The rebuilding As made only a few moves to addre s their big league roster, as much of the offseason news continued to focus on the clubs impending departure from Oakland. Major League Signings , SP: , RP: , RP: , SP/RP: split contract (Bido earns $200K if in minors) 2023 spending: $13MM Total spending: $13MM Option Decisions , SP: Athletics $5MM club option for 2024 Trades & Claims SP/RP and $3.5MM from Giants for minor league OF IF from Brewers for minor league SP cash considerations from Marlins for IF IF/OF off waivers from Pirates RP off waivers from Guardians SP from Yankees in the Rule 5 Draft Notable Minor League Signings , , , , , , , Notable Lo ses , , , , , , , , , (retired) A long and twisted series of events that leads to finding a green armadillo in Las Vegas might sound like the plot of another Hangover sequel, yet it could also describe the Athletics relocation efforts. MLB owners gave in November to the franchises plan to relocate, and the team recently released of their proposed spherical armadillo ballpark on the Strip, which is planned to open for the start of the 2028 season. Much has yet to be settled until then, including the rather important detail of where exactly the As will be playing during the 2025-27 seasons. Next years edition of the Offseason In Review could be devoted Salt Lake City Athletics or the Sacramento Athletics, as the Athletics have been exploring alternate cities as their short-term home. Since NBC Sports California could opt out of its broadcast contract with the As if the club moves out of the Bay Area, the teams first option is to extend its lease at the Coliseum beyond its current end date following the 2024 season, yet the city of Oakland is (unsurprisingly) not too enthused about continuing the relationship. At least, not without po sibly trying to negotiate a new expansion team out of the league in exchange for letting the Athletics temporarily stay put. Even the Vegas end of the move isnt exactly solidified. The league is pushing so hard for the Athletics relocation that it doesnt seem likely that the move would fall apart altogether, though questions remain a Nevada teachers union has challenging the states funding law that earmarked $380MM in public money towards the ballpark, the overall uncertainty about the new stadiums financing and construction plans, and the fact that Las Vegas citizens seem mixed at best about the As coming to town. Between all these factors and the Oakland fans open disdain towards owner John Fisher, it seems like several more years of awkwardne s are in store before things start to turn for the Athletics organization. Finding a silver lining in the on-field product seems like a longshot, given how the As have gone 110-214 over the last two seasons and seem destined for another triple-digit showing in the lo s column in 2024. Given how the Athletics have already dealt most of their prominent (and most expensive) veterans, GM David Forst didnt do much in the way of continuing the fire sale this winter. Forst said that , , werent likely to be traded, and while it can be a sumed that the As are always listening to trade offers, the team still needs players on the roster. And, some stronger performances from any of these more experienced names in the first half of the 2024 campaign could well bolster their trade value heading into the deadline. Blackburn might be a key name to watch in this regard, since he is a free agent after the 2025 season and teams are forever looking to add pitching. The rotation was a need for the As themselves this winter, resulting in a couple of familiar Bay Area names joining the club. signed in free agency after spending the last three years with the Giants, and the As also lined up with the Giants on a rare trade between the local rivals in order to bring to Oakland. These two moves represent the Athletics biggest expenditures of the offseason, as Wood will earn $8.5MM on a one-year deal, and the As are covering $9MM of the $12.5MM owed to Stripling on the final year of his contract. Neither veteran was too pleased about their usage within the Giants patchwork pitching tactics, but Wood and Stripling will get plenty of opportunity to work as full-time starters in Oakland. Wood started 12 of 29 games in 2023, working as a swingman, bulk pitcher behind an opener, or in a piggyback capacity while posting a 4.33 ERA over 97 2/3 innings. Woods traditionally solid strikeout and walk rates both plummeted to well below the league average last year, though it could be argued that his ever-shifting roles (and five weeks mi sed due to a pair of stints on the injured list) mightve contributed to these struggles. Stripling had an even tougher time of things with a 5.36 ERA over Anthony Edwards Jersey 89 innings, and injuries and a hybrid rotation/bullpen deployment were also a story of his season. The right-hander did pitch better as the season went on, however, which could hint that he might have a smoother time of things in a more stable capacity as a starting pitcher. Returning to trade deadline po sibilities, a return to form for either Wood or Stripling will surely make them prime candidates to change uniforms at midseason, which could open up rotation jobs for some of the Athletics younger arms. Some of this group ( , , and Rule 5 Draft pick ) are already competing for the fifth starters role, which is open since both and will begin the season on the injured list. It remains to be seen when exactly either hurler might be back on the mound, underscoring the Athletics reasoning for acquiring experienced arms like Wood and Stripling. Experience was also the watchword for the Athletics bullpen additions. Of the seven pitchers who made the most appearances for Oakland in 2023, only is still with the team, so some veteran help was needed for a relief corps that is thin on Major League innings. and signed low-cost one-year deals and might have hidden-gem potential, since both righties outperformed their ERAs last season. Gott had a 4.19 ERA over 58 innings with the Mariners and Mets while not receiving any BABIP (.343) luck, while Alexanders 3.75 SIERA was well below his 4.66 ERA in 48 1/3 innings for San Francisco. A .325 BABIP was particularly harmful to an extreme groundball pitcher like Alexander, whose numbers might normalize if he gets better fortune with balls in play. Gott and Alexander figure to work in setup roles no matter who (if anyone) winds up as the Athletics full-time closer. Top prospect is making a bid for the job with a very impre sive Spring Training performance, as the As are keeping Miller in the bullpen this year as a way of easing him back to action after a long string of injuries. Erceg or could also be in the ninth inning mix. The As mostly stood pat on the position-player side, though (who signed with the Reds) was a notable departure after four seasons in Oakland. The newly-acquired is something of a replacement for both Kemp and , as Toro has experience at first base, second base, and third base, and can step into the corner outfield in a pinch. Third base figures to be Toros most steady position, and Toro and Diaz figure to share the hot corner until prospect makes his expected Major League debut this season. , , and should form the rest of the starting infield, with as the primary DH and one of or behind the plate. Brown, , and speedster are the projected starting outfielders, with rookie looking for a larger role and former Athletic back on a minor league deal and looking to get back to the majors after spending 2023 in the White Sox farm system. is an interesting wild card on the roster, as the former Yankees star prospect is looking for a fresh start after being claimed off waivers from the Pirates, and he hit well after a September call-up with the Pirates last season. It isnt the most inspiring lineup on paper, which is why the As will be hard-pre sed to avoid the AL West basement. There is some talent here, however, as Noda, Rooker, and the rookie Gelof all delivered well above-average production in 2023. Gelofs 133 wRC+ (from a .267/.337/.504 slash line and 14 homers) came over just 300 plate appearances, though it was enough to make the second baseman look like a potential building block for an As team in desperate need of some true cornerstones. A rebuilding team is only going to spend so much on veteran players anyway, yet the Athletics projected payroll is the lowest in baseball by a substantial margin. As per , the As currently have only $59.3MM on the books for 2024 well behind the $82MM in slated spending for the Pirates, who rank 29th of the 30 teams. Fisher has been adverse to spending even when the As were fielding contenders, yet even beyond the lack of available money, Forsts attempts to add any reinforcements were naturally complicated by all of the negativity surrounding the Athletics forthcoming move. For players who had leverage in determining their next team, there wasnt much interest in joining a franchise entering a lame-duck season in front of a fanbase that is understandably hostile towards the organization. It perhaps isnt surprising that so many of the Athletics additions this winter have prior experience playing for the Giants if not the As themselves, so the new faces are at least familiar with the Bay Area and the unusual situation facing the Athletics this coming season. If the Athletics 57th season in Oakland will indeed be their last, it is probably going to be an inauspicious ending to a history that includes the Swingin As powerhouse teams of the 1970s, and the Bash Brothers in the late 80s, and the Moneyball underdogs of the last two decades. The focus will be on letting the kids play and hopefully building some momentum in the rebuild towards 2025 and beyond, no matter where the team ends up playing. How would you grade the Athletics' offseason? F 45.05% (937votes) D 27.36% (569votes) C 18.94% (394votes) B 5.29% (110votes) A 3.37% (70votes) Total Votes: 2,080 Josh Okogie Jersey