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A 10-6 loss to the Houston Astros on Friday night meant that the Oakland Athletics were officially eliminated from postseason contention in 2015. It was a year of heavy roster turnover both before and during the season for Oakland, but none of the combinations seemed to work, as the A's currently sit in last place in the AL West with a record of 64-86. Here are a look at some of the more notable events of Oakland's 2015 season:
Josh Donaldson traded in offseason
After a 2014 season in which Josh Donaldson hit .255/.342/.456 with a career-high 29 home runs, accumulated 7.3 bWAR and made his first All-Star appearance, the Athletics blindsided everyone by trading him to Toronto in late November for a package that included Brett Lawrie, Kendall Graveman, Sean Nolin and Franklin Barreto.
The move signaled something of a rebuild for the A's, who would make several more trades in the offseason, moving Jeff Samardzija, Brandon Moss and Derek Norris, among others.
Sonny Gray breaks out
One star the Athletics did not trade away in the offseason was right-handed pitcher Sonny Gray. The 25-year-old went on to have a breakout season in 2015, establishing himself as Oakland's ace. He has a 2.72 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 202 innings to go with 162 strikeouts and an ERA+ of 147. He also made his first All-Star appearance and has been in the conversation for the Cy Young award throughout the season.
More action at the trade deadline
Mired in last place in late July, the Athletics made several more moves at the trade deadline, the most notable being a trade of Scott Kazmir to the Astros and the deal to send Ben Zobrist to Kansas City getting back several prospects in those two deals including catcher Jacob Nottingham and pitcher Sean Manaea.
Billy Beane has demonstrated an ability to turn a team around quickly, so it remains to be seen what his plans are for Oakland in 2016, though the good news is that there does not seem to be a juggernaut that will dominate the AL West in the near future.