Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/658783
63 BAY AREA NEWS GROUP PLAY BALL THEA'S BadcontractdecisionscouldcostA's T heA'salwaysfindthem- selves in this situation. It's about as predictable as an ill-timed Kanye West rant. They ship off the superstars, the ones fans flock to because of their obvious potential, then are left with a wad of money and choos - ing which average to above-aver- age talent to spend it on. It would be so like the Athlet- ics to sign Josh Reddick to a big, long-term contract extension. Which means they shouldn't do it. Extend him? Sure. But it would take a bargain. A major bargain. And he's probably still more valu - able to the A's as a trade piece. What the A's can't do is pay the last man standing like he's the franchise. What they can't do is be wrong, again, about the guy they choose to anchor the franchise. Sonny Gray is the guy you pay. Josh Donaldson was the guy you should've paid. Yoenis Cespedes was even more of that guy. Even Scott Kazmir was closer to that guy. (Instead, Coco Crisp and Billy Butler each will make $11million this year!) Reddick is a good piece to have next to other franchise corner - stones. But he's not the guy. This really isn't a slight to Reddick. He is a solid hitter with a good glove — and one of the few players fans gravitate to. He seems like a good guy, the kind you want in your locker room. But he has been hampered by injuries and a penchant for ruts at the plate. He managed a good season in a contract year, but even that year wasn't an an - chor-the-franchise type of year. According to ESPN, he ranked No. 86 in wins above replacement, which tied him with Marlins left fielder Christian Yelich. That says plenty on its own. But also consider that tied for No. 84 on that list was Reddick's teammate Stephen Vogt. Can Reddick make $12million per season on the open market? Sure he can. And he'd be smart to take it. He'd be good on a team where he is padded by talent. This isn't about him as much as it is about the A's and their poor selec - tion of the few guys they decide to spend on. In the grand scheme of baseball money, $12million is pocket change. But for the A's, who choose to operate with a small-market budget, paying a player that much is like putting the mortgage down on a trifecta. It's hard to recover when they don't hit. For perspective, Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford, 29, ranked 24th in WAR and got an average of $12.5million per year. But he's the fourth- or fifth-best player on his team. If you make $12million with the A's, you're the top dog. And giving Reddick that mantle is a setup for failure. Especially con - sidering the players who didn't get such an anointing. The A's didn't keep Donaldson, who made $4.3million last year as the AL MVP and will make more than $11million this season. Cespedes was traded in 2014, the same year his salary hit double digits, when it was clear he would eventually command much, much more. The A's didn't pay Carlos Gonzales in 2008, who went on to finish third in MVP voting in 2010 and make two All-Star appearanc - es for Colorado. Meanwhile, they paid Butler nearly $7million last season, and he's on the books for more than $11million this year. Crisp earned $11million last year and has an - other $11million coming this year. This isn't new. The A's passed on locking up Miguel Tejada and Tim Hudson and instead kept Eric Chavez. He wasn't a bad player, but he wasn't the one to carry this franchise. The A's always seem to have a hard time identifying the right players to give their money to. That's why they should be hesitant about overpaying for question marks. Stick with the "Moneyball" tactics, milking trade value and stockpiling prospects. When the no-doubters come along, that's who you pay. And you know those guys when you see them. Everybody knows them because their presence and pro - duction is undeniable. Gray is that guy. Donaldson clearly would've been that guy. The A's are sure to find a couple more such players in all of their wheeling and dealing. Until then, every player is just a cog in the Athletics machine. Including Reddick. MTHOMPS2@BAYAREANEWSGROUP.COM Marcus Thompson II SonnyGray, second from right, is among the A's whose performance warrants a big- money contract. JOSIE LEPE; OPPOSITE: GETTY IMAGES