T.J. Matthews, Blake Stein, and Eric Ludwick. McGwire would finish the season with 58 home runs (four shy of breaking the record). The trade was a disaster on the Athletics' end, as none of the three players received in the trade panned out. The A's ultimately finished twenty-five games behind the first-place Seattle Mariners. Their 65-97 finish (the club's worst since 1979) led to the removal of Sandy Alderson as General Manager on October 17, he was replaced by Billy Beane. Manager Art Howe, however, was retained for the 1998 season. The 1997 season would ultimately prove to be the Athletics' nadir. The continued rise of Jason Giambi, the debuts of Ben Grieve and Miguel Tejada, the acquisition of Tim Hudson in the 1997 MLB draft, and the ascension of Billy Beane to the position of general manager paved the way for a lengthy period of success from 1999 onwards. Offseason October 2, 1996: Dane Johnson was selected off waivers by the Oakland Athletics from the Toronto Blue Jays. November 19, 1996: Mike Oquist was signed as a free agent with the Oakland Athletics. December 9, 1996: Frank Catalanotto was drafted by the Oakland Athletics from the Detroit Tigers in the 1996 rule 5 draft. January 27, 1997: John Wasdin was traded by the Oakland Athletics to the Boston Red Sox for Jose Canseco. March 21, 1997: Frank Catalanotto was returned (earlier draft pick) by the Oakland Athletics to the Detroit Tigers. March 27, 1997: Scott Service was selected off waivers by the Oakland Athletics from the Cincinnati Reds. Regular season Ben Grieve had five RBI's in his major league debut. Transactions April 4, 1997: Scott Service was selected off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds from the Oakland Athletics. April 8, 1997: Brent Mayne was signed as a free agent with the Oakland Athletics. June 3, 1997: Tim Hudson was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 6th round of the 1997 amateur draft. Player signed June 13, 1997. July 31, 1997 – Mark McGwire was traded by Oakland Athletics to the St. Louis Cardinals for Eric Ludwick, T. J. Mathews, and Blake Stein. McGwire had 34 home runs and 81 RBIs with Oakland at the time of the trade, which reunited him with former Athletics manager Tony La Russa. August 8, 1997: Tilson Brito was selected off waivers by the Oakland Athletics from the Toronto Blue Jays. Season standings