A's "Close" to Open 2014 Winter Meetings

Post date: Jan 29, 2014 8:36:29 PM

Top Closers Craig Kimbrel (L) and Aroldis Chapman (R) acquired by A's to open the 2014 Winter Meetings

The A's opened the 2014 Winter Meetings by landing two of the best Closers in the game in a pair of huge deals, then followed with a couple smaller ones as the Meetings opening week moved along. The big news came right at the start, as the club landed flame-throwing WFBL All-Star Closers Craig Kimbrel and Aroldis Chapman. In another deal they landed strong prospect arm Alex Wood and brought back pitcher Wade Davis.

Kimbrel came from St. Louis for reliever David Robertson, prospect arms Michael Wacha & Danny Salazar, and a 2nd round Minors Draft pick. Chapman came from division rival Brantford along with veteran outfielder Carlos Beltran for slugger Giancarlo Stanton, starter Jeremy Hellickson, and reliever Francisco Rodriguez. In the 3rd opening day deal, Davis and Wood came from Las Vegas for kid arm Touki Toussaint and 3 high Minors picks over the next two years. Later, Philly struck again, sending infielder Anthony Rendon and three 2014 Minors Draft picks to Detroit for pitching prospect Aaron Sanchez.

GM Matt Veasey outlined the process that brought the two elite Closers to town: "We made Saint Louis what we felt was a substantial offer for Kimbrel early on, trying to at least gauge interest and open a conversation. They made it known that Wacha was the key for them. When we agreed, that deal came together pretty smoothly."

It was not until completing that trade, before the Chapman thought came into play. "We started to kick around the idea of putting Kimbrel and Kenley Jansen into the same bullpen with Chapman, and then had to determine if we were willing to part with Stanton to make it happen" said Veasey. "When we determined that was a direction we were willing to go, we reached out to Brantford. That deal with those two as the principles then came together fairly smoothly as well. Getting a proven, productive outfielder like Beltran as well just made it that much easier to complete, from our end."

The A's GM then dangled a number of players, including pitchers Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann, infielder Anthony Rendon, and catcher Matt Wieters in a further effort to gauge interest around the league. "We had talks, and nearly had one deal done, but when nothing was happening as a few days passed, we decided as an organization that we wanted to stand pat at this point. It was then that Detroit reached out on Rendon." Those talks took place on Sunday, and by Sunday night the young infielder was headed to Motown, with Sanchez heading to Philly. "We think that the two kid arms we got in these trades, Alex Wood and Aaron Sanchez, are serious talents that could help us no later than 2015" said the GM.

The guy who will have to make all this work on the field, manager Buck Showalter, had this to say: "Matt and I are almost always on the same page. He keeps the organization steered in the right direction at all times. I can tell you this, no one is going to like facing our bullpen. That is a serious weapon we have, a 3-headed, fire-breathing monster that other teams will have to face week in and week out."