March 18, 2009; San Diego, CA, USA; Cuba center fielder Yoennis Cespedes (51) runs into third base following a stand-up triple during the sixth inning in the second round of the World Baseball Classic against Japan at Petco Park in San Diego, CA. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Christopher Hanewinckel-US PRESSWIRE

That just happened. The Oakland A’s have landed Cuban star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes with a four-year deal worth $36 million, reports the SF Chronicle. The deal shocked many people around baseball, as many analysts and writers expected the Cuban star to sign with a bigger and more well-known franchise.

That wasn’t the case, though, as the A’s reportedly came out of nowhere at the last minute and snatched Cespedes with a cool $36 million.

The deal itself is a risk, but for the A’s Cespedes could be the uncommon cure for their middle-of-the-order ailments. Ken Rosenthal of FOXSport.com, though, calls the deal very peculiar, especially for the penny-pinching A’s. It counters, Rosenthal argues, Oakland’s Moneyball approach and calls the whole deal a “gamble.”

Cespedes represents the type of hitter the A’s haven’t been able to land via free agency over the past few years. The team went into last year’s offseason very aggressive and came up empty handed. Well, almost empty handed. (more…)

September 5, 2011; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Rich Harden (18) walks off the field after the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

According to a report issued by the San Francisco Chronicle, Rich Harden will miss the entire 2012 season. Harden, 30, underwent surgery to repair a torn right shoulder capsule. According to the report, it is the same type of injury that caused Dallas Braden to get surgery last year.

Even more alarming, though, is the fact that Harden has pitched with the torn capsule for four years. The injury resulted in more than a few side-effects. For the past few seasons, Harden has seen his velocity drop and his overall health has been in question.  According to Susan Slusser’s report, the former A’s starter suffered the torn capsule during the 2007 season, but he did not receive surgery to repair the torn capsule.

Instead, Harden tweaked his pitching mechanics as a way of coping with the injury the following season in 2008. The results were impressive. Harden went 10-2 with a 2.07 ERA in 25 starts and 148.0 innings while splitting time between Oakland and the Chicago Cubs. After that season, however, Harden’s numbers looked a little less impressive. (more…)

December 14, 2010; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane addresses the media during a press conference following designated hitter Hideki Matsui (not pictured) signing with the Athletics at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

It appears that we’ll be getting a few more years of Billy Beane. According to a few rumors out there, the Oakland A’s have extended their general manager through the 2019 season, suggesting that the organization is also embracing the possibility of a new stadium in San Jose. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle seems to suggest that this extension of Beane’s contract could, in many ways, signal that the A’s are inching closer towards gaining approval to move to San Jose.

Beane, 49, has been the team’s GM since the 1998 and has guided the team to five playoff appearances. He last put together a playoff contender in 2006, when his A’s won the American League West en route to an ALCS appearance. The A’s were eliminated, though, by the Detroit Tigers in a four-game sweep. Since that playoff collapse, Beane’s most recent teams have been characterized by their offensive inefficiencies and shoe-string budgets.

More importantly, though, Beane’s latest attempts to rebuild this franchise have been marked by inconsistent execution from the front office. Some of Beane’s moves have contradicted the youth movement currently taking place in Oakland and have placed doubt on whether or not Beane can effectively rebuild this team as a perennial playoff contender (more…)