Results tagged ‘ Daric Barton ’
Monday, April 22nd: Straily, Murphy & Alcantara Pitch Cats, Hounds & Snappers to Victory on Monday
A’s Farmhand Of The Day
Sacramento River Cats’ Pitcher Dan Straily (6 IP / 3 H / 0 ER / 5 BB / 4 K)
PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE (Triple-A)
Reno Aces 1
Sacramento River Cats 3
WP – Straily 3-0 / 0.96
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Dan Straily
(6 IP / 3 H / 0 ER / 5 BB / 4 K / Win)
RHP Dan Straily had his third straight solid start for Sacramento on Monday, allowing just 1 unearned run on 3 hits over 6 innings to earn the win. RHP Dan Otero got the final 3 outs to post his 4th save. First baseman Daric Barton continued his hot hitting of late, collecting a pair of hits and driving in a run in the win.
TEXAS LEAGUE (Double-A)
Corpus Christi Hooks 1
Midland RockHounds 2
WP – Urlaub 2-0 / 2.45
HR – Barfield (3), Aliotti (2)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Sean Murphy
(6 2/3 IP / 5 H / 1 ER / 3 BB / 5 K)
Starter Sean Murphy made an impressive debut with the RockHounds on Monday, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits over 6 2/3 innings of work. First baseman Anthony Aliotti hit his 2nd home run in the 6th inning to put Midland on the board, and Murphy left the game in the 7th inning with the game tied 1-1. Then with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th inning, outfielder Jeremy Barfield clubbed his 3rd home run to end the game. LHP Jeff Urlaub pitched a perfect 9th to pick up his 2nd win.
MIDWEST LEAGUE (Class-A)
Beloit Snappers 3
Clinton LumberKings 2
WP – Alcantara 2-1 / 3.68
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Raul Alcantara
(6 IP / 8 H / 2 ER / 2 BB / 1 K / Win)
RHP Raul Alcantara had another solid start for the Snappers on Monday, allowing 2 runs over 6 innings to post his 2nd win. RHP Ryan Dull got the final 4 outs for his 1st save. Second baseman Chris Bostick doubled, tripled and scored twice, while catcher Bruce Maxwell and outfielder Ryan Mathews both doubled in a run in the win.
Tuesday’s Games:
Reno @ Sacramento – 12:05pm PT
Corpus Christi @ Midland – 4:30pm PT / 6:30pm CT
Stockton @ Visalia – 7:00pm PT
Beloit @ Clinton – 10:30am PT / 12:30pm CT
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!
Sunday, April 21st: Neal Pitches Hounds to Victory while Ports Win on Ortiz’s HR and Cats & Snappers Both Fall
A’s Farmhand Of The Day
Midland RockHounds’ Pitcher Zach Neal (7 IP / 5 H / 0 ER / 2 BB / 4 K)
PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE (Triple-A)
Reno Aces 10
Sacramento River Cats 8
LP – Simmons 0-1 / 6.48
Farmhand Of The Game:
First Baseman Daric Barton
(3 for 5 / Double / 3 RBIs)
With Dan Straily scratched in case he’s needed to replace Brett Anderson in his next scheduled start for Oakland on Wednesday, RHP Bruce Billings got the start on Sunday and allowed 4 runs on 7 hits over 3 innings of work. RHP Pedro Vidal, making his debut for Sacramento, then gave up 2 runs in 2 innings of relief. First baseman Daric Barton doubled in the tying run and scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the 5th inning for the River Cats. RHP James Simmons then came on to give up 4 runs over 1 2/3 innings to take the loss. After making 3 rehab starts with Stockton, Adam Rosales started at second base and had a hit, a walk, scored a run and stole base in his first rehab appearance with the River Cats.
TEXAS LEAGUE (Double-A)
Midland RockHounds 3
San Antonio Missions 1
WP – Neal 1-0 / 1.33
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Zach Neal
(7 IP / 5 H / 0 ER / 2 BB / 4 K / Win)
Starter Zach Neal had another impressive outing for the RockHounds on Sunday, tossing 7 scoreless innings to earn the win and lower his ERA to 1.33 after 4 starts. RHP Kyler Newby, who’s quickly becoming the go-to guy out of the bullpen for Midland, got the final 3 outs to earn his 4th save. Second baseman Dusty Coleman and outfielder D’Arby Myers collected 3 hits apiece, while designated hitter Anthony Aliotti, outfielder Jake Goebbert and shortstop Darwin Perez each drove in a run for the RockHounds.
CALIFORNIA LEAGUE (High-A)
Modesto Nuts 2
Stockton Ports 4
WP – Joseph 2-0 / 0.90
HR – Ortiz (1)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Catcher Ryan Ortiz
(3 for 4 / Home Run / 2 RBIs)
With RHP Sean Murphy being promoted to Double-A Midland, RHP Deyvi Jimenez was added to the Ports’ roster and made his first start for Stockton on Sunday, allowing 2 runs, just 1 earned, while striking out 5 over 4 innings of work. RHP David Mota and LHP Jacob Brown combined for 3 scoreless innings in relief to keep Stockton within a run. Catcher Ryan Ortiz then blasted a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 8th inning to give the Ports the lead, and RHP Jonathan Joseph struck out 4 over the final 2 innings to earn his 2nd win.
MIDWEST LEAGUE (Class-A)
Beloit Snappers 4
Clinton LumberKings 7
LP – House 0-2 / 3.21
HR – Tanis (1)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Austin House
(5 IP / 4 H / 1 ER / 3 BB / 2 K)
RHP Austin House had a solid start for the Snappers on Sunday, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits over 5 innings but still ended up taking the loss, while RHP Kris Hall gave up 5 runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief. Third baseman Jacob Tanis did his best to try to spark the Snappers’ offense, contributing 3 hits, including a home run and a double, and drove in 3 runs in the loss.
Monday’s Games:
Reno @ Sacramento – 7:05pm PT
Corpus Christi @ Midland – 4:30pm PT / 6:30pm CT
Beloit @ Clinton – 4:30pm PT / 6:30pm CT
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!
A’s Swap Spare Parts For Second Shortstop!
Jed Lowrie: From worst to first?
As we pointed out in our analysis of the John Jaso trade just recently, the A’s are clearly in “WIN NOW” mode. And the team made another “WIN NOW” move on Monday, dealing part-time first baseman Chris Carter, minor league pitcher Brad Peacock and minor league catcher Max Stassi to the Houston Astros for infielder Jed Lowrie and right-handed reliever Fernando Rodriguez.
Lowrie is a 28-year-old former 1st-round draft pick out of Stanford. The switch-hitter hit a career-high 16 home runs in 340 at-bats with the Astros last season. He’s played primarily at shortstop in his 5-year major league career but has also spent time at third, second and first, and his versatility provides the A’s with added depth at every infield position.
Rodriguez is a hard-throwing right-handed reliever who has some control issues but who also managed to strike out an average of 10 batters per 9 innings last year. The 28-year-old has a tendency to give up the long ball and posted an ERA of 5.37 in 70 1/3 innings with the Astros last season. Rodriguez will likely have to battle with Pat Neshek and Chris Resop for a spot on the right side of the A’s bullpen.
To acquire the pair, the A’s parted with three players who’ve all spent far more time in the minors than the majors: Max Stassi, the most highly rated catching prospect in the system who has been praised for his abilities behind the plate but who has also been hampered by injuries and has yet to progress beyond A ball; Brad Peacock, who was slated to be one of the top starters at Sacramento this season but who had his ups and downs last year and ended up posting a 6.01 ERA with the River Cats; and Chris Carter, who was supposed to be the right-handed half of the A’s first base platoon this year. Carter, the only one of the three who was expected to start the year on the major league roster, had formerly been a top prospect but, despite his strong power numbers in the second half last year, his September struggles strengthened the A’s doubts about his potential for long-term success.
Fernando Rodriguez: International Man Of Mystery
About coming to A’s, the Stanford alum Lowrie was quoted as saying, “I’m excited to come to a team that won one of the better divisions in baseball last year. I’m excited to have an opportunity to come back and play baseball in the Bay Area.” He graciously neglected to mention the fact that he’s also undoubtedly excited not to be playing for the Astros, who will likely be bringing up the rear in their new division this year.
With Lowrie’s addition, the A’s infield situation suddenly becomes a bit murkier. Lowrie has played short, second, third and first. Scott Sizemore has played second and third. Hiro Nakajima can play short, and possibly even second. And then there’s also Jemile Weeks, who can play second, and Josh Donaldson, who can play third.
Being a switch-hitter, of course, only increases Lowrie’s versatility. But his left/right splits are somewhat curious. For his career, he has an OPS that’s .154 points better against lefties. But last year, he had an OPS that was .196 points better against righties. Lowrie claims that his previous struggles as a left-handed hitter were primarily related to lingering injuries, and his minor league splits do lend some credence to that claim. But it would be nice to see his splits even out a bit given the fact that he’s likely to be seeing plenty of action against both righties and lefties for the A’s this season.
But how exactly will the A’s use Lowrie this year? Well, they’ve certainly got plenty of options. But in a conference call with reporters, A’s general manager Billy Beane said that he and manager Bob Melvin had discussed their options and that they view Japanese import Hiro Nakajima as their shortstop. Beane also mentioned that he could see Lowrie as a nice right-handed complement to Brandon Moss at first base, much like Chris Carter had been.
Chris Carter: The object of the Astros’ affections
If we take Beane’s comments to heart, that then raises the question of where Lowrie would play against right-handers. The most obvious answer would be at second base, where there’s already a great deal of uncertainty, and where the top two current candidates, Scott Sizemore and Jemile Weeks, have both performed better against lefties than righties in recent times – Sizemore, who seems to be the favored candidate, even more so, which could make him a perfect platoon partner with Lowrie at second base.
Lowrie could also be available to back up both Nakajima at shortstop and Donaldson at third base if either struggles or just needs some time off. Of course, if Nakajima, whose defensive ability at shortstop is still a big question mark, spends much of the spring butchering balls at short, Lowrie could always take over the spot full-time and push Nakajima into duty at second. But wherever he plays, as long as he’s healthy – and that’s been something of an issue in the past – it looks like Lowrie will be in the lineup. So he should end up getting into a lot more games for the A’s than Chris Carter would have this year, which ought to make him a productive addition to the major league roster.
One of the biggest winners in this trade could turn out to be the A’s former first baseman Daric Barton, who now stands a decent chance of making the roster as the only true first baseman on the squad. Moss and Lowrie only have a combined 68 major league games at first base between them, and teams often like to have a little defensive certainty on the roster. Before this trade, Barton’s chances of landing a roster spot rested on something happening to either Moss or Carter – and now something has most definitely happened to Carter. Of course, it’s possible that Barton still doesn’t make the roster, but it’s certainly a whole lot more likely that he does now.
Brad Peacock: Now standing tall for the last-place Astros
On the other side of the coin, one of the biggest losers in this deal could be infielder Adam Rosales. With his guaranteed contract and major league experience, Rosales was the favorite to land the utility infielder role. But now – with Lowrie, Nakajima, Donaldson and either Weeks or Sizemore likely to make the roster – the A’s will have at least two available options at each infield position, making another spare infielder somewhat redundant. Both Weeks and Sizemore could both be losers in this deal too since whoever wins a roster spot will undoubtedly have his at-bats at second base reduced by Lowrie’s arrival. The deal doesn’t do anything to help Eric Sogard’s and Grant Green’s prospects either as it just pushes both of them further down the infield depth chart.
As far as position players on the major league roster go, this deal might just boil down to Lowrie and Barton replacing Carter and Rosales on the A’s 2013 roster. As far as the pitching end of things goes, Beane clearly likes Rodriguez, referring to him as “a real big arm” and saying that he was a key to getting the deal done. But the hard-throwing righty will have to compete for a roster spot with fellow right-handers Pat Neshek and Chris Resop in an already crowded A’s bullpen that’s also likely to include right-handers Grant Balfour and Ryan Cook along with left-handers Sean Doolittle, Jerry Blevins and Travis Blackley – with guys like Jordan Norberto, Pedro Figueroa, Evan Scribner, Arnold Leon and James Simmons waiting in the wings.
Max Stassi: Taking the ‘tools of ignorance’ to Houston
Another beneficiary of the deal could be former 1st-round draft pick Sonny Gray, who will no longer have to compete for attention with fellow prospect Brad Peacock at Sacramento this season. If he pitches well at Triple-A this year, the odds of Gray getting the opportunity to see some time in Oakland before the season’s through have just greatly increased with Peacock out of the equation.
Vying for time with Gray in the River Cats rotation this year will be last year’s phenom Dan Straily, new acquisition Andrew Werner, veteran lefty Garrett Olson, and long-time minor leaguers Jesse Chavez, Bruce Billings and Travis Banwart. It’s my guess that Straily will end up in the major league rotation before long, like most 6th starters do, due to injury, and Banwart will start the season in the Sacramento bullpen, leaving the River Cats with a rotation of Gray, Werner, Olson, Chavez and Billings.
But this deal clearly wasn’t about the minor league roster; it was all about the major league roster – increasing the A’s infield depth and versatility and having a solid backup plan in place just in case Nakajima doesn’t pan out at short, Donaldson regresses at third, or nothing else works out at second. It’s clearly a “WIN NOW” move, just like it was with the Jaso deal. Peacock, Cole and Treinen represent a lot of young arms to give up – not to mention Carter and Stassi – in the two deals. But the A’s focus is clearly on winning now while the window of contention is open. And Beane admitted as much in his conference call with reporters, saying “Given where the club finished last year and where we see it having a chance to compete this year, we wanted to do everything we could to help ourselves right now.”
And for the A’s, the future is clearly NOW!
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!
What Did We Learn From A’s FanFest?
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!
A’s Manager Bob Melvin On The Team’s New SS, Who’ll Start At 2B, And Daric Barton’s Chances Of Making The Roster
Bob Melvin: Jemile Weeks or Scott Sizemore? What the hell, let’s just flip a coin!
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. A’s manager Bob Melvin was kind enough to stop by between his various autograph sessions and photo ops to field a few questions. And A’s Farm was particularly eager to get the skipper’s take on the A’s current situation at second base…
On Jemile Weeks, Scott Sizemore and the competition at second base…
Well, first and foremost, I like that we have some competition there. And I think that for both those guys, in spring training, it’s important because they’re playing for their job right there. And you want to see what kind of shape somebody comes in, what kind of desire, what kind of attitude they’re going to take towards that. Now they’re not the only two guys. Certainly Adam Rosales can play everywhere. It almost works against Rosie some that he is so versatile and can play other positions. And then we’re also going to look at Grant Green who’s going to get some at-bats over there, as well as Eric Sogard. So we have some options there. As we sit here right now, probably the two most prominent options are Weeks and Sizemore. I think it’s nice that we have some competition. And the versatility plays into our club as well, in that Scotty can play third and we can move some guys around to try to get our best lineup on a particular day. But both those guys will be in a competition type mode in spring training…In the case of Scotty, who played a full year at third, got hurt, and now he’s going back to second base, you want to make sure he gets comfortable over there first. And you don’t start evaluating right away on him, because you know it’s going to take some time for him to be comfortable. You know, it’s not uncommon for a guy who has a rookie year like Jemile had to not have as good a year the next year. And I think, even though it was difficult for him last year, he’ll probably benefit from that going forward, with his mindset each and every day coming to second base. It’s easy to read your press clippings – you know “I’m the untouchable guy,” “I’m the guy that’s the leadoff guy,” “I have the second base job.” And it’s not his fault – a lot of younger players have to go through that. That can be dangerous. But I know, I’ve talked to him here recently, and he is really looking forward and knows that he still has an opportunity and is grateful for that. I think you’ll see a different Jemile Weeks this spring…But there’s no limitations on Scotty. He’s a hard-working kid, and he put himself in the position of going to spring training this year to have no limitations based on the way he rehabbed and worked. It’s going to take probably a little time. It’s a completely different angle over at second base. The balls are on you a little bit later. You have different things that you have to do. He has experience doing it before. But there’s still going to be a learning curve for him, turning double plays and just learning the angles and the position again. And, therefore, we’ll give him some time to be comfortable before we really start evaluating him more objectively. But as far as the rehab goes, he’s 100% and looking forward to getting out there and contributing however he can.
Hiro Nakajima: Mr. Personality!
On new shortstop Hiro Nakajima…
Well, I think it’s tougher to get a handle on an international player probably more so defensively than offensively. We do know that he has a lot of leadership qualities – that he likes to be the guy. He seems to have a great personality. And I’ve said before, it seems like the guys who were leaders in Japan seem to have the best chance of succeeding over here – whether it’s a Matsui, whether it’s an Ichiro – and we feel like he falls into that category. We’re excited about it. But until you get your hands on him and watch him on a day-to-day basis, you’re not 100% sure if your evaluation is right, certainly on the defensive end of it.
On what he’s looking for in the leadoff spot…
Coco Crisp: Bob Melvin’s main man
Well, I think Coco Crisp does a good job at that. Granted, you look at it and you look at on-base percentage and Coco’s not a .380 on-base guy, but he’s there when you need him. We do have some other guys on days that he doesn’t play. Chris Young has led off against left-handed pitchers before. Look at his numbers against lefties. He hit a bunch of homers for me in his rookie year, and he understands leading off as well. You know, John Jaso is a guy who has led off. And you look at the on-base and you look at what he does, not only his patience but batting average with balls in play, there are a lot of things that would suggest this guy can hit up in the lineup, based on his on-base and the way he handles the bat. So whether he’s hitting in the two-hole one day, or if I have some guys off, it’s not totally out of the question that he could potentially lead off too. He gives us a lot of flexibility where he can hit in the lineup. And based on some increased power last year too, we feel like he can kind of go to a different level as far as that goes and could be a production guy later in the order.
Daric Barton: Maybe if I look like Jonny Gomes, they won’t cut me
On former first baseman Daric Barton’s chances of making the roster…
Well, you know what, you make your chances. And he did years before to put himself in the position to play every day. And that’s the way he has to look at it again. I don’t want him coming in thinking, “I have no chance to make the team here.” If you look at it, defensively, he’s the only true defender at the position. And he’s a good defender at the position – very good. So we felt like it was important to keep him. I mean, if Brandon Moss goes down, it’s obviously a natural for Daric Barton to take over that position. Chris Carter plays over there some too. So coming into camp, he’s going to be fighting to make a 25-man roster again. And I know he’s appreciative of another opportunity for him. So as quickly as it can change, it can flip back the other way as well.
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!
Is the A’s Roster Set? And the River Cats Roster Too?
Will Hiro have A’s fans smiling too?
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
2013 OAKLAND A’S
–CATCHERS–
–INFIELDERS–
Brandon Moss 1B
Chris Carter 1B
Jemile Weeks 2B
Adam Rosales IF
Yoenis Cespedes
–OUTFIELDERS–
Josh Reddick OF
Coco Crisp OF
Seth Smith OF
Chris Young OF
–STARTING PITCHERS–
Brett Anderson LHP
Jarrod Parker RHP
Tom Milone LHP
A.J. Griffin RHP
Dan Straily RHP
Grant Balfour
–RIGHT-HANDED RELIEVERS–
Grant Balfour RHP
Ryan Cook RHP
Pat Neshek RHP
Chris Resop RHP
–LEFT-HANDED RELIEVERS–
Sean Doolittle LHP
Jerry Blevins LHP
Travis Blackley LHP
–SUSPENDED FOR 5 GAMES–
2013 SACRAMENTO RIVER CATS
Michael Choice
–HITTERS–
Daric Barton IF
Andy Parrino IF
Eric Sogard IF
Scott Moore IF-OF
Grant Green IF-OF
–STARTING PITCHERS–
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
James Simmons
–RIGHT-HANDED RELIEVERS–
Evan Scribner RHP
Arnold Leon RHP
James Simmons RHP
Mike Ekstrom RHP
–LEFT-HANDED RELIEVERS–
Jordan Norberto LHP
Pedro Figueroa LHP
Justin Thomas LHP
2013 OAKLAND A’S
Derek Norris: Catcher of the future or lumberjack in training?
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.
Josh Reddick: The undisputed champion of the ‘Bernie Lean’ dance competition
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.
Daric Barton: Don’t worry, A’s fans – only in case of emergency!
2013 SACRAMENTO RIVER CATS
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.
Grant Green: Still looking for a home
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!
* * *
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!
A’s Major & Minor League Off-Season Transactions – Dec. 18 Update: A’s Find A Hiro To Play SS
Hiro: Better than Godzilla?
Well, the biggest story to break for A’s fans in the weeks before the holidays was the news that A’s free agent shortstop Stephen Drew had agreed to a $9.5 million/1-year deal with the Red Sox, followed quickly by the news that Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima had agreed to a $6.5 million/2-year deal (plus incentives and a $5.5 million 1-year option) with the A’s. The 30-year-old right-handed hitter has a career .310/.381/.474 slash line plus 104 home runs and 97 stolen bases over the last 6 seasons in Japan. His signing seems to settle the A’s starting shortstop question and makes arbitration-eligible Adam Rosales the likely backup at the position.
A’s free agent pitcher Brandon McCarthy also decided to leave the team for a $15.5 million/2-year deal with Arizona. It doesn’t look like the A’s are planning on signing a major league pitcher to replace McCarthy, but will instead count on a full season of availability from major-league ready RHP Dan Straily to make up for McCarthy’s loss.
On the minor league front, since our last update, the A’s traded RHP Graham Godfrey to the Red Sox as the player to be named in the deal to acquire RHP Sandy Rosario, who was later designated for assignment by the A’s and re-claimed by the Red Sox who then designated him for assignment again. So the A’s basically gave Godfrey to the Red Sox for the privilege of having Rosario on the roster for a few days. Minor league outfielder Jermaine Mitchell, who cleared waivers and elected free agency, ended up signing a minor league deal with the Phillies.
The most significant minor league addition the A’s made since our last update was the acquisition of 27-year-old minor league free agent catcher/first baseman Steven Hill, who’s played in 10 major league games for the Cardinals and spent most of last season at Triple-A Memphis, where he had a .266/.326/.488 slash line. The right-handed hitter figures to share the catching duties at Sacramento in 2013 with fellow minor league free agent signee Luke Montz.
You’ll find all new transactions since our last update noted below with italics and an asterisk. Any players who’ve recently been taking up space on the 40-man roster are listed below under Major League transactions, while all other players are listed under Minor League transactions. For all the minor league players, I’ve listed their primary positions as well as the level they spent the most time at in 2012. Just click on any player’s name to see their Baseball-Reference stats page…
MAJOR LEAGUE CHANGES
-Jonny Gomes OF / +Chris Young OF
-Pennington/Drew SS / +Hiroyuki Nakajima SS *
-Brandon Hicks IF / +Andy Parrino IF
-Brandon McCarthy RHP / +NONE *
-Jim Miller RHP / +Chris Resop RHP
-Tyson Ross RHP / +Andrew Werner LHP
Hiroyuki Nakajima
+ MAJOR LEAGUE ADDITIONS
Chris Young OF (traded from AZ)
Hiroyuki Nakajima SS (signed from Japan) *
Andy Parrino IF (traded from SD)
Chris Resop RHP (traded from PITT)
Andrew Werner LHP (traded from SD)
- MAJOR LEAGUE SUBTRACTIONS
Jonny Gomes OF (FA signed with BOS)
Stephen Drew SS (FA signed with BOS) *
Cliff Pennington SS (traded to AZ)
Brandon Hicks IF (traded to NYM)
Brandon McCarthy RHP (FA signed with AZ) *
Jim Miller RHP (claimed by NYY)
Tyson Ross RHP (traded to SD)
Steven Hill
+ MINOR LEAGUE ADDITIONS
Scott Moore 3B-1B AAA (minor league FA)
Luke Montz C-1B AAA (minor league FA)
Steven Hill C-1B AAA (minor league Rule 5 draftee) *
Tom Mendonca 3B AA (minor league rule 5 draftee) *
Darwin Perez SS-2B AA (minor league FA)
D’Arby Myers OF AA (minor league FA) *
Garrett Olson LHP AAA (minor league FA)
Justin Thomas LHP AAA (minor league FA)
Mike Ekstrom RHP AAA (minor league FA)
Kyler Newby RHP AA (minor league FA)
Yeiper Castillo RHP A (minor league FA) *
Jermaine Mitchell
- MINOR LEAGUE SUBTRACTIONS
Kila Ka’aihue 1B AAA (minor league FA signed with AZ)
Jermaine Mitchell OF AAA (minor league FA signed with PHI) *
Blake Lalli C AAA (minor league FA signed with MIL)
Jason Jaramillo C AAA (minor league FA)
Wes Timmons IF AAA (minor league FA)
Matt Rizzotti 1B AA (minor league FA)
Leonardo Gil 3B AA (minor league FA)
A.J. Kirby-Jones 1B A (traded to SD)
Yordy Cabrera SS A (traded to MIA)
Michael Gilmartin SS-2B A (minor league Rule 5 draftee by CIN) *
Eliezer Mesa OF A (minor league Rule 5 draftee by DET) *
Graham Godfrey RHP AAA (traded to BOS) *
Rich Thompson RHP AAA (minor league FA signed with TOR) *
Jeremy Accardo RHP AAA (minor league FA)
Merkin Valdez RHP AAA (minor league FA)
Justin Souza RHP AAA (minor league FA)
Fabio Castro LHP AA (minor league FA)
Beau Jones LHP AA (minor league FA)
Matt McSwain RHP AA (minor league FA)
Jonathan Ortiz RHP AA (minor league FA)
Jose Guzman RHP AA (minor league FA)
Zach Thornton RHP A (traded to PITT)
Adam Rosales
RETURNING FREE AGENTS/ARB ELIGIBLES/OPTIONS
Daric Barton 1B (Arb Eligible Re-Signed)
Adam Rosales IF (Arb Eligible Re-Signed)
Pat Neshek RHP (Arb Eligible Re-Signed)
Bartolo Colon RHP (Free Agent Re-Signed)
Grant Balfour RHP (Option Renewed)
RETURNING ARB ELIGIBLES
Seth Smith OF (Arb Eligible)
Brandon Moss 1B (Arb Eligible)
George Kottaras C (Arb Eligible)
Jerry Blevins LHP (Arb Eligible)
Chris Resop RHP (Arb Eligible)
UNSIGNED MLB FREE AGENTS
Brandon Inge 3B (MLB Free Agent)
Dallas Braden LHP (MLB Free Agent)
Joey Devine RHP (MLB Free Agent)
COMING & GOING
Sandy Rosario RHP (traded from BOS – designated for assignment)
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!
A’s Major & Minor League Off-Season Transactions – Dec. 1 Update
Jonny Gomes: All dressed up, with somewhere to go.
With a flurry of activity on Friday just ahead of Major League Baseball’s non-tender deadline and with the Winter Meetings starting on Monday in Nashville, it seems like a good time to recap all the A’s major and minor league transactions from the end of the season through the non-tender deadline of November 30th. The most significant changes to affect the major league roster so far this off-season have been Jonny Gomes signing with Boston, the Chris Young/Cliff Pennington trade with Arizona, as well as the Tyson Ross trade with San Diego. These deals, along with a few other minor moves, have basically resulted in Chris Young replacing Jonny Gomes in the lineup and Chris Resop replacing Jim Miller in the bullpen, with Andy Parrino replacing Brandon Hicks and Andrew Werner replacing Tyson Ross as guys who’ll probably end up spending most of their time at Sacramento while filling in in Oakland as needed.
The biggest remaining question mark for the A’s is who will replace Cliff Pennington and Stephen Drew as the team’s starting shortstop in 2013. The two combined to start 129 games at shortstop for the A’s in 2012. Right now, with Pennington having been traded to Arizona and Drew a free agent, the position’s a bit of a black hole. But the assumption is that the A’s will either make a deal for a shortstop (possibly at the Winter Meetings), sign one on the free agent market (Marco Scutaro, Ronny Cedeno, Cesar Izturis, Jason Bartlett, Alex Gonzalez), or possibly even re-sign Drew if the market for him doesn’t end up getting too hot.
Of course, the team has already picked up closer Grant Balfour’s option, re-signed free agent right-hander Bartolo Colon, and re-signed arbitration eligible players Pat Neshek, Adam Rosales and Daric Barton. For those about to panic, don’t worry, Barton’s contract is not guaranteed, so he can be cut anytime and the A’s won’t owe him another dime. As of Friday night, there was no official word as to whether or not the team had offered contracts to their five remaining arbitration eligible players – outfielder Seth Smith, first baseman Brandon Moss, catcher George Kottaras, left-hander Jerry Blevins and recently-acquired right-hander Chris Resop – but the assumption is that no news is good news and the fact that we didn’t hear anything probably means that the A’s made offers to all these players and thus will retain the rights to them all.
Brandon McCarthy: To leave or not to leave, that is the question.
Of the team’s five remaining major league free agents, two – third baseman Brandon Inge and right-hander Joey Devine – can be expected to move on, while the jury is still out on the remaining three. As mentioned, shortstop Stephen Drew could return if he doesn’t find too many other tempting offers out there. There seems to be some mutual interest in a return engagement for Brandon McCarthy, but other teams are said to be sniffing around the right-hander as well. Oft-injured left-hander Dallas Braden is also on the market, and it’s possible that the northern California boy could sign an incentive-laden deal to stick around the old neighborhood.
As for the A’s minor league transactions, the most significant loss has probably been the signing of minor league free agent first baseman Kila Ka’aihue by Arizona. The most significant minor league addition by the A’s so far has probably been the signing of third baseman/first baseman Scott Moore who signed a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training. The left-handed hitter made it into 72 games with the Astros in 2012, playing mainly at third base and first base, but he also got in some time at second base and in the outfield. The A’s are likely to make many more minor league signings as the off-season unfolds, though re-signing any of their own remaining minor league free agents is probably unlikely.
Any players who’ve recently been taking up space on the 40-man roster are listed below under Major League transactions, while all other players are listed under Minor League transactions. For all the minor league players, I’ve listed their primary positions as well as the level they spent the most time at in 2012. Just click on any player’s name to see their Baseball-Reference stats page…
Cliff Pennington
MAJOR LEAGUE CHANGES
-Jonny Gomes OF / +Chris Young OF
-Cliff Pennington SS / +TBD SS
-Brandon Hicks IF / +Andy Parrino IF
-Jim Miller RHP / +Chris Resop RHP
-Tyson Ross RHP / +Andrew Werner LHP
Chris Young
+ MAJOR LEAGUE ADDITIONS
Chris Young OF (traded from AZ)
Andy Parrino IF (traded from SD)
Chris Resop RHP (traded from PITT)
Andrew Werner LHP (traded from SD)
- MAJOR LEAGUE SUBTRACTIONS
Jonny Gomes
Jonny Gomes OF (FA signed with BOS)
Cliff Pennington SS (traded to AZ)
Brandon Hicks IF (traded to NYM)
Jim Miller RHP (claimed by NYY)
Tyson Ross RHP (traded to SD)
+ MINOR LEAGUE ADDITIONS
Scott Moore
Scott Moore 3B-1B AAA (minor league FA)
Luke Montz C-1B AAA (minor league FA)
Darwin Perez SS-2B AA (minor league FA)
Garrett Olson LHP AAA (minor league FA)
Justin Thomas LHP AAA (minor league FA)
Mike Ekstrom RHP AAA (minor league FA)
Kyler Newby RHP AA (minor league FA)
- MINOR LEAGUE SUBTRACTIONS
Kila Ka’aihue
Kila Ka’aihue 1B AAA (minor league FA signed with AZ)
Jermaine Mitchell OF AAA (minor league FA)
Wes Timmons IF AAA (minor league FA)
Jason Jaramillo C AAA (minor league FA)
Blake Lalli C AAA (minor league FA signed with MIL)
Matt Rizzotti 1B AA (minor league FA)
Leonardo Gil 3B AA (minor league FA)
A.J. Kirby-Jones 1B A (traded to SD)
Yordy Cabrera SS A (traded to MIA)
Yordy Cabrera
Jeremy Accardo RHP AAA (minor league FA)
Rich Thompson RHP AAA (minor league FA)
Merkin Valdez RHP AAA (minor league FA)
Justin Souza RHP AAA (minor league FA)
Fabio Castro LHP AA (minor league FA)
Beau Jones LHP AA (minor league FA)
Matt McSwain RHP AA (minor league FA)
Jonathan Ortiz RHP AA (minor league FA)
Jose Guzman RHP AA (minor league FA)
Zach Thornton RHP A (traded to PITT)
Grant Balfour
RETURNING FREE AGENTS/ARB ELIGIBLES/OPTIONS
Daric Barton 1B (Arb Eligible Re-Signed)
Adam Rosales IF (Arb Eligible Re-Signed)
Pat Neshek RHP (Arb Eligible Re-Signed)
Bartolo Colon RHP (Free Agent Re-Signed)
Grant Balfour RHP (Option Renewed)
Seth Smith
LIKELY RETURNING ARB ELIGIBLES
Seth Smith OF (Arb Eligible)
Brandon Moss 1B (Arb Eligible)
George Kottaras C (Arb Eligible)
Jerry Blevins LHP (Arb Eligible)
Chris Resop RHP (Arb Eligible)
UNSIGNED MLB FREE AGENTS
Stephen Drew
Stephen Drew SS (MLB Free Agent)
Brandon Inge 3B (MLB Free Agent)
Brandon McCarthy RHP (MLB Free Agent)
Dallas Braden LHP (MLB Free Agent)
Joey Devine RHP (MLB Free Agent)
COMING & GOING
Sandy Rosario RHP (traded from BOS – designated for assignment)
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!
A’s Farm’s 2012 Post-Season Organizational All-Star Team!
A’s top prospect Addison Russell
With the 2012 minor league season now complete, it’s a good time to take a step back and determine who the true standouts on the field really were in the A’s system in 2012. And with that in mind, we’re naming A’s Farm’s 2012 Post-Season Organizational All-Star Team!
Below you’ll find the primary starting players at each position for Triple-A Sacramento, Double-A Midland, High-A Stockton, Class-A Burlington, Class-A Short-Season Vermont and the Rookie League Short-Season AZL A’s in 2012. Offensive starters were selected from the players who had the most games played at each position for each team, with notable players not leading in games played at a particular position listed in the designated hitter category. Starting pitchers were selected from hurlers who had at least 100 innings pitched for each club, while closers were selected from each team’s saves leader. The asterisks denote players with combined statistics from multiple minor league teams within the A’s system, and players’ major league statistics were not included.
Below the list of contenders, you’ll find A’s Farm’s selection of Organizational All-Stars at each position. The winners were determined based purely on performance, not potential. Remember, we’re not selecting the top prospects here, we’re choosing the top performers on the field this season. So take a good look at the candidates for yourself and feel free to chime in with your own thoughts and selections!
A’s Farm’s 2012 Post-Season Organizational All-Star Team – The Contenders
CATCHER
Sacto – Derek Norris (9 HR / .271 AVG / .329 OBP / .477 SLG / .806 OPS)
Midland – Ryan Lipkin (4 HR / .193 AVG / .222 OBP / .297 SLG / .519 OPS) *
Stockton – Max Stassi (15 HR / .268 AVG / .331 OBP / .468 SLG / .799 OPS)
Burlington – Nick Rickles (6 HR / .220 AVG / .257 OBP / .328 SLG / .584 OPS)
Vermont – Bruce Maxwell (0 HR / .277 AVG / .356 OBP / .349 SLG / .705 OPS) *
AZL A’s – Phil Pohl (3 HR / .292 AVG / .381 OBP / .450 SLG / .831 OPS) *
FIRST BASE
Sacto – Daric Barton (8 HR / .255 AVG / .411 OBP / .425 SLG / .835 OPS)
Midland – Anthony Aliotti (10 HR / .292 AVG / .385 OBP / .426 SLG / .811 OPS)
Stockton – A.J. Kirby-Jones (21 HR / .248 AVG / .382 OBP / .461 SLG / .843 OPS)
Burlington – Max Muncy (4 HR / .275 AVG / .383 OBP / .432 SLG / .816 OPS)
Vermont – Jacob Tanis (2 HR / .261 AVG / .333 OBP / .336 SLG / .670 OPS)
AZL A’s – Matt Olson (9 HR / .282 AVG / .352 OBP / .521 SLG / .873 OPS) *
SECOND BASE
Sacto – Eric Sogard (5 HR / .331 AVG / .417 OBP / .484 SLG / .901 OPS)
Midland – Tyler Ladendorf (9 HR / .240 AVG / .324 OBP / .358 SLG / .682 OPS)
Stockton – Ryan Pineda (5 HR / .241 AVG / .325 OBP / .367 SLG / .692 OPS) *
Burlington – Chih Fang Pan (2 HR / .243 AVG / .300 OBP / .324 SLG / .625 OPS)
Vermont – Chris Bostick (3 HR / .251 AVG / .325 OBP / .369 SLG / .694 OPS)
AZL A’s – Melvin Mercedes (0 HR / .381 AVG / .440 OBP / .495 SLG / .935 OPS)
SHORTSTOP
Sacto – Brandon Hicks (18 HR / .244 AVG / .350 OBP / .506 SLG / .856 OPS)
Midland – Dusty Coleman (15 HR / .201 AVG / .284 OBP / .363 SLG / .647 OPS)
Stockton – Michael Gilmartin (9 HR / .256 AVG / .339 OBP / .360 SLG / .699 OPS)
Burlington – Sean Jamieson (11 HR / .244 AVG / .354 OBP / .389 SLG / .743 OPS)
Vermont – Wilfredo Solano (1 HR / .217 AVG / .263 OBP / .286 SLG / .549 OPS)
AZL A’s – Addison Russell (7 HR / .369 AVG / .432 OBP / .594 SLG / 1.027 OPS) *
THIRD BASE
Sacto – Stephen Parker (7 HR / .256 AVG / .327 OBP / .390 SLG / .717 OPS)
Midland – Miles Head (23 HR / .333 AVG / .391 OBP / .577 SLG / .968 OPS) *
Stockton – B.A. Vollmuth (14 HR / .261 AVG / .336 OBP / .405 SLG / .741 OPS) *
Burlington – Wade Kirkland (8 HR / .237 AVG / .306 OBP / .398 SLG / .705 OPS)
Vermont – Chad Lewis (3 HR / .219 AVG / .271 OBP / .289 SLG / .559 OPS) *
AZL A’s – Renato Nunez (4 HR / .325 AVG / .403 OBP / .550 SLG / .953 OPS)
LEFT FIELD
Sacto – Grant Green (15 HR / .296 AVG / .338 OBP / .458 SLG / .796 OPS)
Midland – Conner Crumbliss (10 HR / .257 AVG / .414 OBP / .391 SLG / .805 OPS)
Stockton – Josh Whitaker (20 HR / .259 AVG / .325 OBP / .472 SLG / .796 OPS)
Burlington – Royce Consigli (5 HR / .211 AVG / .292 OBP / .336 SLG / .628 OPS)
Vermont – Austin Booker (0 HR / .253 AVG / .337 OBP / .300 SLG / .637 OPS)
AZL A’s – Herschel Powell (0 HR / .306 AVG / .383 OBP / .315 SLG / .698 OPS)
CENTER FIELD
Sacto – Jermaine Mitchell (6 HR / .252 AVG / .345 OBP / .386 SLG / .731 OPS)
Midland – Michael Choice (10 HR / .287 AVG / .356 OBP / .423 SLG / .779 OPS)
Stockton – Chad Oberacker (15 HR / .267 AVG / .336 OBP / .443 SLG / .779 OPS) *
Burlington – Aaron Shipman (0 HR / .206 AVG / .319 OBP / .261 SLG / .580 OPS)
Vermont – Brett Vertigan (1 HR / .266 AVG / .338 OBP / .375 SLG / .713 OPS)
AZL A’s – B.J. Boyd (1 HR / .301 AVG / .401 OBP / .434 SLG / .835 OPS)
RIGHT FIELD
Sacto – Michael Taylor (12 HR / .287 AVG / .405 OBP / .441 SLG / .846 OPS)
Midland – Jeremy Barfield (13 HR / .272 AVG / .322 OBP / .415 SLG / .737 OPS)
Stockton – Dusty Robinson (27 HR / .239 AVG / .310 OBP / .448 SLG / .758 OPS) *
Burlington – Bobby Crocker (6 HR / .268 AVG / .347 OBP / .369 SLG / .716 OPS)
Vermont – John Wooten (4 HR / .276 AVG / .316 OBP / .391 SLG / .706 OPS) *
AZL A’s – Vicmal De La Cruz (3 HR / .230 AVG / .291 OBP / .378 SLG / .668 OPS)
DESIGNATED HITTER
Sacto – Kila Ka’aihue (15 HR / .256 AVG / .367 OBP / .496 SLG / .863 OPS)
Midland – Josh Horton (9 HR / .280 AVG / .349 OBP / .414 SLG / .763 OPS) *
Stockton – Tony Thompson (11 HR / .276 AVG / .344 OBP / .442 SLG / .785 OPS)
Burlington – Douglas Landaeta (10 HR / .244 AVG / .283 OBP / .377 SLG / .660 OPS)
Vermont – Miguel Marte (3 HR / .230 AVG / .275 OBP / .331 SLG / .606 OPS)
AZL A’s – Daniel Robertson (5 HR / .241 AVG / .330 OBP / .400 SLG / .730 OPS) *
STARTING PITCHER
Sacto – Graham Godfrey (104 IP / 98 H / 38 ER / 26 BB / 60 K / 3.29 ERA / 1.19 WHIP)
Midland – Sonny Gray (152 IP / 158 H / 72 ER / 58 BB / 99 K / 4.26 ERA / 1.42 WHIP) *
Stockton – Josh Bowman (151 2/3 IP / 164 H / 62 ER / 35 BB / 130 K / 3.68 ERA / 1.31 WHIP) *
Burlington – Drew Granier (162 2/3 IP / 149 H / 58 ER / 53 BB / 167 K / 3.21 ERA / 1.24 WHIP)
Vermont – Andres Avila (66 IP / 68 H / 28 ER / 16 BB / 60 K / 3.82 ERA / 1.27 WHIP)
AZL A’s – Vince Voiro (37 1/3 IP / 35 H / 15 ER / 8 BB / 41 K / 3.62 ERA / 1.15 WHIP)
CLOSER
Sacto – Evan Scribner (35 2/3 IP / 26 H / 12 ER / 10 BB / 38 K / 3.03 ERA / 1.01 WHIP / 8 SV)
Midland – Jonathan Ortiz (62 1/3 IP / 58 H / 26 ER / 18 BB / 50 K / 3.75 ERA / 1.22 WHIP / 15 SV)
Stockton – Zach Thornton (53 2/3 IP / 57 H / 27 ER / 19 BB / 70 K / 4.53 ERA / 1.42 WHIP / 16 SV)
Burlington – Jonathan Joseph (93 2/3 IP / 93 H / 52 ER / 43 BB / 89 K / 5.00 ERA / 1.45 WHIP / 12 SV) *
Vermont – Austin House (28 1/3 IP / 15 H / 4 ER / 11 BB / 36 K / 1.27 ERA / 0.92 WHIP / 5 SV) *
AZL A’s – Dakota Bacus (30 IP / 12 H / 4 ER / 5 BB / 35 K / 1.20 ERA / 0.57 WHIP / 7 SV)
A’s Farm’s 2012 Post-Season Organizational All-Star Team – The Winners
CATCHER
AZL A’s / Vermont Lake Monsters
(3 HR / .292 AVG / .381 OBP / .450 SLG / .831 OPS) *
FIRST BASE
Sacramento River Cats
(8 HR / .255 AVG / .411 OBP / .425 SLG / .835 OPS)
SECOND BASE
AZL A’s
(0 HR / .381 AVG / .440 OBP / .495 SLG / .935 OPS)
SHORTSTOP
AZL A’s / Vermont Lake Monsters / Burlington Bees
(7 HR / .369 AVG / .432 OBP / .594 SLG / 1.027 OPS) *
THIRD BASE
Midland RockHounds / Stockton Ports
(23 HR / .333 AVG / .391 OBP / .577 SLG / .968 OPS) *
LEFT FIELD
Midland RockHounds
(10 HR / .257 AVG / .414 OBP / .391 SLG / .805 OPS)
CENTER FIELD
AZL A’s
(1 HR / .301 AVG / .401 OBP / .434 SLG / .835 OPS)
RIGHT FIELD
Sacramento River Cats
(12 HR / .287 AVG / .405 OBP / .441 SLG / .846 OPS)
DESIGNATED HITTER
Sacramento River Cats
(15 HR / .256 AVG / .367 OBP / .496 SLG / .863 OPS)
STARTING PITCHER
Burlington Bees
(162 2/3 IP / 149 H / 58 ER / 53 BB / 167 K / 3.21 ERA / 1.24 WHIP)
CLOSER
AZL A’s
(30 IP / 12 H / 4 ER / 5 BB / 35 K / 1.20 ERA / 0.57 WHIP / 7 SV)
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