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Isaiah4110

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Alright, we are starting to get close to Spring Training and it looks like Beane should be getting close to being done shaping our roster for next year. With that in mind, I want to take a look at what our 25-man roster might look like and try to predict how the starting lineup and rotation will shake out. For projected platoons I will list the starter vs. RHP as the "starter" and the starter vs. LHP on the bench.

Starters
C - Stephen Vogt
1B - Ike Davis
2B - Ben Zobrist
3B - Brett Lawrie
SS - Marcus Semien
LF - Craig Gentry
CF - Coco Crisp
RF - Josh Reddick
DH - Billy Butler

Bench
C - Josh Phegley
OF - Sam Fuld
1B - Mark Canha
UTIL - Eric Sogard


Rotation
1 - Scott Kazmir
2 - Sonny Gray
3 - Jesse Chavez
4 - Drew Pomeranz
5 - Kendall Graveman

(other #5 options)
Jesse Hahn, Sean Nolin, Chris Bassitt (who bears a striking resemblance to Benedict Cumberbatch)

Bullpen
CL - Doolittle
SU - Tyler Clippard
SU - Ryan Cook
MR - Eric O'Flaherty
MR - Fernando Abad
MR/LR - Dan Otero
LR - Jesse Hahn

(other Bullpen options)
Eric Scribner, Eury De La Rosa, Sean Nolin, Chris Bassitt, Kendall Graveman
 

Isaiah4110

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Starting lineup is really tough to predict if those are our starters. I'll take a stab at it though without taking an in-depth look at each player's abilities.

1 - Crisp
2 - Gentry
3 - Butler
4 - Davis
5 - Lawrie
6 - Zobrist
7 - Reddick
8 - Vogt
9 - Semien
 

Isaiah4110

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Add R.J. Alvarez as a bullpen option as well.
 

ratenstein

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What about Griffin and Parker?
 

Isaiah4110

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Griffin and Parker are both still recuperating from Tommy John surgery. It typically takes 18+ months from the time of the surgery for pitchers to take the mound again in the majors. We won't be seeing either one open the season in the A's rotation, but they are excellent options to join the rotation sometime between late May and early September. Look for them most likely around July.

Essentially we should expect our rotation to be rather fluid and change as the year progresses. Obviously the winner of the number 5 spot is going to be determined in Spring Training, but there is also a chance the A's decide to start Jesse Chavez as their long relief man again. So we could actually see two of the #5 options open the season in the rotation. Drew Pomeranz was also never promoted back to the majors last year after breaking his hand in a fit of frustration, so really we don't know anything for sure about our rotation beyond expecting to see Gray and Kazmir at the top.
 

Isaiah4110

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Given the news of Doolittle's injury, I'm going to predict Tyler Clippard opens the season as the interim closer.

I don't think Eric O'Flaherty has enough innings under his belt in the last two seasons to win the role and Ryan Cook has been a bit too erratic. I wouldn't be surprised to see each of those two get a couple save opportunities early on in the season though "as match-ups dictate".
 

ratenstein

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Anybody know the story on the guy who pitches with his R & L hands?
 

ratenstein

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And here's some love for that guy's glove
inV0ftA.jpg
 

ratenstein

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and Zito supposedly playing tomorrow
 

BeaverShaver

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after years of constant roster shuffling, I get used to seeing no-name lineups from Oakland. very excited about this year, and I think gray could really break out, possible cy young numbers.
 

Isaiah4110

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Well we are getting closer to the end of Spring Training games now. We have what, 2 weeks left now? I haven't gotten to see any live action, but here are my updated predictions looking at the Spring stat lines:

Starters
C - Stephen Vogt
1B - Ike Davis
2B - Ben Zobrist
3B - Brett Lawrie
SS - Marcus Semien
LF - Coco Crisp
CF - Craig Gentry
RF - Josh Reddick
DH - Billy Butler

Bench
C - Josh Phegley
OF - Sam Fuld
1B - Mark Canha
UTIL - Eric Sogard


Rotation
1 - Scott Kazmir
2 - Sonny Gray
3 - Drew Pomeranz
4 - Kendall Graveman
5 - Barry Zito (yes, he has had an extremely surprising Spring Training thus far)

(other #5 options)
Jesse Hahn, Jesse Chavez, Chris Bassitt

Bullpen
CL - Doolittle (likely opening the season in the DL)
SU/CL - Tyler Clippard
SU - Ryan Cook
MR/SU - Eric O'Flaherty
MR - Fernando Abad
MR - Pat Venditte
MR - R.J. Alvarez
LR - Jesse Chavez

(other Bullpen options)
Jesse Hahn, Dan Otero, Evan Scribner, Chris Bassitt
 
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Isaiah4110

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Starting rotation thoughts:
Chavez and Hahn have both allowed a lot of baserunners this Spring. Zito has apparently been looking really good. At this point I would have to say Pomeranz and Graveman slot into the #3 and 4 rotation spots and #5 goes to Zito, Hahn or Chavez. If Hahn makes it over Zito then that is because we are looking to get the young guys experience and Hahn may have slightly outperformed Chavez thus far.

Bullpen thoughts:
If Zito gets the #5 rotation slot then I give Chavez the inside track for the long relief role due to his experience in the position and the likelihood that the A's would want a young guy like Hahn to continue getting regular turns in the minors.

Otero and Scribner have both been unimpressive thus far this spring, and the A's have seemed content to keep them as bullpen depth in AAA in the past. Neither is a high ceiling guy. Doolittle's injury opens the door for both the switch pitcher, Pat Venditte, and R.J. Alvarez to open the season on the A's 25-man roster. Both have done well this spring and deserve a shot.

Position player thoughts:
These slots seem pretty well settled. Reddick's oblique injury could shuffle things a bit for the first couple weeks of the season, but I don't see a lot of movement outside injury concerns. If Reddick or another outfielder opens the season on the DL then I think Billy Burns is the first in line to be "next man up". The infield seems pretty well settled, in spite of Lawrie's poor spring performance, and I really can't see any changes coming there.
 

Isaiah4110

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Holy Toledo! They just got Doolittle in game action today! I'm thinking that means he might actually be ready by opening day.

Pomeranz also struggled today. I don't know whether Melvin/Young had him focusing on developing a specific pitch or location, or he just had a bad outing. I have to assume this hurts his chances of making the starting rotation and likely, assuming Zito continues doing well, strengthens Zito's position as well.

Not sure what Doolittle will mean for the bullpen. I'm assuming we still want a long reliever, so that means either Chavez or Pomeranz is likely to be in the bullpen and Alvarez or Venditte gets bumped if Doolittle is ready for opening day.
 

Isaiah4110

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Yeah, I had been reading that he has been trying to fix some mechanical issues, and his Spring Training stats are pretty bad, but I had no idea his struggles were THAT bad. So:

Doolittle
Clippard
O'Flaherty
Abad
Venditte
Alvarez
Chavez
 

Isaiah4110

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Scrap the bit about Doolittle pitching. That was Sean's brother, Ryan Doolittle. I thought it seemed kinda strange because I didn't thing Sean was on track for opening day.
 

ratenstein

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I read today that Clippard is closer until Doolittle is ready.
 

ratenstein

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Chavez looking good by the way.
 
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