Hunting undervalued players is a core part of the Oakland Athletics ethos. Even if the team builds a new stadium and ownership bumps payroll up to a competitive level, you can bet that Billy Beane and David Forst will continue to turn players perceived as garbage into beautiful (green and) gold.
Last Monday brought the non-tender deadline for arbitration-eligible players, which always results in a flood of intriguing names entering the free agent market after their teams chose not to offer them new contracts. Oakland let go of relievers Blake Treinen and Ryan Buchter, and catcher Josh Phegley, all of whom have something to offer but either didn’t fit on the A’s roster anymore or weren’t worth their estimated payday.