Veterans Day brought the usual salute to the past, but the bigger story for the A’s is what comes next. The club’s new front office is signaling that it wants to move quickly as the organization heads toward Las Vegas, and the early read from those around it is that this isn’t a wait-and-see operation.
As told to The Athletic, the A’s may not hold off until they arrive in Las Vegas before spending “Vegas-like money/resources”. The reporting framed the club this way: “The A’s, with a big move to Las Vegas looming, look to be aggressive.”
Billy Owens put it even more plainly: “We’re not going to be content with screens and draws, we’re ready to throw the ball down the field.”
Taylor Smith added: “I think we’ll have a much higher degree of flexibility than what the organization has had in the past. I think the opportunities afforded by the move to Vegas will be very energizing for the kinds of things we think about and do.”
That said, “aggressive” can mean a lot of things, and the source material makes clear it doesn’t automatically point to a chase after every big-name arm on the market. Tarik Skubal is the obvious dream name, but the piece suggests that kind of splash is unlikely. High-priced free agents, after all, are often more burden than blessing, which is why clubs like the Brewers and Rays usually steer clear.
There are other paths. A deeper push into the international pitching market could be in play, though the article notes that elite starters from overseas are hardly cheap. Yoshinobu Yamamoto landed a 12 year/$325M deal with the Dodgers, while Tatsuya Imai got 3 years/$54M from the Astros.
The word “aggressive” could also describe a trade, whether that means moving a core position player for a quality starting pitcher or taking another swing at Nick Kurtz after his reported demand for 7 years/$200M to sign an extension.
Still, one line from Cam Castro cuts against the idea that the front office is ready to attack every weakness with urgency. Castro said he’s “very comfortable” with the A’s current pitching. That’s a tough sell on the surface, given a staff that set records in home runs allowed, finished with a 5.51 ERA, and still posted a rough 4.62 mark on the road.
Castro pointed to two pitchers when talking up the group: Gage Jump and Jack Perkins. Jump gets the nod without much debate.
Perkins is harder to sell, especially with a 6.10 ERA attached to his name. The source material leaves room for optimism that the new regime can unlock more from the stuff, but it also makes the point clearly: being “looking to be aggressive” is not the same thing as counting on Jack Perkins.
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As New Front Office Is Already Shaping A Crucial Vegas Transition
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Beyond the trade market, the bigger work right now is in the structure around the roster. Castro is focused on filling key openings, including the vacant Minor League pitching coordinator role, while Smith has been publicly upbeat about the pitching staff heading into next season. For an organization trying to build stability in a new market, those behind-the-scenes decisions may matter just as much as the next deal. [Read more 🡒]
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Castros challenge is that the fixes may not be simple. The club is expected to look at ways to add infield help, and there is already talk of a possible pursuit of Gleyber Torres to bolster the lineup. At the same time, the As could have to weigh difficult trade decisions involving some of their more prominent young pieces as they try to retool the roster without losing sight of the long-term picture. [Read more 🡒]