Happy Wednesday A’s fans!
While spring training games rarely serve as predictors for how a team will play in the regular season, they can indicate certain things about every team’s roster. Through 18 spring training games, the general consensus around the Athletics is that the team’s offense will once again drive its success, due to a largely inexperienced and inconsistent pitching staff.
A’s pitchers have gotten off to a rough start in the Cactus League as the team’s 6.09 ERA is 24th out of all 30 MLB teams. Yet, the fact that the Mariners’ ERA of 6.91 is the worst out of all American League teams illustrates the meaningless nature of spring training games as they often feature a parade of minor league pitchers who will not come close to sniffing an MLB mound this year. Unlike the A’s, the Mariners have little reason to be worried as their pitching staff, especially their starting rotation, is one of the best in the league.
For the A’s to make a legit playoff push, their multiple young starting pitchers and relievers must step up and pitch better once the real games begin. Only Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs and Aaron Civale have pitched full seasons as starting pitchers. Civale, the A’s lone starting pitching import this offseason, pitched so horribly last season that he found himself on the move three times, spending time with the Milwaukee Brewers and both Chicago teams. In the past, pitchers like Scott Kazmir reinvented themselves with the A’s, taking advantage of the pitchers park that was the Oakland Coliseum. Sutter Health Park is the opposite, meaning the onus will be on Civale to prove the A’s were right to invest some of their limited financial resources on him.
The A’s have won their past four spring games, all high-scoring affairs. Yesterday’s 11-7 victory against the Chicago White Sox could prove to be a microcosm of many A’s games this season in which their starting pitcher struggles, but the team’s high-powered offense scores enough runs to erase an early deficit and win the game.
This spring, everyone on offense has been contributing for the A’s from projected starters to top prospects. With the team’s lineup pretty much set for the next few years thanks to multiple young players agreeing to contract extensions, that will leave some hitters on the outside looking in.
Tommy White, who has significantly boosted his stock this spring, and Colby Thomas seem like two obvious trade candidates who may not have a path to everyday playing time with the A’s unless White locks down third base.
Given how hard it is for the A’s to attract free-agent pitchers, should they put some of these talented young hitters on the trade block to lure needed pitching help? If so, which pitchers from other teams do you want the A’s to target?
Yesterday, Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz hit his first of what will likely be many home runs this year.
Right-hander Joey Estes made his spring debut yesterday. Given his delayed start, he may begin the season in Triple-A, but could factor into the A’s pitching plans at some point.
Outfield prospect Henry Bolte is making a big impression in A’s camp. While he is likely to start the year at Triple-A Las Vegas, his power-speed combination could earn the Bay Area native his MLB debut sometime this summer.