THE NEXT A’S GM WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING — OR NOTHING

Sammy and Quinlan are back with another LIVE episode of Budget Baseball, coming your way at 6:00 PM on YouTube—just before first pitch as the A’s open a series against the first-place Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays enter at 71-46 and sitting atop the AL East, while the A’s are 47-71 and looking for answers during another frustrating season. The big headline is the return of Zack Gelof from the injured list, while Jacob Lopez gets the ball for the A’s against Tampa Bay’s Freddy Peralta. Sammy and Quinlan break down the pitching matchup, Gelof’s return and what to watch for when these two clubs finally meet for the first time this season. But this episode goes well beyond tonight’s game. Roster construction is front and center, as Sammy and Quinlan examine what the A’s should actually be building toward and, perhaps more importantly, what the organization’s next general manager hire will tell us about ownership’s vision. Is the next GM going to be empowered to tear things down and rebuild the baseball operation, or are we simply getting another version of the same philosophy? With the A’s future direction hanging in the balance, Budget Baseball tackles the questions that matter—and they aren't afraid to go where the answers might hurt.