Swingin' A's » Colorado Rockies

What’s An A’s Fan To Do?

Joseph Lopez — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:31:09 +0000

Not even this guy likes the A's these days...(Photo Credit: Swingin' A's)

Prince Fielder just signed with the Detroit Tigers. What have the A’s done lately?

Oh, nothing much. They traded away several of their most talented players in an attempt to go “younger,” and have added a veteran presence to the clubhouse with the signings of Bartolo Colon and Jonny Gomes.

Talk about building towards the future.

The front office has also been preoccupied with trying to relocate the team southbound in San Jose. While the front office continues to work towards a new venue in San Jose, fans are left wondering what to do in the meantime.

The Athletics have no intention of winning in Oakland, so why would anyone in the city of Oakland come out to the Coliseum still? Fans of the organization have been waiting since the end of the 2006 season for another contending A’s team, but their continued support hasn’t been rewarded by the front office. (more…)

A’s Trade For Outfielder Seth Smith

Joseph Lopez — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 06:19:37 +0000

The A’s may not have a lot of resources, but they do have plenty of pitching. That commodity was put to the test on Monday, as general manager Billy Beane shipped two of his pitchers to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for something his team lacks: offense.

Oakland shipped pitchers Guillermo Moscoso and Josh Outman to Colorado in exchange for power-hitting outfielder Seth Smith. The Rockies get two very capable starters in Moscoso and Outman, but the A’s aren’t losers in the deal.

With Smith, 29, the A’s outfield finally begins to take shape. Beane apparently likes Smith’s power and even though the outfielder was limited to a platoon role last year with the Rockies, he should get plenty of at-bats in Oakland.

Of course, Smith is leaving the comfy Coors Field for a much more pitcher-friendly ballpark in the cavernous O.co Coliseum. There’s some concern how well Smith will hit in the cavernous Coliseum, but more people will probably be interested in how he handles left-handed starters this season. (more…)

A’s Part Ways With Kevin Kouzmanoff

Joseph Lopez — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 03:54:42 +0000

As reported by multiple sources including the team’s official site, the Oakland Athletics have parted ways with 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff. Kouzmanoff, who had been stuck in Triple-A Sacramento since June, will head to a Colorado team that might use Kouzmanoff as their everyday third baseman.

Kouzmanoff, 30, entered this season as Oakland’s opening day starter at third base, but an extremely slow start on both offense and defense resulted in Kouzmanoff’s demotion to the River Cats.

His first year in Oakland wasn’t exactly a good first impression, as his .247/.283/.396 slash line was lower across the board compared to his 2009 season in San Diego.

He still led Oakland in home runs (16) and RBIs (71), but Kouzmanoff’s first year in green-and-gold was somewhat forgettable, especially with the way he played this season.

In 46 games this year, Kouzmanoff managed just a .221/.262/.353 line in 136 at-bats with four home runs and 17 RBIs. He also had a terrible time defensively this year for the Athletics, as he committed 9 errors in just 46 games. Last year in 2010, he made 12 errors in 142 games. (more…)