Stepping back a year from the Dan Haren trade from last season the deal is looking like the best that Beane has ever done. BP just put out the A's top 11 prospects and it is staggering how much Haren brought back and the quality of players that the A's got.
The A's got Bret Anderson (3), Chris Carter (4), and Aaron Cunningham (6) in the deal. Not to mention adding Eveland who is already a solid 4th starter in the league and Greg Smith and Carlos Gonzalez (who were instrumental in getting Holliday to the A's). In short, Beane used Haren to get 2 5-star pospects, 1 4-star prospect, and one of the best hitters in MLB.
In fact, the trades that Beane has pulled off as of late have been great.
Nick Swisher was traded at the perfect time as he slipped a ton last season and he got: Ryan Sweeney (already a MLB player almost equal to Swisher) and Gio Gonzalez (7).
He traded MarK Kotsay (a pretty much washed up outfielder) for what was thought at the time to be pretty much nothing in Joey Devine. Devine is now the likely closer and was damn good last year.
Joe Blanton was traded for Cardenas (5) and Josh Outman (who is already competing for the 5th spot in the rotation.
Even the Rich Harden trade is not looking that bad right now (although I really think he could have got more) with Gallagher already earning a spot in the rotation.
This past year may have been Beane's best in Oakland. He took a bad farm system and restocked it to one of the best in the league. He also added an MVP candidate in the process. I hope the A's compete but if we don't the haul that we will get for Holliday is going to be very impressive.
The A's got Bret Anderson (3), Chris Carter (4), and Aaron Cunningham (6) in the deal. Not to mention adding Eveland who is already a solid 4th starter in the league and Greg Smith and Carlos Gonzalez (who were instrumental in getting Holliday to the A's). In short, Beane used Haren to get 2 5-star pospects, 1 4-star prospect, and one of the best hitters in MLB.
In fact, the trades that Beane has pulled off as of late have been great.
Nick Swisher was traded at the perfect time as he slipped a ton last season and he got: Ryan Sweeney (already a MLB player almost equal to Swisher) and Gio Gonzalez (7).
He traded MarK Kotsay (a pretty much washed up outfielder) for what was thought at the time to be pretty much nothing in Joey Devine. Devine is now the likely closer and was damn good last year.
Joe Blanton was traded for Cardenas (5) and Josh Outman (who is already competing for the 5th spot in the rotation.
Even the Rich Harden trade is not looking that bad right now (although I really think he could have got more) with Gallagher already earning a spot in the rotation.
This past year may have been Beane's best in Oakland. He took a bad farm system and restocked it to one of the best in the league. He also added an MVP candidate in the process. I hope the A's compete but if we don't the haul that we will get for Holliday is going to be very impressive.
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