The Oakland Athletics

Oakland Athletics

The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....

' 2012 season

2012 in baseball

-Major League Baseball:The season will begin in late March and end in late October. An extended playoff format is likely to be introduced for the 2012 season.-Australian Baseball League:-Little League World Series:...

is the 45th for the franchise in the Bay Area

San Francisco Bay Area

The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...

 (all of them at O.co Coliseum), as well as the 112th in club history. The team is competing for the American League West Division title after a 5 year absence from playoff contention. The team will open the regular season with two games in Japan against the Seattle Mariners

Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...

.

Offseason

At the end of the regular season, the club quickly dismissed bench coach Joel Skinner

Joel Skinner

Joel Patrick Skinner is a former Major League Baseball catcher and former third base coach of the Cleveland Indians. Skinner was dismissed effective with the end of the 2009 season on September 30, 2009. He is the son of Bob Skinner, a National League outfielder in the 1950s and '60s...

, pitching coach Ron Romanick

Ron Romanick

Ronald James Romanick is a Major League Baseball pitching coach and a former Major League Baseball pitcher. In 2011, he was the Oakland Athletics pitching coach. After the 2011 season, Romanick's contract was not renewed by Oakland in anticipation of new manager Bob Melvin bringing in his own...

 and hitting coach Gerald Perry

Gerald Perry

Gerald June Perry is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1983 to 1995 for the Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals. Perry was selected to the 1988 National League All-Star team. In 1993 he tied a St...

. Oakland received OF prospect Eliezer Mesa from Colorado

Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...

 as the PTBNL from the Mark Ellis

Mark Ellis

Mark Ellis is the name of:* Mark Ellis , Canadian actor* Mark Ellis , Major League Baseball player* Mark Ellis , English footballer who played for Bradford City...

 trade. Former Mets

New York Mets

The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...

' 3B coach, Chip Hale

Chip Hale

Walter William "Chip" Hale is an American former Major League Baseball second baseman and third baseman and current coach for the Oakland Athletics...

, will serve as bench coach under Bob Melvin

Bob Melvin

Robert Paul Melvin is the manager of the Oakland Athletics, and a former Major League Baseball catcher.During a 10-year playing career, he played from 1985–94 for seven different teams...

. After spending one year in Boston

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...

, pitching coach Curt Young

Curt Young

Curtis Allen Young is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and current pitching coach for the Oakland Athletics.-Playing career:...

 returned on a one-year deal. RHP Evan Scribner

Evan Scribner

Evan Lee Scribner "The Scribbler" is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball.-Career:...

 and OF Cedric Hunter

Cedric Hunter (baseball)

Cedric Scott Hunter is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball.-Career:...

 were both claimed off waivers from San Diego

San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...

 and later outrighted to AAA and RHP Michael Wuertz

Michael Wuertz

Michael James Wuertz is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He is known for his slider, which had the most strikeouts per swing in 2009.- Chicago Cubs :...

 was released. The beginning of November saw RHP Trystan Magnuson

Trystan Magnuson

Trystan Stuart Gwyn Magnuson is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball....

 DFA'd and traded back to Toronto

Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....

 for cash considerations. OF Jermaine Mitchell was protected from the Rule 5 Draft

Rule 5 draft

The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...

 by being added to the 40-man roster. Former big leaguer Chili Davis

Chili Davis

Charles Theodore "Chili" Davis is the hitting coach for the Oakland Athletics. Davis is a former outfielder/designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball with the San Francisco Giants , California Angels , Minnesota Twins , Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees...

was named hitting coach.