Feb 23, 2018; Mesa, AZ, USA; A general view of a logo on the field prior to the game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Oakland Athletics at Hohokam Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
As a small market team, the Oakland A’s will need to look for hidden gems in order to compete. There is an entire book turned movie on how they changed their philosophy in the early 2000s, sparking a revolution in how front offices looked at players. But even the savviest of baseball minds had to wonder what the A’s were doing when they signed unheralded Japanese pitcher Shohei Tomioka.