Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Braves

 

I remember watching a Spring Training game at the Braves' complex way back in March. And I think about the vibes I got from that game, and how excited all the Braves fans were for this season. There was an interview with newly-acquired Jurickson Profar, who was happy to be out of San Diego and was ready to compete some more, there was all this talk about the team's depth and versatility. It was looking like they'd be a favorite to overtake the Phillies and battle the Mets for the top.

That's...not exactly what happened. Which makes it all the more astonishing that it all looked so good heading into the year.

Three hitters made more than 150 games, and of the three, only one of them had a WAR higher than 3. No pitchers made all 32 starts, and the one with the most innings still had a 5.30 ERA. The team's two Cy Young candidates in June were both injured by August. Acuna was once again the magic hat. The guy who won Rookie of the Year is the kind of player that makes their highest-paid-catcher-in-baseball completely obsolete. And by the time the team actually got things going, it was September, and they were already out of contention. Everything that could go wrong 100% did this year, resulting in a 4th place finish below .500, and the end of the Brian Snitker era in Atlanta. The Braves will no doubt be back next year, with former shortstop Walt Weiss taking up the mantle of manager, and many injured players set to return at peak capacity. But this was a brutal blow to a team that had consistently one of the best in the game since 2019. 

Profar is the best summation of what went wrong. He came off his best season to date, an All-Star year with San Diego, and was primed to play a similar role with this Braves team. Then right as the season began, Profar tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, putting his entire 2024 comeback into a different light, and taking him out for the majority of the season. In his place, the Braves had to throw people like Alex Verdugo, Bryan de la Cruz and Stuart Fairchild into left, which did not work at all. Profar eventually returned to play 80 games this year, and hit .245 with 14 homers and 43 RBIs, which was decent, but not quite what was advertised.

2026 Prediction: Profar becomes Robinson Cano in New York- will be fine, but every good stretch will come with that question mark. Eventually it'll become too much for the Braves to bear, but perhaps not until 2027.

Sean Murphy began the year as the Braves' total catching option, after Travis d'Arnaud left in free agency, and ended the year...as Travis d'Arnaud, an overpaid burden blocking a younger and better catcher. Murphy was actually pretty good this year, with 16 homers and 45 RBIs in 94 games, plus some excellent defense, but he's a .199 hitter now. And when you've got Drake Baldwin, who's better at contact work even at the expense of the defense, you're gonna stand out in the wrong ways. 

2026 Prediction: Is traded pre-season. Does decently but doesn't match 2023. 

With Sale and Schwellenbach missing time, Strider coming in late, Lopez missing the whole season and Holmes bowing out late, Bryce Elder was the Braves' longest-standing starter, despite multiple attempts to demote him or move him to the bullpen. All in all, Elder's season wasn't great, as he posted a 5.30 ERA, and an 8-11 record, but as a rare Braves starter to stay healthy all year, Elder was in high demand all season and needed to be in every fifth day, due to lack of other options for the most part. 

2026 Prediction: Either his arm gives out again or he actually figures his shit out and has a bounce-back full season.

With all the vacancies and injuries, this also meant there was a serious demand for 10-year minor league veteran Grant Holmes, who'd been waiting for this moment for a while. Holmes had some MLB appearances last season, but as a swingman. Now there were rotation spots open, and Holmes responded with one of the best Braves pitching seasons of the year. The 29-year-old had a 3.99 ERA with 123 Ks, despite a 4-9 record due to the diluted lineup. Ultimately he'd also join the field of several injured Braves starters in August.

2026 Prediction: Once he's back, he may not have much of a chance to start, so back to long relief and swing roles.

The lack of starting options also meant it was time for oft-injured prospect A.J. Smith-Shawver to try again for his case at a permanent spot. In 9 starts he went 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA and 42 Ks, then, once again, the injuries struck.

2026 Prediction: He does this again and the Braves are gonna get tired of it. If he gets hurt again he's getting cut.

As good as Raisel Iglesias can be in the ninth, sometimes he has a season or two where things kinda unravel and he needs to be humbled a bit, and that was 2025 for the veteran closer. Despite 29 saves and 73 Ks, his 3.21 ERA was higher than usual, and accounted for a lot of blown opportunities. After how comparably untouchable he's been since coming to Atlanta, it was a wake-up call for all involved parties. Thankfully it didn't seem to scare the Braves too much, as Iglesias is back for 2026.

2026 Prediction: Now that that's out of his system, 30+ saves and a 2 ERA again.

Similarly, since coming over from Colorado, Pierce Johnson has become one of the Braves' most reliable relief pieces period. And since Joe Jimenez and A.J. Minter were not in the picture this year, he got even more responsibility placed upon him, which I think he did well with. Johnson, in 59 innings, had a 3.05 ERA, a 1.1 WAR [his highest since 2021], and 59 Ks. 

2026 Prediction: A slight downturn in a mid-level market [Reds? D-Backs? Rangers?]. [Update 1/11/26: and on my first guess as well!]

I think the Braves fans had to be pretty disappointed when there'd been all this pomp and circumstance over a game at Bristol Motor Speedway, which was already a logistical and managerial disaster, and they don't even get the matchup they were promised. Cause they went in with the idea that it'd be Chase Burns vs. Spencer Strider, which sounds really cool, and then it rains halfway through the first inning, so they have to pick it up the following day, without either starter, and it becomes Brent Suter vs. Hurston Waldrep. That's not as cool. Waldrep had been called up as a swing option, with both Carlos Carrasco and Erick Fedde as rotation options, and was handed the ball after Austin Cox couldn't cut it. But Waldrep, the 23-year-old who tried to spin a similar 2024 opportunity into a run only to get hurt quickly into it, turned this into a pitch for long-term supremacy, and got the win, only allowing 3 hits and an earned run, and striking out 4. Waldrep would be one of the best pitchers of the Braves' second half, going 6-1 with a 2.88 ERA and 55 Ks in 10 starts. 

2026 Prediction: Opening Day rotation, stays in there all year. Hopefully the injury bug doesn't hit, cause I think they've got something here.

Nacho Alvarez Jr. was supposed to factor into 2025 as a backup infielder and utility guy, but then he got hurt pre-season and Nick Allen played that role anyhow. But, of course, Austin Riley gets hurt midyear, and once Alvarez got healthy he got third for a while. In 58 games he only hit .234 with 15 RBIs, but his defense was a big part of the Braves' late-season swell.

2026 Prediction: More prominent backup work, though he will have to contend with Mauricio Dubon on that bench.

As discussed, the Braves worked overtime after the trade deadline to add anyone they could who was DFA'd, needing all the help they could get, and managed to snag pieces like Erick Fedde, Joey Wentz, Brett Wisely, Jake Fraley, Alexis Diaz and Dane Dunning. The cleverest one was convincing the Rays to give up Ha-Seong Kim, who'd been injured all year and wasn't helping once he got healthy. Once Kim got to the Braves, he dominated, hitting .253 in 24 games with 3 homers and 12 RBIs, plus some excellent defense. This did a lot to up Kim's free agency case for this year.

2026 Prediction: Three-year deal with a competitor, has his best season to date and gets an ASG nod.

The other cool move the Braves made after the deadline was bringing back Charlie Morton to round out his career. Morton had a very rocky season, going from punchline to contender with the O's and then the opposite with the Tigers, but the Braves knew he needed to end his career with dignity, so they brought him back in late September. The 41-year-old made one last start, and in an inning an a third, gave up 2 hits but no runs, and notched his last strikeout. Then exited to a standing o in the place he'd come up nearly 2 decades ago. That's what everybody wants, I think.

Coming Tomorrow- The Brewers were closer than ever to a World Series, and they arguably have a team that can get them back. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2024: Braves

 

In a different blink of an eye, the 2024 Braves might not have even made the playoffs. Which is a wild sentence considering that the Braves have been one of the best teams of the 2020s, and have a World Series title, which they won without many of the players that made the current incarnation truly great. And honestly, it wouldn't have been unheard of for them to take another ring this year, despite being without Ronald Acuna, Spencer Strider and Austin Riley for the stretch run. But ultimately, the magic that unfolded in late 2021 was not to be repeated, and the Braves were bounced from the playoffs almost immediately, thanks to a run-in with the San Diego Padres.

Being without Acuna for the majority of the year is one of the main factors in why this Braves team wasn't  as lethal as before. Not only was Acuna a wash after May, he wasn't exactly playing his best ball during his healthy two months. In 49 games he hit .250 with 4 home runs, 15 RBIs and, thankfully, 16 stolen bases. The idea is that Acuna's incredible 2023 may have overworked him and left him without much for an immediate follow-up. That's not to say he's completely cooked, as he is still Ronald Acuna Jr., but it's another setback for a career that still could be great.

2025 Prediction: Well at the very least he'll hit 30 home runs. I'm just not sure how many games he'll make but he'll make up for lost time.

Speaking of lost time, Spencer Strider, after two absolutely incredible seasons of 200 strikeouts or more, felt the drawback to hurling at an MLB level so consistently. He was rough in his first two starts of 2024, with a 7 ERA in 9 innings, despite 12 strikeouts. Upon examination, Strider needed another Tommy John surgery, and thus was lost for the rest of the year. Ultimately the Braves would be able to string together a rotation, but this happening a week and a half into a season which began with the Braves dealing away excess arms [Kyle Wright, Marco Gonzales, Jackson Kowar, all of whom would be hurt anyway in 2024] was a sign of things to come.

2025 Prediction: Like Acuna, Strider will make up for lost time with another 200 K year, it's just a matter of how many games he's able to get to the mark in.

A year after his first All-Star Game, Sean Murphy found himself struggling with injuries and ultimately playing second fiddle to Travis d'Arnaud. In 72 games, Murphy hit .193 with 25 RBIs and 10 homers, which means it was only his defensive catching abilities that gave him an edge this year. With d'Arnaud gone to Anaheim and no immediate competition at the moment, Murphy needs to reestablish his dominance or else he'll be a high-priced backup for a few years.

2025 Prediction: An improvement over 2024, no doubt, but I don't think he'll reach the heights of 2023.

Like Murphy, Orlando Arcia started an All-Star Game last year, and also like Murphy, Arcia was the victim of diminishing returns, despite a full season of play. Arcia hit .218 this year with 17 home runs and 46 RBIs, with no real fielding perks. After trading away Brayden Shewmake and Vaughn Grissom, the Braves were left with a subpar-hitting infielder. We'll see if they made the right choice, or if Grissom turns into anything in Boston after all.

2025 Prediction: Sees some competition for SS and can't quite stave it off.

Adam Duvall was back in Atlanta for a third stint. If you recall, his first stint was tumultuous but charming, his second was a needed offensive lift for the 2021 postseason, and he was coming off a strong-but-shortened year in Boston. Needless to say, we were back to 2018 levels of futility for Duvall this year, as with Harris and Acuna's injuries he got a lot of playing time, and blew a lot of opportunities. Not only did he only hit .182 this year, despite 11 homers, but he was dreadful in the outfield. The Braves brought a lot of people back to recapture the 2021 vibes, like Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler, but Duvall couldn't even muster much excitement this season.

2025 Prediction: If anyone signs him, it'll be in a DH type role for a rebuilding team, and he might not make it to September in that case.

The Braves' bullpen was honestly pretty sharp this year, with a lot of strong options having excellent years backing up Raisel Iglesias in the ninth. Joe Jimenez, in his second year since coming over from Detroit, continued his reign as one of the most underrated relief pitchers in the game. In undeniably his best season yet, he had a 2.62 ERA in 69 innings, as well as a 0.990 WHIP and a 1.8 WAR. Jimenez also went scoreless in his sole postseason appearance this year.

2025 Prediction: Same amount of innings, perhaps not quite as consistent but still very reliable. 

Dylan Lee, a former proposed starting prospect for the Braves, had a full season of relief similar to his 2022, only this time he flexed his longer relief skills and proved his worth as a versatile relief pick. In 52 games, Lee had a 2.11 ERA with 76 Ks and a 1.106 WHIP. He was also a suitable mop-up man in his sole postseason appearance, leaving without any earned runs.

2025 Prediction: Will lead the bullpen in wins.

Late in the season, with their own options wearing thin, the Braves relied upon waiver deals and free agent signings to beef up the roster, including three different players who'd been cut throughout the year. Ramon Laureano was cut by the Guardians on their way to an ALCS [in favor of Jhonkensy Noel, mostly], and the Braves, knowing Laureano's CF prowess, jumped at the opportunity. Laureano was a surprise hit in Atlanta, hitting .296 in 67 games with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs. Unfortunately his outfield skills have slid to 'average', meaning the guy they got for his arm was mostly used for his bat.

2025 Prediction: I think his whole thing now is just being a replacement OF type when a big star gets hurt, so...look for him to not pop up til then.

Whit Merrifield was seen as a great pickup for the Phillies, but his year in red pinstripes was a disappointment, and he was cut shortly after the deadline. The Braves, after just losing Riley, jumped at the chance to add the gold-glove talent. In 42 games, Merrifield hit .248 with 34 hits. His defense is alright but not at Royals/Jays levels.

2025 Prediction: Does decently in a backup role somewhere small.

And after the Tigers released him to make room for Trey Sweeney and Jace Jung, Gio Urshela quickly found his way to Atlanta, where he platooned with Merrifield to cover third. Urshela hit .265 in 36 games, with 15 RBIs and 4 homers, plus two starts in the Wild Card series [which were unfortunately non-noteworthy]. This was Urshela's most relevant moment since his year with the Twins, and it may lead to a slightly more active free agency case.

2025 Prediction: You're gonna think I'm crazy but someplace like Pittsburgh would be really good for him. Plays everyday til July, maybe platoons with Triolo or somebody, phased out over time? Somebody like that gives him a chance to be above-replacement-level for a bit.

Coming Tomorrow- Picks from yet another Brewers team that couldn't get past the first rung.

The Braves Part With Logic

 

You see, until a certain point I was understanding what the Braves were doing. And then something changed.

Last year, the Braves were making all the correct moves. All these huge pieces start getting extensions. Olson's locked up, Riley's locked up, Strider and Harris are locked up. Then the Sean Murphy trade happens, and on one hand, trading William Contreras is a risky move but Murphy means that the Braves now have two excellent catching options that they can platoon, and dArnaud can age gracefully and DH in favor of Marcell Ozuna, who was signed to an extension back when the Braves didn't know what they were doing with those. The Braves also used that opportunity to lock up Murphy for the foreseeable future, which I also agreed with.

And then at the end of Spring Training, the Braves made the single pettiest move I'd ever seen. 

So, as you'll recall last season, Ozzie Albies got injured and the Braves called up Vaughn Grissom to fill the hole in the infield. Grissom responded by hitting .291 in 41 games, with 41 hits, 18 RBIs and 5 homers, giving the team a security blanket heading into the postseason. During the offseason, Dansby Swanson leaves for Chicago, shortstop is open, Grissom is the favorite. Seeing as Harris, Strider and Olson got extensions with less than a season of work for the Braves, the assumption is that Grissom will be next.

And then in Spring Training, not only does Grissom have an excellent spring, but so does Braden Shewmake, another young infield prospect that's been gestating in the minors for longer and could also be ready for the majors. The fans love Grissom, the fans think Grissom's gonna inherit the team...and then the Braves demote both Grissom and Shewmake and sign Orlando Arcia to a 3-year contract.

So uh...needless to say, Braves fans did not like that.

Arcia is a fine infielder, he's done serviceable work for the Braves since coming over from Milwaukee, but that's the problem. Arcia is very much a replacement-level player, and extending him and giving him shortstop over Grissom, who had a 0.9 WAR in a little over a month of play, seems shortsighted and like they're deliberately trying to keep Grissom under his preliminary contract for as long as possible. If you're handing out money to Orlando Arcia, you're not cutting costs. 

It's also kinda shitty that Grissom still doesn't make Opening Day while the Braves are handing the fifth rotation spot, and probably a fourth seeing as Max Fried is now injured, to two people who've never played an MLB game before, in Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd. And then because of Raisel Iglesias getting injured, the Braves brought up Nick Anderson, who was already told he'd be starting the year in triple-A. So there's clearly a lot of bullshit lying about in terms of who the Braves think is more useful to the team.

I do think Grissom's eventually gonna be called up and take the majority of reps in short, but I don't see why they couldn't have just given him the position immediately. I thought he earned it last year. If they're playing the whole 'would he have earned it had Arcia not gotten injured' game, they're being petty and to seeing what we're all seeing. 

Also, as far as how all the long-term contracts are going, the catcher they signed for the rest of the decade went 0-for-5 last night while the catcher they're having DH was responsible for a late RBI double and went 4-for-5, so...yeah.

The Braves will probably even out and starting making decisions that make more sense to me, and it'll probably do them well in the long run, but I do wish they weren't thinking so petty with a young, promising player on the line. Jordan Walker and Anthony Volpe are in the bigs, you've got no excuse.

Salt of the Murph

 

With all the impressive gameplay going on in the AL West right now, you can't blame the A's for being out of touch comparatively. All this talk about Julio Rodriguez and Taylor Ward and Jeremy Pena. Meanwhile, the best players in Oakland are two pitchers with long red beards and a guy named Sheldon. They're basically the Amish.

I mean, it's apt. The other four teams are doing all these advanced things, the division has advanced far enough to allow for a competitive Angels team, and the Athletics are just...getting there a lot slower. The stadium still has fingerprints from 1965. Jed Lowrie's 38 and he's being relied upon in a major role. It's very much a different expectation with this team. The odds are they're probably going to lose 100 games and fall on their face while doing so, just two years after winning playoff games and contending for a spot in the ALCS. 

The goal is just to make sure they can establish enough of a core group so that not everything about this team has to be washed away when it's over. I imagine that a lot of the replacement players aren't gonna make it, and some of the carry-over standouts like Sheldon Neuse, Seth Brown and Tony Kemp might get dealt in July. But if people can stick around til the next competitive A's team, then it'll all have worked out.

But, looking over this team, who would that be? Sean Murphy? Murphy has sort of backed himself into being one of the longer-tenured A's on this team, even if he's only 27. He's not hitting for average, he's only a decent defensive catcher, and he's leading the team in strikeouts. Chad Pinder is hitting .250 but only has 11 RBIs. Ramon Laureano has eyes upon him after serving his suspension and he's only hitting .174. Even if Laureano-Pache-Pinder is a pretty awesome defensive outfield, there aren't a lot of offensive perks to it, especially since Cristian Pache STILL can't hit. 

So far the standouts have been bit players, like Kevin Smith, Nick Allen and Luis Barrera. Of the starters, oft-optioned Paul Blackburn is doing the best of everybody, with a 1.67 ERA and 4 wins, while former prospects Daulton Jeffries, James Kaprielian and Cole Irvin aren't doing too badly either. The biggest surprise of this team has been Dany Jimenez coming out of nowhere to become a truly unhittable closer, and I hope he keeps it up. 

I'll admit that the fun of this team is watching the spare parts come forward and have big games, but that's really the full extent of it. There's no true heroes for the A's, and it's just a 'wait for it to come together' kind of club, which is fine...but the A's have had a lot of those recently.

Coming Tomorrow- Two seasons after his call-up, a prospect takes command of a low-end roster.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2021: Athletics

 

Okay, so I've been sort of angry at Rob Manfred a lot on this blog, and considering what we're in the process of I have every right to be, but there's definitely a point to him expanding the playoffs to fourteen, especially if so many great competitors get left out. 

For instance, the Oakland Athletics. What a great season, so much momentum throughout, a lot of time at 1st place, great pitching staff especially starting, and a great haul at the deadline...all lost in a down September. In an expanded postseason format, a season like that would not be lost in the shuffle, and a down September would still allow someone like the A's a second chance. And while it does look like the A's might be letting some big players go this offseason, it would have been great to see them outdo the odds in this past playoff schematic. 

Again, the starting pitching was impressive. 2021 saw the rise of former Yankee farmhand James Kaprielian, who finally got a full shot at the bigs this year, and fit right into the rotation. Kaprielian had an 8-5 record, a 4.07 ERA and 123 Ks in 24 games. Looks to be a strong option for the next few years.

2022 Prediction: Top WAR of the rotation. Even more than Bassitt. 

That also left some room for former Phillies farmhand Cole Irvin to slide in and start some games, and he did a decent enough job, with a 4.24 ERA, 125 Ks and a surprisingly negative w/l percentage despite 10 wins. Irvin did start all 32 games, but he does seem to me like a filler pick in between stronger options.

2022 Prediction: Either Irvin loses his place in the rotation due to an injury, or he becomes an unlikely backbone once Manaea and Bassitt get traded. 

The top WAR of anyone in this post was Sean Murphy, which is odd, as Oakland seemed to really need Yan Gomes. Murphy was a gold glove catcher this year, with some exceptional defensive numbers despite only hitting .216. On one hand, Murph is a durable option behind the plate, but on the other, he still hasn't figured out the plate itself.

2022 Prediction: A slightly fuller offensive year, and perhaps an injury.

The other in that duo of relied-upon-but-still-flawed younger A's is Seth Brown, who was an OF-DH piece for them this year, as he's always been, and hit 20 homers and 48 RBIs while still hitting .214. Yes, Brown can hit, but he's not a multi-tool guy.

2022 Prediction: Mostly bench work, but the occasional clutch moment. 

Mitch Moreland, after a strong 2020, was hired as the DH in Oakland, and was expected to just be a steady everyday bat with some power. He was that. He only played 81 games, but hit .227 with 10 homers and 30 RBIs. Nothing to his peak, but exactly what it says on the tin.

2022 Prediction: If anyone picks him up, it'll be a limited role.

Chad Pinder is still a good utility member of the A's, and while he also missed some time to injuries, hitting .243 with 52 hits and 27 RBIs in 75 games. He'll be turning 30 next season, and may have passed his window to become a truly reliable starter, but he's cemented his place in these A's teams, and seems to have a place in future incarnations of it.

2022 Prediction: That said, either an injury or a slump will require Pinder to start some games, and he will impress in a way that will build his free agency case in 2023.

Now onto the deadline acquisitions. The first big one for the A's was Cubs reliever and old-school-looking hurler Andrew Chafin, who quickly became a fan favorite in Oakland. Chafin continued his strong relief numbers, with a 1.53 ERA and 27 Ks in 29 innings. He may not have reached the postseason, but he boosted his free agency case and continued to be one of the more fun middle relievers in the game.

2022 Prediction: I don't think he'll be signed by a contender, but I do think he will make the playoffs. Perhaps not as strong a year as 2022, but one you won't exactly stay mad at.

Yan Gomes was one of two Nationals that came to the team in July, and his acquisition was used as an inkling that Murphy needed help behind the backstop. Gomes did aid the team as a better offensive catcher, hitting .221 with 17 RBIs and 5 homers, but eventually became a backup to Murphy.

2022 Prediction: If Willson Contreras is, in fact, traded, Gomes could be back to starting in Chicago, and he'll be a serviceable option.

The other Nat to make it to Oakland was former Pirates infield hero Josh Harrison, finally back to peak form. Harrison's tenure in Oakland was a little more memorable than Gomes's, as he hit .254 with 47 hits and 28 RBIs in 28 games. Harrison provided an upgrade from the aging Jed Lowrie at 2nd, and provided the infield with a great boost, similar to Tommy La Stella last year.

2022 Prediction: A cheap signing that pays off in a smaller market. My guess is that the White Sox take him.

And finally, after parting ways with them to gain Elvis Andrus, the A's got to have their cake AND eat it too by signing Khris Davis midseason. Davis, on his return to his stomping, and pounding, grounds, hit .255 with 5 RBIs and only 1 of his trademark homers in 20 games. Davis' current career average is at .242, and Davis needs one or two more contact-friendly years to get himself back to that .247 number being a career stat, as I kinda want it to be.

Tomorrow, just about as many from the Toronto Blue Jays

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Athletics

At long last, the Oakland Athletics won a playoff series in 2020. Granted, they proceeded to lose one to a team that finished the season under .500, a team they had no trouble beating during the regular season, but...they beat the Chicago White Sox and won a playoff series. That alone is enough to hang onto for 2021.

But, there were a lot of minor successes across the entire squad this year. First of all, former low-tier DH Robbie Grossman had his best season in years this year, with a club-leading 12 doubles and 40 hits. Granted, he only hit .241, but he got a lot of stuff done in 50 games, and finished with a 1.0 WAR

2021 Prediction: Becomes a bench player for a competitive team, and gets some playoff time. 

In a season where some of the main pitching options were souring, Jesus Luzardo was a mostly efficient starting choice. In 9 starts, Luzardo had a 3.83 record with 3 wins and 59 strikeouts, second-most thanks to Frankie Montas squeaking out one more. Luzardo and Chris Bassitt were the only starters who finished the season with ERAs lower than 4, which is a good sign for the future, I guess.

2021 Prediction: A fuller picture of his abilities, a boost in July and a few Cy Young votes flung his way.

As Luzardo rose, the former Oakland ace, Mike Fiers, fell slightly. Despite a 6-3 record, the 35-year-old had a down year, with a 4.58 ERA and 37 strikeouts. Considering that Fiers already had two nice seasons as an Athletic, it's not the worst way to end a multi-year deal.

2021 Prediction: Mid-market team signs him, he starts 18 games and relieves a bunch more, and on the whole it's labeled an improvement. 

After the hazy, indistinct catching picture of 2019, Sean Murphy arose as the primary backstop for this year, and boy did he make his presence known. Murph hit .233 in 43 games, with 14 RBIs and 7 homers, and boosted the runs column towards a 1.0 WAR. Even if Vimael Machin provided some late competition, by the playoffs, Murphy was on fire, hitting .375 in the wild card series with 2 RBIs, and a helpful homer in the ALDC. 

2021 Prediction: He makes it to 25 home runs and cements himself as a member of this team's core during a killer playoff run.

After an impressive post-trade run in Oakland last year, Jake Diekman doubled down in 2020, with a 0.42 ERA and 31 strikeouts in an injury-shortened 21 games. Dude only allowed one earned run the whole year. At 33, he's probably had one of his strongest years. 

2021 Prediction: Healthier, but a statistical step back.

It took until September for Chad Pinder to arrive in Oakland, and once he did, he made them regret not activating him sooner. Pinder took on a reserve infielder role in the last month of the year, hit .232 with 8 RBIs, and was responsible for seven postseason RBIs, including some that kept the A's-Astros series going all the way to 5 games. Pinder's power kept the A's alive this year.

2021 Prediction: More bench work, slightly less starry, but I still predict some home runs coming late in the season from this guy.

After losing Jurickson Profar to the Padres, the A's decided to give 2nd base to former Astros outfielder Tony Kemp. An odd move, but one that made a bit more sense as the season went on, as Kemp was more of a defensive piece than an offensive one. Kemp only hit 247, but he was a quick defender at 2nd. However, once August ended, the A's had a few more infield options to work with, and Kemp got less and less playing time.

2021 Prediction: Won't stay in Oakland, or as a second baseman, for all of 2021.

On a whim, the A's trade Franklin Barreto for Tommy La Stella, and he does not disappoint in his month with the team. In 27 games he hits .289 with 11 RBIs and 28 hits, improving on Kemp's defensive play, and becoming the primary 2nd baseman going into the playoffs, where he hit .293 with 8 hits and 2 RBIs. For a career utilityman going into 2019, not bad at all.

2021 Prediction: Will be signed as a backup, get some playing time in May, and be traded once some rookie infielder completely takes over. I say Baltimore signs him.

The other veteran the A's went with at the deadline was Mike Minor, who was having a shaky year for the Rangers pre-trade. The A's used Minor both in relief and as a starter, and in both cases he displayed the same uneasy material, keeping a 5.48 ERA in September 27 strikeouts but 13 earned runs. In the postseason he was used primarily in relief, and was scoreless in 3.2 innings against the Astros.

2021 Prediction: He's gonna do well in Kansas City. That organization brought him back, and he'll have a nice return to form without COMPLETELY usurping his 2018-19 numbers.

And then there's Jake Lamb.

Lamb, the once-hot Diamondbacks third baseman had become a burden at DH, and the D-Backs unloaded him before the end of August. The A's, reeling from an injury to Matt Chapman, picked him up and Lamb, like a fish in new water, regained his pop, hitting .267 with 9 RBIs and 3 home runs in 12 games. Lamb had 1 hit in 8 postseason at-bats, though. 

 2021 Prediction: This is the make or break year for Lamb. He's both triumphed and bellyflopped in 2020. Lamb needs a great season in 2021. Whoever signs him, however, is playing quite a risk.

Coming Tomorrow- The little AL East team that could.