More Money...ball

Moneyball is the idea that the only thing that matters is getting on base. A player can't score a run if they are not on base. Without runs, a team can not win. The Oakland Athletics made a drastic change in 2002. The team has never had enough money to compete for free agents. The Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Angels have the opportunity to spend the big bucks. Oakland used the idea of moneyball to look at players differently. The team took players that were overlooked for a variety of reasons. This strategy has worked well for them.

This past July, Oakland was the best team in baseball. The moneyball strategy has continued to bring the Athletics regular season success. Billy Beane, the Athletics' GM, was ready to bring home the World Series Trophy. He made moves that shocked the baseball world. Shortly before the All-Star break, the Athletics traded multiple prospects including the highly coveted Addison Russell to the Chicago Cubs, for Jeff Samardzija. Billy Beane wasn't done. Coming off a 2nd consecutive Home Run Derby championship, Yoenis Cespedes was the Athletics' best hitter, but the team needed pitching. Oakland sent Cespedes to Boston for soon to be free agent Jon Lester.
The Athletics began a long decent from the top of the baseball world in August. The team lacked hitting and barely slid into the playoffs. The Oakland Athletics lost to the Kansas City Royals in the Wild Card game.

The team made some gusty calls to win the World Series but once again fell short. Is it time to move on from the moneyball theory and demand more money to bring in some free agents?

I don't think so. The team won't have Lester back next year, but the A's still have a solid rotation. They did lack hitting but if the A's continue to find players that get on base and pay little for, they will succeed. The Athletics did sign Billy Butler, whose on base percentage has always been in the .300 range and adds some much needed power. I don't want to see the Athletics move away from the moneyball idea. The team went against some of their beliefs this last season in a great attempt to win the World Series. Watching the Minnesota Twins, who have a similar payroll that the Athletics have, shows me that Billy Beane and the A's have been doing something right. They win with little money. Hopefully they spend this offseason looking back at how they have been successful and not steer away from that.