The MLB, just like any other league, has two different spectrums of teams. On one side are the wealthy teams that can dish out large contracts and salaries to their players and executives and build formidable rosters that can win them the World Series. On the other end of the spectrum are teams that are barely making it in terms of financial expenses, and the franchises have to keep a check on their annual payroll.
Currently, for the upcoming 2023 season, the Oakland Athletics have the least expensive roster. Most baseball fans have watched the film Moneyball, where early 2000s General Manager of the A’s Billy Beane struck together a cost-effective formula to get mediocre players who were specialists in their own regard. This led them to the longest ever win streak in the MLB, with 20 games back-to-back in the 2002 season.
That said, the ideology of the Athletics hasn’t changed much since then, as they have continuously found themselves at the lower end of the payroll table in the last 20 years. Ever since the team moved to California from Kansas City in 1968, cash has been very limited. The A’s have had spells of success, winning three peats in the 1970s and three pennants in the late 1980s.
But in the 21st century, due to financial woes, they haven’t been able to compete in their own division. The AL West boasts other teams like the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels who have the financial backing to sign free agents and re-sign their star players. The Oakland Athletics haven’t won a full season in the AL West Division since 2013.
MLB 2022-23 Offseason: Oakland Athletics limited spending
In the 2022-23 Offseason, the Athletics are one of the teams in the MLB with the least signings. The signings include Japanese pitcher Shintaro Fujiama, who was signed for just $3 million annually. The only Oakland team remaining in the city will have pitcher Trevor May as its highest paid player with a $6 million payroll.
The overall payroll of the Oakland Athletics is coming to $37.9 million, with the Tampa Bay Rays coming in second with $44.8 million. To put the Oakland team’s financial situation into perspective, consider that their annual payroll is more than $2 million less than what Aaron Judge would be earning at the Yankees beginning this season.
The problem is expected to continue for the Bay Area team, which does not have ample funds to even fix its home, the Oakland Coliseum, which is easily one of the worst ballparks in the country. Players need to produce something brilliant if they are to improve from their 60-102 record in the 2022 MLB regular season.
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