Oakland Athletics' Executive VP of Baseball Operations Billy Beane, center, gestures beside General Manager David Forst, left, and Manager Bob Melvin during a media conference Friday, Oct. 5, 2018, in San Francisco. After a 97-65 regular season, Oakland lost the wild-card game 7-2 to New York on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
lessOakland Athletics' Executive VP of Baseball Operations Billy Beane, center, gestures beside General Manager David Forst, left, and Manager Bob Melvin during a media conference Friday, Oct. 5, 2018, in San
... more Photo: Ben Margot / Associated PressFor their next trick, the Oakland A’s must try to figure out how to retain some key figures from their stirring 2018 run to the playoffs, and how to ensure that their rotation is far more stable and reliable than it was this year.