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Major League Camp at Phoenix Municipal Stadium
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As you may already know, A's pitchers and catchers began reporting to the team's spring training camp in Phoenix on Friday, with the team's first workouts on Saturday. And there are already plenty of observations we can make about the major league team, as well as the minor league teams, at this point.
First of all, the A's are still a very young team. On the 40-man roster, only two players – Coco Crisp and Nick Punto – were born before 1982, and only three of the team's pitchers – Scott Kazmir, Jim Johnson and Jesse Chavez – will be over the age of 29 on opening day.
On Thursday, one day before pitchers and catchers began reporting to the A's spring training camp in Phoenix, A's assistant general manager David Forst told Bay Area radio station 95.7 The Game that he thought he knew what the A's starting rotation was going to look like and mentioned Jarrod Parker, Sonny Gray, Scott Kazmir, A.J. Griffin and Dan Straily. That would make Tommy Milone the sixth starter in waiting at Sacramento, with recent acquisitions Josh Lindblom and Drew Pomeranz right behind him.
Returning River Cats Andrew Werner and Arnold Leon, along with minor-league free-agent signee Matt Buschmann, will be the top contenders for the remaining spots in the River Cats rotation, with former perfect-game hurler Phil Humber likely serving time in Sacramento's bullpen. Last year, Humber made 10 relief appearances for the Astros and came into 13 games out of the bullpen for Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Midland's top three starters from last season – Murphy Smith, Sean Murphy and Zach Neal – would be the next in line to take a step up should there be an issue with any of the previously-mentioned A's or River Cats starters. If the three of them remain at Midland though, the top three candidates to join them in the RockHounds rotation will be Drew Granier, Raul Alcantara and Tanner Peters.
The 21-year-old Alcantara is the hottest young pitching prospect in the A's system at the moment, and the team would like to see him start the season in the RockHounds rotation and then see where his talent takes him from there. But at this point, it's clear that Alcantara could be a fast-riser.
Former bonus baby Michael Ynoa will probably be the other most closely watched young pitcher in the A's camp this spring. He's been throwing hard in Phoenix, but the key for him will just be staying healthy and staying on the mound. It's still expected that he'll start the season at Stockton. But if he starts out well, he should be due for a quick promotion to Midland.
As far as relievers go, A's manager Bob Melvin was impressed with Evan Scribner's and Fernando Nieve's initial bullpen sessions in Phoenix, and both are likely to end up starting the season as key cogs in the River Cats bullpen, as long as Scribner can clear waivers anyway.
One of last year's biggest objects of attention when camp opened, Japanese shortstop Hiro Nakajima, won't be making any headlines in big league camp this time around though, since Nakajima will be spending his time in the A's minor league camp this year. But another shortstop, top prospect Addison Russell – who appears on schedule to become the A's starting shortstop in 2015 – will definitely be getting a good chance to show the A's staff what he can do this spring in the big league camp.
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It appears that most of the A's off-season work is done. The team has found capable replacements for departing free agents Bartolo Colon, Grant Balfour and Chris Young and filled a few other holes as well. It's possible that someone like Alberto Callaspo, who's set to earn close to $5 million and doesn't have a full-time position, could still end up being traded before spring training is through. It's possible that a few younger players with major league experience who are out of options like outfielder Michael Taylor or reliever Evan Scribner could be dealt as well. But for the most part, barring any unforeseen injury issues, it looks like the A's are now holding most of the cards they'll be playing to start the 2014 season. And it's becoming increasingly clear who most of the players are that Sacramento River Cats fans can expect to be seeing at Raley Field in 2014 as well.
One area that seems to be most clearly set for the team is the outfield, with Josh Reddick in right, Coco Crisp in center, Yoenis Cespedes in left and newcomer Craig Gentry serving as the fourth outfielder. The left side of the infield will also remain in place for the A's, with the team's most valuable player in 2014, Josh Donaldson, manning the hot corner and the team's best-hitting shortstop in recent memory, Jed Lowrie, returning to shortstop.
The other four positions in the lineup – second base, first base, catcher and designated hitter – are the areas where the A's will deploy their patented platoons. Free agent infielder Nick Punto is likely to take over for Adam Rosales and Callaspo as Eric Sogard's platoon partner at second base. And based on manager Bob Melvin's comments, it seems like that might push Callaspo into the role of Brandon Moss's platoon partner at first base, which would then push Nate Freiman to Sacramento along with fellow first baseman Daric Barton.
Melvin's recent comments also make it sound like John Jaso is likely to get most of the DH at-bats, replacing the departed Seth Smith in that position, while against left-handers, Craig Gentry would join the lineup in left field with Yoenis Cespedes moving into the DH spot. With Jaso getting most of the DH at-bats, that requires the A's to carry a third catcher, and that's most likely to be Stephen Vogt, who got plenty of valuable experience last year down the stretch and in the postseason for the A's. And his left-handed bat is the perfect complement to righty-swinging backstop Derek Norris, who hit just .149 against right-handed pitching last year.
Basically, Vogt would be replacing Jaso in the catching platoon, just as he did late last year, with Jaso moving out from behind the plate to replace Seth Smith in the DH platoon, while Punto replaces Callaspo in the second base platoon, Callaspo replaces Freiman in the first place platoon and Craig Gentry takes Chris Young's place in the lineup against left-handers.
As far as the pitching staff goes, the plan seems pretty clear. Free agent lefty Scott Kazmir will take over for Bartolo Colon as the veteran presence in the team's starting rotation, while young righty Sonny Gray appears set to take lefty Tommy Milone's spot in the rotation, just as he did late last season, with Jarrod Parker, A.J. Griffin and Dan Straily rounding out the starting five.
Meanwhile, in the bullpen, Jim Johnson will take over for Grant Balfour as the team's closer, while top-notch setup man Luke Gregerson will take the roster spot that Pat Neshek occupied most of last season and lefty Fernando Abad is likely to take Jerry Blevins' spot on the left side of the bullpen, with fellow lefty Sean Doolittle and righties Ryan Cook, Jesse Chavez and Dan Otero rounding out the rest of the A's bullpen – though it's possible that, since he's out of options, the team could also decide to have Evan Scribner take Otero's spot to start the season. The A's will also likely start the season with two relievers who are both recovering from Tommy John surgery on the disabled list – recently-signed free agent lefty Eric O'Flaherty and righty Fernando Rodriguez, who was acquired from the Astros in the Jed Lowrie deal.
If we make the preceding assumptions about the major league roster, then the River Cats roster starts to fall pretty clearly into place. Of course, there are a few players who are out of options, and it's quite possible that at least one of them won't end up clearing waivers.
The A's have two veteran minor league catchers to handle the River Cats pitching staff, returning backstop Luke Montz along with Chris Gimenez, who was recently claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay. Meanwhile, the team looks to be overloaded with first basemen, with Daric Barton, Nate Freiman and Anthony Aliotti all looking for playing time – unless the A's end up trading Callaspo and opening up a roster spot for Freiman as Brandon Moss's platoon partner. If not, there could still be plenty of playing time to be found for all three between the first base and the designated hitter spot.
Returning River Cat Andy Parrino appears to be set at shortstop. Hiro Nakajima is likely to get the majority of starts at third base while also picking up at-bats at other positions around the infield, while free agent signees Jose Martinez and Alden Carrithers should get most of the playing time at second base. Shane Peterson is set to return to Sacramento's outfield, along with Jake Goebbert and, if they clear waivers, veteran minor leaguers Michael Taylor and Corey Brown (who was recently designated for assignment).
The River Cats should have plenty of worthy contenders for their starting rotation. If the A's other five starters are all healthy to start the season, then Tommy Milone is likely to anchor Sacramento's starting five, along with recently-acquired righty Josh Lindblom and lefty Drew Pomeranz. Returning River Cats Andrew Werner and Arnold Leon will also be competing for a spot as well as free agent signees Phil Humber and Matt Buschmann, with those don't make the rotation starting the season in the River Cats bullpen. If he clears waivers, they're likely to be joined there by Evan Scribner, along with returning River Cats Paul Smyth and Fernando Nieve and free agent signees Deryk Hooker and Jose Flores as well as Triple-A Rule 5 draftee Tim Atherton.
So that's how things seem to be shaping up for both the A's and the River Cats, assuming everyone clears waivers and Billy Beane doesn't have any last-minute surprises up his sleeve!
Click here to see the projected 2014 A's and River Cats rosters…
A's general manager Billy Beane has had a busy week – and it ain't over yet! On Monday, the team signed free agent left-handed starting pitcher Scott Kazmir to a two-year $22 million deal. And later that same day, the A's acquired right-handed closer Jim Johnson from Baltimore in return for second baseman Jemile Weeks and a player to be named later.
Then on Tuesday, the team traded two of its top minor league prospects, outfielder Michael Choice and second baseman Chris Bostick, to Texas for outfielder Craig Gentry and right-handed starter Josh Lindblom. The A's then followed that up just hours later by sending outfielder Seth Smith to San Diego for right-handed reliever Luke Gregerson.
Just the previous week, the team dealt minor league outfielder John Wooten to Washington for left-handed reliever Fernando Abad. And two weeks prior to that, the A's signed utility infielder Nick Punto as a free agent.
The A's new outfielder, Craig Gentry – who was nicknamed "Kitten Face" in Texas – is a right-handed hitting outfielder who can play all three outfield positions. He brings excellent defense and speed and hits lefties well, so he figures to take Chris Young's place as a right-handed platoon player and fourth outfielder who could take over full time in center field for the A's when Coco Crisp becomes a free agent after next season.
In order to acquire Gentry, the A's gave up their top outfield prospect, who also happened to be the team's top major-league-ready hitting prospect, former 1st-round draft pick Michael Choice. After hitting .302 at Triple-A Sacramento in 2013, many had hoped that Choice would be given the chance to fill Young's role on the A's roster in 2014. But instead, he'll get the chance to battle for a starting spot in the Rangers' outfield this season.
Top talent evaluators are divided on Choice's chances for success as a major league slugger. But the A's have a history of undervaluing and trading away talented young outfielders who've gone on to become successful major league hitters elsewhere. And A's fans have to hope that Choice doesn't turn out to be the next Andre Ethier, Nelson Cruz or Carlos Gonzalez in Texas.
With Choice now gone, Shane Peterson and Michael Taylor are now the most major-league-ready outfielders at the upper levels of the A's minor league system, while 20-year-old B.J. Boyd and 19-year-old Billy McKinney are the team's top outfield prospects at the lower levels of the system.
The A's also traded away their top second base prospect, Chris Bostick, in the deal. And it looks increasingly likely that shortstop Daniel Robertson might have to try to make the move to second base to provide a future double play partner for top shortstop prospect Addison Russell. With fellow second baseman Jemile Weeks now gone as well, Sacramento's 2014 infield could be comprised of Daric Barton or Anthony Aliotti at first base, minor league free agent signee Jose Martinez at second base, Andy Parrino at shortstop, Hiro Nakajima at third base and Dusty Coleman as the utility infielder filling in at second, short and third.
Meanwhile, RHP Josh Lindblom is likely to start the season in Sacramento's starting rotation, along with River Cats returnees Arnold Leon and Andrew Werner as well as recent minor league free agent signees Phil Humber and Matt Buschmann.
At the major league level, new acquisitions Scott Kazmir and Jim Johnson are clearly intended to take the place of free agents Bartolo Colon and Grant Balfour on the A's pitching staff. With Kazmir guaranteed $11 million this season, Johnson expected to net $10-11 million in arbitration and seven starting pitchers currently on the staff, the A's second-highest-paid starter, Brett Anderson at $8 million, is expected to be the A's most appetizing bit of a trade bait to be dangled at next week's Winter Meetings. And rumors already have the Blue Jays, Twins, Royals, Yankees, Indians and Mariners licking their lips over the left-hander.
Assuming the A's are able to complete a deal for Anderson, the team's 2014 rotation would then be comprised of five of the following six starters: Scott Kazmir, Jarrod Parker, Tommy Milone, A.J. Griffin, Dan Straily and Sonny Gray. Given the general health of starting pitchers, it wouldn't be surprising if one out of any group of six starters wasn't 100% healthy to start the season, so I wouldn't bother spending too much time worrying about which five of the six will end up making the opening day cut – it'll surely sort itself out by the end of spring.
As far as the A's bullpen goes, new closer Jim Johnson, who has saved at least 50 games in each of the last two seasons, and new RHP Luke Gregerson, who has been one of the best setup men in the National League over the past couple of years, are set to join LHPs Sean Doolittle and Jerry Blevins and RHPs Ryan Cook and Jesse Chavez, who is out options and whom the A's value as a long man and spot starter.
Since the team typically likes to carry seven relievers, there's room for one more arm in the A's pen, and RHP Dan Otero is clearly the most deserving candidate for the final spot. But since Fernando Abad, Evan Scribner, Pedro Figueroa and Fernando Rodriguez are all out of options, it's possible that Otero could start the season being stashed at Sacramento, waiting for someone to hit the DL while one of the others is given a shot.
Over the past week and a half, the A's farm system has suffered the loss of outfielder Michael Choice, second baseman Jemile Weeks, second baseman Chris Bostick and outfielder John Wooten. And in the last six months, the team lost its 2007 #1 draft pick James Simmons as a minor league free agent and traded away 2008's #1 pick Jemile Weeks, 2009's #1 pick Grant Green and 2010's #1 pick Michael Choice. 2011's #1 pick Sonny Gray has already made it to the majors, while 2012's #1 pick Addison Russell should be starting the season at Double-A Midland and 2013's #1 pick Billy McKinney is expected to start the year at Class-A Beloit.
As previously mentioned, LHP Brett Anderson is the most likely member of the A's roster to be the next one to find himself on Billy Beane's trading block, with infielder Alberto Callaspo not far behind. With six other starters on the staff, a long injury history and an $8 million salary attached to his name, Anderson is clearly expendable. And with a salary close to $5 million and no definite spot in the A's lineup, Callaspo seems to just be taking up roster and salary space at this point.
Outfielders Seth Smith, Chris Young and Michael Choice have all recently departed, with Craig Gentry being the only outfielder the A's have acquired to take their place. So it certainly seems like there could be room for one more big OF/DH bat to be added to the A's lineup to help boost the team's offensive output, possibly as the result of an Anderson deal.
It's also been reported that the A's have been inquiring about middle infielders and catchers in trade talks for Anderson. So the team could be looking for a second baseman to take the place of Eric Sogard, or a shortstop who would then enable Jed Lowrie to make the move to second, or possibly a catcher who would allow John Jaso to take over for Seth Smith in the designated hitter role.
The A's major league roster currently shapes up with Jaso and Norris as the catching platoon, Donaldson, Lowrie, Sogard, Punto, Moss and Freiman serving around the infield, and Cespedes, Crisp, Reddick and Gentry making up the outfield. Since the team typically likes to carry thirteen position players, that leaves one last roster spot open. At this point, it would most likely be filled by Callaspo. But if he ends up being traded, then it would be Barton, unless, of course, the A's acquire another big bat who would end up pushing Barton back to Sacramento.
With all the current question marks, one thing seems certain – Beane and company aren't done dealing just yet, and the A's roster is far from set. There are surely more changes to come. But for the time being, here's how things are shaping up for the 2014 A's and River Cats, assuming everyone who's out of options can clear waivers.
Click here to see the possible 2014 A's and River Cats rosters…
We're now less than a week away from opening day, and Jemile Weeks has been optioned to Sacramento, Adam Rosales has been placed on the disabled list, and Hiro Nakajima has been struggling and is now dealing with a strained hamstring. And thanks to these recent developments, it looks like the A's opening day roster may now be rounding into shape – and along with it, the Sacramento River Cats' and Midland RockHounds' rosters too. Of course, plenty can still change and nothing is etched in stone. There haven't been any official announcements from the team yet and there probably won't be until about 24 hours before opening day, but below are our projected opening day rosters for the A's and their Triple-A and Double-A affiliates based on what we think we know at this point…
Brandon Moss 1B
Nate Freiman 1B
Eric Sogard 2B
Jed Lowrie SS
Coco Crisp OF
Josh Reddick OF
Chris Young OF
Seth Smith OF
Brett Anderson LHP
Jarrod Parker RHP
Tommy Milone LHP
A.J. Griffin RHP
Dan Straily RHP
Grant Balfour RHP
Ryan Cook RHP
Pat Neshek RHP
Chris Resop RHP
Sean Doolittle LHP
Jerry Blevins LHP
Travis Blackley LHP
(Bartolo Colon – SUSPENDED)
(Fernando Rodriguez – DL)
(Adam Rosales – DL)
Jemile Weeks 2B
Andy Parrino SS-3B-OF
Grant Green 2B-3B-OF
Josh Horton 3B-SS-2B
Scott Moore 1B-3B-DH
Shane Peterson OF-1B
Conner Crumbliss OF-2B
Sonny Gray RHP
Andrew Werner LHP
Jesse Chavez RHP
Bruce Billings RHP
Travis Banwart RHP
Evan Scribner RHP
Mike Ekstrom RHP
James Simmons RHP
Arnold Leon RHP
Hideki Okajima LHP
Jordan Norberto LHP
Pedro Figueroa LHP
Justin Thomas LHP
Anthony Aliotti 1B-DH
Tommy Mendonca 3B-DH
Miles Head 3B-1B
Jefry Marte 3B-1B
Darwin Perez 2B-SS
Tyler Ladendorf 2B-SS-OF
D'Arby Myers OF
Carlos Hernandez LHP
Murphy Smith RHP
Josh Bowman RHP
Sean Murphy RHP
Jacob Brown LHP
Brian Gordon RHP
Carlos Fisher RHP
Kyler Newby RHP
Darren Byrd RHP
Paul Smyth RHP
Nate Long RHP
Sergio Perez RHP
Frank Gailey LHP
***UPDATE: In something of a surprise, the A's have designated LHP Travis Blackley for assignment. This opens a spot in the A's bullpen for either Evan Scribner, Pedro Figueroa, Mike Ekstrom or Hideki Okajima. Their spot in the River Cats bullpen will be filled by RHP Danny Otero, who was claimed off waivers.
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24-year-old right-hander Dan Straily is generally considered to be the A's top young pitching prospect heading into 2013 – and he earned that distinction on our own Top 10 Prospect List as well. But he wasn't always quite so high on everyone's radar. The Oregon native was drafted in the 24th round by the A's back in 2009 out of Marshall University in West Virginia. And his numbers in the A's system didn't immediately open any eyes. But what did happen was that he just seemed to get better and better every step of the way. Rather than being challenged by each new level, each time the bar was raised, his performance seemed to kick up a notch.
Last year, after not even being invited to major league camp, Straily started the season at Double-A Midland, where he might have been expected to spend most of the year toiling away in the Texas League. But a funny thing happened, he started striking out batters at a rate of 11.4 per 9 innings while maintaining a 4.7/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and an ERA of 3.38. About halfway through the season, the 6'2" right-hander was promoted to Triple-A Sacramento in the more hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, where he proceeded to strike out hitters at a similar rate while notching an even more impressive ERA of 2.02. Straily finally got the call to Oakland late in the season where he went 2-1 in 7 starts while posting a 3.89 ERA in the heat of the A's playoff run.
Conventional wisdom has it that there are currently five starters ahead of Straily on the A's depth chart – Brett Anderson, Jarrod Parker, Tom Milone, Bartolo Colon and A.J. Griffin. And in a recent press conference, A's assistant general manager David Forst referred to Griffin and Straily as the team's 5th and 6th starters. Of course, spring training's barely underway and anything can happen. But we do know that Bartolo Colon will be unable to make his first start of the season while he completes his suspension, which could very well mean that Straily will be in line for a start with the A's the first week of the season no matter how everything else shakes out.
Of course, if any of the A's other five starters should open the season without a clean bill of health, then Straily would definitely be well-positioned to stick around for a while after that first start. But if Straily does end up starting the season back at Sacramento, then he would definitely be one of the A's top two pitching prospects at Triple-A, along with former 1st-round draft pick Sonny Gray, hoping to be the first called when a warm arm is needed.
One thing's for certain, whenever the A's call, Straily will be ready. He's clearly a student of the game who appreciates the fine art of pitching and is hungry for the opportunity to continue practicing it at the highest level. For now, all he can do is focus on making the most of his opportunities this spring in Arizona where, when he's not working hard in the A's camp, he's hanging out at the temporary home he shares with his wife Amanda and their new puppy, along with fellow A's pitcher Tom Milone and his fiancée, and A's catcher Derek Norris. It's a full house, and a house full of young guys working to establish their place in the major leagues with a team that typically gives young players like them plenty of opportunities to do so. We talked to Straily this week just after he'd returned home from his fourth day ever in big league camp…
AF: Can you tell me a little bit about your basic repertoire of pitches you're working with right now?
DS: Fastball command this year has been my biggest thing coming into the season. I noticed last year at the end of the year when I got tired, that was the first thing to go. So I'm making sure that's dialed in. But fastball, changeup, slider and curveball are what I have to offer.
AF: What's been your big strikeout pitch?
DS: It was really everything. There were some games it was the fastball. Sometimes it was the changeup. Sometimes it was just sliders. Whatever's going for me that night – whatever happens to be the most "on" pitch. When you have four pitches, you're going to have one off-speed pitch that's going to stand out more than the others every night. It tends to be the slider. And then last year it seemed that the changeup was really kind of the equalizer, because guys had to think about that, and then they'd get the slider – or they'd think about the slider, and then they'd get the changeup. That's my game. I don't tend to fall into too many patterns. I just mix speeds and try to hit spots.
AF: Well, that's good a thing because if you do fall into too many patterns, guys will start to figure that out and take advantage of it.
DS: Absolutely.
AF: Last year you had a really dominant season in the minor leagues, in Double-A and Triple-A, and that performance really put you on people's radar. Was there anything it particular that really clicked for you last year?
DS: For me, mostly it was just the consistency. Every game, I kind of knew what I was going to get – my fastball command was consistent, changeup movement was consistent, slider was consistent. It was just everything you look for. You notice there's not a whole big difference in terms of stuff from minor league guys, major league guys – the stuff is pretty much the same – it's just the level of consistency. You know, each guy's going to be different. For me, it was just finding the consistency of my delivery, and my stuff was there all the way through last year. I remember early on, I had a rough game in Double-A and they just reiterated to me, "You know, you're not judged game to game – you're judged over the course of the year." And it starts to take that pressure off from trying to be perfect every single pitch to just going out there and trusting yourself and being confident in yourself. You're going to give up home runs, you're going to give up singles – it's going to happen. But also the mental game, I was able to take that to a whole new level – talking with (Midland pitching coach) Don Schulze and (Sacramento pitching coach) Scott Emerson last year and just trusting myself and trusting the adjustments that we were making on the side. It wasn't that I was a completely different pitcher, it's that I was finally the complete pitcher that I am capable of being. I saw flashes of good changeups before, flashes of good fastball command, and then finally it all hit together.
AF: So it was really just a matter of integrating everything and just putting it all together consistently as opposed to doing something new or having some big revelation.
DS: Yeah, I never felt like I really did anything different. It's not like anything really changed. I didn't change my mechanics. I didn't change anything else. It's like I told some reporters last year when they called about all the strikeouts, I said, "I'm not doing anything different. They're just missing them this year." It's more than that obviously. I learned how to set up hitters a lot better. I learned how to recognize swings. And I started paying attention more to what guys are trying to do and different things like that.
AF: It sounds like it was really all about just gaining command of all your pitches and then being able to execute what you wanted when you wanted. Am I right?
DS: Absolutely. Being able to trust myself, full count, bases loaded, throwing a changeup. Throwing changeups in counts when I normally wouldn't throw them. Throwing that 0-2 fastball inside instead of just throwing a nasty slider because I know they're going to swing and miss at it. Don Schulze came up to me one day in Double-A and just said, "You know what? No one's going to care what you did in Double-A after you've been pitching in the big leagues for years. So don't focus so much on your results today. Go out there and work on your fastball and your changeup today. Work on fastball command and throw your changeup. You have to develop your changeup if you want to be in the major leagues." And I'd heard that so many times. It's not like he was the first one to tell me that. But I just heard it so many times that it finally clicked. And I finally understood what he was trying to say. And he just happened to be the one who said it when I finally understood it. Yeah, no one's going to care what I did in Double-A. Obviously, if you do bad, you're not going to stay around. You have to be successful, but no one's going to care about your success there. They just want to know that you can do it at the next level, and then at the next level.
AF: So at that point you just started to develop the confidence to throw whatever you needed to throw whenever you needed to throw it?
DS: Yeah, absolutely, like I used to only throw changeups to lefties and sliders to righties. And I finally just gained the confidence in my pitches, and the consistency and the command. You know, I can throw any pitch to anybody at any time. It's really just trusting yourself, and that was something that I was really able to learn how to do last year.
AF: You mentioned your pitching coach at Midland, Don Schulze. Was anyone else key in contributing to your success last season?
DS: Well, Scott Emerson was really big on scouting reports and helping me learn how to prepare for a game. In Double-A, you don't get a chance to really see a scouting report until you see a team once – you have to make your own. And in Triple-A, it's a little better, a little more advanced. You see guys more often, guys have been around Triple-A for a few more years. So that was the first time I was ever introduced to scouting reports. So when I did get called up, it was a little easier for me to just go in there and read it and know what I was looking for and know how my stuff played into the scouting reports. It's just a whole other part of the game I didn't even realize really existed. So he was really big on that side of things for me.
AF: Can you tell me a little more about the differences between the various levels you were at last year - between Double-A and Triple-A, and then between Triple-A and the majors? Were there any specific things that you had to adjust to at each level?
DS: One of the biggest things between Double-A and Triple-A would honestly have to be the travel. You think it's going to be great – no more riding buses, you're going to be flying. But it's not the kind of hours you'd expect. You're not flying chartered airplanes – you're flying the first flight out each morning and then having to play that night at 7:30. It's a grind. And I wasn't even there a whole season, so I can't imagine what it's like to be there for a whole year. But in terms of the actual play, a big difference is you notice guys start having approaches – not so much just one type of hitter. Guys aren't just a power hitter, guys aren't just an average hitter. You start getting more complete hitters. And then you get into some of these Triple-A PCL parks where the ball just flies.
AF: In terms of pitching, were there any adjustments you had to make when you finally got called up to the big leagues towards the end of the year?
DS: Not really. When I got called up, I was running on empty basically. But it was really good to figure out how to pitch when you feel like you just can't get enough rest at the end. But then the day of your game comes up, you're jacked up and you're ready to go because you're pitching in the major leagues that night. But you just get out there and don't really see the names on the back of the jersey, you just see the scouting report and you see the game plan in your head of how you're going to pitch certain guys and that's really kind of what it boils down to. Obviously the media has built up certain players and their numbers speak for themselves but, as a pitcher, you don't really see it that way, you just see the game plan and the scouting reports.
AF: You must have ended up pitching more innings last year than you had at any other time in your pro career.
DS: I threw 140+ innings my first year, then the next year I threw like 160, then in 2012 I threw 191. So I've had a steady upward climb.
AF: Towards the end of the year, you must have been aware that you'd thrown a lot of pitches over the course of the year.
DS: Yeah, at the end of the year, I was maybe just putting too much pressure on myself. But I definitely feel like, coming to camp now, it's a whole different world to come in here and be a part of it from day one instead of just showing up in the middle of a playoff race and having to meet guys and be a part of a team at that point because you don't know anybody there.
AF: Well, it must have been interesting to join the A's late last year, with all that energy and excitement in a playoff run, and just step into the middle of all that.
DS: That was pretty cool. As a minor league player, you're not so much noticing what they're doing at the major league level. You're more focused on your task at hand and your job and what's going on at your level. So I didn't even know about 'The Bernie' or anything like that. People don't realize that you're not focused on the big leagues when you're in Double-A. You're focused on what you're doing to get yourself better. So it's cool to get up there and actually learn about all the cool stuff that's going on up there and just the fans' energy that they're bringing every night. The first night, my debut was in front of like 32,000 people on a Friday night in Oakland. And it was just a lot of fun to make your debut in that atmosphere.
AF: Last year with the A's, you made 7 starts, won a couple of games, pitched well. But the one trouble spot was the long ball. You gave up 11 home runs. Have you had a chance to reflect on that and how you might be able to adapt to keep guys from being able to square up the ball like that?
DS: Yeah, I just did a terrible job of mixing up speeds. I kind of got away from my game and just let everything kind of speed up on me. And I was able to get home and kind of reflect on that and realize the game didn't change at all, I'm the one who changed. It was frustrating, I can't say it wasn't. To be honest, it came up today in the clubhouse when I was talking with a reporter. They pointed out that I gave up 17 runs on the year (for Oakland), and I think 14 or 15 came via the home run. And I said, "Well, if I can figure out how to stop giving up home runs, I'll be good to go!" But for me, it was just a lot of left-handers I'd fall behind in counts and leave the fastball out over the middle of the plate. And that's what good hitters are supposed to do – if you fall behind and put a fastball right over the middle, they're supposed to hit home runs. So it was kind of my own doing. But that's not me – that was a fluke. Obviously, it happened – we all saw it. But that's not who I am as a pitcher. And it won't be like that again. It was embarrassing as a player. I remember the last time I threw against the Mariners, I gave up 3 hits – 2 of them home runs. It was very frustrating, to be pitching so well and then to throw a ball right over the middle – home run. I just didn't do a good job of hitting spots.
AF: Well, I know no pitcher likes to be standing out there on the mound and have to turn around and watch one sailing over the fence.
DS: Yeah, and the weird thing was I think nine of them were in day games. And I have no idea why. I've pitched in plenty of day games and been perfectly fine.
AF: This is your first year in the big league camp, right?
DS: My first day of big league camp was Tuesday.
AF: So is there anyone around you've known for a while that you're particularly friendly with who it's just good to have around in camp?
DS: Well, my roommate's Tom Milone. And you can't get much more of an even-keeled type of guy than that. So it's been good just to have him around everyday. Him, me and Derek Norris are all living together. It's good – we've got a catcher and a couple of pitchers.
AF: How's your relationship with A's pitching coach Curt Young? You probably never got to spend that much time with him in spring before, but now I'd imagine you're a lot more prominent on his radar.
DS: You know, he's got a tough job. There are thirty pitchers or so here in camp. The only time I actually get to see him is when I'm pitching off a mound. I'm excited to hopefully be with him for a whole year – that's the goal. From everything I heard, he's just a great resource, which I saw last year when I was up – everything from holding the runners to pitch selection to how to take care of yourself. The guy's been around the game so long he's an amazing pitching coach.
AF: So is there anything in particular you're working on or focused on this spring?
DS: I'm just focused on trying to make the team right now. I don't get the luxury of working on something at this point. What I came with is what I have to go to battle with for the year. I'm sure, for some veterans, it's more about getting ready for the season. Well I'm getting ready for the season as well, but I'm also fighting for a job. There's only so many jobs available out there and more than enough guys to fill those positions. The last couple years I've had a little better idea of where I was going because it was pretty well laid out. But there's no more room to go up anymore, so just trying to stay there is the hardest part.
AF: Well, I guess it's pretty clear what the goal is now anyway.
DS: But the thing is, as much as you want to be there, if you're not there, you can't let it get you down because there's a whole season ahead either way. So I keep telling people when they ask where I see myself going this year, I say, "That's not up to me. That's up to the front office." My job's to go out there and pitch, whether that's in Sacramento, that's in Midland or that's in Oakland. It doesn't matter – wherever they tell me to go, that's where I'm going to be.
AF: I think everyone realizes the value of pitching depth at this point. I mean, the A's used ten different starting pitchers last year. So wherever you are, if you've got a good arm and are pitching well, there's a good chance you'll end up in that rotation at some point one way or another.
DS: Yep, that's what you've to remember either way.
AF: Well, it sounds like you're just working on staying focused on your game, maximizing what you've got, and trying to continue making as good an impression as possible.
DS: Yeah, and so far from what I've felt, I just think it's going to be a repeat and a little bit better from last year. You know, get a little bit better each year, throw a little bit harder each year, come into camp with a little better idea of how to be physically ready and mentally ready. I learned so much last year in every aspect of the game. And I'm just ready to go this year. I'm excited.
AF: Onward and upward!
DS: That's right!
* * *
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With the first A's players set to report to spring training camp just days from now, it's time to present A's Farm's Consensus Top 10 Prospect List for 2013. We've combined a total of eight different A's prospect lists to come up with a consensus list that reflects the broadest base of wisdom where A's prospects are concerned.
You can find the prospect lists that we used to compile our consensus list at the very end of this piece. Some of the eight lists we've selected are better known and some are lesser known, but they've all been selected because they represent intelligent and informed opinions about the A's system. For the purposes of this list, we've looked at the top ten picks from each list and assigned points to each player as follows: 10 points for each first place finish, 9 points for second, 8 for third, all the way on down to 1 point for each tenth place finish.
It's important to note that most prospect lists were compiled before pitching prospects A.J. Cole and Brad Peacock were dealt away. A few folks have updated their lists since then, but most have not. So rather than have the pair included on some older lists and not on some of the newer ones, we've chosen to use the original prospect lists that included them both for the sake of comparison.
Now that that's clear, the other thing that's clear is that the list breaks into a few clear groupings. The top group of vote-getters was comprised of young shortstop Addison Russell, right-handed hurler Dan Straily, outfielder Michael Choice and right-hander A.J. Cole, who was dealt back to the Nationals in the John Jaso trade – these four players were included in the top half of most lists. The next group was comprised of pitching prospects Sonny Gray and Brad Peacock along with hitting prospects Grant Green and Miles Head – and these four players were included in the bottom half of most lists.
After that, the selections start to get a little more unpredictable, with infielders Daniel Robertson and Renato Nunez clearly being the most popular vote-getters amongst the next group of players. And since Cole and Peacock are no longer with the organization, we've decided to include the next top two vote-getters – Nolan Sanburn at #11 and Chris Bostick at #12 – as bonus additions to the list.
So without any further ado, let's take a look at A's Farm's Consensus Top 10 Prospect List for 2013…
#1 – Addison Russell (SS) – 78 points / 8 lists
#2 – Dan Straily (SP) – 64 points / 8 lists
#3 – Michael Choice (OF) – 63 points / 8 lists
#4 – A.J. Cole (SP) – 61 points / 8 lists *
#5 – Sonny Gray (SP) – 41 points / 8 lists
#6 – Brad Peacock (SP) – 39 points / 8 lists *
#7 – Grant Green (IF-OF) – 32 points / 7 lists
#8 – Miles Head (3B) – 25 points / 8 lists
#9 – Daniel Robertson (SS-3B) – 18 points / 7 lists
#10 – Renato Nunez (3B) – 10 points / 4 lists
#11 – Nolan Sanburn (SP) – 3 points / 2 lists
#12 – Chris Bostick (2B-SS) – 3 points / 1 list
* No longer with organization
(78 points / 8 lists)
Right-Handed Hitting Shortstop
Age On Opening Day: 19
Drafted 2012 – 1st Round
Making the top spot on 7 of our 8 lists, the A's top pick in last year's draft was not only the star of the A's 2012 draft class but was also the star of the team's entire minor league system. And it didn't take long for Russell to quickly become a favorite amongst A's fans who had their eyes on the future. The Florida native earned it by tearing through three levels of minor league ball at the age of 18, and he's currently expected to start 2013 with the Stockton Ports in the High-A California League at the age of 19. In 217 at-bats in the Arizona League, the NY-Penn League and the Midwest League in 2012, Russell had 10 doubles, 9 triples, 7 home runs and 16 stolen bases with an impressive .369/.432/.594 slash line. He didn't disappoint in the field either, showing nice range and a good arm. The bottom line is that Russell is very young, very talented and very hard-working, and there's no reason that he shouldn't rise as quickly as his performance demands.
Likely To Start 2013 With: Stockton Ports (A)
(64 points / 8 lists)
Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
Age On Opening Day: 24
Drafted 2009 – 24th Round
The former 24th-round draft pick started the season as a bit of an unknown quantity in the A's system and didn't make anyone's top 10 list prior to the 2012 season. But Straily put himself on the map rather quickly last year and didn't let up, starting the season at Double-A Midland and ending it in Oakland. The Oregon native led all A's minor leaguers in strikeouts (190), ERA (2.78) and WHIP (1.00) in 152 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, and posted a 3.89 ERA in 7 late-season starts with the A's. With five starters ahead of him on the team's current depth chart, Straily's expected to spend the early part of the season at Sacramento. But like most #6 starters, it likely won't be long before his services are needed, and we can probably expect to be seeing the right-hander back at the big league level again before long in 2013.
Likely To Start 2013 With: Sacramento River Cats (AAA)
(63 points / 8 lists)
Right-Handed Hitting Outfielder
Age On Opening Day: 23
Drafted 2010 – 1st Round
Big things were expected this year from the A's 2010 1st-round draft pick after Choice hit 30 home runs at High-A Stockton in 2011. But the right-handed slugger got off to a slow start in the first half at Double-A Midland, showing very little of the power that had garnered him so much attention in the first place. Then just when it looked like he might have been starting to come around, Choice suffered a broken hand when he was hit by a pitch, and that was the end of the outfielder's season. He finished with 10 home runs and a .287/.356/.423 slash line in 359 at-bats. The A's still believe in Choice though and currently plan on having him play center field for Sacramento in 2013 and letting him show what he's capable of doing at Triple-A.
Likely To Start 2013 With: Sacramento River Cats (AAA)
(61 points / 8 lists)
Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
Age On Opening Day: 21
Drafted 2010 – 4th Round
When he was acquired from the Nationals last year in the Gio Gonzalez deal, Cole was considered a highly prized prospect. But the big right-hander got off to a horrific start with High-A Stockton, going 0-7 with a 7.82 ERA in 8 starts, before being demoted to Class-A Burlington. He quickly turned it around in the Midwest League though, striking out 102 in 95 2/3 innings while posting a much more impressive 2.07 ERA. Cole's rough start may have planted enough seeds of doubt in the minds of the A's front office though that the team was willing to ship him back to Washington as part of the deal to get their mitts on catcher John Jaso.
Likely To Start 2013 With: Potomac Nationals (A-Washington)
(41 points / 8 lists)
Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
Age On Opening Day: 23
Drafted 2011 – 1st Round
Just like Michael Choice, Gray was a former A's 1st-round draft pick whom the team was expecting big things from at Double-A Midland in 2012. And just like Choice, Gray got off to a bit of a shaky start. But the right-hander looked better as the season wore on and he seemed to gain greater command of his stuff. Gray finished up at Midland with a 4.14 ERA in 26 starts before getting one final start at Sacramento, where he's expected to begin the season as the A's top pitching prospect right behind fellow right-hander Dan Straily.
Likely To Start 2013 With: Sacramento River Cats (AAA)
(39 points / 8 lists)
Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
Age On Opening Day: 25
Drafted 2006 – 41st Round
Peacock came over from the Nationals last year as one of the three young pitchers the A's received in the Gio Gonzalez deal. He ended up kicking off the season in Sacramento and was looking like he might be just about ready for the big leagues when he hit a horrible stretch for about a month and a half in the summer. Peacock was getting knocked around badly just about every time out, and the word was that his fastball command had completely deserted him. The right-hander seemed to get it back together again during the last month or so of the season, but he still finished the year with an ERA of 6.01 in 134 2/3 innings. Most of that damage to his ERA occurred during that rough month and a half in the summer, but it obviously was enough to make the A's a little more comfortable including him in the package of players they shipped to the Astros in the Jed Lowrie trade.
Likely To Start 2013 With: Oklahoma City RedHawks (AAA-Houston)
(32 points / 7 lists)
Right-Handed Hitting Infielder/Outfielder
Age On Opening Day: 25
Drafted 2009 – 1st Round
The fourth 1st-round draft pick to appear on our list, Green was originally selected by the A's in 2009 as a shortstop but has since been tried at almost every other position on the diamond. Last year, Green started off playing center field before moving over to left. But he spent most of the second half bouncing around the infield, with 19 games at shortstop, 19 games at second base and 11 games at third base. The organization hasn't felt totally comfortable with Green at any position in the field, but his newfound versatility could aid his chances of eventually making the roster. The southern California native had a bounce-back year at the plate in 2013 after seeing his numbers drop off a bit at Double-A Midland in 2011. Green finished 2012 with 15 home runs and a slash line of .296/.338/.458 in 524 at-bats at Sacramento. And he figures to start 2013 there again, waiting for an opening to finally find his way on to the big league roster.
Likely To Start 2013 With: Sacramento River Cats (AAA)
(25 points / 8 lists)
Right-Handed Hitting Third Baseman
Age On Opening Day: 21
Drafted 2009 – 26th Round
Head was acquired, along with Josh Reddick and minor league pitcher Raul Alcantara, from Boston last year in the deal that sent Andrew Bailey and Ryan Sweeney to the Red Sox. The big third baseman had an unbelievable first half at High-A Stockton, bashing 23 doubles and 18 home runs in just 267 at-bats while posting a truly impressive slash line of .382/.433/.715. The Georgia native spent the second half at Double-A Midland, where he put up a much more mortal .272/.338/.404 slash line in 234 at-bats. Head will likely get the chance to master the Texas League again in 2013. He played all but a handful of games at third base last year, and the team hopes that Head will stick at third, but it's still quite possible that he could end up at first base before all is said and done.
Likely To Start 2013 With: Midland RockHounds (AA)
(18 points / 7 lists)
Right-Handed Hitting Shortstop/Third Baseman
Age On Opening Day: 19
Drafted 2012 – 1st Round
Robertson was the A's second overall draft pick last year, right behind fellow shortstop Addison Russell. And like Russell, Robertson got off to a solid start in rookie ball, posting a .297/.405/.554 slash line in 101 at-bats. He was pushed to third base while he and Russell were both on the squad but, once Robertson got to Class-A Vermont, he spent most of his time back at shortstop. Robertson had a little more trouble at the plate in the NY-Penn League though, putting up a .181/.238/.234 slash line and striking out about once every three at-bats. Robertson should start the season there again, where his innate talent will undoubtedly allow the 19-year-old to figure things out over the course of the year and do whatever he needs to do to get ready to advance to the next level.
Likely To Start 2013 With: Vermont Lake Monsters (A)
(10 points / 4 lists)
Right-Handed Hitting Third Baseman
Age On Opening Day: 19
Undrafted – Signed as International Free Agent
The A's invested heavily in Nunez when the team reportedly gave the young Venezuelan slugger $2.2 million to sign back in 2010. And there's no question that Nunez seems to have a pretty special bat. Last year in rookie ball, he put up a .325/.403/.550 slash line with 18 doubles in 160 at-bats. But in the field, Nunez made 7 errors in just 30 games at third base, botching 1 in every 10 chances at the hot corner. He'll move up the chain as fast as his bat can carry him, but the A's will obviously have to figure out how and where to make sense of him in the field.
Likely To Start 2013 With: Vermont Lake Monsters (A)
(3 points / 2 lists)
Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
Age On Opening Day: 21
Drafted 2012 – 2nd Round
The A's fifth overall draft pick last year, Sanburn was the first pitcher selected by the A's in the 2012 draft. A hard-throwing right-hander out of the University of Arkansas, Sanburn didn't sign right away but got off to a good start last year while making it into 7 games with Class-A Vermont. Sanburn posted a 3.86 ERA while maintaining a 3:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and the A's hope that the 21-year-old has what it takes to move up the ladder quickly.
Likely To Start 2013 With: Beloit Snappers (A)
(3 points / 1 list)
Right-Handed Hitting Second Baseman/Shortstop
Age On Opening Day: 20
Drafted 2011 – 44th Round
Bostick was hardly high on anyone's radar when he was drafted in the 44th-round in 2011, but lots of folks seem to think he does a lot of things the right way – and baseball people like that. Bostick spent most of last season playing second base at Class-A Vermont but also spent a little time at shortstop. His .251/.325/.369 slash line wasn't remarkable, but he was still just 19 last season. And if Bostick keeps playing the game the right way, he'll continue to be given the chance to go out there and play and see how far his talents will take him.
Likely To Start 2013 With: Beloit Snappers (A)
Last Year's Consensus Top 10 Prospect List
Baseball America's Top A's Prospects
Jonathan Mayo's Top A's Prospects
John Sickels' Top A's Prospects
Oakland Clubhouse's Top A's Prospects
Bleacher Report's Top A's Prospects
Bullpen Banter's Top A's Prospects
Prospect 361's Top A's Prospects
Be sure to like A's Farm's page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @AthleticsFarm to keep up with all the news down on the farm!
There were lots of interesting quotes to come out of last weekend's FanFest in Oakland. And based on what was said by A's management, coaches and players, here are a few things that I think we can safely surmise…
* Coco Crisp will be the A's primary center fielder and leadoff hitter.
* Chris Young will be in the lineup against lefties, give other starters regular days off against righties, and will move around in the lineup and see time at every spot in the outfield.
* Seth Smith will get most of the at-bats at DH.
* The Brandon Moss/Chris Carter platoon will remain in effect at first base.
* Something will have to happen to Brandon Moss or Chris Carter for Daric Barton to make the roster.
* The A's have a lot more confidence in Hiro Nakajima's bat than they do in his glove and his arm.
* Jemile Weeks and Scott Sizemore will be in direct competition for the second base job in spring training.
* Shooty Babbitt really isn't a big fan of Jemile Weeks.
* Barring injuries, the A's starting rotation will consist of Brett Anderson, Jarrod Parker, Tom Milone, A.J. Griffin and Bartolo Colon (after missing his first start while serving out his suspension).
* If the starting rotation is healthy, Dan Straily will be at Sacramento until he's needed in Oakland.
* After Dan Straily, the next go-to guys at Sacramento if needed will likely be Brad Peacock and Sonny Gray.
* Top prospect Michael Choice will start the season at Sacramento.
* Billy Beane loves John Jaso, almost as much as he loved Erubiel Durazo.
* Everybody loves Addison Russell, and the 19-year-old will be invited to attend the major league camp in spring training.
* Josh Reddick didn't bother wasting any money on razors this off-season.
* Coco Crisp is committed to upholding Oscar Gamble's 'fro-tastic legacy.
* Chris Young is still in the early stages of his Bernie Lean lessons.
Be sure to like A's Farm's page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @AthleticsFarm to keep up with all the news down on the farm!
As part of A's FanFest this past weekend, a few members of the A's staff took some time out to attend a bloggers-only press conference in the bowels of the Oracle Arena. One of those who stopped in to chat with us was A's assistant general manager David Forst. And A's Farm was especially eager to find out what it was that got the A's front office so excited about shortstop Hiro Nakajima…
On the team's belief that Japanese shortstop Hiro Nakajima could succeed in the major leagues…
I did not actually see him myself. We have a number of guys who've seen him back through the WBC in 2009 – a lot of our pro scouts, our international guys. Part of it is based on the numbers. His offensive numbers do translate well based on what other Japanese players have done here. But the reports, not only scouting reports, but from other players who've played with him – I think we mentioned Bob Melvin had talked to Ichiro and to Hideki about him. The guys who've done well over here are guys who have some leadership over there, who have the personality, who aren't as affected by the off-the-field things that they gave to adjust to, which are huge. We saw that with Yoenis too – there's so much that foreign players have to deal with aside from just baseball. We felt like he'd be able to handle that stuff, so his talent would play. Defensively, that's the hardest thing for us to predict, because we don't have the same metrics we have on the offensive side. But our reports are good – the hands, the arm strength. All the things you look for from a scouting perspective, we feel pretty good about…we do think he can play the position.
On evaluating defensive metrics…
The key on defense is to have everything sort of match up. If you're looking at Range Factor and UZR and all the stuff that takes into account the Field f/x stuff, the SportVision data, the key is to have everything match up. So if you have conflicting reports, that's when you sort of look at your scouting reports. I think you only feel good about defensive stats when things are aligned across the board.
On the team's strategy in this year's amateur draft…
We got together with (scouting director) Eric Kubota and his guys a couple weeks ago just to sort of go over the list. It's a lot deeper in college players this year – both pitching and position players. We certainly didn't set out to take a bunch of high school guys last year. That's just where we felt like the talent was. But it is deeper in the college level…We've obviously traded away a lot of pitching. We have pitching here, and then there's a little bit of a gap after guys like Brad Peacock and Sonny Gray. There's a gap down to A ball, and having traded A.J. Cole and Blake Treinen kind of opened that gap up a little bit…Obviously you always need to replenish your pitching every year.
On the acquisition of catcher John Jaso…
He's been on the target list for a while. You look at what he did in the minor leagues, the type of offensive player he was – he's certainly the kind of guy that historically we've coveted. And he had a year in Seattle where he really finally broke out offensively. So as we watched him a lot over the course of the season, seeing him in our division, he was certainly a guy we thought about towards the end of the season and all off-season and figured out a way to see if Seattle would part with him. And it obviously took a long time for (Mariners' general manager) Jack Zduriencik to come around. And getting Mike Morse was the piece that he needed. In fact, one of our pro scouts, Craig Weissmann, was an amateur guy with Tampa when he signed Jaso originally in the draft. So we've kind of had our eye on John for a while.
On trading pitching prospect A.J. Cole back to the Nationals in the John Jaso deal…
(Nationals' general manager) Mike Rizzo had said a couple times in the last twelve months how disappointed he was in having given up A.J., so Billy sort of knew in the back of his head that that was going to get us in the door. And when things sort of matched up, he knew Seattle wanted Morse. And obviously Rizzo knew we didn't have interest in Morse, but we were able to say, "Hey Mike, if you're still interested in A.J., we might be able to work something out here."
On pitchers' workloads…
We're always aware of it. It's something that we constantly talk about. (A's pitching coach) Curt Young does a great job of keeping track of these guys start by start and then on a three-starts-by-three-starts basis. But it's certainly not a situation where we're going in saying we're going to cut pitcher A off here or whatever. Our trainers do a lot of work in between starts, and they do a good job of keeping track of historical comps for each guy. So whether it's Jarrod Parker, who increased his workload significantly last year, or Brett Anderson, who had a limited workload because of the injury, I think we have the best feel for them just because our trainers have their hands on these guys after each start. So I expect that we will continuously talk about and be aware of it, but I don't imagine that anyone will have a limit set on them to start the season.
On the possible need for the team to add more veteran pitching depth…
Obviously we're aware that a lot of what we accomplished last year was based a lot on our starting pitching depth, and the fact that we ended up using 7-8-9 starters who were effective. The fact that Travis Blackley is still here obviously and can fill that role and you expect a full season out of Brett Anderson, we felt like adding Bartolo Colon was probably as much as we needed to do. At the same time, it's just not easy to add those veteran guys when, on paper, you have a rotation like we do. It's not necessarily an attractive place for a veteran guy to come and have to make the team or fight for it. So we feel like, with A.J. Griffin and Dan Straily in the 5-6 spot, with Brad Peacock and Sonny Gray at AAA, with Travis here being able to be a swing man, we feel like there is the depth there to get it done.
On clubhouse chemistry…
There's no doubt that clubhouse culture is important, and it starts with Bob Melvin - that's the most important thing. He set the tone for those guys, and they kind of followed his lead, which isn't the case everywhere. I think there's been a lot made of Jonny Gomes leaving and Brandon Inge, and you're never going to keep all 25 guys together. But…we like the mix we have – personalities combined with guys who take it seriously on the field. But also you have a bunch of guys who should continue to get better, whether that's about age or getting a chance to play everyday, this team should not have guys who regress – they should continue to trend upwards.
Be sure to like A's Farm's page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @AthleticsFarm to keep up with all the news down on the farm!
On Monday, we unofficially learned that shortstop Stephen Drew had agreed to a deal with the Red Sox and would not be returning to the A's, and we also unofficially learned that the A's would be filling the hole at shortstop by signing Japanese import Hiroyuki Nakajima. It was announced on Tuesday, after our last A's Off-Season Transactions Update, not only that the Nakajima signing was official but also that, to clear room on the roster for their new shortstop, the A's had traded outfielder Collin Cowgill to the Mets for Double-A third baseman Jefry Marte.
With the A's new shortstop in the fold, it looks like their work is essentially done for the off-season and that the major league roster, barring any unforeseen (yet inevitable) injuries, is pretty much set. But it also seems that the Triple-A roster at Sacramento may be pretty much set at this point too. This really shows a remarkable level of certainty for an organization that's typically had any number of question marks remaining at this time of year.
Below you'll find a complete listing of the anticipated A's and River Cats opening day rosters, barring any unexpected deals or injuries, as of this point in time almost 3 ½ months before opening day. Any changes should be minor, especially where the major league roster is concerned. I'd expect any changes to most likely come from potential moves involving some of the minor league pitchers or infielders. Following the roster lists below, we'll go around the horn and discuss where things stand at every position for both the A's and the River Cats…
Brandon Moss 1B
Chris Carter 1B
Jemile Weeks 2B
Adam Rosales IF
Josh Reddick OF
Coco Crisp OF
Seth Smith OF
Chris Young OF
Brett Anderson LHP
Jarrod Parker RHP
Tom Milone LHP
A.J. Griffin RHP
Dan Straily RHP
Grant Balfour RHP
Ryan Cook RHP
Pat Neshek RHP
Chris Resop RHP
Sean Doolittle LHP
Jerry Blevins LHP
Travis Blackley LHP
Daric Barton IF
Andy Parrino IF
Eric Sogard IF
Scott Moore IF-OF
Grant Green IF-OF
Brad Peacock RHP
Sonny Gray RHP
Andrew Werner LHP
(+2 of the following 4 in the rotation with 1 in the bullpen & 1 traded or released)
Garrett Olson LHP
Jesse Chavez RHP
Bruce Billings RHP
Travis Banwart RHP
Evan Scribner RHP
Arnold Leon RHP
James Simmons RHP
Mike Ekstrom RHP
Jordan Norberto LHP
Pedro Figueroa LHP
Justin Thomas LHP
As far as the 2013 A's go, catcher and first base are two positions that are pretty clearly set. Right-handed hitter Derek Norris and left-handed hitter George Kottaras will make up the A's catching tandem. This likely won't be a strict platoon though, as the A's view Norris as their catcher of the future. I'd expect Norris to get between 350-400 at-bats, with Kottaras getting somewhere between 200-250 at-bats – of course, performance on the field could have a big effect on playing time behind the plate. The first base platoon of Brandon Moss and Chris Carter will remain in place in 2013. This should be a pretty strict left/right platoon, unless Moss regresses and Carter starts coming on strong, in which case the big right-hander could end up stealing some at-bats from Moss.
Second base may represent the biggest question mark on the A's roster. Jemile Weeks and Scott Sizemore both stand a decent chance of claiming the starting job, while prospect Grant Green appears to be a long shot. It's my feeling that, as long as he can show in the spring that he's ready to put it together, the edge will go to former #1 draft pick Weeks. But if Weeks looks like he hasn't learned anything, then Sizemore should be ready to step in – though we do have to remember that he is coming back from an injury that sidelined him for a solid year and will be competing at a position that he hasn't played much over the past two years. Whichever one of these guys doesn't claim the major league job will probably end up at Sacramento with Green. At this point, my guess is that Weeks opens the season with the A's, while Sizemore ends up at Sacramento waiting for a chance to come back and take over in the event that Weeks or Donaldson struggles – but that could very easily change based on what happens in the spring.
Your 2013 starting shortstop will be Hiro Nakajima, with Adam Rosales likely serving as his backup – as well as the backup at second at third. If Nakajima proves to be more of a "zero" than a "Hiro," then Rosales will step in and start getting more at-bats at short. Josh Donaldson will be the starting third baseman unless and until he proves that his second-half surge last season was just a fluke. If that happens, then Sizemore is the most likely candidate to step in at third.
In the outfield, the A's have five players (Cespedes, Reddick, Crisp, Smith and Young) to fill the three outfield spots as well as the designated hitter spot in the lineup. Those four positions should offer up about 2400 at-bats, which would mean there's close to 500 at-bats to go around for each of them – that's if they're all healthy. Of course, they won't all be healthy. I'd guess that at just about any point in the season, one of them will be dinged up enough to, if not warrant a stint on the DL, at least warrant a little time out of the lineup. So I wouldn't spend too much time worrying about who plays where and when. I suspect it'll work itself out one way or another and we'll end up seeing plenty of all of them in the starting lineup.
As for the starting rotation, it's important to remember that Bartolo Colon will be suspended for the first five games of the season and the A's will play the first seven games of the season without a day off. That means that, barring injury, Brett Anderson, Jarrod Parker, Tom Milone, A.J. Griffin and Dan Straily will open the season as the A's starting five. Of course, there's a reasonable chance that one of those pitchers could have some nagging injury to start the season. In that case, Colon could be ready to step into the rotation after the first week. If, miracle of miracles, all five starting pitchers are fully healthy and functioning to start the season, then Colon could always kill time in the bullpen until one of them is sidelined with a balky elbow, shoulder, rib cage or back.
The A's bullpen will be a crowded place though. Aside from Colon, there will be nine or ten legitimate contenders for the seven bullpen spots. On the right-handed side of things, Grant Balfour will be the closer and Ryan Cook will be the primary right-handed set-up man, while Pat Neshek will surely have a spot after signing a guaranteed contract, and Chris Resop is bound to get a spot after the A's made a concerted effort to acquire him from the Pirates. That would push Evan Scribner to Sacramento.
On the left-handed side of things, Sean Doolittle and Jerry Blevins appear to be assured spots after their consistent performances throughout 2012, and Travis Blackley seems to be locked in as the long-man in the 'pen. That would push Jordan Norberto and Pedro Figueroa to Sacramento. Of course, the odds that one of those seven relievers starts the season with some kind of injury is fairly high, which would open the door to one of those spots.
If we make the preceding assumptions about the major league roster, and take into account the fact that the Triple-A roster rarely includes more than 12 hitters and rarely has any fewer than 13 pitchers, then the River Cats roster starts to fall pretty clearly into place.
The A's acquired two experienced minor league catchers – 29-year-old Luke Montz and 27-year-old Steven Hill – who should share the catching duties at Sacramento this year. Meanwhile, veteran Daric Barton will be standing in at first base, waiting for his chance should anything happen with Moss or Carter.
If Jemile Weeks doesn't make the roster in Oakland, then he'll surely be the starting second baseman at Sacramento. But if Scott Sizemore is the one to get sent down, as I suspect, then I'd expect him to get the majority of the starts at second base in Sacramento, preparing himself in case Weeks again struggles. Andy Parrino, who was acquired from San Diego in the Tyson Ross trade, is bound to be Sacramento's primary starting shortstop this year. I'd expect to see the versatile Eric Sogard getting most of his starts at third base this year, while also picking up a few other starts around the infield. When Sogard's not starting at third, then fading prospect Stephen Parker is likely to get some starts at the hot corner as well.
Scott Moore, who has been the A's most promising minor league free agent signing this off-season, can play third base, as well as first base, second base and the outfield, but will probably end up seeing a lot of at-bats as the designated hitter for the River Cats. Sacramento's starting outfield should be made up of on-base machine Shane Peterson in left, top prospect Michael Choice in center and former top prospect Michael Taylor in right. That just leaves our old friend Grant Green, whom the organization could make the River Cats' regular second baseman, but I'm guessing that, when it's all said and done, they'll end up utilizing his versatility and giving him starts all over the field – preparing him for his most likely future role with the A's as a versatile utility man.
There are three pitchers who, as long as they're healthy, are sure to make Sacramento's starting rotation – top prospects Brad Peacock and Sonny Gray, along with left-hander Andrew Werner, who was acquired from San Diego in the Tyson Ross deal. The rest of the River Cats' rotation will be filled out by two of the following four hurlers – right-handers Jesse Chavez, Bruce Billings and Travis Banwart, as well as major league veteran and minor league free agent signee Garrett Olson. Of the two who don't make the rotation, one will likely end up as the long-man in the River Cats' bullpen with the other either DL'd, traded or released.
Sacramento's 2013 bullpen ought to boast an impressive array of arms who could be ready to step in and help at the major league level at a moment's notice. If all the major league bullpen arms are healthy, then the River Cats' 'pen should include names like Evan Scribner, Arnold Leon, James Simmons and minor league free agent signee Mike Ekstrom from the right side and Jordan Norberto, Pedro Figueroa and minor league free agent signee Justin Thomas from the left side.
On the whole, it looks like a River Cats roster that ought to be more than ready to defend its division title and, hopefully, so should the 2013 A's!
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How do I get a job as an "economist"? Does it pay well? I'm not even sure I know what an "economist" is. Is there a certification test I have to take? Write a 2000 word article that sounds really impressive and hints that you know a lot, but logically reduces to "I don't have a clue". Probably harder than it sounds. Just promise me that I don't have to go to Economist Seminars and listen to Paul Krugman.
good post but little bit confusion the house starts falls but economists stay positive so don't know what to think about it
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subset: commoncrawl