Is it a grab bag of juicy tidbits or a scrambled mush of ramblings? I say the glass is half full, so juicy tidbits it is…
Parking Shortage Is Just Another Box Not Ticked
It’s hard to keep track of the problems the A’s encounter getting from “badly conceived renderings” to “actual stadium” what with a small plot of land, the lack of investors, rising costs, and a complete lack of buzz in Vegas around the A’s possible arrival.
A “dark horse” for derailing the project is the necessary FAA approval as planes generally prefer not to crash into domes if at all possible. That may be seen as a formality but it’s also another potential delay and also requirements mandated that may mess with the budget or design.
Then comes another box still unchecked and that is Clark County’s need to sign off on the bonds that will pay for a significant portion of the project. You would think that Clark County would want all t’s crossed and i’s dotted before taking the plunge and committing millions of public money into a project in which the county, i.e., its taxpayers, could wind up holding the bag. (If you don’t think that ever happens, think back to the ill-fated Mount Davis deal in which the city of Oakland is racing Bobby Bonilla to see who can make millions change hands the longest after the fact.)
Well here’s a big old ‘t’ that isn’t crossed: The A’s latest ‘rendition’ includes 2,500 parking spaces but regulations require there to be one parking space for every 4 seats. The A’s had a different problem when they said capacity would be 30,000 — it meant they could sell out every single game and still not draw the 2.5 millions fans they promised would pay for the stadium.
So magically capacity jumped to 33,000, giving the A’s a different problem. 1/4 of that is now 8,250, which is the number of parking spaces the A’s are required to provide. 2,500 is almost exactly 30% of what is required.
So before even considering signing off on anything, Clark County should be insisting that the A’s commit to the other 5,750 parking spaces, which is slightly problematic considering most analysts say the stadium won’t fit with 2,500 parking spaces. Cue Kramer: “Levels, Jerry! L-l-levels!!!!!” I know I can’t wait to park on level ZZ and take the gondola to my “individually air conditioned” seat.
{grabs popcorn, sits back}
Health
In some ways the definition of a good spring training is “a healthy spring training”. Jeffrey Springs is walking and hitting batters while Osvaldo Bido is serving up batting practice when he’s throwing strikes at all. But if both are healthy it’s all good and those spring training stats will soon be a distant memory.
I don’t want to jinx it, but around baseball injuries are already starting to pile up, with the Mariners announcing that SP George Kirby is being shut down with shoulder inflammation, Gerrit Cole going for imaging on his right elbow, Blue Jays reliever Erik Swanson having an MRI for the dreaded “elbow discomfort,” the Orioles losing both SP Grayson Rodriguez (elbow/triceps discomfort) and RP Andrew Kittredge (arthroscopic knee surgery). And that was just Friday’s news.
Every team has injuries and the A’s are no exception but — knock wood — so far they have been really fortunate. The only major loss has been Brady Basso (shoulder), but while he was throwing the ball great Basso was probably the A’s #7 or #8 SP on the current depth chart.
Key players? Lawrence Butler…Brent Rooker…Mason Miller…Luis Severino…Jeffrey Springs…JJ Bleday…Jacob Wilson…Tyler Soderstrom…Zack Gelof…Miguel Andujar…Shea Langeliers…Jose LeClerc… So far so good.
Obviously all that can change in the blink of an eye, but if 90% of life is showing up so far the A’s are among MLB’s best.
Butler Extension
I just want to give my official hearty endorsement of the A’s extension with Butler (7 years, $65.5M), as it is a win on so many levels.
First off, it is hard to envision the A’s not getting a ton of surplus value over those 7 years, which will be Butler’s ages 25-31 seasons. Butler’s ceiling is sky high (see the 2nd half, 2024) but his floor is also high due to his power, speed, and already average defense at an important position.
Sure, without the extension the A’s would have paid a pittance for 2 more seasons but in all likelihood Butler’s 3 arbitration years would have cost more than $9.5M each and most certainly his post FA seasons would have been far more expensive — to the point where the A’s probably would not have even been in the running for his services.
The deal offers Butler some important insurance against injury or Acute Gelof Syndrome, but regardless it looks like a terrific deal for the team.
Secondly, it’s important that the extension covers not just one but two post-FA seasons. Keeping Butler under contract control for 7 years instead of 5 is a significant difference, and those 2 seasons will be affordable for the team as they look to build/maintain a contending team around him.
Thirdly, Butler appears to have the qualities of a leader who can provide value beyond his stat line. He plays hard, is committed to learning and making adjustments, has a vibrant personality and plays with joy, all qualities you hope your younger players will emulate. So the A’s aren’t just improving themselves on the field by keeping Rooker and Butler in green and gold longer, they are also establishing some clubhouse leaders who can make up and coming players better.
Fourthly — and this is not insignificant — is the same point I made when the A’s signed Severino. For Butler to make the commitment to the A’s speaks to the A’s as a desirable destination, a team you want to choose spend a big chunk of your career with, which has never been more important to show publicly given the team’s transience and geographical uncertainty.
Butler could have bet on himself and probably made more money between now and 2031 by walking away from the negotiating table. Instead he bet on the A’s as a home and a family, and chose some things money can’t buy. That’s important for other players to see as they as ask their doctor whether the A’s might be right for them.
Conclusion
Over the last 48 hours the A’s have been outscored 22-5 and if anything they have played worse than the scores suggest. Yet they are healthy, they suddenly have Rooker and Butler for the long-haul, and look every bit like a team that is trying to win and expects to win a lot over the next few years.
Not a bad week after all, unless your job is to count parking spaces.