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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Jul. 8, 2008; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane before the game against the Seattle Mariners at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, CA. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

The season is young, but A’s general manager Billy Beane could be sitting in his office thinking of ways to continue his latest rebuild. The A’s are not in a position to compete for a playoff spot this season and the team could opt to continue with their plans to go “young” at some point during the year. Trading some of their more established players like veteran pitchers Bartolo Colon and Grant Balfour could, once the team hits bottom, be an option for Beane and the A’s.

At 9-10, the A’s are trailing behind the power-house Texas Rangers by 5.5 games and are expected to fall completely out of the division picture sooner or later. Oakland has gotten plenty of pitching so far this year, but the offense has yet to impress. In fact, it has been a recurring theme in Oakland; the A’s often boast strong pitching talent only to find themselves done in by their own offensive deficiencies.

In his latest post, our very own Staff Writer Jason Leary ponders who the A’s will eventually ship off to another city this season. Jason makes the case for several players including guys like Brandon McCarthy, Colon, and Coco Crisp. His strongest case, though, remains Grant Balfour. The question of who Beane will trade isn’t important, but rather when he’ll decide to start trading his more valuable players.

Balfour, who recorded his 5th save of the season in Tuesday’s win over the visiting White Sox, remains the most likely trade candidate for Beane and the A’s. He’s about the best reliever who you could potentially trade for right now. While the A’s have not openly suggested their shopping any of their players, it would be hard to believe the A’s would not listen in on deals involving a guy like Balfour.

We all know how much Beane loves a good deal, right? If the price is right, then anything is possible. The only person safe from the trade market, or so I would believe, is 2B Jemile Weeks. Balfour, though? Nope. He’ll definitely become a hot commodity if he continues his strong performance.

In 10 appearances so far for Balfour, he’s recorded 5 saves along with a nifty 0.82 ERA over 11.0 innings of work. He’s also recorded 7 strikeouts to two walks. Last year, Balfour made 62 appearances and recorded a 2.47 ERA. At this point, the Aussie reliever could find himself in new colors by the trade deadline this year.

The A’s in return, then, would find themselves getting even younger. For a team like the A’s, parting ways with established veterans in order to get younger, inexpensive prospects is just the way of life.

The A’s are not in a position to hold onto guys like Balfour and Colon, who are both performing at exceedingly high rates. They are inclined, at some point or another, to ship them off elsewhere in order to continue the rebuilding efforts. Holding onto guys beyond their highest value, in my mind anyway, would be a crucial mistake for Beane and the A’s.

Timing, Mr. Beane, is everything.

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