12/28/12

In Search For An Outfielder – Oakland Athletics



In Search For An Outfielder – Oakland Athletics

So far, we have identified the following outfielders as possible targets for the Mets:

                Atlanta – Reed Johnson
                Arizona – A.J. Pollock
Baltimore – Nolan Reimold
                Boston – Jerry Sands
                Chicago Cubs – Brett Jackson
Chicago White Sox - Dayan Viciedo
Cincinnati – Chris Heisey
                Cleveland – Thomas Neal -
                Colorado – Dexter Fowler
Detroit – none
Kansas City – none
Los Angeles Angels – Mark Trumbo
Los Angeles Dodgers – Alex Castellanos
Miami Marlins – Gorkys Hernandez
Milwaukee Brewers – Khris Davis
Minnesota Twins – None
New York Yankees - None
Pittsburgh – Jose Tabata

We now move on to the Oakland Athletics who currently have eight (8) outfielders on their 40-man squad:

                Yoenis Cespedes – righty – $10.5mil thru 2015 – MLB, 487-AB, .292, 23-82
                Coco Crisp – switch – $7mil for 2013 – FA-2014 – MLB:  455-AB, .259
                Grant Green – righty –   AAA: 524-AB, .296, 15-HR, 75-RBI
                Shane Peterson – lefty – pre-ARB  -   AAA:  .389
                Josh Reddick – lefty –   ARB-1/2014 -  MLB:  611-AB, 32-HR, 85-RBI, .242, RF
                Seth Smith – lefty –  ARB-2 -  MLB:  383-AB, .240, 14-HR, 52-RBI
                Michael Taylor – righty –   pre-ARB -  MLB: 21-AB, AAA:  12-HR, 67-RBI, .287
                Chris Young – righty - $8.7mil through 2013 – FA-2014 – CF

Free agent losses this off-season include Jonny Gomes Boston) and Collin Cowgill (Mets). Obviously, if someone was available who was more talented than Cowgill, he probably would have already been traded, but this is a team in transition.

2013 looks set with Cespedes, Reddick, Young, and Crisp. Their problem is Crisp  is in the last year of his contract and Young’s deal is just for 2013.

Green, Peterson, and Taylor seem all ready to make the next step.

Mets target:  Grant Green -  Green has made the conversion from SS to CF… right behind him in the system is top prospect Michael Choice. Taylor projects out as either a DH or 1Bman. If I can’t get Green, I pass on both Crisp and Young.

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