Oakland Athletics Roundup: Coaching Turmoil; Keeping Evan Scribner; Sonny Gray Trades;

Oakland Athletics Roundup, Weekend Edition: Sunday, November 1

Happy Daylight Saving Time! The Kansas City Royals are one win away from a World Series victory and the Oakland Athletics still aren’t in the playoffs – but at least nearly all A’s fans can rejoice in an extra hour of sleep.

No one wants to see the Royals celebrating a Championship, but at least the end of the postseason means the Athletics can finally get their off-season underway. Who will be the first to be traded? Which free agents will the Athletics target? Which arbitration-eligible players on the current roster will return next season?

One of the bigger questions surrounding the Athletics’ off-season has nothing to do with the players on the field. The A’s fired third base coach Mike Gallego before the season had ended, but earlier this month, they also dismissed first base coach Tye Waller. Ron Washington, who had assumed third base duties after Gallego was let go, could potentially fill a managerial position with another team, so there’s no guarantee he’ll return next year even if he says he intends to.

More from White Cleat Beat

• Zach Logue yet another disappointing Oakland A’s trade return
• Luis Barrera heading to familiar foe in Los Angeles Angels
• Looking back at Ruben Sierra with the Oakland A’s
• San Francisco Giants showing Oakland A’s offseason could be worse
• Lucas Luetge what Oakland A’s need in bullpen

So who will the front office pick? When Gallego was dismissed, he said they wanted someone more “cutting edge” for next year. Eric Chavez has already been hired as a special assistant for the Los Angeles, so it’s hard to know what direction the A’s plan on heading. What is clear is that rather than accepting responsibility for his terrible trades last winter, Billy Beane chose to push the blame onto his coaches, and his new “general manager” did nothing to stop him. Unless they have some pretty stellar coaching names lined up to wear the Green and Gold next year, this is not a good move for the franchise.

In Case You Missed It:

A Case For Keeping Reliever Evan Scribner – Evan Scribner was hardly an impressive part of the Athletics’ bullpen this season. But is there an argument to be made for why he should return to the A’s next year? Samantha Riley explains why that might be possible.

Should the A’s Trade Sonny Gray For Top Prospects? – Everyone knows how valuable a pitcher like Sonny Gray would be. He could net a pair of top prospects from just about any team, and perhaps even more value in a multi-team deal. So should the A’s deal him this winter? Katrina Putnam weighs the pros and cons of that idea.

Four Athletics That Surprised the Most in 2015 – Scott Harris analyzes which of the 2015 Athletics had the most surprising season in 2015. You may be surprised at which players he picked – be sure to check it out for the answer.

Prospect Profile: Pitcher Raul Alcantara – Who is Athletics’ pitching prospect Raul Alcantara? Samantha Riley tells you all you need to know about him – and how he’ll impact the big league club.

#Athletics:

Next: A's Prospects Who Could Make an Impact Next Year

Around the Web:

Athletics Nation: Prospect Watch – Sean Manaea – Athletics Nation explains why Sean Manaea is the crown jewel of the A’s recently acquired prospects.