Why aren’t the Oakland A’s trying harder to fill their stadium?

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If you really take a look at what’s different for the A’s right now compared to other low points in their history, what’s curious is what the team is not doing to try and get butts in the seats. It’s that lack of action that inspires some to wonder if this isn’t the plot of a popular baseball movie, where the team wants it to look like baseball can never work in Oakland, so that they can leave Oakland and get a new park elsewhere.

“I know some people think it’s ‘Major League,’ but it’s not,” A’s president Dave Kaval said. “We wouldn’t be spending $2 million a month trying to get our waterfront ballpark approved if we weren’t serious about staying in Oakland.”

The question is whether the way the A’s are being run this season lines up with that assertion — both in terms of the product on the field, and when it comes to what they’re doing to sell tickets.

Kaval has pointed out on Twitter that attendance is down a little around the league, including for the Giants, the more popular team in the Bay Area. It’s certainly true that there was a big drop in 2021 that was most probably related to the pandemic, and that April 2022 attendance did not return fully to pre-pandemic levels.

But the league’s median attendance is down a couple thousand off of 2019. The Giants are down a couple thousand off of 2019. Oakland is down close to 12,000 a game, by far the biggest differential in the league.

Commentary: For the Athletics, a home opener at the home they keep failing to escape

“In a two-team market, with us competing against the Giants, we need a product that’s at the same level,” Kaval said. “That is what it is going to require for two teams to be successful in this marketplace.”

The Giants started this season with a $158-million payroll, and revenues about to soar as the team completes its new and vibrant ballpark neighborhood. Even if the A’s build that waterfront home, can they truly compete with the Giants in this marketplace?

Can the A’s really plan for a payroll in the top 10 in the major leagues?

“I think the revenue from a new waterfront ballpark in Oakland can support that,” Kaval said. “One hundred percent.”

The fans in Oakland can be excused for their skepticism. Kaval says the A’s would spend more if only they had a new ballpark, and of course that makes sense. But the “if only” part comes off to this ear as passive.

A's announce an attendance of 17,503 for tonight's home opener.

— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) April 19, 2022

Oakland Coliseum Sees Feral Cat Population Boom – ‘We Have Been Invaded’

Feral cats are a maybe too common a sight these days at the Oakland Coliseum property, the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority executive director said Tuesday, calling it an invasion.

Rats are no longer the problem, said executive director Henry Gardner.

“We have been invaded by these cats,” he said. “The population keeps increasing.”

He said it grew during the pandemic.

Gardner has ideas for the cats and euthanizing them is not an option. He said the plan is to relocate them a few at a time to new homes.

Gardner is considering the possibility of advertising opportunities for people to adopt the cats. The ads would appear during Oakland Arena and Oakland Coliseum events, such as Oakland A’s games.

“That is something I will be pursuing,” he said.

White Sox Trade Rumors: A’s Want Andrew Vaughn for Frankie Montas

According to Bob Nightengale, Rick Hahn has been in talks with the Oakland A’s to acquire their ace, Frankie Montas. The only problem is the A’s want slugger Andrew Vaughn in return. Per Nightengale’s report, Hahn is hesitant to part ways with Vaughn, and it’s easy to understand why.

When the White Sox drafted Vaughn with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019, they did so because he had the most advanced bat in his class, and you could clearly project him to take over for José Abreu at first base one day. He lived up to the hype, debuting in 2021 and hitting 15 homers in 127 games.

What may have come as more of a surprise is that Vaughn proved to be such a high-level athlete that he was able to contribute all over the field when called upon. No demonstration of that ability was more impressive than when he made his MLB debut at left fieldー a position he had only started playing a few days before since Eloy Jiménez hurt himself about a week before the season began. Vaughn did so well with the new assignment that he became the team’s regular left fielder before too long. By season’s end, Vaughn was playing left field, right field, filling in at first when Abreu needed a breather, and even played a game at second and third. He became the team’s slugging swiss army knife.

The A’s say a new ballpark can stop their teardown culture. Should we believe them?

“The ballpark is the key to having a larger payroll so we can compete more effectively with bigger market clubs, have a better fan experience and retain players,” A’s president Dave Kaval said. “You will see a completely different business model based on this revenue potential when we have our new building.”

The A’s claim a new ballpark will allow them to finance teams and players that will create a better product. But now is the time for A’s fans to ask: Is a new ballpark enough to fulfill that promise?

From a baseball standpoint, probably. After 20 years, A’s baseball operations has team-building down to a science, continuously spawning successful teams that deserve more financial support. New ballpark revenues would allow them to offer competitive extensions and explore a wider variety of free agent options to supplement their core instead of flipping players whose talent becomes expensive.

Operating on a shoestring budget this year, even, the A’s have managed to re-allocate some funds for new technology throughout their minor league affiliates and with the big league team. Director of Baseball Systems Rob Naberhaus was promoted to an assistant general manager position to reinforce “more of a voice in our internal technology investments,” Forst said.

“I wouldn’t say we were falling behind,” Forst said. “We just want to make sure we are not falling behind.”

A’s business operations, though, might not be as reliable.

San Diego Padres acquire LHP Sean Manaea in trade with rebuilding Oakland A’s

The San Diego Padres have acquired left-hander Sean Manaea in a trade with the Oakland Athletics.

In return, Oakland is getting right-hander Adrian Martinez and infielder Euribiel Angeles. San Diego also got right-hander Aaron Holiday in the deal.

Manaea, 30, went 11-10 with a 3.91 ERA in 32 starts last season for the A’s. He now joins one of the deepest rotations in the majors as the Padres feature Opening Day starter Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, Blake Snell, and Nick Martinez. Right-hander Chris Paddack is on the injured list with an oblique injury while fellow righty Mike Clevinger will begin the year on IL as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery.

A’s re-sign Jed Lowrie!

The Oakland A’s signed professional hitter Jed Lowrie to a one-year deal, reports Eno Sarris of The Athletic on Friday. It’s a major league contract, adds Shayna Rubin of the Mercury News, so he’ll get a spot on the 40-man roster.

The A’s have said goodbye to a lot of players this offseason, but one familiar face is sticking around for another go. Lowrie spent last summer in Oakland and offered a productive switch-hitting bat at second base and DH, reviving his career after a couple missed seasons with the Mets.

Lowrie, 2021: .245/.318/.398, 100 wRC+, 14 HR, 9.6% BB, 21.1% Ks
Those final numbers might sell him a bit short, as he carried a potent 113 wRC+ into the All-Star break before fading down the stretch. Statcast loved his overall work, giving him an above-average .344 xwOBA mark and rating him among the Top 25% of MLB batters in terms of hard-hit rate and average exit velocity. He’s a smart patient situational hitter who works tough at-bats and makes good contact at a high rate.

Now he’ll get the chance to do it again entering age 38. Last year he stayed on the field for 139 games and 512 plate appearances, which was his most action since 2018, and his injury history is extensive. But at last sight he was healthy and still hitting, and there should be plenty of opportunities for at-bats in Oakland’s rebuilding lineup.

Reports: Oakland A’s trade 3B Matt Chapman to Toronto Blue Jays for prospects

The Oakland Athletics have traded away another former All-Star, sending third baseman Matt Chapman to the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league prospects, according to multiple reports.

Chapman, 28, is a three-time Gold Glove winner (2018, 2019 and 2021) and was an All-Star in 2019. He has spent all of his five seasons with Oakland, with a .243 career batting average.

Chapman’s average has dropped every season since a career-high .278 in 2018. Last season he batted just.210, with 27 home runs and 72 RBIs, while striking out more than 200 times.

Braves acquire Matt Olson from A’s for 4 prospects

Matt Olson is returning home to replace Freddie Freeman as the Braves’ first baseman.

Atlanta acquired Olson from the A’s in exchange for two highly regarded prospects in catcher Shea Langeliers and outfielder Cristian Pache, 2021 first-round Draft pick Ryan Cusick (RHP) and Minor League right-hander Joey Estes.

With the acquisition of Olson, the Braves have seemingly put an end to Freeman’s legendary tenure in Atlanta. The 32-year-old first baseman has been courted by the Dodgers, Yankees, Blue Jays and Rays.

A’s to be phased back in as revenue-sharing recipient under new CBA

The A’s will be phased back in as a revenue-sharing recipient under the new collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the Players Association, The Chronicle has learned.

The move is tied to the A’s reaching an agreement by early 2024 to build a new stadium in Oakland or another location.

The A’s were phased out of receiving revenue-sharing in the last CBA in December 2016. That deal reduced their revenue-sharing proceeds by 25% each season to zero in 2020.

Before those reductions, the A’s received upward of $34 million in revenue sharing for 2016.

Despite playing in a larger market, the A’s were a recipient of revenue-sharing - which redistributes income from high- to low-revenue teams - due to playing in the antiquated Coliseum.

Mets land A’s ace Bassitt for prospect Ginn, more

And so the front office made a necessary deal on Saturday evening, acquiring right-hander Chris Bassitt from the A’s for pitching prospects J.T. Ginn and Adam Oller. The trade brings the Mets a pitcher who produced a 3.15 ERA over 27 starts last season in Oakland, though it comes at a cost: Ginn was one of the Mets’ two highest-ranked pitching prospects.

Bassitt, 33, is a former 16th-round pick who did not enjoy sustained success in the Majors until after recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2018. Since that time, Bassitt has gone 29-14 with a 3.23 ERA in 70 starts and seven relief appearances, with 396 strikeouts over 412 innings. His walk rate has declined every year since ’18, bottoming out at 2.23 per nine innings last season—10th-lowest in the American League among pitchers with at least 150 innings.

7 unexpected stadiums teams called home

3. The White Sox head north to Milwaukee (20 games, 1968-69)
Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee

For a brief four-season period from 1966-69, after the Braves had departed for Atlanta yet before the Seattle Pilots were reborn as the Brewers, Milwaukee had no Major League Baseball. Local car dealer, enormous baseball fan, Braves minority owner and future Commissioner Bud Selig had attempted to keep the Braves in town, but when that failed, he turned his sights to ensuring baseball returned to Wisconsin.

Selig first organized a successful exhibition game between the White Sox and Twins on July 24, 1967. (How in the world he managed to convince the White Sox to stop in Milwaukee in between a doubleheader in Kansas City on July 23 and another doubleheader home in Chicago on July 25 is another story entirely.) That led to nine regular-season home games—one against each other AL team, all starting or ending a series in Chicago—in Milwaukee in 1968, which were well-attended despite the Sox losing eight of nine and getting shut out four times.

How DiMaggio wound up in an A’s uniform

DiMaggio was born, raised and resided in the Bay Area. He had a home on Beach Street in San Francisco, a mere 18 miles from where the A’s would play their home games at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Just as importantly (knowing what we know about DiMaggio), the move made financial sense, too. DiMaggio had retired when he was just two years away from qualifying for Major League Baseball’s maximum pension allowance. This was a way to reach that threshold.

No doubt, Finley, a former insurance salesman, made a pitch every bit as effective as the ones DiMaggio had made for Buitoni and would eventually make for Mr. Coffee. DiMaggio signed a two-year contract to be the A’s executive vice president and consultant.

Just five weeks into that role, however, DiMaggio’s duties expanded. After spending some time among the A’s players at Spring Training, DiMaggio decide to accept an opportunity to be a full-time coach. But he laid down a couple ground rules: He would not coach first or third base, and he reserved the right to turn down banquet invitations.

Many people were understandably shocked that DiMaggio had taken the A’s role in the first place, let alone that he would coach for them. When reporters asked why he hadn’t ever taken a similar job with the Yankees, DiMaggio said he had never formally been offered one. The Yankees countered that DiMaggio had never indicated he was willing to accept such a role.

And so DiMaggio donned the green and gold.

Oakland Athletics hire Mark Kotsay as manager, filling last vacancy in MLB

The Oakland Athletics had to search for a new manager this offseason for the first time since 2011, as long-time manager Bob Melvin was hired away by the San Diego Padres in October. The replacement will be former A’s player Mark Kotsay, confirms CBS Sports HQ’s Jim Bowden.

Kotsay, 46, started coaching in 2015 as the Padres’ hitting coach. He took over as A’s bench coach (MLB’s version of a top assistant) for the 2016 season and also since served as quality control coach and third-base coach in Oakland. Taking over as manager is a promotion from within, so the A’s will have continuity in the dugout, even if Melvin is missed.

Athletics manager search: Mark Kotsay, Joe Espada, Will Venable among A’s candidates, per report

Here, via The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal, are the six managerial candidates the A’s either have interviewed or will interview soon. Other names could always be added to this list in the future:

Darren Bush, A’s hitting coach
Joe Espada, Astros bench coach
Marcus Jenson, A’s bullpen coach
Mark Kotsay, A’s third base coach
Matt Quatraro, Rays bench coach
Will Venable, Red Sox bench coach
Kotsay, Quatraro, and Venable have all already interviewed, reports Ghiroli. Espada and Quatraro are also candidates for the Mets open managerial position. The common thread among all these candidates is no previous managerial experience. They’d all be rookie MLB skippers, which is not something that spooks teams as much as it once did.

A’s reportedly eyeing Tropicana site for possible Strip ballpark

The Oakland Athletics reportedly have their sights set on the Tropicana hotel site to build a potential ballpark on the Las Vegas Strip.

Two other sites also have piqued the team’s interest, one owned by Wynn Las Vegas and the other by Caesars Entertainment, according to a report Wednesday from CNBC.

Bally’s Corp., which owns the Tropicana Las Vegas, declined to comment on the report. A spokesperson for the A’s also declined to comment. Officials for Wynn and Caesars didn’t respond to a request for comment.

A’s President Dave Kaval told the Review-Journal last month that the team had put an offer on a site where it could look to build a $1 billion Major League ballpark. Kaval didn’t reveal the site at that time but noted the team was down to two or three sites in Las Vegas after whittling a list that once included over 20 sites.

If the ballpark ends up at the Tropicana site, it would add to an already robust offering of event spaces on the south portion of the resort corridor. The possible 30,000-35,000-seat stadium would be located within walking distance of Allegiant Stadium, T-Mobile Arena, the MGM Grand Garden arena and Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay hotel-casino.

Source: A’s interested in Manny Ramirez

Just BillybeingBilly.

The Oakland Athletics are “very interested” in making Manny Ramirez their designated hitter next season, a source told ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com.

Ramirez, 39, has been working out in Miami since December and has plans to have open workout sessions for clubs interested in his services at the end of January.

Last week, ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com reported that the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays had a look at Ramirez batting in an indoor cage.

“The Orioles and Blue Jays saw Manny work and Baltimore liked what it saw, but Oakland has been the team that has expressed the most interest, even before having him work out,” the source said.

Ramirez, a .312 lifetime hitter with 555 home runs and 1,831 career RBIs over 19 seasons, was reinstated by Major League Baseball from the “voluntarily retired” list after the Dominican player opted to leave the game instead of serving a second suspension for violating the league’s banned substances policy in 2011 while playing for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Camden Depot: Rick Peterson Breaks Fewer Pitchers?

Jon Shepherd takes a first look at Rick Peterson’s record in keeping pitchers off the disabled list.

Rick Peterson and his pitching lab will apparently be in full effect for the Orioles in 2012.  His analytical technique has been hailed as a major prevention tool against injuries.  I have disabled list numbers of starting pitchers from part of his tenure with the A’s and all of his tenure with the Mets, giving us a time line from 2001 to 2007.  I also have disabled numbers of Orioles’ starting pitchers in 2009 and 2010.

Jonny Gomes to Sign with A’s

The Oakland Athletics are poised to sign Jonny Gomes, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Slusser points out that he’s a local favorite set to join the club after Billy Beane indicated after the Seth Smith trade that he could be looking for more depth in the outfield.

Gomes, 31, has spent most of his career with the Tampa Bay Rays but was with the Cincinnati Reds for a couple seasons and then spent part of 2011 in DC. He’s never been an especially good hitter (being kind to the guy with the mohawk, ok?) but does have a little pop, with a career line of .242 / .329 / .451. If you’re playing at home, think Adam Dunn without the walks.

Thanks to Ferg.

Orlando Cabrera To Retire From Baseball

OH NO, EXPO!

Last season, Orlando Cabrera batted .238 with the Indians and Giants, posting a 61 OPS+. The season before that, he posted a 76 OPS+. The season before that, he posted an 85 OPS+. Orlando Cabrera has been declining, and just turned 37 years old. As a free agent, Cabrera didn’t drum up much interest, which I’m guessing is why he’s intending to hang ‘em up. Enrique Rojas:

  “Orlando Cabrera to retire from baseball, he said in Colombia radio station. Thanks for memories!”

Cabrera had a long career that’ll be difficult to forget. He debuted with the Expos in 1997, and remained there until the giant Nomar Garciaparra three-way trade in 2004. That year, with the Red Sox, Cabrera won a World Series. He wound up with the Angels, earning the unfortunate nickname “The Wizard of O.C.”, and then he wound up with the White Sox, and the A’s, and the Twins, and the Reds, and the Indians, and the Giants ... He remained a shortstop to the end, and collected 2,055 hits. He will always be remembered as a pest. An absolute pest.

A’s trade Moscoso, Outman for Seth Smith

#### THE GOLDEN GLOBES!

Billy Beane’s Oakland A’s continued their extreme offseason makeover Monday with yet another trade. This time Beane shipped pitchers Josh Outman and Guillermo Moscoso to the Rockies for outfielder Seth Smith—who has been involved in trade rumors throughout the offseason.

Smith, 29, has served mostly as a fourth outfielder type for the Rockies since 2008, but he got a career high 533 plate appearances last season. He hit .284/.347/.483 with 15 homers, 32 doubles and 10 stolen bases. He hasn’t played center field since 2008, so he’s best used as a corner outfielder. He’ll likely be the starter in left field with Coco Crisp in center and Josh Reddick in right. Of course, prospect Michael Taylor is going to figure in the mix at some point.

One item of note: Smith’s career splits indicate he was hugely helped by Coors Field. He’s hit .296/.366/.559 at home and .257/.332/.418 on the road. And Oakland plays in one of the worst hitters’ parks in the majors.

Moscoso, 28, was 8-10 with a 3.38 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 74 strikeouts in 128 innings last season. Outman, 27, was 3-5 with a 3.70 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 35 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings. And, again, we’ll note that these two pitchers are going from having a very pitcher-friendly home park to one of the most hitter-friendly yards in the bigs.

Oakland manager Melvin excited about Japan series

The Athletics and Seattle Mariners open the regular season with a two-game series at Tokyo Dome on March 28-29. Many hoped the series would feature a showdown between Matsui and countryman Ichiro Suzuki, but Melvin said the A’s likely wont be re-signing the 37-year-old free agent Matsui.

“Matsui was a great fit for us last year and we all loved having him on our team,’’ Melvin said at a press conference on Monday to promote the series. “But this year it doesn’t look like a fit for us based on the personnel we have going forward.’‘

...Suzuki also had a down season in 2011. For the first time in his career, He failed to reach 200 hits - finishing with 184 - and hit a career-worst .272. Other numbers were lower too, including on-base percentage, infield hits and home runs, while he struck out a career-high 69 times.

Former Seattle star Ken Griffey Jr., who now serves as a special consultant to the Mariners, said he expects Suzuki to bounce back this season.

“Ichiro is going to be fine, you can ask these two guys (Melvin, Wedge) if a guy had 184 hits they wouldn’t be complaining,’’ Griffey said. “But you are looking at a guy who is a special athlete. He had one hiccup in his career and come this time next year we won’t even be talking about this. He is going to come into this season determined and with a little fire.’‘

Hiccup?...That was a freakin’ Dave McNally tally if ever!

Phil Rogers: Bean-counting GM Beane deserves a better place to work

And furthermore

(bullet) MLB should have a minimum payroll. It would require all teams to at least attempt to be somewhat competitive, and fairness is an issue. For instance, how much of an advantage will the Angels and Rangers have in the wild-card race because they have 19 games each against Oakland?

(bullet) According to Bill James’ projections, the Athletics’ most productive hitter next season will be DH Brandon Allen, with a slash line of .243/.327/.449, 22 home runs and 71 RBIs.

(bullet) Melvin is a major upgrade in the dugout, probably the best manager they’ve had since Tony La Russa (although Art Howe was much better than the movie’s portrayal by Philip Seymour Hoffman suggests).

(bullet) MLB scoffs at Forbes’ projections, but they’re the best available.

(bullet) Wolff is very close to Selig, but so far that does not appear to have gained him any advantages.

(bullitt) There are bad writers and there are good writers - and then there’s Rogers.

MLB Trade Rumors: Bartolo Colon Agrees to Sign With Unknown Team

Bartolo Colon has agreed to a deal with an unknown club reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). The right-hander wouldn’t divulge the team because he has not yet passed his physical.

Pretty sure it’s either the All-Stars or the Champs.

On DVD: Moneyball’s deleted scenes reveal the numbers game

The deleted scene in question features Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) discussing the team’s relief pitchers with field manager Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman). The two butt heads several times in the film, as Beane recommends fielding undervalued, unorthodox players over the objections of the more conservative Howe.

This time he’s singing the praises of Chad Bradford over Mike Magnante. He concludes his own pitch by telling Howe to bring Bradford out of the bullpen no matter what. “If we’re in, let’s say to make it easier on you, any situation. OK? Righty, lefty, two outs, one out, the umpires want to finish the game throwing darts … Bradford!”

It’s no surprise, however, when Howe does the opposite. Magnante promptly gives up a home run, and the crowd boos lustily. Beane then makes a rare (and illegal) trip to the dugout during the game to tell Howe what a costly f-you that was, and adds: “Those boos; they’re for you. Drink up.”

It’s a clever scene, probably cut only because we see so much sniping between Beane and Howe that their animosity is already clear.

Thanks to Nroll.