by Bill Moriarity / A’s Farm Editor
March 29, 2024
With the Las Vegas Aviators, Oakland’s Triple-A team, beginning their season tonight, the opening day roster of the A’s top affiliate has now become clear. Triple-A teams can carry 28 players on the active roster, and the Aviators are opening the season with 15 pitchers and 13 position players on their active roster. The A’s other minor league affiliates in Midland, Lansing and Stockton are all expected to announce their rosters prior to their opening days next week.
The Triple-A team’s catching corps consists of former 1st-round pick Tyler Soderstrom, who could also see some time at first base, and Carlos Perez, last season’s primary backup catcher for the A’s who signed a minor league deal in the offseason.
Familiar names Jordan Diaz, Brett Harris and Logan Davidson will all open the season in the infield mix in Las Vegas. With Harris likely to get most of the starts at the hot corner, Diaz could get most of the starts at second base, but he should see some time at both first base and third base as well, while former 1st-round pick Davidson has experience at all four infield spots. Power-hitting first baseman Drew Lugbauer, who was signed to a minor league deal in the offseason, should get most of the reps at first base, while fellow minor league free agent signee Armando Alvarez appears likely to split time between first base and third base while also spending some time in the designated hitter spot. With Darell Hernaiz making the A’s opening day roster, former 1st-round pick Max Muncy is now set to make his Triple-A debut as the starting shortstop for Las Vegas this season. Meanwhile, minor league free agent signee Hoy Park and the versatile Max Schuemann both can play almost every position in the infield and outfield but, with multiple options at both first and third, second base could be where they up making most of their appearances in the infield. Both are likely to find themselves moving all over the field quite a bit though.
Lazaro Armenteros, Daz Cameron and Stephen Piscotty appear set to get most of the starts in the Las Vegas outfield. Minor league free agent signee Hoy Park and Max Schuemann, both of whom will see some time in the infield, will end up spending some time moving all around the outfield as well.
The Aviators appear set to open the season with a starting rotation that includes righties Aaron Brooks, Adrian Martinez, Joey Estes and Osvaldo Bido as well as lefties Hogan Harris and Jack O’Loughlin. Meanwhile, the nine-man bullpen is made up of righties Tyler Ferguson, Vinny Nittoli, Gerardo Reyes, Gerson Moreno, Michel Otanez and Danis Correa, all of whom were signed to minor league deals in the offseason, as well as fellow righties Zach Jackson and Billy Sullivan along with lone lefty Francisco Perez. Pitchers Chase Cohen, Shohei Tomioka and Easton Lucas, all of whom spent time with Las Vegas last season, appear set to open the season in the Double-A Midland bullpen.
Las Vegas Aviators Complete Roster
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