No doubt there were some bleak years, starting with the very first selections, such as head-scratching choices (Richie Martin) and hindsight fails (Austin Beck). And more recently the A’s ability to identify talent from other teams has come into question, with the majority of returns from this off-season’s and mid-season’s trades flopping like a barely touched soccer player.
But as the dust is clearing on the 2022 season it might be time to acknowledge that the scouting department appears to be experiencing an important resurgence of late, one made all the more crucial by lack of international success and the trades yet to yield clear returns.