For a team that is known for “Moneyball” and a low payroll, general manager Billy Beane has spent some money this offseason with the acquisition of Billy Butler.  The designated hitter signed a three-year $30 million deal with the A’s last week.  Oakland also acquired Ike Davis from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for their 27th international bonus slot.  

The A’s finished the 2014 season with a Wild Card loss to Butler and the AL Champion Kansas City Royals.  After a hot start, and high expectations, the A’s disappointed, but Beane is making moves to keep this team competitive in the tough AL West in 2015.  

When it comes to the Butler deal, three years $30 million seems a bit steep, but the A’s have been in need of another power hitting right-handed bat.  Butler hit .271 with nine homeruns and 66 RBI in 2014, but is a .295 career hitter with 127 homeruns and 628 RBI.  He is expected to get playing time at both first base and as a DH, and considering the amount of depth the A’s have at first, it’s likely he’ll be the everyday designated hitter.  Last season, A’s DH’s struggled significantly as they batted for a combined .215 average; Butler will undoubtedly produce much better numbers than this next season.  

By signing Butler, the A’s bring in more offensive production, which they severely lacked following the Yoenis Cespedes trade.  While Butler can’t fully replace Cespedes, he can provide a spark in the lineup and drive in runs in the clutch.  

The Davis acquisition one is a low-risk high-reward situation.  Oakland now has a lot of depth at first base with Davis, Butler, Brandon Moss, and Stephen Vogt.  Now, it looks like Moss is the everyday left fielder, but the A’s continue to have an abundance of catchers when it comes to Vogt’s situation with him, John Jaso, and Derek Norris; all three had a big role in the A’s 2014 success.  

Davis played with both the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates last season to finish 2014 with a .233 average, 11 homers, and 51 RBI.  The first baseman had a great 2012 season where he hit 32 homeruns with 90 RBI with a .227 batting average; he hasn’t been the same since.  In 2013, he saw his homerun total drop from 32 to nine, he was then sent down by the Mets to work on his swing.

The struggling first baseman could also be dealt by the A’s before the season begins.  

Injuries have been a problem for the green and gold over the years, and the past few seasons Beane has brought in versatile players to provide depth at certain positions.  Last season, Moss and Vogt suffered injuries that affected their play, in 2015 they will have quite a few options to prepare for such a situation.

Beane is adding depth to the roster, but so far hasn’t addressed the main concern which is the middle infield.  With Jed Lowrie now a free agent, the A’s middle infield is in dire need of improvement.  It was a problem last year and Nick Punto and Eric Sogard’s lack of production hurt the A’s in certain situations throughout the season.  Oakland’s front office will surely address this situation as the offseason is still young, and there are quite a few options via free agency or trade.