Could the Athletics have used Yasmany Tomas?

Yasmany Tomas signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks might be old news, but it still affects the Oakland Athletics.

It was rumored the A’s were players for Tomas, but with him off the table the need for a power-hitting left fielder remains.

The infamous Yoenis Cespedes trade didn’t just send unsettling waves throughout the A’s fan base, it rendered left field nearly useless from August on.

Josh Reddick’s 8 home runs and OPS+ of 149 (OPS+ is used to weigh a players’ OPS against the rest of the league. 100 is league average) in the second half made Oakland’s outfield seem less abysmal on offense, and a return to his 2012 glory would be huge in 2015. But let’s be real here, Coco Crisp is not an impact hitter anymore, and shouldn’t be counted on to be a regular player next season. Craig Gentry and Sam Fuld, although likable, offer nothing more than defense and a little speed.

In August last year Oakland left fielders were 17th in baseball in wRC (a stat used to measure how many runs a player was worth to his team, according to FanGraphs) and in September and October they fell to 22nd. Things went from bad to much, much worse when it mattered the most.

Here is an article from Eno Sarris at Fangraphs about each team’s biggest weakness. For the A’s, it’s left field.

Now that we’ve established the problem, we need to find a solution.

More from Oakland A's News

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• Luis Barrera heading to familiar foe in Los Angeles Angels
• San Francisco Giants showing Oakland A’s offseason could be worse
• Lucas Luetge what Oakland A’s need in bullpen
• Oakland A’s bring Deolis Guerra back on minor league deal

Los

Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Marlon Byrd anyone? Ken Rosenthal reported in November that the Philadelphia Phillies are open to dealing their right fielder. What the A’s would be getting in Byrd is a power hitting, above average defensive outfielder who only costs $8 million. Per MLB Trade Rumors, it is unknown how much the Phillies would ask for in return for Byrd. He also has an option in his contract which would keep him around in 2016 for $8 million. All he would have to do is reach 463 plate appearances in 2015.

This is a big stretch, and perhaps the unlikeliest of these options, but the Colorado Rockies are shopping Wilin Rosario.

In 2012 and 2013 Rosario posted 20+ homer seasons and an OPS higher than .800. But those numbers dipped to just 13 and .739 last season. He played one game in centerfield in the minors, but otherwise has only played catcher, first base, and designated hitter.

An intriguing option from the free agency pool is former St. Louis Cardinal and Toronto Blue Jay Colby Rasmus. His platoon splits highly favor right-handed pitching, and we all know how much the A’s love platooning. He would certainly be an interesting and affordable power bat.

There is one more “elite” option that interests me the most: Cincinnati Reds right fielder Jay Bruce. One problem though, he has a no-trade clause that blocks a trade to the A’s, but Richard Justice of MLB.com thinks it’s possible.

Bruce is a great fit for four reasons:

The first is he is a very affordable player given today’s market. He is signed through 2017, his age 30 season, to a contract that tops out at $13 million.

Second, he is an above average defender who has played all three outfield positions in his career, including significant time in center as a minor leaguer. He could serve as an everyday left fielder as well as a replacement for Coco Crisp in center when he needs time off.

Third, he has two above-average ratios in categories the A’s love. His career home run rate of 4.6% is nearly twice the major league average,  and his career walk rate is 9.3%, which would have ranked him in the top-20 of outfielders last season.

Lastly, he was one of the worst players in baseball last year in terms of value. We all know how much Beane loves his bounce back stories. That could also mean his value is an all-time low and Reds have no reason to deal him.

Beane has committed this off-season to restocking the farm system, while adding talent to the major league team, so he will need to get creative in how he goes about addressing this need.

Perhaps he doesn’t look anywhere else for help than his own roster. With the presence of Ike Davis and Brandon Moss, who can both play first base and corner outfield, Beane and manager Bob Melvin have options.

If there is any truth to rumor that the A’s are shopping Moss, another bat would be critical for the success of this team in 2015.

Still, with the recent additions of Sean Nolin and Kendall Graveman, plus the anticipated return of Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin, Beane has some depth at starting pitcher with which to deal.

What move would you like Beane to make? Is your favorite option not listed here? Leave a comment below or tweet me.

(Updated 12/19/2014)