May 4, 2012; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Oakland Athletics catcher Kurt Suzuki (8) at bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

The time has come. The A’s and Kurt Suzuki need to finally part ways with each other. Oakland’s catcher hasn’t produced much this year and he’s had plenty of time to step up and produce offensively.

This season, Suzuki, 28, is hitting just .216/.256/.268 with no home runs and 16 RBIs in 61 games. Even more unimpressive is Suzuki’s BB%, which has dropped from 7.4% last year to 4.0% this year. He’s also striking out at a higher rate, as suggested by his 19.3% K% rate, which is an increased rate over his 12.4% last year.

The A’s haven’t really gotten much out of Suzuki this year and with prospect Derek Norris making his way up to the big leagues, Suzuki’s time in Oakland seems to be nearing its end. Much like Jason Kendall before him, Suzuki may well be the odd man out.

Since performing so well in 2009, when he drove in a team-high 88 runs and hit 15 HRs, Suzuki has fallen off the rails a bit. He followed up his big ’09 season with a decent 2010 outing with 13 HR and 77 RBI, but it was still drenched in disappointment. He followed that season with another down year last season, hitting just .237/.301/.385 with 14 HR and 54 RBI.

He hasn’t shown any signs of improvement this year, either. The A’s backstop has produced an ISO of .053 (down from last year’s .148) and has seen a huge drop off in the power department. For the offensively challenged Athletics, a powerless Suzuki is a Suzuki worth trading. The A’s have Derek Norris, who figures to help give Suzuki a break behind the plate from time to time, as a potential successor to Suzuki.

In 55 games with Triple-A Sacramento this year, Norris hit .273/.331/.474 with 8 HR and 36 RBI. He was regarded as a top-catching prospect in the Washington Nationals’ farm-system and has shown some promise since coming over to Oakland in the Gio Gonzalez trade. He’ll get plenty of opportunities, especially if Suzuki continues to struggle, to prove himself to Oakland’s top brass.

Suzuki, meanwhile, could be a potential trade chip for Billy Beane and Co. According to several rumors, including this one, the A’s could explore the possibility of trading Suzuki. According to Peter Gammons of MLB Network, Suzuki could make sense for a team like the Marlins or even the Rays.

While the possibility of a Suzuki trade seems ever more likely, it is sad to see how far Suzuki has fallen off the rails. His defense behind the plate goes unquestioned and his handling of the pitching staff is excellent, but his contributions on offense have become increasingly frustrating. That’s why it’s time to say goodbye.

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Apr. 20, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Trevor Cahill (35) throws during the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE

Each month, Swingin’ A’s will revisit three of the biggest trades that the A’s made this past offseason. We’ll continue by reexamining the deal that sent All-Star pitcher Trevor Cahill and reliever Craig Breslow to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In return for those two pitchers, the A’s received top-pitching prospect Jarrod Parker, outfielder Collin Cowgill, and pitcher Ryan Cook. It was the trade that sent the stage for the Gonzalez, Bailey-Sweeney deals this past winter. 

The A’s set the stage early on during the offseason when they decided to trade their All-Star pitcher Trevor Cahill to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a few young prospects. Oakland also included reliever Craig Breslow in the trade, but Cahill definitely headlines this trade. The A’s did receive a talented prospect in Jarrod Parker, but other than that, the team didn’t fare extremely well in this trade. Like the Bailey-Sweeney trade, the Cahill-Breslow trade didn’t wow me like the Gonzalez to Washington trade did.

Parker, 23, is considered a front line starter and in that sense, the deal works in Oakland’s favor. Trevor Cahill was coming back to Earth in 2011 after posting career numbers in 2010 and the A’s knew it was time to sell high on Cahill. The A’s also got a few extra pieces in Cowgill and Cook, but they’re not nearly as important as Parker.

Parker made his Oakland debut last Wednesday against the White Sox, going 6.1 strong innings. He allowed just one run on seven hits and struck out a total of five batters. He’ll bring his 1.42 ERA into Tuesday’s contest against the Red Sox with the goal of winning his first game of the 2012 season.

Cahill, meanwhile, has posted s0-so numbers in his first full-month on National League action. He’s 1-2 with a 3.70 ERA in four starts with the Diamondbacks. Breslow, baseball’s brightest mind, is doing a little bit better than Cahill. He’s been effective in Arizona’s bullpen so far, posting a 1.80 ERA through 10 innings of work this year. Overall, Arizona is faring pretty well in this trade. They’ve essentially got a solid No.3-4 starter with Cahill and a reliable reliever in Breslow.

The A’s got a potential No.1 or No.2 starter in Parker, but will need more time to really evaluate Parker’s abilities. He’s also had his share of injuries, so the A’s will likely monitor his progress very, very closely. One month into the season and this deal looks like a favorable one for both Oakland and Arizona.

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Remember him? The A's traded Gio Gonzalez last winter as the team continued their youth-movement. Image Credit: Brad Barr-US PRESSWIRE

Each month, Swingin’ A’s will revisit three of the biggest trades that the A’s made this past offseason. We’ll continue by reexamining the deal that sent All-Star Gio Gonzalez to the Washington Nationals. The A’s received plenty of young talent in this deal. This deal, in my mind, anyway, makes Billy Beane look very, very smart. We’ll see what you think. 

When the A’s traded Gio Gonzalez to the Washington Nationals this past offseason, I seriously thought about jumping ship. This rebuild only to tear down mentality was not sitting to well with me, but I’m glad I’ve decided to stick around this year. The A’s scored big time in the Gonzalez deal, landing four prospects in the trade. Among those talented prospects are pitchers Brad Peacock, Tom Milone, A.J. Cole, and catcher Derek Norris.

Milone has made his presence felt in Oakland’s clubhouse this season. He’s 3-2 with a 3.69 ERA so far for the Athletics and has demonstrated early on that he’s a guy with solid control and command of his pitches. The A’s have Peacock and Cole down in the minor leagues, but Peacock could find himself in the big leagues at some point this year. Cole, though, is still too early in his development to really make a considerable push for a major league call-up.

The power hitting catcher Norris, though, could find his way up to the big leagues in a hurry. The prospect is tearing things up in Triple-A Sacramento; he’s hitting .329/.344/.565 with 3 HR and 16 RBI in 21 games this year. Should the A’s continue their crazed youth-movement at some point this season and decide to trade away “aging” Kurt Suzuki (who’s just 28), Norris’ name could be on Bob Melvin’s daily lineup card in a hurry.

The A’s gave up a lot in Gonzalez, but in my mind, the team made out considerably well in the trade with Washington. The Nationals have enjoyed Gio Gonzalez’s presence in their starting rotation, as the southpaw has gone 2-1 with a 1.82 ERA in five starts. Both sides, then, have done incredibly well. The Nationals finally have the talent to compete in the National League while the A’s have done a nice job restocking on some young talent as they plan for future success.

One month into the season and the A’s have certainly taken advantage of this trade. Milone is a talented young pitcher pitching in the heart of Oakland’s rotation and the team is seeing encouraging signs from catching prospect Norris. So far, this deal has been equally good for both clubs.

What do you think? Who did better in the trade, the A’s or Nationals? 

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