They're going for it this year, rental or not. Oakland wouldn't have been able to afford resigning Cespedes and their team building philosophy doesn't create windows like the one they have this year. If they don't win, Billy Beane will hit restart and run through his whole process again.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>This is from last night and I'm still laughing. Phil *almost* caught it. (h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/ParkerHageman">@ParkerHageman</a> ) <a href="https://t.co/7cr5oHIr2N">https://t.co/7cr5oHIr2N</a></p>— Glen Perkins (@glenperkins) <a href="https://twitter.com/glenperkins/statuses/494913454218555392">July 31, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
They have the best offense in baseball... and while their pitching is elite, it hasn't been as good as their offense. They've now improved their pitching. Cespedes wasn't the key to that offense.... in fact, no single player is. Its a lineup full of productive guys, 5 guys with a +2 WAR (and Cespedes wasn't one of them). They got proven playoff performers... sure, they could roll with what they had, but they've increased their odds of winning it all.
My favorite part of Moneyball was the aftermath when we all heard Beane say "My **** don't work in the playoffs". He's not talking about his philosophy at all. What he was talking about was the total disregard for fielding and baserunning acumen that could have won them Pennants. You can point to several simple plays that a competent player would have made, but didn't...Terence Long, Jeremy Giambi, Tejada, etc....
I won't go into the silliness of WAR here, but Cespedes was one of 3 key people in that offense - Donaldson, Moss, and Cespedes. He was 3rd in HRs, RBIs, and total bases. 2nd in runs scored. He was absolutely a critical piece of the offense. The three of them work together because it makes it much harder to work aroud any of them. Their offense is going to drop noticably the next two months, and they are now one injury away from having a completely mediocre offense. Meanwhile, they will just be benching a really great pitcher in the playoffs for "proven players" which actually don't statistically do any better than non-proven guys.
So Adam Dunn is pitching. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>what a time to be alive <a href="http://t.co/IsNgdEcgMb">pic.twitter.com/IsNgdEcgMb</a></p>— Lana Berry (@Lana) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lana/statuses/496851894040408065">August 6, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>if you need a new wallpaper <a href="http://t.co/jFxihcAmWk">pic.twitter.com/jFxihcAmWk</a></p>— Matt Sussman (@suss2hyphens) <a href="https://twitter.com/suss2hyphens/statuses/496852514961383424">August 6, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
So, everyone agrees that the Diamondbacks are just an awful organization, right? I hope Goldy leaves when he's able.
Finally Baez came up. I drafted him in the last round of my keeper fantasy league, and although he struck out 3 times as expected, he did hit a blast and stole a base. Very happy.
NM, no stolen base. 1/6 with a HR at Coors Field. I need a 2B guy though, hoping he pans out like expected as he tore it up in AAA the past 2 months.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>BREAKING NEWS: Rob Manfred appointed new MLB Commissioner. (Via <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelSSchmidt">@MichaelSSchmidt</a>) <a href="http://t.co/XIl50oWBmA">pic.twitter.com/XIl50oWBmA</a></p>— America's Pregame (@AmericasPregame) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericasPregame/statuses/500040452901322754">August 14, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
It's happening!!! Nationals win 10 in a row. 5 of the last 6 in walk-off fashion. Best record in the NL. Best run differential in NL of 102 (second best run differential in NL is 50). They've done well this season with names like Fister, Rendon, and Span leading the way. Harper and Strasburg are just now starting to show up. This could (should) be their year they go to the world series.
I'm guessing Bryant will be moved to RF though if they end up keeping Castro. Rizzo - Baez - Castro - Russell Still have Jorge Soler coming up sometime next month who is a beast himself. And then Albert Almora and Kyle Schwarber down the line. If I had to guess, they'll prob take an arm in this years draft unless theres a can't miss BPA bat. Hendricks and Arietta are doing well too. CJ Edwards IMO is a future reliever.
Maybe my favorite tradition in all of sports. It basically goes 1. Super Bowl Sunday 2. The first weekend of the NCAA tournament 3. Whenever someone tries to touch Adrian Beltre on the top of the head. He just can’t have it. We know its coming, Players know they're going to do it, and still, Beltre looks like he wants to murder someone. Just don’t touch his head, don’t you ever touch his head. Spoiler
Not surprisingly, the A's have been a 0.500 team with a terrible offense since the Cespedes trade (20th in runs scored). Good move them today to acquire Adam Dunn. Doesn't fix the entire problem because he's a different type of player, but it does help.
Former Astro Tim Bogar (he has been mentioned as a likely target for the Astros job). Off the field personal matter, certainly sounds like he may have used. Maybe the season got to him.
