GM shares where team stands in an uncertain market
Nine months of virtual meetings prepared the Oakland A’s brass well for the new-look winter meetings, originally scheduled to be hosted in Dallas this week and canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The pandemic’s economic impact on MLB will have teams looking to cut costs and tighten budgets. It’s not an unfamiliar modus operandi for Oakland, which is accustomed to emotionally detaching from popular players and free agents to pursue more fiscally attainable, maybe relatively unknown pieces.
The A’s are expected to have a lower payroll in 2021. How much lower? A’s general manager David Forst can’t say.
“That’s an ongoing conversation with (owner) John (Fisher),” Forst said.
With nine free agents — their 10th, Mike Minor, already signed with the Kansas City Royals — expect the A’s to get creative filling some of the pending gaps in the roster.
The most pressing gap to fill could be Marcus Semien’s at shortstop, as a clubhouse leader. Forst’s tone read as if the A’s are operating under the assumption they’ll need to replace their free- agent gaps. They may not have the funds to give Semien the contract he’s seeking.
Billy Beane and Forst weren’t shy about their interest in re-signing second baseman Tommy La Stella.
Forst said the La Stella pursuit is “very much still a conversation here” but if both Semien and La Stella depart in free agency, the A’s have the pieces inhouse to recover.
Part of that would include giving utility player Chad Pinder consistent reps at shortstop and, maybe, second base. Tony Kemp, Vimael Machin and Sheldon Neuse will return for depth, too.
Jake Diekman has the repertoire to shape into a strong closer. The lefthander racked up 31 strikeouts in 21.1 innings, allowing just one earned run in the entire 2020 season.
“We’re open to whatever options end up being and Jake certainly pitched well enough last year to pitch at the end of the game, if need be,” Forst said. “So, I’d have to say he’s an option. But beyond that, I think conversation will go into February and March with Bob ( Melvin) and (Scott) Emerson.”