Heavy Hitter

$51 million:

Combined annual salary of the two
highest-paid New
York Yankees,
Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi. 

$48 million:

Oakland A’s entire team payroll in 2008.

4th:

Rank of the A’s for total number of
wins­—901—in Major League baseball over the past 10 seasons.

23rd:

Rank of the A’s average team payroll over the same time period
(out of 30 total teams).

2001

2001

2001–2002

2004

2007

the trade:
A’s get Mark Ellis, Johnny Damon, and Cory Lidle from Kansas City for Ben Grieve, Angel Berroa, and A. J. Hinch.

the trade:
A’s get Jermaine Dye from Kansas City for Todd Belitz, Mario Encarnacion, and Jose Ortiz.

the trade:
A’s get closer Billy Koch from Toronto for Eric Hinske and Justin Miller.

the trade:
A’s get Dan Haren, Kiko Calero, and Daric Barton for Mark Mulder.

the trade:
A’s trade Haren to Arizona for six prospects.

the analysis:
Damon and Lidle help the A’s to the postseason in 2001, and Ellis has become one of the best fielding second basemen in big league history. Two of the departed A’s are no longer in the Major Leagues. A+

the analysis:
Dye sparks a second-half surge to the playoffs, in which the A’s go 48-13, while all three players the team traded were out of the majors one year later. Alas, Dye breaks his leg in a playoff game against the Yankees and is continually hampered by injuries the next year. B+

the analysis:
Koch saves 44 games, second in the American League in 2001. In 2002, the A’s trade Koch to the White Sox for reliever Keith Foulke, who saves 43 games for the A’s. Despite their regular season successes, both Koch and Foulke give up key runs in playoff games against Minnesota and Boston. B+

the analysis:
Haren has three stellar years, including starting the 2007 All-Star game; Calero delivers several productive seasons; and Barton remains with the A’s. Mulder’s career has been hampered by injuries since leaving Oakland. A-

the analysis:
Three of those prospects--
starting pitchers Dana Eveland and Greg Smith, and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez--are already contributing to the club. Smith
and Eveland have immediately helped solidify the A’s starting pitching, while Gonzalez has started strong both at the plate and in the field. A