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DO NOT trade hitters for pitchers, especially in the down offensive environment of 2014. What were the Oakland A's thinking?

In addition to slapping all of their fans in the face, Oakland got less WAR (due to the negative contribution of Jonny Gomes) out of this trade than Boston did at the end of 2014. Which side was doing the renting again?

I like the baseball minnows, and I want them to succeed, but the ultimate cherry on this cake would've been to see Lester sign back in Boston. Then we all could've laughed really hard at the folly of the Oakland Athletics. I understand that the end for Cespedes in Oakland was coming soon, but this isn't where that card needed played. They could've done it in the offseason, or perhaps rented a player that was not a pitcher. Jon coming up so small in the very game he was rented to pitch emphasizes this point even more.

Good work as always! I just had to get all that off my chest.

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Definitely feels like an overkill trade in hindsight, especially since the A's had already traded for pitchers at the deadline. This was the first of three Cespedes trades within a year, so there obviously would've still been a market for him if they kept him into the offseason (the Red Sox traded him for Rick Porcello in the winter, who could've had some A's vibes).

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