Editor's note: Over the next two weeks, we will examine 10 A's players who may or may not return to Oakland next season. For each player, we will provide reasons why the A's should bring him back and reasons why they should not, followed by a final determination.
Brett Anderson, LHP
Contract: Free agent (earned $1.5 million this season)
Reasons to bring him back
Anderson arguably had the best season of his entire career, going 13-9 with a 3.89 ERA in 31 starts. Perhaps most impressive, the 31-year-old left-hander pitched 176 innings, just 4 1/3 shy of his career-high.