The Oakland Athletics offseason has had first blood drawn as outfielder David DeJesus agreed to terms on a two-year contract with the Chicago Cubs. The A's offered arbitration to DeJesus as a Type B free agent, which means his signing will net Oakland a compensatory pick in the sandwich round between rounds one and two. There was some thought that DeJesus might end up accepting arbitration, but he obviously got the kind of offer he wanted.
DeJesus had his worst season as a professional in 2011, finishing the season with a line of .240/.323/.376. He played in 131 games, but got moved in and out of the lineup as he dealt with some modest injuries and the managerial whims of Bob Geren early on.
The A's are looking to get younger and cheaper and are letting their free agents walk this offseason. Josh Willingham is expected to leave as well with a variety of teams bidding for his services. The A's would get Type A compensation for Willingham. The A's will be looking to Michael Taylor, Chris Carter and other young players to step up next season in an attempts to build around their youth.
For more on the A's offseason, head over to Athletics Nation.