About this time last year, I wrote a post here identifying what "generation" the A's belong to. As I explained there, you are "first generation" with the team if the A's signed you or drafted you with a regular pick. You are second generation if you were traded for a first generation player or if you were drafted with a compensatory draft pick acquired for the loss of that player. And so on. So for instance, for a player no longer with the team:

Seth Smith was acquired in trade for Josh Outman, who was acquired for Joe Blanton, who was drafted with a comp pick received for Jason Giambi. Therefore Seth Smith was fourth generation.

When the A's traded away multiple players to get someone back, I've tried to identify who the "major" piece was in the trade. For instance, Josh Donaldson was acquired for Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin, but I consider Harden the major piece, so Harden is Donaldson's sire for these purposes.

What's fun about the exercise is getting a sense of how the team was built while also seeing how far back certain chains of "parenthood" go. Are the reverberations of the Mark Mulder trade still being felt, for instance?

The current 40-man roster + 60-day disabled list, then, breaks down this way:

First generation (last year: 22)

1. Coco Crisp (FA)
2. Brandon Moss (FA)
3. Yoenis Cespedes (FA)
4. Stephen Vogt (trade, no player)
5. Nick Punto (FA)
6. Sonny Gray (draft)
7. Scott Kazmir (FA)
8. Jesse Chavez (cash trade)
9. Dan Otero (waivers)
10. Jeff Francis (waivers)
11. Jake Elmore (cash trade)
12. AJ Griffin (draft)
13. Eric O'Flaherty (FA)
14. Nate Freiman (Rule 5)
15. Nick Buss (waivers)
16. Dan Straily (draft)
17. Justin Marks (cash trade)
18. Arnold Leon (FA)
19. Michael Ynoa (FA)
20. Joe Savery (waivers)
21. Evan Scribner (waivers)
22. Marcus Walden (waivers)

Second generation (last year: 8)

1. Josh Donaldson < Rich Harden
2. Craig Gentry < Michael Choice
3. Alberto Callaspo < Grant Green
4. Andy Parrino < Tyson Ross
5. Sean Doolittle < Barry Zito
6. Fernando Abad < John Wooten
7. Ryan Cook < Trevor Cahill
8. Jim Johnson < Jemile Weeks
9. Josh Reddick < Andrew Bailey
10. Jarrod Parker < Trevor Cahill
11. Josh Lindblom < Michael Choice
12. Raul Alcantara < Andrew Bailey

Third generation (last year: 3)

1. Kyle Blanks < Jake Goebbert < Travis Blackley

Fourth generation (last year: 5)

1. Jed Lowrie < Chris Carter < Dan Haren < Mark Mulder
2. Eric Sogard < Scott Hairston < Sean Gallagher < Rich Harden
3. Drew Pomeranz < Brett Anderson < Dan Haren < Mark Mulder
4. Fernando Rodriguez < Chris Carter < Dan Haren < Mark Mulder

Fifth generation (last year: 3)

1. Derek Norris < Gio Gonzalez < Nick Swisher < Johnny Damon < Ben Grieve
2. Tom Milone < Gio Gonzalez < Nick Swisher < Johnny Damon < Ben Grieve
3. Luke Gregerson < Seth Smith < Josh Outman < Joe Blanton < Jason Giambi
4. Shane Peterson < Matt Holliday < Carlos Gonzalez < Dan Haren < Mark Mulder

Sixth generation (last year: 2)

1. John Jaso < A.J. Cole < Gio Gonzalez < Nick Swisher < Johnny Damon < Ben Grieve