Entering the offseason, one of the biggest story lines surrounding both the Oakland A’s and the league at large involved the market for outfielders. Specifically, it was expected to be a terribly thin market with few quality options, meaning that any team in need of outfield help might have to overpay drastically in either trade or free agent dollars.
Unfortunately for the A’s, the outfield was one of their biggest areas of need. Khris Davis had LF locked down, but beyond that the next-best sure thing was platoon righty Jake Smolinski. They needed to add at least two more bodies, and that’s exactly what they ended up doing by signing Rajai Davis and Matt Joyce — a couple of relative discount options, naturally.