Living Like Larry

 

I know people are acting like this isn't strange, but this is strange to me. After years of letting numerous building block players leave in trades and free agency, John Fisher signed Lawrence Butler to a deal that will last until 2031, solely after a breakthrough season of Butler's where he hit 22 home runs and 57 RBIs, most towards the second half of the season. Butler will be a marquee star for the A's over the next several years, which include multiple seasons playing without a stated location in a minor league park in Sacramento, and eventually in a massive dome in Las Vegas, assuming it actually gets made. 

And I'm not disparaging Butler. I'm not. Dude's a great player, could be terrific in a full career. But if you have the opportunity to extend Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, Marcus Semien, Sean Murphy, Sonny Gray, Sean Manaea, Liam Hendriks and Mark Canha...and you don't take it, and then you give an extension to the first guy that does more than 'mediocre' for your club...that's not gonna look great for you. That just means you're trying to learn but you're not actually learning. That's George Steinbrenner seeing Hideo Nomo succeeding in LA and getting Hideki Irabu. That's Aaron Boone hearing the calls for Dominguez and calling up Duke Ellis. That's Ross Atkins losing out on Sasaki and Soto and getting Anthony Santander. Now you're just trying to catch up, but are you really making the best decisions?

What I will not fault Fisher for is his tenacity in signing free agents and trading for big pieces. This offseason, the A's had holes in their rotation, so they signed Luis Severino and traded for Jeffrey Springs. Both starters have been excellent in their opening starts, going 6 innings, giving up 0 runs, 3 hits each and striking out 6 [Sevvy] and 9 [Springs] batters. Even if the A's are starting people like Osvaldo Bido and Joey Estes while their opponents sport better rotations, they have more efficiency than they have in a while. If Springs stays healthy, which is a tall order, that's an All-Star right there. Granted, I suppose he's a little relieved to be out of the bay area given his well-reported stance against frivolity, but he's still a very good guy to have around. We're coming off several seasons where their big standout was J.P. Sears, and now the pressure's off of him a bit.

You're also seeing, in addition to Butler, young guys coming into their own and dominating. Max Muncy was an Opening Day callup, he's already got a home run. Tyler Soderstrom already has 2 homers and 3 RBIs, determined to finally achieve a full MLB campaign. Jacob Wilson's already hitting well. JJ Bleday had a great outfield catch the other day. And there in the corner is Brent Rooker, also the recipient of a very nice extension, still hitting enough to earn it. This team is closer to good than it's been in a while, and they're very close to 'underdog competitor' difference. It won't be clear for 4 months how they match up against Detroit and Cleveland, but they might have something this year, which would be a relief for the fans if Fisher hadn't alienated them all last year. 

Somebody online posted something to the effect of 'imagine if the A's make the playoffs and to accommodate fans they're forced to play home playoff games at the Oakland Coliseum'. I want that to happen. Make Fisher sweat. 

Coming Tonight: 2024 proved he had staying power, but can 2025 prove he's a trusted Rockies battery member going forward?