No one today would question an organization’s mid-season deals when the team is out of contention and those players are set to be free agents the following year. It’s become common place as teams unload high-dollar stars to those in contention, with hopes of gaining future prospects or cash to re-sign those they wished to keep or acquire on the market.
But this was 1976 and the basic rules of player contracts were changing. With the Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally ruling ushering in free agency for players, A’s Owner Charles Finley foresaw the pending demise of his three-time World Champion and five-time AL West Division winning team as nearly all the team’s key players would be available to the highest bidder by season’s end.