The Oakland Athletics were in the hunt for a Wild Card spot last year, well into September.
Yes, that’s right: before getting rid of nearly all of their expensive players, they were actually very close to securing a postseason berth in 2021.
They failed to do so, and ownership ordered a fire sale that started last offseason and continues well into the 2022 campaign.
After their decision to release shortstop Elvis Andrus and outfielder Stephen Piscotty, here is a list of A’s players who were on the roster less than a year ago and are now with other organizations.
“All of these players were on the Oakland A’s less than a year ago. They’re all gone now: • Elvis Andrus • Stephen Piscotty • Matt Olson • Matt Chapman • Mark Canha • Josh Harrison • Jesus Luzardo • Starling Marte • Chris Bassitt • Sean Manaea • Frankie Montas,” MLB analyst Danny Vietti tweeted.
All of these players were on the Oakland A’s less than a year ago.
They’re all gone now:
• Elvis Andrus
• Stephen Piscotty
• Matt Olson
• Matt Chapman
• Mark Canha
• Josh Harrison
• Jesus Luzardo
• Starling Marte
• Chris Bassitt
• Sean Manaea
• Frankie Montas— Danny Vietti (@DannyVietti) August 17, 2022
The A’s Likely Won’t Be Competitive For A While
Olson, Chapman, Canha, Luzardo, Marte, Bassitt, Manaea, and Montas are all unquestioned starters on any contending team.
In fact, most of them are now part of a postseason race: all of them with the exception of Luzardo should make the playoffs with their new teams.
However, it’s sad to see an MLB franchise hitting the reset button so strongly and suddenly.
The A’s entered a deep rebuild that should make them a last-place team in the AL West for at least the next two or three years.
Who can blame fans for not wanting to go to the stadium and support an ownership that doesn’t want to put together a competitive team?
It’s definitely a sad day to be an A’s fan.
They do have some nice prospects collected over the last few months in their trades, but their contention window will likely be closed for a long while.
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