The A’s optioned three prospects, including the player widely considered to be their top prospect, infielder Franklin Barreto, to Triple-A Nashville after the team’s spring training loss to Arizona on Friday. Infielder Chad Pinder and first baseman/outfielder Matt Olson were also optioned to the Sounds. The team now has 45 players in big league camp, including 32 players on the 40-man roster and 13 non-roster invitees.
In the past week, the A’s have optioned a total of eight players to Triple-A Nashville. In addition to Barreto, Pinder and Olson, infielders Renato Nunez and Yairo Munoz, outfielder Jaycob Brugman, and RHPs Paul Blackburn and Bobby Wahl were optioned to the Sounds earlier.
The sweet-swinging Barreto turned in an impressive .481/.500/.667 slash line in 27 at-bats this spring. He’s set to see time at shortstop as well as at second base at Nashville this season. And with A’s incumbent second baseman Jed Lowrie in the final year of his contract, Barreto eventually is expected to take over at second for the A’s, perhaps later this season.
Pinder, who already has plenty of experience at shortstop, second base and third base, is expected to see some time in the outfield as well at Nashville this season since the A’s see him as a potentially valuable, versatile utility man who could be deployed as a bit of a super sub on next year’s squad. He posted a .158/.261/.474 line in 19 spring at-bats. And Olson could contend for a left-handed-hitting platoon role at first base or in the outfield for the A’s next season. He had a .167/.286/.467 line in 30 at-bats this spring.
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