Swingin' A's » A’s transactions

A’s Review: Ben Sheets

Joseph Lopez — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 17:24:31 +0000

Heading into this season, many figured that the A’s primary strength was going to be their starting pitching. The A’s rotation at the beginning of the season included pitchers Ben Sheets, Justin Duchscherer, Dallas Braden, Brett Anderson and Gio Gonzalez. Ben Sheets, who signed with the team during the off-season for $10 million, was supposed to be the team’s ace, but the deal never panned out according to plan.

The A’s took a gamble on Sheets, and lost miserably. A’s GM/VP Billy Beane also took a ton of heat as well, as many baseball analysts criticized the deal. In return for $10 million, the A’s got 20 starts out of Sheets and a 4-9 record. Sheets recorded just 119.1 innings of work, and opponents hit .267 off the right-hander. While his stats did not impress many people, his influence in the clubhouse had a positive effect with the younger players like Anderson, Cahill and Gonzalez.

Sheets really never found a groove during the course of the season, and really never resembled the vintage-Sheets who was named to four NL All-Star games. Sheets, who was shut down for the remainder of the season back in July, will likely miss the entire 2011 season. It’s unknown whether or not Sheets will play again, since he will need to undergo extensive rehabilitation with no guarantee that a team will sign him. In his career, Sheets owns a 90-92 record along with a 3.79 ERA.

A’s Sign IF Akinori Iwamura

Joseph Lopez — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 15:32:39 +0000

The Oakland A’s, who have been without regular 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff for quite some time, have announced that they’ve signed veteran IF Akinori Iwamura to a contract. The 31-year-old, who was released by Pittsburgh, has had some experience at third, and at second-base. The A’s addition of Iwamura is a good one, defensively, but offensively, not so much.

Iwamura hit just .182 with the Pirates in 52 games before being optioned to Triple-A. Iwamura will be with the A’s on Monday in Kansas City, as the A’s begin their six-game road trip. Kevin Kouzmanoff, meanwhile, is still improving, but his lower back pain is not completely gone. The A’s 3B was hitting .256/.291/.404 prior to his injury, and leads the team in HR (14) and RBIs (69).

A’s Suzuki Signs Four-Year Deal

Joseph Lopez — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:11:17 +0000

The Future is Now! The A's signed Suzuki to a four-year deal Friday. (Photo: Courtesy of Yardbarker.com)

The Oakland A’s made a move that will certainly ensure a bright future, as they came to terms with catcher Kurt Suzuki to a four-year deal. The contract signs Suzuki, 26, through his arbitration years, and also includes an option for 2014—the year he becomes eligible for free agency. The A’s back-stop has been an integral part of the team’s continued success on the mound, as he’s helped handle a relatively young rotation that includes Brett Anderson, Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez and Vin Mazzaro.

Last season, Suzuki belted 15 homers and drove in a team-leading 88 runs. This season, Suzuki is batting .257/.316/.408 with 10 homers and 37 RBIs. Suzuki, who is valuable not just on offense, has become one of the better defensive catchers in the game. This season, the A’s pitching staff ranks 6th in all of baseball with a 3.78 ERA—Suzuki’s handling of a young rotation is one of the reasons why the A’s are playing better baseball compared to last season.

*The deal is worth a reported $16.25 million. It could vary, however, depending on the option/etc. So, potentially the deal could be worth anywhere between $25-26 million.