Poll: Will The A's Add To Their Rotation This Winter?

"Those moves, generally speaking, did not work out especially well and a brutal first half helped lead to the team trading Mason Miller to San Diego. Losing Miller from the team's core is a massive blow, but that didn't stop the team's young hitters (particularly , Tyler Soderstrom, and Jacob Wilson) from joining Brent Rooker to fill out the bones of a legitimate lineup down the stretch and keep the Athletics relevant ahead of their second year in Sacramento."

"That's led to an offseason that's seen a bit more action, highlighted by the team's successful trade for Jeff McNeil and a failed pursuit of Nolan Arenado. That the front office was willing to not only trade for Arenado, but take on more of his remaining contract than the Diamondbacks did, suggests at least some financial flexibility to make further additions. They've also remained active on the extension front, signing Soderstrom and Wilson to the two largest contracts in franchise history."

"A's starters were bottom four in the majors last year in terms of ERA, and their 4.93 FIP bested only Colorado. Their 808 1/3 innings from the rotation was also the sixth-fewest among MLB teams. Without Miller to help shoulder the load in the bullpen, improving the rotation seems like an obvious call for the team as they look to fight their way back into competitive relevance."

The A's pursued competitiveness by adding veteran pitchers such as Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs, and Jose Leclerc, but those moves largely failed and a brutal first half led to trading Mason Miller. Young position players including Tyler Soderstrom, Jacob Wilson, and Brent Rooker emerged to form a legitimate lineup down the stretch. The offseason included a trade for Jeff McNeil and an attempted pursuit of Nolan Arenado, with willingness to take on significant contract money indicating some financial flexibility. Soderstrom and Wilson received the two largest contracts in franchise history. Starting pitching remained a major weakness, with subpar ERA, a 4.93 FIP, limited rotation innings, and player hesitation linked to Sutter Health Park.

Read at MLB Trade Rumors