by Bill Moriarity / A’s Farm Editor
Last August, while the season was beginning to wind down, we took the opportunity to take a look ahead at what the A’s might look like in 2018 in this piece. And we even looked ahead at the 2018 A’s way back in May of last year here. But now that spring training is underway, players are in camp and games are actually being played, it’s the perfect time to take a more informed look at how the 2018 A’s are shaping up. And at this point, it’s no too hard to imagine what the 2018 Triple-A Nashville Sounds might look like as well.
Since the end of last season, the biggest addition for the A’s has been outfielder Stephen Piscotty, who was acquired from the Cardinals, while the biggest subtraction has been first baseman/designated hitter Ryon Healy, who was dealt to the Mariners. Piscotty is set to replace Healy in the A’s lineup, while he’ll replace Matt Joyce in right field, with Joyce moving to left and last year’s primary left fielder Khris Davis set to slide into the designated hitter slot.
The A’s also made a trio of key bullpen additions this offseason in lefty Ryan Buchter and righties Yusmeiro Petit and Emilio Pagan. Last year, the A’s entered spring training counting on lefty Sean Doolittle and righties Ryan Madson and John Axford to serve as key members of their bullpen, but all three are now long gone, and Buchter, Petit and Pagan have since taken their spots in the A’s bullpen plans. Besides Healy, the organization lost few key pieces this offseason. Players like pitcher Jesse Hahn, outfielder Jaycob Brugman and infielders Joey Wendle, Yairo Munoz and Max Schrock represent some of the more significant organizational losses this winter.
Throughout most of last season, the A’s carried 13 pitchers and 12 position players, and it’s expected that they’ll do the same again this year. With only one of the team’s projected starters having thrown more than 140 innings last season, an eight-man bullpen will probably be a necessity in 2018. And barring injury, 11 of the position player spots already seem to be pretty well sewn up. So, as we head into March, let’s take a position-by-position look at how things appear to be stacking up for the 2018 Oakland A’s…
CATCHERS
The A’s seem set to head into 2018 with a catching platoon of Bruce Maxwell and Josh Phegley. The team seems relatively unconcerned about any potential complications arising from the lefty-swinging Maxwell’s legal matters and are hoping that the right-swinging Phegley can remain healthy after spending a few stints on the disabled list over the past two seasons. If either should be sidelined for any reason, then Dustin Garneau and Beau Taylor will be waiting in the wings at Triple-A Nashville and ready to step in if needed. The team’s top catching prospect, Sean Murphy, is expected to start the season at Double-A Midland, where he’s likely to be backed up by defensive specialist Santiago Chavez, but the 23-year-old Murphy, who’s known for his cannon of an arm, could prove to be a fast riser.
INFIELDERS
The A’s infield picture appears to be pretty clear at this point. Young sluggers Matt Olson and Matt Chapman are expected to anchor the corners at first base and third base, respectively, not just this year but for years to come. Marcus Semien is set at shortstop, while Jed Lowrie is set at second base, at least for a little while. With Lowrie in the last year of his contract, it’s highly likely that, at some point this summer, he’ll be dealt to a contender to make way for the A’s top hitting prospect, Franklin Barreto, who, after a couple more months of seasoning at Triple-A Nashville, should be ready to step in and take his place as Oakland’s second baseman of the future. And in another year or so, another of the team’s top prospects, shortstop Jorge Mateo, should be ready to take his place next to Barreto in an impressive young infield that will feature plenty of power, speed and defensive ability. But for now, whether he starts the season at Double-A Midland or Triple-A Nashville, Mateo will get a little more time in the minors. Along with Barreto, and possibly Mateo, minor league veterans and free agent signees Steve Lombardozzi and Nick Noonan will both be available at Triple-A if the A’s have a need for infield reinforcements at any point during the season. But Chad Pinder, who’s set to be part of a left field platoon with Matt Joyce, is also expected to serve as the A’s backup infielder. Pinder has experience at shortstop, second base and third base and is set to see time at first base this spring as well. And it looks like infield prospects Sheldon Neuse, Richie Martin, Mikey White and Sandber Pimentel are all likely to start the year populating the infield at Double-A Midland.
OUTFIELDERS
The acquisition of Stephen Piscotty from the Cardinals this offseason set off a series of adjustments in the A’s outfield picture. With Piscotty taking over in right field, Matt Joyce moves to left, where he’s expected to be part of a platoon with utility man Chad Pinder, who’ll also serve as the team’s backup infielder, and that will move last year’s primary left fielder Khris Davis into the designated hitter spot. Dustin Fowler, who arrived from the Yankees in the Sonny Gray deal, was acquired to be the A’s center fielder of the future and, since he seems to have recovered from his season-ending knee injury, the future is now. That appears to leave one backup outfield spot remaining on the roster. Of course, veteran Brandon Moss, who came over from Kansas City in the deal for lefty reliever Ryan Buchter, is on the 40-man roster and is guaranteed $7.25 million this year. But Moss spent most of last season in the DH spot for the Royals, where slugger Khris Davis is set to take up residence for the A’s this season. And barring injury to a starting position player, almost no one expects the A’s open the season with Moss on the roster, even if it means the team has to eat his salary. That leaves Jake Smolinski, Mark Canha, Boog Powell and Renato Nunez, who’s out of options, as the primary contenders for that final roster spot. Fowler’s a left-handed hitter, so the A’s would ideally like to have a right-handed hitter who’s capable of playing center field on the roster. Since Powell is also a left-handed hitter, Canha is not ideally suited for extended time in center field, and Nunez is defensively limited, that appears to make Smolinski, who’s capable in center and is a right-hander hitter who’s slashed .299/.371/.507 against lefties in his major league career, the leading contender to clinch that final roster spot. And if that is indeed how things end up playing out, then Powell may end up manning center field at Triple-A Nashville, where he’s likely to be flanked in the Sounds outfield by free agent signees Nick Martini in right and Anthony Garcia in left. Fellow free agent signee Slade Heathcott and Canha could split time at first base for Nashville, with Heathcott also spending some time in center field and Canha seeing some time in the corner outfield spots as well. Prospect Ramon Laureano, acquired from the Astros in the offseason, could also figure into the outfield picture at Nashville. And since Nunez is out of options, if the A’s want to hang on to him, they’ll need to try to slip him through waivers, which his recent hamstring injury may help to make a little more likely. But if Nunez does end up finding his way back to Triple-A to start the season, then that probably wouldn’t leave any room on the Nashville roster for Laureano, who’d have to be content with starting the year at Double-A Midland.
STARTING PITCHERS
The A’s spring training pitching schedule seems to lay out pretty clearly just how the team views its starting pitching depth chart. Talented youngsters Kendall Graveman and Sean Manaea are set to lead the starting staff, while Daniel Mengden and Paul Blackburn, who both pitched well for the A’s in the second half last season, appear to lead the competition for the third and fourth spots in the rotation. Andrew Triggs was solid in 12 starts for the A’s last year before being sidelined with a season-ending hip injury in June, and the A’s would like to see him return from last year’s injury to reclaim his role in the rotation and will give him every opportunity to do so. But if he, or any of the others should falter, then Jharel Cotton, who started 24 games for the A’s last season, could easily jump right in and claim a starting spot for himself. If everyone remains healthy and holds down their spots though, then Cotton could end up heading a starting staff at Triple-A Nashville that’s likely to include Daniel Gossett, who made 18 starts for the A’s last year, top pitching prospect A.J. Puk, former Dodgers 1st-round pick Grant Holmes, and fireballer Frankie Montas, whom the A’s are attempting to stretch out as a starter this spring. Puk’s former Florida teammate and roommate Logan Shore is likely to lead the Double-A Midland rotation, which is also expected to include fellow right-handers James Naile, Casey Meisner and Dustin Hurlbutt. Versatile righties Corey Walter and Ben Bracewell, both of whom served in both starting and relief roles for Nashville and Midland last season, could step into the rotation for the RockHounds or the Sounds if needed or could also end up serving in a relief role at either spot.
RELIEF PITCHERS
With familiar bullpen options like Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson and John Axford long gone, new arrivals Ryan Buchter, Yusmeiro Petit and Emilio Pagan are now in. They’ll all serve to set up A’s closer Blake Treinen, who saved 13 games for Oakland in the second half last year after coming over from Washington. Southpaw Daniel Coulombe is set to join Buchter as the other left-handed option in the A’s bullpen, while veteran right-handed relievers Santiago Casilla, Liam Hendriks and Chris Hatcher are all under contract, can’t be optioned and appear to be locks for the A’s remaining bullpen spots. Since right-hander Raul Alcantara is out of options, it’s quite possible that the A’s could try to sneak him through waivers and stash him away at Triple-A Nashville. But it’s probably even more likely that an injury to one of the aforementioned eight relievers, or possibly a trade involving one of the A’s veteran arms like Casilla or Hendriks, ends up opening a spot for Alcantara, who could then serve as the long man out of the A’s bullpen. One reliever who’s not out of options though is right-hander Ryan Dull. The 28-year-old put up a 5.14 ERA last season, has been sidelined with shoulder stiffness this spring and still has options remaining, all of which makes him a good candidate to start the season in the Nashville bullpen, along with fellow righties Chris Bassitt, Lou Trivino, Bobby Wahl, Tucker Healy and Simon Castro and southpaw free agent signees Eric Jokisch, Jeremy Bleich and Jarret Martin. Righties Jake Sanchez, Kyle Finnegan and Sam Bragg could also be in the mix for Triple-A bullpen spots. But unless something happens to open up some roster spots, then they’re probably more likely to start the season in Midland’s bullpen, setting up for one of the A’s most promising young relief prospects, side-arming right-hander Nolan Blackwood, who led the A’s system with 19 saves (in 20 opportunities) for Stockton last season.
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