Opinion

The Oakland Athletics have had the American League's best record for virtually the entire season, but any A's fan knows in-season success doesn't guarantee playoff wins. Winning in October takes a deep roster, a couple of top-level players and a whole lot of luck.

Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane is tired of his team being “one-and-done” in the playoffs.

With all the trades that were agreed upon by the MLB trade deadline, prospects were involved in many of the deals. While acquiring a young, unproven player may not exactly be the sexiest move a team can make, these assets can be the key to future success for an organization. Who do you think were the best prospects to be traded?

Watch as Bleacher Report's MLB Prospects Lead Writer Mike Rosenbaum breaks down the best prospects moved at the deadline.

Well, that was an exciting trade deadline, wasn't it?

This year's July 31 non-waiver deadline had everything that baseball fans can ask for. We saw a former Cy Young winner, still very much in his peak, get dealt; a true ace for the defending World Series champions found a new home. 

As the MLB trade deadline came and went, many players found themselves dealt to new teams. Big names like David Price, Jon Lester, Yoenis Cespedes and others headed out to different clubs.

However, after the dust settled and the deadline passed, it seemed as if some teams missed out on great trade opportunities. Which potential moves did teams whiff on? Which players should have been dealt?

Sorry, but the David Price fantasy is over.

The man is just too expensive. Not in a contract sense, but a lump sum of $14 million this year before being eligible for arbitration one last time over the winter, per Spotrac.

Jon Lester is a rental.

There seems to be a rather potent stigma around the R-word at this point in baseball, but rarely do contenders have such an open shot at acquiring a legitimate ace to only further the short-term agenda.

During his 16 years in the major leagues, Mike Piazza compiled a career batting average of .308 with 427 homes runs.

Piazza, who was the 1,390th overall draft pick for the Los Angeles Dodgers back in 1988, batted .300 or better for nine consecutive years between 1993 and 2001. He also had nine seasons with 30 or more home runs, and his 1997 season, where he batted .362 with 40 home runs and 124 RBI, was arguably the greatest single offensive season by any catcher in history.

After years of only inducting a few players into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the 2014 class welcomes six more-than-deserving players and managers.

It seemed to be an Atlanta Braves year, as former pitchers Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, as well as former manager Bobby Cox, enter the Hall.

Watch as Dick Stockton and Ron Darling take us through this year's class and how it ranks among the greats.

Let us know what you think in the comments below.

It's all happening. 

With the MLB trade deadline fast approaching, deals are coming in left and right and the rumors are even more plentiful than that. As is often the case the case this time of year, the biggest names being bandied about are that of ace pitchers, but the market is rife with talented players potentially making a move.