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The A's took on the Cubs on St. Patty's day while the other half of the team was in Scottsdale playing the Giants. Bench coach Chip Hale took the managing reigns from Bob Melvin while he coached the game that would be broadcast on television back in the Bay Area. Here are some thoughts from the game.
Cliff Pennington is white-hot at the moment. He singled in his first at-bat, giving him five-straight trips with a hit. His second at-bat ended that streak, but it was a loud line-out to center. Just for fun, he dropped down a bunt down the third base line in his third at-bat and reached easily. Put him in the and Collin Cowgill down on the list of guys who would prefer the season to start tomorrow. The A's would love for him to have a nice year at the plate because he's the only long term option the club has at short stop. A good year at the plate might lead to a better year defensively for Pennington, because confidence affects baseball players.
Yoenis Cespedes is as imposing as advertised. His presence in the box might be the most threatening an A's player has had since Matt Holliday. Since his televised debut in which he homered last week, he's one for his last 14, including an 0-for-4 performance on Saturyday. It's clear he's going through an adjustment period facing major league-caliber pitching for the first time. The good thing for the team is he doesn't appear to be over-matched, he's just hitting a rough patch. But with the A's leaving for Japan on Thursday, he's going to want to start picking things up. The Japan trip forces Oakland to expedite it's preseason routine which doesn't help Cespedes because he arrived to camp late anyway.
The large population of Cubs fans weren't as forgiving as Friday night's crowd when it came to Manny Ramirez. They booed him pretty heavily and enjoyed watching him ground into a double-play.
Travis Schlichting got the start and continued to make his case for a potential long-relief role in the A's bullpen. The right-hander got his first start of spring after three quality outings in relief where hitters went 3-for-21 against him. Saturday, he shook off a David DeJesus triple to open the game to throw three innings, allow two hits and an earned run. Schlichting last pitched in the bigs in 2010, where he appeared in 14 games for the Dodgers and posted 3.57 ERA. Last season in Triple-A was a forgettable one for Schlichting. In 51 games he had a 7.10 ERA in relief. Having the former fourth-round selection in long-relief makes a lot of sense, because the club would likely object to having any of it's promising young starters in that role.
Seth Smith had three hits in his first three at-bats, raising his average to .300 on the spring. His spot on the team is secure.
I was able to watch Sonny Gray throw for the first time in person Saturday. He threw two and a third innings without allowing an earned run. The comparisons to Tim Hudson appear to be on point physically, but their repertoires are pretty different. Gray's curveball has a lot of sharp tilt to it. If he refines his location and keeps working on his change up, he should be in line to compete for a job in the rotation next spring, if not sooner. Injuries and/or trades could propel Gray to the bigs this summer, but a lot would have to happen - including dominating whatever level he's in to start the year.
I spent some time on the back field watching Jemile Weeks work with Rickey Henderson prior to the game. If there's a better mentor for Weeks to learn about stealing bags from, let me know who it is.
A fan sitting in front of the press box to turned around to take pictures of all us writers. What a waste.
Another interesting thrower in the A's system is Erick Threets. He pitched the ninth inning for the A's Saturday to earn the save allowing a walk and getting a double-play. In his six relief appearances this spring, he's only allowed one run. His short-arm delivery means his pitches get on hitters quickly, which is a characteristic that can translate to the big leagues. In 32 appearances in the Mexican Pacific Winter League, Threets had a 1.17 ERA in 32 relief appearances. He's coming off "Tommy John" surgery performed in 2010. Down the road, Threets could be an interesting option out of the bullpen for Oakland.
The A's beat the Cubs 4-3 to improve the Cactus League's best record to 12-3-1.
Friday was my first-ever appearance at a spring training game - as both a fan or media member - so here are some thoughts and first impressions of spring training when the A's played the Mariners.
I'm not sure I'll ever get used to seeing Manny Ramirez in the green and gold. But for a team in desperate need of an attendance boost, it makes all the sense in the world considering the limited risk the club takes on. If Ramirez' numbers reflect how hard he's worked here in camp, he will definitely be worth the PR hit of acquiring a repeated PED offender. If he becomes any sort of a problem, he'll be cut loose. But if his situation maintains its current path, he'll be a plus even if his numbers aren't Hall of Fame-caliber. He doubled in a run in his first at-bat and narrowly missed a home run to left field in his second. He's easily the crow-favorite at Phoenix Muni.
Coco Crisp is at full speed. After spending a lot of 2011 playing with a lower-leg injury, Oakland's center fielder appears to be healed up. He busted down the first base line in his first at-bat, putting enough heat on the play to draw a throwing error. He beat out an infield hit in his second at-bat. He's still very fast.
Josh Reddick continued his streak Friday by reaching base for in ninth-straight game. He came into the game hitting .400 with seven runs scored. He's having a nice spring, slugging .640.
Collin Cowgill opened his night by getting his eighth-straight hit. He came into Friday's game 9-for-his-last-11. That's impressive for a youngster looking to make an impact in a crowded outfield. At Fan Fest, Bob Melvin mentioned Cowgill as a player he loves for his intensity and energy. It will be interesting to see how things shake out in the outfield over the next couple weeks. It's unlikely Cowgill will land on the 25-man roster to start the year, but don't be surprised if he gets the call over Michael Taylor at some point down the road.
Josh Donaldson came into Friday's game 7-for-21 during his last six games. Melvin said the club will keep him atop the depth chart at third base. We'll have to wait and see if the club acquires another hot-corner option before the team heads to Japan.
Graham Godfrey helped his cause with a nice outing on Friday. After struggling to find the strike zone in the top of the first, the right-hander went on to retire 11-straight with five strikeouts before exiting. He went 3.2 IP, allowing two hits, one walk and one earned run. Given his experience, he's a favorite to land at the back-end of the A's opening day rotation.
After reading this and this, it's pretty clear Joey Devine is not set to take part in the closer's battle just yet. (Credit Susan Slusser and Jane Lee for their always-outstanding coverage)
Brandon Allen hit a sizzler off the wall in left-center field during his second at-bat Friday. Remember, when Allen was going really well before his colossal slump, he was going to left field often. Consider hard-hit balls in that direction a key indicator for the first basemen looking to lock down the starting job. He also beat out what appeared to be a routine ground ball to short stop later in the game.
I was lucky enough to run into Johnny Doskow, radio voice of the River Cats at the ballpark. With A's broadcaster Ken Korach facing knee replacement surgery in the coming weeks, Doskow could be making his major league debut at some point in April. He told me it's something he thinks about every day in this Oakland Clubhouse Q&A here.
No, I do not agree with hitting Ichiro Suzuki third in the order. But I get it.
I've tweeted it before and it might only make sense to me, but I still think Mike Taylor should use a bigger bat. Slowing his hands down and keeping the bat head in the zone longer looks like it would really help him out. If he doesn't improve this spring, his standing with club could be in doubt. The acquisitions of numerous outfielders is not helping his cause. Nor is Cowgill burning Phoenix up after reaching base in 11-straight at-bats. He will be a curious case again this year.
I'm not sure what to make of Daric Barton right now. I doubt Melvin gives him the starting first base job without stringing together a good week or two at the plate. It would be tough to give him the benefit of 2010 after last year's struggles. Barton is dealing with complications in his biceps after undergoing shoulder surgery late last year and has yet to play in the field. So he'll have to overcome his injury before solidifying his place in the discussion. If he doesn't make the 25-man roster out of camp, we might be looking at a Travis Buck situation.
The A's are teaching Grant Green to play corner outfield by sticking him in center. With all the potential versatility in Sacramento's outfield, I expect him to play in the corners during most of 2012.
The A's beat the Martiners 6-1 and improve to a Cactus League-best 11-3-1. Check back for Saturday's musings and stories when the A's play the Cubs at Phoenix Muni.
Wednesday, the Athletics released a statement regarding the recent reports insinuating MLB has denied the club's potential move to San Jose.
Here is the release:
STATEMENT BY OAKLAND A’S OWNERSHIP
REGARDING A’S AND GIANTS SHARING BAY AREA TERRITORY:
“Recent articles claiming that Major League Baseball has decided that the A’s cannot share the two-team Bay Area market were denied by baseball Commissioner Bud Selig last weekend.
Currently the Giants and A's share the two-team Bay Area market in terms of television, radio, sponsors and fans. Last year, the Giants opened a specialty store in the middle of the A's market ( Walnut Creek ). At the time, Lew Wolff commented that he was ‘fine with the Giants store and wished there was an A's store in San Francisco .’
Of the four two-team markets in MLB, only the Giants and A's do not share the exact same geographic boundaries. MLB-recorded minutes clearly indicate that the Giants were granted Santa Clara , subject to relocating to the city of Santa Clara . The granting of Santa Clara to the Giants was by agreement with the A’s late owner Walter Haas, who approved the request without compensation. The Giants were unable to obtain a vote to move and the return of Santa Clara to its original status was not formally accomplished.
We are not seeking a move that seeks to alter or in any manner disturb MLB territorial rights. We simply seek an approval to create a new venue that our organization and MLB fully recognizes is needed to eliminate our dependence on revenue sharing, to offer our fans and players a modern ballpark, to move over 35 miles further away from the Giants’ great venue and to establish an exciting competition between the Giants and A's.
We are hopeful that the Commissioner, the committee appointed by the Commissioner, and a vote of the MLB ownership, will enable us to join the fine array of modern and fun baseball parks that are now commonplace in Major League Baseball.”
While Sizemore might not be the most indispensable player on the team's roster, his position might be the most difficult to replace with in-house options. After all, Oakland had a lot riding on Sizemore building on his 2011 campaign where the converted second baseman his 11 home runs and 21 doubles in 93 contests since coming over from Detroit.
Now, the club's brass will be evaluating both internal and external options for an awfully important position. It's being reported that the team is giving Josh Donaldson the hole-shot to earn the everyday job, but the former catcher has only made 34 plate appearances at the big-league level back in 2010. He hit .156 in 14 games.
Donaldson was acquired from the Chicago Cubs in the Rich Harden trade of 2008 after being drafted in the first round the previous year. He played mostly third base at Auburn, but made the move to catcher in order to improve his draft stock. During his career in the minors, Donaldson has played 376 games behind the plate and 53 at third base. With Triple-A Sacramento, he spent the majority of last year battling Anthony Recker for an eventual call up, but ended up on the short end as Recker replaced Landon Powell as Kurt Suzuki's backup to end the season.
Once that move was made - paired with the A's trading Kevin Kouzmanoff to Colorado in late August - Donaldson went on to almost exclusively play third base. He made 27 starts there for the River Cats to end the year.
The 6-foot, 220-pounder has a solid build and possess some decent power potential. He's athletic with a good arm and glove adequate to play the hot corner at the major-league level. But he hasn't played a full season of third base since college, so the risk of giving him the keys is obvious. Still, he remains the best in-house option if the team would rather keep Adam Rosales and Eric Sogard in their utility roles.
Donaldson hit a combined 35 home runs over the last two seasons in Sacramento, usually finding himself penciled into the middle of lineup. His career line of .252/.341/.454 (.795 OPS) at Triple-A isn't exactly earth-shattering, but it's not terrible either. His best stint with Oakland's organization came after he arrived from A-level Peoria in the trade when he hit .330/.391/.564 (.955 OPS) with High-A Stockton in 47 games during 2008.
The bottom line on Donaldson: he hasn't done enough with the bat in his time in the minors to force his way to the majors for a team that has struggled offensively. The team thinks his glove is good enough for third, but his lack of experience is disconcerting. He'll really need a good showing in spring training to keep the club from looking for external options, via trade or free-agency.
If Donaldson is internal-option 1A, then Wes Timmons is option 1B. The career minor-leaguer will be 34 in July and has spent the better part of six seasons at the Triple-A level with Atlanta and the A's. His career numbers of .278/.389/.383 (.772 slugging) show less power than Donaldson, but he gets on-base at a considerably better clip. Timmons' BABIP numbers in the minors are also significantly better than Donaldson's.
Timmons has the versatility to play all over the infield, which could be beneficial should earn a spot on the 25-man roster. But as the only infielder to be a non-roster invitee to camp, his chances are slim. It would be a great story if Timmons earned a spot in the big leagues.
Other third basemen in the Oakland's system are Stephen Parker, V.A. Vollmuth and teenager Renato Nunez. Parker will be likely spend 2012 with in Sacramento working on generating more power and improving defensively. He made 20 errors in 2011. The toolsy Vollmuth might have the highest ceiling of any third basemen in the system, but is still a long way away from a shot in the show. Nunez is an unseasoned youngster that will likely spend the year at Low-A.
It's been expected for weeks and on Monday it finally happened. Manny Ramirez will be coming to the Oakland A's.
The acquisition falls in line with similar moves the club has made in recent years (Frank Thomas, Nomar Garciaparra, Mike Piazza and the return of Jason Giambi), with the difference being Ramirez must serve a 50-game suspension for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. That means he'll be eligible to join the A's on May 30,his 40th birthday, in Minnesota.
Prior to that, Ramirez will be able to participate in spring training and extended spring training, but will only be able to play in 10 minor-league games before joining the big-league club, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
In Ramirez, the Athletics add one of the best right-handed hitters of all time. He's a career .312/.411/.585 (.996 OPS) hitter with 555 home runs and 1,831 RBIs. His deal will be worth less than $500K with no incentive package, giving Oakland virtually no risk in signing him.
Of course, Ramirez brings the potential sideshow of "Manny being Manny," but because the A's were the only team willing to take him in, the 19-year veteran will subdue his antics or be shown the door. He'll also have the opportunity to be a mentor to some of the team's young hitters that have yet to solidify themselves in the big leagues.
Yoenis Cespedes has perhaps the most to learn from Ramirez. The high-ceiling prospect would be wise to pick up as much knowledge as he can from Ramirez from dealing with the language barrier, to their power-hitting approach at the plate. With his track record, the club is hoping some of his good habits in the batting cage can rub off elsewhere in an organization that's struggled at the plate in recent years.
Aside from the obvious intrigue of signing a star like Ramirez, the move makes some of the other roster battles headed into the season even more interesting. He'll be the team's designated hitter once reinstated from suspension, meaning there will be one-less spot available for an outfielder or first basemen on the roster battling for at-bats.
The A's are hoping competition breeds success, because there are eight outfielders (not including Ramirez) and four first basemen in the running for spots on the 25-man roster. The situation will be less complicated with Ramirez unavailable until late-May - which could allow the roster to become more solidified.
One thing is certain: the 2012 will be an awfully interesting season for the Athletics.
The Oakland A's stunned the baseball world Monday morning by inking Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to a four-year, $36 million dollar deal.
While the above video brought the Cuban to the main stream, the five-tool prospect has been on clubs' radars for years dating back to 2003 when he was one of Cuba's Serie Nactional's best young talents. At 26 years-old, Cespedes could very well find his way on the A's Opening Day roster, adding to an already complicated outfield situation.
Not many would have predicted Oakland as the team to land the highly-coveted prospect. But it should be noted the club has invested more capital into its international scouting department recently. The A's were one of the last teams interested in landing Cuban southpaw Aroldis Chapman and signed Dominican pitcher Michael Ynoa to a record-setting $4.25 million bonus as a teenager. It's been reported that Oakland offered more per-year than any other team, which was the ultimate factor in Cespedes' decision.
As the promotional video shows, Cespedes owns freakish physical tools. He compliments his 6.3 second time in the 60-yard-dash with a 350 pound bench press and a 45-inch box jump. He's explosive and fluid. He has good bat speed and gets great extension at the plate. From that standpoint, there's plenty to like.
But the truth is, he's an unknown commodity. Scouts are unable to see him in the flesh on a consistent basis because of the political system in Cuba. Their intel is limited because they only have international competition to work with. Cespedes exhibits all the tools needed to become a star, but it's tough to evaluate his ability as a hitter based on the competition he faced while playing in Cuba.
Can he do it against the best pitching in the world for a full, 162 game season? We'll have to wait and see.
Oakland's front office has made it clear that they will never be big times players for expensive free-agents as long as the stadium situation remains unresolved. Under that narrative, it's easy to understand why such a signing can cause some head scratching.
But when thinking about a team that's trying to maximize value in every possible avenue, making Cespedes the club's highest-paid player makes sense. Matt Kemp recently signed an eight-year, $160 million deal to stay with the Dodgers, more than four times the amount the A's inked Cespedes for. The obvious difference between the two is that Kemp is a known commodity, as his 39 home runs, 126 RBIs and 40 stolen bases in 2011 proved. Kemp was 26 last year - the same age as Cespedes. Their physical tools compare pretty favorably.
Should the A's go into the season thinking Cespedes will put up the same type of numbers as Kemp did in 2011? Of course not. But at $9 million per-year compared to Kemp's $20 million, is it reasonable to think he could put up at least half those numbers down the road? Scouts seem to think so.
It's a risk-reward situation.
If in two years Cespedes turns into a Miguel Cabrera-type hitter, then the team has a piece to build around (note: should the A's get approved for the new stadium in San Jose, owner Lew Wolff said he plans on increasing payroll heavily, which could allow for signing Cespedes to a massive extension before, or when the stadium opens). Or, if the A's elect to move him, they could get a huge haul of players in return because he remains affordable at $9 million.
If Cespedes turns into a Delmon Young-like flop, then the club simply loses out on $39 million without having to lose any more talent in the process (see: Holliday, Matt and Gonzalez, Carlos).
By signing Cespedes as a free agent, the club can do some face saving after shipping off three All-Star pitchers this offseason - and do so without it costing them any more of its talent.
In the short term, Cespedes makes an already compelling battle for at-bats amongst the team's outfielders even more interesting for the upcoming season. He's a natural center fielder with a plus arm. He projects to right field down the road, but that doesn't mean he'll be playing there right away. There's a strong possibility Bob Melvin could have Cespedes play center and move Coco Crisp to left field to help cover his poor throwing arm. Or, he could play right field, moving Josh Reddick to left where he's made 39 appearances over his three-year career.
If Cespedes does make the 25-man roster, it's likely Seth Smith would be relegated to the role of the fourth outfielder with Jonny Gomes becoming the likely DH candidate.
The move doesn't bode well for Michael Taylor or Collin Cowgill, who were already fighting an uphill battle to make the 25-man.
Given Cespedes is now the team's highest-paid player, he should be in Major Leagues as soon as possible. But if he shows that he's not ready during spring training, then he'll likely start the year at Triple-A Sacramento.
Is the flurry of moves this offseason over? Most would think that Monday's news is the last big splash Oakland will make before the team reports to Arizona for spring training later this month. But as Susan Slusser reports, the team is "still likely" to sign Manny Ramirez.
For the first time in a decade, the Athletics will trot out an Opening Day double-play combination that does not include Mark Ellis. This season the club will lean on a pair of former first-round picks in Cliff Pennington and Jemile Weeks to solidify the middle of the diamond and perhaps the top of the batting order. We take a look at the A's middle infield situation inside...
Click here for the rest of the article at Oaklandclubhouse.com.
