It's not all gravy for the Oakland Athletics. Yeah, they've won two straight AL West championships, but I look at this team and I see a few question marks. Billy Beane has always been great at picking guys off the scrap heap and making the most of their abilities, but this Oakland club isn't just the detritus of other teams – there are some real solid players in this bunch. However, I still have to wonder about some part of this club.
Is Coco Crisp's power surge legit?
From 2006-2012, Coco Crisp's season-high total in home runs was just 11. Hell, for his entire major league career up until last year, his career-high homer total was 16, and that came in 2005 when Crisp was a 25-year old member of the Indians. Turn the dial to 2013, and Crisp set himself a new season-high at age 33 with 22 home runs. The A's rewarded him by picking up Crisp's $7 million for 2014 and signing him for $22 million more through 2016 with a $13 vesting option for 2017 also included.
When an older player has a career year on the wrong side of 30, you'll raise an eyebrow and question whether or not he can come back and put together a comparable performance going forth. Crisp is no exception, but his power surge didn't really come with a drop in any other skills. In addition to his 22 home runs, Crisp stole 21 bases at an 80.8% clip (right at his career average), played solid center field defense for the A's, and walked nearly as much as he struck out (at career bests over a full, healthy season).
If Crisp's power surge continues into 2014, the extension Oakland gave him could end up looking like one of the most under appreciated moves of this winter. Even if Crisp's power surge shorts out and he only hits ten round-trippers, he's still a valuable player, assuming his other skills don't erode as well.
Could Oakland's 2014 bullpen be better than their 2013 bullpen?
You know, the A's had a pretty damn good bullpen last season, ranking sixth in baseball with a 3.22 ERA and seventh with 5.1 fWAR. This winter, the A's were forced to make some massive changes to their pen, and the unit could be even better in 2014 than they were last year.
Sean Doolittle and Ryan Cook, who each accrued 1.6 fWAR last year and combined to pitch to a 2.84 ERA in 136 1/3 innings, will be back. Dan Otero, who had just a 1.38 ERA in 39 innings, is back. Yes, closer Grant Balfour, his 38 saves, and his 2.59 ERA are gone, but he'll be replaced by Jim Johnson, who has had an ERA under 3.00 in each of the last three seasons and is no slouch himself.
Oakland also is essentially replacing Jerry Blevins with Fernando Abad, who pitched to a 3.35 ERA for the Nationals last year in 37 2/3 innings, a mark that would be even lower barring a terrible August. Finally, the A's made a criminally underrated acquisition in Luke Gregerson, who has been a monster out of the bullpen in four out of the last five seasons for the Padres.
Doolittle, Cook, Otero, Johnson, Abad, Gregerson, and whoever else you want for the final spot. That's a bullpen that might be the best in baseball – and that doesn't even consider Eric O'Flaherty, who should be ready to return from Tommy John surgery in the summer.
Can Yoenis Cespedes be a superstar?
Cespedes' accomplishments in Oakland last year were overshadowed by those of his countryman Yasiel Puig 350 down the California coast. He won the Home Run Derby in fantastic fashion, smashed 26 home runs in the regular season, and helped the A's to the Postseason once again. Yet, there's this feeling that he should be better – call it the Jeff Francouer effect.
While Cespedes did homer 26 times last year, up from the 23 he hit in his rookie year of 2012, his ISO actually slightly dropped, falling to .202 from .214. Cespedes only stole seven bases, down from 16 in 2012, and his success rate fell from 80% down to 50%. His walk rate ticked down, his strikeout rate ticked up, and a 52 point in BABIP caused all three of his slash stats to fall and his OBP to drop below .300.
I think 2014 could be a breakout year for Oakland's Cuban sensation. While he struggled throughout 2013, Cespedes hit .314/.337/.570 in September with six home runs as his BABIP finally crossed the .300 mark. Cespedes only played in 18 games in center field last year, down from 48 in 2012. The presence of Chris Young on Oakland's bench likely helped him not worry about playing center too frequently, and having Craig Gentry in tow this year should help him just as much.
I wouldn't say that this season is a make or break you for him, but if he puts together a line resembling his 2012 with better defense, I think we can go ahead and call him a star. If he doesn't, Cespedes could be a diminished property at age 29 next winter.
