Did The Alberto Callaspo Trade Pay Off?
By jbenitez
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Many were awaiting Beane to make a move right before the All-Star break. Fans were wondering what move he would make to help push the team to the finish line. Many of us were pleased when he traded away prospect Grant Green for Alberto Callaspo. Grant Green didn’t have a single hit when he was called up over a period of more than just one or two games. Callaspo was a proven Major League player who was reliable. Seemed like a good enough trade. Now that the season is over, many expected to see Callaspo walk, but the A’s kept him around. Now that enough time has passed, we can look back and see if this trade has paid off, and if keeping him was the right move.
The way I’m going to do this is simple. I’ll break down the numbers in different categories and see if he performed better with the Angels or Athletics. Let’s get started.
Callaspo was traded at the end of July, so we’ll look at his numbers from April-July for the Angels, and the numbers from August and September for the Athletics. Here are the numbers;
Angels: .251 average, .325 OBP, 32 runs, 74 hits, 5 homeruns, 36 RBI, 30 walks, and 23 strikeouts over 296 at bats
Oakland: .275 average, .355 OBP, 20 runs, 43 hits, 5 homeruns, 22 RBI, 20 walks, and 24 strikeouts over 157 at bats
Average: Oakland
With the Angels Callaspo had a .251 average, and with the A’s he had a .275 average. Keep in mind when Callaspo moved to Oakland, he moved to a pitcher friendly park. To go to one of the hardest ballparks to hit in and raise your average is an accomplishment. Oakland obviously wins this one.
OBP: Oakland
Not only did Callaspo’s average go up in Oakland, so did his OBP. With the Angels it was at .325 but with the Athletics it went up to .355. There isn’t much to say on this one other than Oakland wins this one as well.
Runs: Oakland
In 4 months with the Angels Callaspo managed to cross home plate 32 times. In two months with the A’s he managed to do that 20 times. But to assess this statistic based on months is unfair, we’re going to analyze this with at bats. The difference is 139 at bats here. That’s almost as much as Callaspo had with the A’s altogether. When you crunch the numbers, the Angels were getting a run from Callaspo every 9.25 at bats. With Oakland, they were getting a run from Callaspo every 7.85 at bats. So when it comes to runs, they were getting more production out of Callaspo than the Angels were. Once again, Oakland wins this one.
Hits: Oakland
With the Angels Callaspo had 74 hits and with the Athletics he had 43 hits. We’re going to do the same thing as with runs, we’re going to look at it by at bats. When the numbers are crunched, the Angels were getting a hit from Callaspo every 4 at bats. The Athletics were getting a hit from Callaspo every 3.65 at bats. The advantage is very slight, but the A’s win this one.
Homeruns: Oakland
The A’s led the Majors in homeruns after the All-Star break for a second straight season. Callaspo was no exception to the surge in Oakland power in the second half. This one is pretty simple, he had 5 homeruns with both clubs, but he had 5 homeruns in 139 less at bats with the Athletics than with the Angels. I sound like a broken record here, but the A’s win this one yet again.
Walks: Oakland
Oakland is famous for having their have high amounts of walks. They wait for their pitches and drive up pitch counts. As a result they get a lot of walks. Callaspo was no exception when he came to Oakland. With the Angels Callaspo had 30 walks and with the A’s he had 20. That means that the Angels were getting a walk every 9.86 at bats from Callaspo where as the A’s were getting a walk from Callaspo every 7.85 at bats. The A’s are the kings of getting walked, and Callaspo made sure to fit right in. Say it with me this time, the A’s win this one. But of course you already knew that.
Strikeouts: Angels
Oakland is also known for striking out a lot. A bad habit that Callaspo ended up picking up. With the angels he only struck out 23 times in 296 at bats. That’s extremely impressive. With the A’s, he had 24 strikeouts in 157 at bats. Just for fun, let’s crunch those numbers. Callaspo was striking out once every 12.86 at bats. Wow. That’s amazing. With the A’s, he was striking out once every 6.55 at bats. Yikes. Well I guess if you’re only going to win one category, might as well as make it a landslide. Here’s something you didn’t see coming, Angels win this one.
Did It Payoff?
I believe this trade paid off. He performed better with Oakland than with the Angels, and all we had to give up was Grant Green. He may one day turn into a great Major League player, but he didn’t fit in in Oakland. He wasn’t getting any hits at all, literally. Callaspo can stay with the team for a year or two while another prospect gets to where Grant Green was. The loss of Green won’t be felt, and the benefits of Callaspo were felt instantly and will be this upcoming season. When it comes to this trade, Oakland comes out the winner.