Sure, our General manager Billy Beane is hard at work trying to get us ready for the future, but we’re not interested in the future are we? We’re interested in the here and now, huh?

Well, unfortunately for our poor souls, we’ll have to wait a while before the green-and-gold become competitive again. The team has a few players to get excited about, but even they’re not figured to make much of an impact on what should be a year of player development in 2012.

Recent trade acquisition Jarrod Parker, the centerpiece of the Trevor Cahill trade, joins my list of the five players I’m most excited about heading into the new year. While some may feel the Cahill trade favored Arizona more than it did Oakland, I’m really excited to see what Gray, a former 1st round draft pick from 2007, can do with the A’s organization. (more…)

Top Choice: Oakland's Michael Choice has a bright future ahead of him. (Photo Credit: MiLB.com/AP)

The Oakland Athletics have the pitching talent to win ballgames. We know that much already. What the A’s don’t have, at least on the major league level, is the offense to help support that strong starting pitching.

When the Athletics decided to tear apart their team by trading away favorites Dan Haren and Nick Swisher following the 2007 season, fans knew the team was entering a rebuilding phase. Some called it a youth movement led by general manager Billy Beane, and some criticized the fallout that usually comes with a rebuilding process. For Oakland, a team that advanced to the ALCS in 2006, losing seasons in ’07, ’08, and ’09 hit the team’s small fan-base pretty hard.

Oakland acquired some much needed pitching during those seasons, but while the team now features youngster Brett Anderson, Trevor Cahill, and Gio Gonzalez, the Athletics haven’t been able to match that type of talent on the offensive side. So it’s to no one’s surprise that the Athletics have been searching for players that will ultimately help the team offensively in the years to come.

Over the past few seasons, Oakland has drafted some pretty decent hitters in an attempt to reverse their offensive woes. Grant Green and Michael Choice come to mind, and since I’ve already covered Green in the past, I’ll talk more about Choice, who has been putting up solid numbers for Oakland’s Single-A affiliate.  (more…)

Earlier this week, however, A’s GM Billy Beane, suggested that the A’s will continue to roll with Chavez at DH. He cites that Chavez has stayed healthy and will be given a chance to provide on offense. Despite Beane’s reassuring words, however, I don’t see the A’s sticking Cust out in the outfield while Chavez tries to regain his power stroke. Cust would be a big liability in the OF, and simply does not fit in the A’s new approach on defense. Initially the A’s could have Cust play the field and share time at DH with Chavez (something they did not want to do), but in the long-term, I think Cust will eventually reclaim the everyday DH position.

Notes: Prior to his call-up, Cust was hitting .273 with four homers and an .881 OPS in 33 games with Sacramento. Eric Chavez, who has sat out the past two games, will start against the RHP Ervin Santana. Chavez is just 1-for-9 against lefties this year. Lifetime against Santana, Chavez owns a .320 average in 25 at-bats.