In retrospect: Grading A's offseason moves after rough first half

The Athletics' offseason certainly was a precursor for what was about to come. 

In trading away homegrown stars such as Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, and Sean Manaea, it became clear that Oakland was headed for a rebuild and that the upcoming 2022 season could be a rocky one under first-year manager Mark Kotsay. 

Here's a look back at the A's biggest moves of the offseason and how they have fared at the midway point of the season. 

Matt Olson trade

Braves get: 1B Matt Olson

A's get: C Shea Langeliers, OF Cristian Pache, RHP Ryan Cusick, RHP Joey Estes

All in all, this was an alright trade for the A's. If you can get past the initial sting of losing Olson, the return certainly has potential. 

Pache immediately provided a spark both on defense and on offense. With Ramón Laureano suspended for the first month of the season, Pache had center field to himself and he made the most of it with an abundance of highlight reel plays and a few big moments at the plate. His production eventually fell off a cliff and he was optioned back to Triple-A at the end of June. Fortunately for the A's, Pache still has a lot of potential as a multi-tool everyday player and will have another opportunity to make an impact soon. 

Langeliers definitely has been the highlight of this trade. Not only is he now the A's top prospect according to MLB.com, but his red-hot first half earned him a spot in the All-Star Futures Game this week. In 74 Triple-A games, Langeliers is hitting .272/.365/.505 with 16 home runs and 44 RBI while developing nicely behind the plate. 

Both Cusick and Estes are the A's No. 7 and 14 prospects, respectively, and haven't impressed much since the trade. Cusick is 1-5 with an 8.13 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 27.2 innings pitched for Double-A Midland, while Estes is 2-4 with a 4.91 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched for High-A Lansing. 

So far, Olson has taken a step back from the 2021 season in which he finished eighth in AL MVP voting. In 94 games for the Braves, Olson is hitting .255/.340/.488 with 17 home runs and 60 RBI as a replacement for Freddie Freeman, who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason. 

GRADE: C+

Matt Chapman trade

Blue Jays get: 3B Matt Chapman

A's get: RHP Gunnar Hoglund, LHPs Zach Logue, Kirby Snead, and INF Kevin Smith

Hoglund is now the A's No. 5 prospect according to MLB.com but has not pitched an inning this season as he remains on the 60-day IL. Not much to evaluate there. 

Logue currently is Oakland's No. 18 prospect and has pitched in seven total games, including six starts, at the major league level. The 26-year-old has a 3-4 record with a 5.16 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings pitched this season. As of right now, he's a starter at the back end of the rotation at best. 

Despite the awesome hair and infectious personality that Snead has brought to the A's clubhouse this season, he has struggled as a reliever. In 20 innings pitched, Snead posted a 6.30 ERA with 17 strikeouts. 

Smith showed a ton of potential as a slugger in the Blue Jays' system but could not hit above the Mendoza line in 47 games with the A's this season. 

As underwhelming as this return has been so far this season, Chapman hasn't exactly been lighting the world on fire in Toronto, where he's hitting .227/.300/.428 with 15 home runs and 45 RBI in 87 games played. 

GRADE: D

Sean Manaea trade

Padres get: LHP Sean Manaea, RHP Aaron Holiday

A's get: RHP Adrián Martínez, INF Euribiel Angeles

When this trade went down in spring training, A's fans already were numb to the reality that their homegrown stars were being shipped off one by one. This trade was expected at some point, and the most surprising part about it was that fellow starter Frankie Montas didn't follow wasn't traded immediately after. 

Martínez is Oakland's No. 20 prospect according to MLB.com, and in 19 1/3 innings pitched at the major league level this season, the 25-year-old has a 6.52 ERA with 14 strikeouts. He hasn't had much more success in 69 innings in Triple-A either. 

Angeles is a fairly disciplined hitter who has the potential to hit for a high average. He can play multiple positions and currently is hitting .269/.302/.336 with one home run and 26 RBI in 78 games for High-A Lansing. 

Manaea had an alright first half for the Padres. He started off hot throughout the month of April before cooling off and pitching like a middle-of-the-rotation starter. He's been durable and fairly reliable, posting a 5-4 record with a 4.11 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 100 2/3 innings pitched. He has a better brand of baseball still in him, but it's fair to say that the Padres got what they traded for and that's a bulk innings starter who will keep you in the game every time he takes the mound. 

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Holiday hasn't done much as a reliever in Single-A for the Padres. In 38 innings pitched, the 22-year-old has a 4.97 ERA with 48 strikeouts. 

GRADE: D+

Free agent signings

A's signed: RHP Deolis Guerra, INF/OFs Tony Kemp and Chad Pinder, INF Jed Lowrie, C/INF Stephen Vogt

The best moves the A's made this offseason probably were the free-agent signings. They've historically done a good job at signing veteran talent for cheap and this season is no exception. 

What I really like about these signings, is the veteran leadership they bring to a young clubhouse going through a very difficult rebuilding process. 

Veterans like Kemp, Pinder, Jowrie, and Vogt all are very familiar with the organization, go about the game the right way and are universally beloved in the locker room and amongst the fanbase. They are the type of players and voices in the locker room this team needs and their impact certainly can be felt. Not to mention that despite what their stat lines might read, each of them has come through in big moments this season.

Unfortunately for the A's, Guerra -- a productive reliever last season -- will miss the entire season after having surgery to address forearm tightness earlier in the spring. 

GRADE: B