Elephant Rumblings: Entering a new chapter

MLB news roundup

Happy Wednesday, Athletics Nation!

There is a lot of forward-looking reading out this week as the A’s first season in Sacramento fast approaches. I’m happy to see that the A’s are investing more in their on-field product these days, but I sure wish the organization had given up its tight-pursed ways sooner. As John Shea at The San Francisco Standard suggests, the current spending boost does feel a bit like a final insult to Oakland.

Imagine if your spouse or significant other split up with you and within weeks was parading around town with a new flame in the same convertible Mustang you said you wanted for your birthday five years in a row. Pretty hateful stuff, no? But I assume this is just a coincidence and that A’s owner John Fisher is spending more to prevent any grievances from the players union.

“Fisher isn’t doing this just to spite me. He’d spend less if he could continue getting away with it,” I tell myself.

Thus a new chapter begins for the Sacramento Athletics, as I will insist on calling them today. The A’s are a better team in a new town, and while I am among those whose fandom might ultimately die in the wake of the A’s departure from Oakland, I don’t hate that I will likely be watching better baseball being played this year. And I’m damn curious to see how this newly fortified group of youngsters will pan out.

Evan Drellich at The Athletic meditated at length on the promise of this new chapter for the franchise. Will it live up to hopes? That’s a loaded question, and the answer depends on who you ask. Definitely check the piece out if you have access!

A’s Coverage:

• Athletics fall late to Giants, lose 5-3
• White Sox throttle A’s in Spring Tune Up
• The A’s are ready for their Sacramento move. Will it be the new chapter they’re hoping for? ($)
• Butler grateful for his Athletics journey after earning extension
• For A’s No. 6 prospect Clarke, Spring Breakout is a family affair
• In a final insult to Oakland, John Fisher is shelling out real money on the A’s
• A’s Opening Day roster, rotation coming into focus
• ‘Sky’s the limit’ for newly inked Butler. Is the same true of upstart A’s?
• Examining the Lineups From A’s Las Vegas Renderings

MLB News & Interest:

• MLB Hope-O-Meter results: Ranking fans’ optimism in 2025 for all 30 teams ($)
• 2025 Trade Deadline To Be On July 31
• With Gerrit Cole lost, Yankees no longer the AL favorite and the AL East is a free-for-all ($)
• Putting a price tag on extending Kyle Tucker, Dylan Cease and other looming free agents ($)
• Dodgers, Dave Roberts Agree To Extension
• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Sought $500MM Net Present Value In Extension Talks
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

This bodes well.

The tradition takes a new form.