2012 Oakland Athletics season
| 2012 Oakland Athletics | |
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| American League West champions | |
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| Major League affiliations | |
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| Location | |
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| Results | |
| Record | 94–68 (.580) |
| Divisional place | 1st |
| Other information | |
| Owner(s) | Lewis Wolff, John Fisher |
| General manager(s) | Billy Beane |
| Manager(s) | Bob Melvin |
| Local television |
Comcast SportsNet California (Glen Kuiper, Ray Fosse, Scott Hatteberg) |
| Local radio |
KGMZ (Ken Korach, Vince Cotroneo, Ray Fosse) |
| < Previous season Next season > | |
The Oakland Athletics' 2012 season was the organization's 45th in Oakland, California and the 112th in club history. The team finished with a final record of 94–68, claiming first place in the American League West and reaching the postseason for the first time since 2006. After winning their last game of the season, they took sole possession of the division for the first time all year, overtaking the Texas Rangers. The A's had trailed Texas by 13 games on June 30, and had a five-game deficit with nine days left in the season. The 2012 team, who led the league with 15 walk off wins, managed this with the second lowest payroll in baseball, at $59.5 million. They lost to the Detroit Tigers in the Divisional Series.
Following a 74-88 finish in 2011, general manager Billy Beane largely dismantled the team's starting rotation. All-Star starters Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzalez were traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks and Washington Nationals, respectively. The trades yielded a number of highly touted prospects; among these were catcher Derek Norris, starting pitchers Tommy Milone, Brad Peacock and Jarrod Parker, and reliever Ryan Cook. An additional trade sent All-Star closer Andrew Bailey (along with Ryan Sweeney) to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for outfielder Josh Reddick and a pair of prospects. With power-hitting outfielder Josh Willingham becoming a free agent, Beane's next move was to sign highly regarded Cuban outfielder Yoenis Céspedes on February 13, 2012. The 4-year, $36 million deal seemed out of character, especially given the Athletics' low payroll and generally frugal nature. The move followed a number of earlier (and lower-cost) free-agent signings, including the additions of veterans Jonny Gomes, Seth Smith, and Bartolo Colón.
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