The A's since the Cespedes trade.

[SoCALkid]

7-7 and team batting average has dipped quite a bit. This will be interesting to see how this plays out the rest of the season.

http://beta.sportingnews.com/article/4602294-how-has-oaklands-offense-fared-in-its-first-two-weeks-without-cespedes?modid=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

[DowningRules]

Beane's strategy was to prepare the team for the standard A's post-season performance.  Must temper expectations.

[T.G.]

Someone on twitter said (and I can't remember who), that in trading Cespedes, the A's traded away their swagger... and I can see that point of view for sure.  It's just too bad the Angels still have to face him four more times.  That lineup of their is very streaky and here's to hoping they tank come post season time.

[Erstad Grit]

That trade baffles me.

[gotbeer]

Angels since the Street Trade 12-12.  Fire D'poto.  

[floplag]

all of their offensive numbers have slipped from what i saw assuming i have the dates right.. ops, obp, average... some only marginally but still, down. 
small sample, doesnt mean much, well have to see where ist is at the end

[Stradling]

I totally understand the trade. They have a great rotation that can go in and win any series with. I have no idea if it will work for them but I understand the philosophy behind it. Beane thought he could get similar production from a platoon of Fuld and Gomes and upgraded the staff.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

That trade baffles me.

 

When I was driving to work the morning of the deal, ESPN Radio said only that Jon Lester had been traded to Oakland. My first thought was "damn". Then at lunch when I heard the price they paid, I couldn't believe it. They traded their biggest impact player for Jonny Gomes and two months of Jon Lester (because it's a cinch that Lester ain't staying in Oakland). Major mistake by Billy Beane, IMO. Not a typical Beane deal.

[Taylor]

Angels since the Street Trade 12-12.  Fire D'poto.  

 

In games that Street has appeared:

 

8-2.

[Revad]

When I was driving to work the morning of the deal, ESPN Radio said only that Jon Lester had been traded to Oakland. My first thought was "damn". Then at lunch when I heard the price they paid, I couldn't believe it. They traded their biggest impact player for Jonny Gomes and two months of Jon Lester (because it's a cinch that Lester ain't staying in Oakland). Major mistake by Billy Beane, IMO. Not a typical Beane deal.

A petty good Angels team was pushing him. Winning the division, as smart folks on this site have said, is key. Win or lose, the Angels forced his hand.

[disarcina]

the Cespedes trade was so unlike Billy Beane it made no sense to me.

 

however, on another thread on AW.com, a regular poster here made reference to the timing of the trade and the biogenesis issue percolating because of developments and possible revelations coming out of the court case (now that it's wrapped up against one of the key biogenesis figures).....and that this is somehow going to impact Cespedes..........

 

I have no clue one way or the other about any of this and how it may or may not impact Cespedes..........

 

however, I wouldn't put it past Beane to make a deal like this having possessed an inkling of some inside information about revelations to come.......hard to say.

 

But Lester for two months for Cespedes doesn't seem like a good trade off even if Lester leads the A's to the championship and the A's also save salary and cut payroll next year taking Cespedes' contract/ salary off the books for 2015.

 

Hard to say -- but with that factor, the unlike Beane trade sort of becomes , "well, Beane would do that'

 

I like Cespedes as a ballplayer -- he was the key to the A's offense and made things happen..........pretty good on D (well, throwing the ball -- as Halos know) out in the OF as well.

[Streetkid]

Did we all forget that cespedes is just a high 700s ops player, he's good, but not a star. When lester pitches its a victory.

[Angelsjunky]

People do realize that Cespedes is a career .788 OPS guy, .768 this year? It isn't like he's an offensive monster.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

the Cespedes trade was so unlike Billy Beane it made no sense to me.

 

however, on another thread on AW.com, a regular poster here made reference to the timing of the trade and the biogenesis issue percolating because of developments and possible revelations coming out of the court case (now that it's wrapped up against one of the key biogenesis figures).....and that this is somehow going to impact Cespedes..........

 

If Cespedes is tied to Biogenesis and Beane knew this, it casts an entirely different light on things.

[m0nkey]

Coincidence and randomness

[JoJo26]

Plus Cespedes has a freakin' cannon for an arm...

[Revad]

And the op-out clause

[arch stanton]

Looks like this season will give us plenty of ammo for arguing the value of the sum vs the value of the parts. Beane essentially told the best team in baseball that they were unsatisfactory. Maybe they respond. Maybe they don't.

[ukyah]

Did we all forget that cespedes is just a high 700s ops player, he's good, but not a star. When lester pitches its a victory.

 

 

People do realize that Cespedes is a career .788 OPS guy, .768 this year? It isn't like he's an offensive monster.

 

 

tell that to angel fans that have watched him nearly singlehandedly win games against us, multiple times.

[QuinlansMinion]

I didnt think it was a good deal at first and still dont.  They need a guy like Cespedes in the middle of that lineup, and he could have really helped them every game in the 2nd half.  They already had a great rotation, but you have to hit in the posteason or you will get shut down very easily against other teams with dominant pitching.  I dont care what their regular season numbers say, that lineup doesnt scare anyone in the postseason.  Good coaching and hitting philosophies can only take you so far.  

 

 

Angels since the Street Trade 12-12.  Fire D'poto.  

 

We have also played better teams since then, and we didnt give up any of our current position players to get Street. 

[zenmaster]

I think they think they have a playoff spot locked so whatever happens until then doesn't matter. They got Lester for the playoffs.

[Second Base]

Pitching is what carries you in the playoffs. Beane made a move that makes damn near impossible to beat in a playoff series. He did this because he felt their spot in the playoffs was a virtual certainty., which it sort of is.

Will it hurt them in the regular season? Yes. Will it hurt them next season. Likely. But just like we said with Pujols, if they win the World Series, it's worth it.

[floplag]

I think we all understand the logic behind the trade at this point, but historically speaking teams with great staff like this and lacking in offiense are guaranteed nothing.  Look at the great Braves teams for example, didnt exactly win them a slew of titles though it did get them 1.
 

There is a good amount of baseball left to play, and what i know is this, we got thru the post all star gauntlet in the exact same place as it started, i can live with that and would have been happy to accept that when it started with the As playing far lesser competition over that time.

I think we have an extremely good chance of overtaking them.

 

I wonder if this doesnt work out for them and they do end up losing the division, how much of a genius Beane will be viewed as at that point?   Either way they are in the post season in some form i would think, thats a given barring something unusual.  I guess well see in about a month and a half

[Troll Daddy]

Have the A's won any games with Lester on the mound?

[Sherlock31]

Remember the Rangers team couple years ago? They thought they had AL West locked, then they got caught by the A's at the end and they lost the 1 game playoff............

 

The favor can lose just as quick as the underdog,