In the 2011 season, the A’s were terrible. A Bob Melvin takeover gave fans hope and the dugout life, but there was no reason to think 2012 would be a competitive year. The A’s had glaring holes across the diamond.
One of those holes was in the outfield. So what did the A’s do? They jumped ahead of the market in early December, much like they did this go around, re-signing Coco Crisp. Crisp remained an awesome Athletic.
After signing Crisp, the A’s signed left-fielder Jonny Gomes. Gomes was brought on in late January to mash lefties and provide a veteran presence.