseason.