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Beane MIXES youth with vets.
Guys like Brandon Inge, Coco Crisp, Johny Gomes were all part of his 2012 breakthrough. Did Jaso still have options when he picked him up?
But, yes, Beane is exceptionally willing to SWAP players. But, the ability to swap players easily requires a LOT of different variables. One is minor league options. Another is salary. How quick is Oakland willing to demote someone on a $10 million contract? Beane, just like every other MLB manager, when he commits a chunk of change to a player DOES keep him in the Majors. Chris Young has had a lousy season, but has taken up a roster spot all season. When Beane commits $8.5 million to a player, THAT player stays on the roster, (Chris Young and Cespedes have not had great seasons --- but they were not summarily demoted due to non production.
In truth, Z signed two guys expected to stick and start -- Morse and Morales. *ALL* the other pickups, (including Raul), were guys he could have opted to cut before the season began. Did Bay's age prevent him from being DFAed?
Yes, A young kid (with options) can be demoted for additional seasoning and still be an option for later. An older guy WITH MINIMAL CONTRACT can be dismissed out of hand. While you lose the option to go back to him, this type of player does not ossify the roster any more than the young guy. In point of fact, the old guy can often more easily free up a 40-man slot.
THIS SEASON, Z signed an old guy (Endy) to a minor league deal. He also dumped Shoppach without hesitation. He just dumped Bay when it was other factors outweighed keeping him.
In point of fact, Z has done with THIS roster, precisely what Beane has been so good about doing with his roster. Morales and Morse were EXACTLY the type of cheap young(ish) player that Beane collect. A LOT of his "young" players are 28/29.
Per bbref, the most expensive day-to-day salary for Seattle THIS year is Chone Figgins ($8 million).
For all the talk of the old guys preventing flexibility, the simple reality is that Morales or Morse or Bay or Raul could have been dropped at the drop of a hat. Mind you, eating the 6.75 million given to Morse would not be pleasant, it was certainly doable. The flexibility isn't tied up in options. It resides in salary.
Yet,, last year, (and for some, this year), there were scores of Ms fans bitterly complaining that no team with so much youth had ever won anything and that the club DESPERATELY needed veteran talent to "lead" the youth. The decision to overload with 1B/DH types was not correct because it worked. It was correct, because even it had failed, Raul and Bay could have been cut at the drop of a hat and he could've gone fishing for replacements elsewhere.
Me? I was a huge Carp fan, and hated to see him go ... but honestly, exactly what move(s) did Raul and Bay PREVENT? The Mariners farm had no 1B/DH/OF types in the minors that were being blocked. It we pretend the MLB had a special option for players over 40, that allows them to be optioned to AAA. Would that have changed ANYTHING about how good the roster was constructed?
In the end, Z made a call. He decided he was better off getting an optioned out RH injury prone weak glove OF bat with power (and one good year) than keeping the optioned out LH weak glove OF bat with power (and 1/2 of a good year).
But ... once you know you are gambling on an injury prone import (and already have an injury prone CF) then you start looking for ways to cover yourself. He covered himself by bringing in Bay, Raul and Endy.