Three reasons to watch the A's in 2015

Before your three reasons to watch the Oakland Athletics in 2015, a question for the aficionados out there ... Was the A’s 2014 a good year for the organization? They did reach the playoffs for a third straight year. They also sported the best record in the American League for much of the season, and had the best record in the majors as late as August 16. But from there, the A’s 15-25 mark was the worst in the American League. And while they might have rebounded with a tremendous postseason run...

Exactly the opposite happened, as they blew a 7-3 lead in the eighth inning of their Wild Card Game against the Royals, and then an 8-7 lead in the 12th to lose.

So was it a good year, or not?

Whatever your answer, and whatever happens this year, nobody can accuse Billy Beane of resting on whatever laurels you care to throw his way. Which brings us to the first of our three reasons...

1. Can’t tell the players without a scorecard
Here’s the most obvious reason to watch the A’s this year ... It’s a completely different team than the one you watched last year. Well, not completely different. But the turnover here might might be unprecedented in the modern game. Here you’ve got a team that won 88 games last season, and reached the postseason; granted, just barely. Still, so many changes? The A's have a new third baseman, a new shortstop, a new second baseman, a new first baseman and-- Hey, that's a whole new infield! Plus, second-string first baseman and third-string catcher Stephen Vogt has become the club's first-string catcher.

Meanwhile, three-fifths of the starting rotation is different. Perhaps most intriguing: Jesse Hahn, who came over from the Padres. In 163 minor-league innings, Hahn gave up only two home runs. Granted, he's given up two in just 17 spring-training innings. Numbers can fool you sometimes.

Anyway, you kinda gotta watch the A’s in April, just to know the A’s. You know?

2. “Hey, what happened to our MVP candidate at third base?”
Speaking of turnover, the A’s traded Josh Donaldson, easily their best player, to the Blue Jays for Brett Lawrie. Well, for Lawrie and a few others, but Lawrie was obviously the big prize in the deal, at least in the short term (young shortstop Franklin Barreto is a fine prospect, but probably three or four years away from doing anything in the majors).

Of course what’s so interesting about Lawrie is that he might be great. Just two years ago, he was only 23 and looked like a future All-Star, already with a decent bat and tremendous glove. But Lawrie has played in just 177 games over the last two seasons, leading to fair questions about his durability and his future.

Sometimes these questions wind up having happy answers. And if Lawrie bounces back to play 140-some games, the A’s will be very happy to have him. Until the next trade, anyway.

3. “Hey, what’s that guy doing with his glove?”
Okay, so I’m cheating a little here. After all, switch-pitcher Pat Venditte isn’t on the A’s depth chart and isn’t likely to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster. Which was true even before his generally unimpressive spring training. But the flowers are blooming and the trees are leafing out; so we can dream a little, can’t we? Most major-league teams use at least a dozen or so relief pitchers over the course of The Long Season, and there seems a good chance the A’s will send Venditte to their new Triple-A club in Nashville. And if you’re pitching in Triple-A WITH BOTH HANDS ... well, who knows what might happen? Maybe Billy Beane’s got a greater appreciation for the absurd than Brian Cashman did. Maybe the A’s will suddenly find themselves with extra space on the 40-man roster in September, and call up Venditte just for the goofy pleasure of the thing.

2014 record: 88-74
Playoffs: Lost ALWC to Kansas City Royals
Projected 2015 record: 83-79*
Key additions: 1B Ike Davis, IF Ben Zobrist, IF Marcus Semien, 3B Brett Lawrie, DH Billy Butler, SP Jesse Hahn, RP Tyler Clippard
Key subtractions: C John Jaso, C Derek Norris, 2B Alberto Callaspo, SS Jed Lowrie, DH Adam Dunn, SP Jon Lester, SP Jeff Samardzija, SP Jason Hammel, RP Luke Gregerson

*Projected records courtesy of FanGraphs