October 1, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Jarrod Parker (11) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

It makes sense for a team that is in a rebuilding phase, but for a team like this version of the Oakland Athletics, fresh off a division title, it seems foolish.  It would be one thing if the A’s simply had a better record than expected, but eventually faded away during the pennant race.  But this was different.

So that’s why a couple pieces of rumor and speculation that made their way through the rumor mill troubled me.  They involved Brandon Moss and Jarrod Parker.  Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe first addressed the possibility of Moss going back to the Red Sox, although Billy Beane told him Moss was going nowhere.  Jarrod Parker’s name was brought up by Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal as another target for the Red Sox as a future ace of their team.  It’s no surprise that there’s still this assumption that a team like the Red Sox can simply pluck away the impact players on a team like the Athletics whenever they see fit.

Brandon Moss had a break out season in 2012, and while many expect him to regress somewhat in 2013, he should still have a great impact on the success of the A’s next year.  While he’s not exactly a young player, he’s entering his age 29 season, he’s also entering what could be his prime years.  The A’s don’t have a bonafide first base prospect anywhere close to major league ready at this point so keeping Moss in the fold is in the team’s best interest.  If they suddenly decide to blow the team apart, Moss will just be a small part of the fire sale, his departure would be the least of our worries.

The speculation about Parker though is especially galling, the A’s got themselves the ace of their future when they traded Trevor Cahill to get him.  And Parker did nothing to cast doubt on that notion in 2012.  He’ll slot in as the A’s number 2 starter in 2013 behind Brett Anderson (who I believe would be the first starter to get traded if the A’s went that direction).  The notion that the A’s would just send Parker Boston’s way to make the rich even richer is simply wrong.

We all know Billy Beane never labels a player flat out untouchable, and he’s always willing to listen, but even Billy Beane can’t be crazy enough to trade the future ace of the Oakland Athletics just as the team is having success again.  Two of the main reasons the A’s became a winner once again were Jarrod Parker and Brandon Moss, so now is not the time to abandon ship, no matter what the haves in the northeast want you all to think.  These guys are here to stay.

Apr 30, 2011; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Hideki Okajima (37) pitches against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

The A’s already have 3 relatively established left handed relievers with Jerry Blevins, Sean Doolittle, and Jordan Norberto in the fold.  But those three aren’t without their uncertainties.

Jerry Blevins had a very solid season in 2012, and seemed to prove that he can get hitters out with consistency.  I can’t mention too many times how amazing his Houdini-like save in Anaheim was either.  But some of his peripheral stats can be a bit troubling.  His .224 BABIP and his 4.21 FIP seem to show that he benefitted from a bit of good fortune en route to his solid season.  It doesn’t mean he’s going to get shelled in 2013, but there’s absolutely no guarantee he won’t.

Sean Doolittle shocked everyone by dominating three levels of minor league ball in 2012, going from the High A Stockton Ports all the way to a prime setup role with the Oakland Athletics themselves.  For the former first baseman turned pitcher, it was clearly a shocking turn of events.  Doolittle took his lumps at times, but he also looked downright filthy other times.  His fastball was hovering in the mid to high 90′s early on, but seemed to fade a bit as the season wore on.  Certainly pitching more than he ever had in his life took its toll.  Whether he suffers a sophomore slump, or still hasn’t completely recovered from his heavy workload remains to be seen.  He may be on his way to becoming one of the league’s dominant lefty set up men, but once again, nothing is guaranteed.

Jordan Norberto is the biggest question mark of the three.  He missed a large portion of the season, including everything past August 17 with shoulder problems.  When he was healthy though he was effective, provided he wasn’t walking everyone to the tune of 3.9/9 innings.  He’s a middle reliever and nothing more at this point, but having him in the bullpen as a lefty certainly has its own value.

They also have Travis Blackley as a swing man, he’ll be in the long relief role and making spot starts here and there, so his presence doesn’t impact the rest of the bullpen necessarily.  So adding a low risk arm like Hideki Okajima makes sense because he’s something of a safety net incase any of the three current lefty pitchers go down.

As the expression goes, you can never have too much pitching.  That notion applies for both the starting rotation as well as the bullpen.  While there may be a number of arms who’ll spend most of 2013 in Sacramento, none of them have the experience that Okajima has.  On a team as young as the Athletics, a presence like Okajima could provide value beyond just what he’s able to contribute from the mound itself.

He’s already been released from the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in Japan, so it appears his intention is to return to MLB this season.  Look for Billy Beane to take a long look at bringing Okajima into the fold, there really isn’t any reason not to give him a shot.

Oct 7, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Oakland Athletics left fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) hits an RBI single against the Detroit Tigers during the third inning of game two of the 2012 ALDS at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

With the A’s boasting an excess in outfield help, would Billy Beane and the front office ever think about trading Yoenis Cespedes? It does sound crazy, but with the A’s having plenty of options in the outfield right now a trade involving Cespedes is not impossible.

Oakland signed the Cuban star last offseason to a four-year $36 million contract and if traded Cespedes would be a very affordable outfield star. Cespedes, 27, played very well in his first full year of big league action. In 129 games this year in Oakland, the outfielder hit .292/.356/.505 with 23 HR and 82 RBI.

He led the team in OBP (.356) and in OWAR (4.2). He was also Oakland’s hottest hitter in the ALDS against Detroit, going 5-19 (.316) in the five game series with two RBI. The A’s took a gamble on Cespedes, but if his first year is any indication of his talent, then the gamble may pay off for the A’s.

While serving as an important member of Oakland’s lineup, Cespedes played solid defense for what shaped up to be one of the AL’s better defensive outfield corps. With Cespedes playing in left, the A’s got solid defense out of Coco Crisp in center and from Josh Reddick in right.

The acquisition of Chris Young, however, makes Oakland’s outfield all the more interesting. With Young now in the fold, the A’s have a surplus of starting outfielders and could make a move to deal one of them. Will they deal Cespedes? My answer is no, they will not.

Will they listen in on offers for their young Cuban star? Probably. Who wouldn’t? With his value at an all-time high, Cespedes would likely bring in some serious talent Oakland’s way, but why would the A’s want to tamper with their depth in the outfield?

The A’s have been killed by injuries in recent years and depth, in any form, should not be tampered with. Heck, the A’s made it to the playoffs this year because of their depth.

From the starting rotation to various spots in the infield, the A’s had to mix-and-match what they had available to them. Trading away all their options, at this point, anyway, would seem counterproductive.

Do they have players to trade? Certainly. Should they trade them? No.

Guys like Josh Reddick and Seth Smith, both of whom provided the team with power, are likely going to be popular targets this offseason.

Reddick, who also proved to be an absolute steal last offseason for Billy Beane, provided the offense with 32 HR and 85 RBI. Smith, meanwhile, split time between the outfield and at DH while providing the team with 14 HR in 125 games.

Both Reddick and Smith are expected to be back in Oakland next year.

So while the A’s could entertain offers from opposing clubs for their Cuban star and other members of their outfield, the likelihood of the A’s dealing any of them are slim. The more likely scenario is that the A’s will enter 2013, barring any injuries or trades, with plenty of depth in the outfield.

From Cespedes to the newly acquired Young, Oakland will have plenty to boast about in ’13.