In retrospect: Grading A’s offseason moves after rough first half originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The Athletics’ offseason certainly was a precursor for what was about to come.
In trading away homegrown stars such as Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, and Sean Manaea, it became clear that Oakland was headed for a rebuild and that the upcoming 2022 season could be a rocky one under first-year manager Mark Kotsay.
Here’s a look back at the A’s biggest moves of the offseason and how they have fared at the midway point of the season.
Matt Olson trade
Braves get: 1B Matt Olson
A’s get: C Shea Langeliers, OF Cristian Pache, RHP Ryan Cusick, RHP Joey Estes
All in all, this was an alright trade for the A’s. If you can get past the initial sting of losing Olson, the return certainly has potential.
Pache immediately provided a spark both on defense and on offense. With Ramón Laureano suspended for the first month of the season, Pache had center field to himself and he made the most of it with an abundance of highlight reel plays and a few big moments at the plate. His production eventually fell off a cliff and he was optioned back to Triple-A at the end of June. Fortunately for the A’s, Pache still has a lot of potential as a multi-tool everyday player and will have another opportunity to make an impact soon.
Langeliers definitely has been the highlight of this trade. Not only is he now the A’s top prospect according to MLB.com, but his red-hot first half earned him a spot in the All-Star Futures Game this week. In 74 Triple-A games, Langeliers is hitting .272/.365/.505 with 16 home runs and 44 RBI while developing nicely behind the plate.
Both Cusick and Estes are the A’s No. 7 and 14 prospects, respectively, and haven’t impressed much since the trade. Cusick is 1-5 with an 8.13 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 27.2 innings pitched for Double-A Midland, while Estes is 2-4 with a 4.91 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched for High-A Lansing.
So far, Olson has taken a step back from the 2021 season in which he finished eighth in AL MVP voting. In 94 games for the Braves, Olson is hitting .255/.340/.488 with 17 home runs and 60 RBI as a replacement for Freddie Freeman, who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason.
GRADE: C+
Matt Chapman trade
Blue Jays get: 3B Matt Chapman
A’s get: RHP Gunnar Hoglund, LHPs Zach Logue, Kirby Snead, and INF Kevin Smith
Hoglund is now the A’s No. 5 prospect according to MLB.com but has not pitched an inning this season…