Oakland Athletics Roundup: Outfielder Matt Olson?; Targeting Daniel Murphy; World Series, Past & Present
Oakland Athletics Roundup: Tuesday, October 27
The World Series begins on Tuesday night, and while the Oakland Athletics are not in it, there are still plenty of former A’s and fascinating storylines to make it an interesting series for fans of the Green & Gold.
To start with, Cuban slugger Yoenis Cespedes will be in the lineup for the New York Mets. Although he was pulled from the final game of the National League Championship Series with a shoulder injury, he is expected to play without issue after several days of rest. Had the Mets not swept the Chicago Cubs, it may have been a different story.
Across the diamond, Ben Zobrist will suit up for the Kansas City Royals. Zobrist, who spent the first half of the season in Oakland, is playing for the enemy. There were many clashes with the Royals and Athletics this season, starting with Brett Lawrie’s hard slide into second base that caused Alcides Escobar to briefly miss time. Several bean ball incidents later, there still may be bad blood between the A’s and Kansas City heading into next season.
Of course, it’s not just former A’s that will be interesting to watch. There’s Wilmer Flores, who had a flash of fame at the trade deadline this summer. The Mets were set to trade him in a deal for Carlos Gomez, and when he got the news and cried, it made ESPN highlights for days. The deal ended up falling through, and Flores now has a shot to be impactful for the Mets in the playoffs, due to the loss of everyday shortstop Ruben Tejada. Tejada was injured on a dirty slide by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Chase Utley, suffering a season-ending broken leg.
There’s also the struggles of Johnny Cueto, the former Reds’ pitcher who came over to the Royals at the deadline – and has absolutely not been worth what Kansas City gave up. Will he get better? Will he continue to look like a medoicre back-end starter? This World Series is sure to be exciting.
One last thought: Let’s go Mets.
In Case You Missed It:
First Base Prospect Matt Olson May Be A’s Future Outfielder – Matt Olson tore it up in Double-A as a first baseman, but what if his path to the big leagues lies at another position? Samantha Riley explores the idea that Olson might be a future outfield possibility for the A’s.
Infielder Daniel Murphy Could be Good Fit, But At a Price – What would the A’s be willing to spend to get free agent Daniel Murphy? With every postseason home run he hits, his price goes up. Samantha Riley looks at whether Murphy is a fit for the A’s or not.
Missing the Oakland Athletics? Rich Paloma has recapped their first three World Series Championships, and it will certainly bring you back to a happier time. Check out the dynasty years of the Oakland Athletics, and enjoy a time when they had a winning club: ’72, ’73, or ’74.
#Athletics:
#Athletics Rickey Henderson had 10 HR & 130 SB in 1982. He is the only player in baseball history with at least 10 HR & 100 SB in a season.
— Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) October 27, 2015
No one shows more passion than @SVogt1229. Vote Vogt for the #HeartAndHustle Award. https://t.co/8C4SWBO0So pic.twitter.com/yztK7kflX6
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) October 26, 2015
Around the Web:
Athletics Nation: Why the A’s Should Hang On To Sonny Gray – Earlier this week, Swingin’ A’s talked about some possible trade options for Sonny Gray, including the Chicago Cubs. Athletics Nation offers a counterarguement for why Sonny Gray shouldn’t go anywhere.
MLBTradeRumors.com: A’s Offseason Outlook – MLBTradeRumors.com gives an overview of what worked and what didn’t last season, and what to expect from the A’s this winter.