Tweet
Former A's Draft Picks in the Majors - What Might Have Been - Yahoo! Sports
Found this article on Yahoo. I always like reading these types of articles. Enjoy.
Found this article on Yahoo. I always like reading these types of articles. Enjoy.
How would my beloved Oakland A's look now if they had retained all the players they signed first.
I searched through the A's drafts over the years and was encouraged to find that they could at least fill an active 25-man roster with their former draft picks and free agent signings. Not only was the quantity there, but there are some talented big leaguers that were originally in the A's system.
Here's a glimpse at what the A's would look like if free agency and trades didn't exist.
Kurt Suzuki: Catcher, 2nd round pick in 2004, Currently with Oakland
Suzuki was called up to Oakland in 2007 and has been the A's primary backstop ever since. He has posted a .258 career average with 56 home runs in 634 games.
Andrew Carignan: Relief Pitcher, 5th round pick in 2007, Currently with Oakland
Carignan hasn't logged a lot of innings yet, only 9.2 in his career as of this writing, but he should be in the bullpen for the A's throughout 2012.
Jemile Weeks: Second Base, 1st round pick in 2008, Currently with Oakland
Jemile got off to a slow start in his minor league career due to some unfortunate injuries, but he burst on to the scene last year with brilliant play after his midseason call up. Weeks hit .303 with 22 stolen bases in 93 games in 2011 and solidified himself as the A's leadoff hitter for years to come.
Cliff Pennington: Shortstop, 1st round pick in 2005, Currently with Oakland
Weeks' double play partner, Cliff Pennington, was a 1st round pick by Oakland back in 2005. Pennington carries a .258 career average in 407 games for Oakland.
Yoenis Cespedes: Outfield, Free Agent from Cuba 2012, Currently with Oakland
The Oakland A's committed a lot of money to Cespedes this offseason and he certainly has brought excitement. He only has 22 at bats under his belt so far, but he has shown his raw power with 3 home runs, including one that still hasn't landed. Unfortunately, he has also struck out half the time with 11 strikeouts through the first 7 games.
Dallas Braden: Starting Pitcher, 24th round pick in 2004, Currently with Oakland
Braden is starting the 2012 season on the disabled list for the Athletics after missing most of 2011. Braden made headlines several times during the 2010 season, first for yelling at A-Rod to get off his mound, and then for his perfect game against the Rays.
Tyson Ross: Starting Pitcher, 2nd round pick in 2008, Currently with Oakland
Ross made his first big league appearance in 2010 for Oakland. He got off to a solid start in 2011, but injuries derailed his season. He has a career ERA of 4.18 in 75.1 innings. Ross is slated to be the A's 5th starter to begin 2012.
Trevor Cahill: Starting Pitcher, 2nd round pick in 2006, Currently with Arizona
The A's traded Cahill to the Diamondbacks for Jarrod Parker, Ryan Cook, and Collin Cowgill following the 2011 season. Cahill was amazing in 2010 (18-8, 2.97 ERA), but mediocre in 2011. It's still to early to tell if the trade was a good move by Oakland.
Andrew Bailey: Relief Pitcher, 6th round pick in 2006, Currently with Boston
Bailey, the 2009 AL Rookie of the Year in Oakland, was also traded this past offseason and wound up with the Boston Red Sox. The A's sent Bailey, along with Ryan Sweeney, to Boston for Josh Reddick, Raul Alcantara, and Miles Head. Bailey is on the DL and has not yet pitched for the Red Sox.
Travis Buck: Outfield, 1st round pick in 2005, Currently with Houston
There were high hopes for Travis Buck after he hit .288 with a .377 OBP in his first 82 games with Oakland in 2007. However, Buck never came close to those numbers again and left Oakland after 2010.
Huston Street: Relief Pitcher, 1st round pick in 2004, Currently with San Diego
It didn't take long for Street work his way through the minors and he arrived in Oakland in 2005. The A's traded Street along with Carlos Gonzalez to the Rockies for Matt Holliday prior to the 2009 season. Holliday only spent 93 games in Oakland before he was traded to St. Louis, while Carlos Gonzalez has emerged as a top notch outfielder. Street enjoyed three solid seasons in Colorado and is currently the closer for the Padres.
Jeff Gray: Relief Pitcher, 32nd round pick in 2004, Currently with Minnesota
Gray had a handfull of appearances with Oakland before being traded to the Cubs with two other prospects for Jake Fox and Aaron Miles. Gray pitched for the Cubs, White Sox, and Mariners before landing in Minnesota this year.
Andre Ethier: Outfield, 2nd round pick in 2003, Currently with LA Dodgers
Ethier was a top prospect for Oakland although he never appeared with the big league club. The A's traded Ethier to the Dodgers prior to the 2006 season for Milton Bradley. Ethier has had a solid career so far with a .291 career average 111 home runs.
Nick Swisher: Outfield, 1st round pick in 2002, Currently with New York Yankees
Swisher was a fan favorite in Oakland and put together 3 straight years of 20+ home runs before being traded to the White Sox for Gio Gonzalez, Fautino de los Santos, and Ryan Sweeney. After one season in Chicago, Swisher headed to New York and has continued to produce. He has now hit 20+ home runs in 7 straight seasons.
Joe Blanton: Starting Pitcher, 1st round pick in 2002, Currently with Philadelphia
The A's traded Joe Blanton to the Phillies for Adrian Cardenas, Matt Spencer, and Josh Outman during the 2008 season. Blanton has a career record of 74-63.
John Baker: Catcher, 4th round pick in 2004, Currently with San Diego
John Baker never appeared in Oakland and was traded to the Florida Marlins for Jason Stokes. Baker has played in 214 big league games and has a .271 career average. Stokes never made it to the majors.
Jared Burton: Relief Pitcher, 8th round pick in 2002, Currently with Minnesota
Burton also never appeared with Oakland and was selected by the Reds in the Rule 5 draft.
Barry Zito: Starting Pitcher, 1st round pick in 1999, Currently with San Francisco
Zito won a Cy Young Award with Oakland in 2002 and was a great pitcher for the A's from 2000-2006. Following the 2006 season, Zito signed a huge deal with the San Francisco Giants and hasn't been the same since. His first start in 2012 was his best in his 5+ years with the Giants and his first shut out since 2003.
Ryan Ludwick: Outfield, 2nd round pick in 1999, Currently with Cincinnati
Ludwick has played for six major league teams, and none of them are the Oakland A's. Ludwick was traded to the Rangers for Carlos Pena in a package deal that also included Gerald Laird.
Gerald Laird: Catcher, 2nd round pick in 1998, Currently with Detroit
Laird never appeared in Oakland and was part of the deal mentioned above. He has played in 636 games for the Rangers, Tigers, and Cardinals.
Tim Hudson: Starting Pitcher, 6th round pick in 1997, Currently with Atlanta
Tim Hudson had a 92-39 career record when the A's traded him to the Braves for Dan Meyer, Juan Cruz, and Charles Thomas. This seemed like a bad trade at the time and now that Hudson has gone on to win 89 more games since leaving, it's safe to say it is.
Eric Chavez: Third Base, 1st round pick in 1996, Currently with New York Yankees
Chavez had some brilliant years in Oakland before the injuries began to mount.
Kevin Gregg: Relief Pitcher, 15th round pick in 1996, Currently with Baltimore
Gregg never appeared in Oakland and signed as a free agent with the Angels in 2002. He has 144 career saves for the Angels, Marlins, Cubs, Blue Jays, and now the Orioles.
Jason Giambi: First Base, 2nd round pick in 1992, Currently with Colorado
Jason Giambi was the key to the A's offense from 1996-2001. Following the 2001 season, Giambi signed a massive contract with the Yankees.
That's not a bad group of ballplayers. Here's what a lineup and pitching rotation would look like.
2B Jemile Weeks
SS Cliff Pennington
RF Andre Ethier
1B Nick Swisher
CF Yoenis Cespedes
LF Ryan Ludwick
DH Jason Giambi
C Kurt Suzuki
3B Eric Chavez
SP Tim Hudson
SP Trevor Cahill
SP Dallas Braden
SP Barry Zito
SP Joe Blanton
RP Tyson Ross
RP Andrew Bailey
RP Huston Street
RP Jeff Gray
RP Jared Burton
RP Andrew Carignan
RP Kevin Gregg
That is potentially a good baseball team. Giambi and Chavez are both well past their prime, but the top of the lineup looks pretty good. I would take that team over the current squad in a best of seven series, but I think it would be close.
I searched through the A's drafts over the years and was encouraged to find that they could at least fill an active 25-man roster with their former draft picks and free agent signings. Not only was the quantity there, but there are some talented big leaguers that were originally in the A's system.
Here's a glimpse at what the A's would look like if free agency and trades didn't exist.
Kurt Suzuki: Catcher, 2nd round pick in 2004, Currently with Oakland
Suzuki was called up to Oakland in 2007 and has been the A's primary backstop ever since. He has posted a .258 career average with 56 home runs in 634 games.
Andrew Carignan: Relief Pitcher, 5th round pick in 2007, Currently with Oakland
Carignan hasn't logged a lot of innings yet, only 9.2 in his career as of this writing, but he should be in the bullpen for the A's throughout 2012.
Jemile Weeks: Second Base, 1st round pick in 2008, Currently with Oakland
Jemile got off to a slow start in his minor league career due to some unfortunate injuries, but he burst on to the scene last year with brilliant play after his midseason call up. Weeks hit .303 with 22 stolen bases in 93 games in 2011 and solidified himself as the A's leadoff hitter for years to come.
Cliff Pennington: Shortstop, 1st round pick in 2005, Currently with Oakland
Weeks' double play partner, Cliff Pennington, was a 1st round pick by Oakland back in 2005. Pennington carries a .258 career average in 407 games for Oakland.
Yoenis Cespedes: Outfield, Free Agent from Cuba 2012, Currently with Oakland
The Oakland A's committed a lot of money to Cespedes this offseason and he certainly has brought excitement. He only has 22 at bats under his belt so far, but he has shown his raw power with 3 home runs, including one that still hasn't landed. Unfortunately, he has also struck out half the time with 11 strikeouts through the first 7 games.
Dallas Braden: Starting Pitcher, 24th round pick in 2004, Currently with Oakland
Braden is starting the 2012 season on the disabled list for the Athletics after missing most of 2011. Braden made headlines several times during the 2010 season, first for yelling at A-Rod to get off his mound, and then for his perfect game against the Rays.
Tyson Ross: Starting Pitcher, 2nd round pick in 2008, Currently with Oakland
Ross made his first big league appearance in 2010 for Oakland. He got off to a solid start in 2011, but injuries derailed his season. He has a career ERA of 4.18 in 75.1 innings. Ross is slated to be the A's 5th starter to begin 2012.
Trevor Cahill: Starting Pitcher, 2nd round pick in 2006, Currently with Arizona
The A's traded Cahill to the Diamondbacks for Jarrod Parker, Ryan Cook, and Collin Cowgill following the 2011 season. Cahill was amazing in 2010 (18-8, 2.97 ERA), but mediocre in 2011. It's still to early to tell if the trade was a good move by Oakland.
Andrew Bailey: Relief Pitcher, 6th round pick in 2006, Currently with Boston
Bailey, the 2009 AL Rookie of the Year in Oakland, was also traded this past offseason and wound up with the Boston Red Sox. The A's sent Bailey, along with Ryan Sweeney, to Boston for Josh Reddick, Raul Alcantara, and Miles Head. Bailey is on the DL and has not yet pitched for the Red Sox.
Travis Buck: Outfield, 1st round pick in 2005, Currently with Houston
There were high hopes for Travis Buck after he hit .288 with a .377 OBP in his first 82 games with Oakland in 2007. However, Buck never came close to those numbers again and left Oakland after 2010.
Huston Street: Relief Pitcher, 1st round pick in 2004, Currently with San Diego
It didn't take long for Street work his way through the minors and he arrived in Oakland in 2005. The A's traded Street along with Carlos Gonzalez to the Rockies for Matt Holliday prior to the 2009 season. Holliday only spent 93 games in Oakland before he was traded to St. Louis, while Carlos Gonzalez has emerged as a top notch outfielder. Street enjoyed three solid seasons in Colorado and is currently the closer for the Padres.
Jeff Gray: Relief Pitcher, 32nd round pick in 2004, Currently with Minnesota
Gray had a handfull of appearances with Oakland before being traded to the Cubs with two other prospects for Jake Fox and Aaron Miles. Gray pitched for the Cubs, White Sox, and Mariners before landing in Minnesota this year.
Andre Ethier: Outfield, 2nd round pick in 2003, Currently with LA Dodgers
Ethier was a top prospect for Oakland although he never appeared with the big league club. The A's traded Ethier to the Dodgers prior to the 2006 season for Milton Bradley. Ethier has had a solid career so far with a .291 career average 111 home runs.
Nick Swisher: Outfield, 1st round pick in 2002, Currently with New York Yankees
Swisher was a fan favorite in Oakland and put together 3 straight years of 20+ home runs before being traded to the White Sox for Gio Gonzalez, Fautino de los Santos, and Ryan Sweeney. After one season in Chicago, Swisher headed to New York and has continued to produce. He has now hit 20+ home runs in 7 straight seasons.
Joe Blanton: Starting Pitcher, 1st round pick in 2002, Currently with Philadelphia
The A's traded Joe Blanton to the Phillies for Adrian Cardenas, Matt Spencer, and Josh Outman during the 2008 season. Blanton has a career record of 74-63.
John Baker: Catcher, 4th round pick in 2004, Currently with San Diego
John Baker never appeared in Oakland and was traded to the Florida Marlins for Jason Stokes. Baker has played in 214 big league games and has a .271 career average. Stokes never made it to the majors.
Jared Burton: Relief Pitcher, 8th round pick in 2002, Currently with Minnesota
Burton also never appeared with Oakland and was selected by the Reds in the Rule 5 draft.
Barry Zito: Starting Pitcher, 1st round pick in 1999, Currently with San Francisco
Zito won a Cy Young Award with Oakland in 2002 and was a great pitcher for the A's from 2000-2006. Following the 2006 season, Zito signed a huge deal with the San Francisco Giants and hasn't been the same since. His first start in 2012 was his best in his 5+ years with the Giants and his first shut out since 2003.
Ryan Ludwick: Outfield, 2nd round pick in 1999, Currently with Cincinnati
Ludwick has played for six major league teams, and none of them are the Oakland A's. Ludwick was traded to the Rangers for Carlos Pena in a package deal that also included Gerald Laird.
Gerald Laird: Catcher, 2nd round pick in 1998, Currently with Detroit
Laird never appeared in Oakland and was part of the deal mentioned above. He has played in 636 games for the Rangers, Tigers, and Cardinals.
Tim Hudson: Starting Pitcher, 6th round pick in 1997, Currently with Atlanta
Tim Hudson had a 92-39 career record when the A's traded him to the Braves for Dan Meyer, Juan Cruz, and Charles Thomas. This seemed like a bad trade at the time and now that Hudson has gone on to win 89 more games since leaving, it's safe to say it is.
Eric Chavez: Third Base, 1st round pick in 1996, Currently with New York Yankees
Chavez had some brilliant years in Oakland before the injuries began to mount.
Kevin Gregg: Relief Pitcher, 15th round pick in 1996, Currently with Baltimore
Gregg never appeared in Oakland and signed as a free agent with the Angels in 2002. He has 144 career saves for the Angels, Marlins, Cubs, Blue Jays, and now the Orioles.
Jason Giambi: First Base, 2nd round pick in 1992, Currently with Colorado
Jason Giambi was the key to the A's offense from 1996-2001. Following the 2001 season, Giambi signed a massive contract with the Yankees.
That's not a bad group of ballplayers. Here's what a lineup and pitching rotation would look like.
2B Jemile Weeks
SS Cliff Pennington
RF Andre Ethier
1B Nick Swisher
CF Yoenis Cespedes
LF Ryan Ludwick
DH Jason Giambi
C Kurt Suzuki
3B Eric Chavez
SP Tim Hudson
SP Trevor Cahill
SP Dallas Braden
SP Barry Zito
SP Joe Blanton
RP Tyson Ross
RP Andrew Bailey
RP Huston Street
RP Jeff Gray
RP Jared Burton
RP Andrew Carignan
RP Kevin Gregg
That is potentially a good baseball team. Giambi and Chavez are both well past their prime, but the top of the lineup looks pretty good. I would take that team over the current squad in a best of seven series, but I think it would be close.
Comment